Gaara leaned his back against the firm trunk of a tree as he watched Sakura sleeping. She fought her exhaustion until she could not keep her eyes open. Even in those moments as she drifted off, the weary female passed him a mistrustful look and held a kunai to her chest. The One frowned at her pathetic attempt at protection. Gaara could crush her delicate bones into dust, relishing her blood mixing with his sand.

The familiar pull of the Shukaku, the beast Gaara harbored, burned inside him, his lust for her death building. He gritted his teeth as his tortured mind changed the slumbering woman's hair from coral pink to black as night, like that wench who had taken Naruto away from him. Hatred boiled deep inside him and he clenched his fists until his jagged nails dug into his calloused palms, drawing warm blood.

She took him away. It's all her fault. Kill her...

That voice, the Shukaku... its voice seemed to overpower him. Gaara knew he shouldn't kill her. This was the last human he had to protect to fulfill his requirement. Gaara gripped his head in agony as he tried to snuff the murderous intention that was overflowing. His sand inched from the gourd on his back, crawling like a snake across the grass towards Sakura. Just as the sand raised itself to attack, the kunoichi let out a gentle moan, stopping Gaara in his tracks. That sound, it was... soothing.

The powerful being turned his back to Sakura and faced her still unconscious prisoner. How did one describe soothing? It had been so long since Gaara detected something other than hatred and deep sorrow. His heart grasped for that one moment of peace the soft sound brought him. Cyan eyes fought to keep his gaze off that woman Madara forced him to endure.

"Damn it," he muttered at his confusion. He crossed his arms over his chest and gazed up at the star-filled sky. A breeze whistled by, tussling his crimson locks. "Hmph."

"Why haven't we sent anyone to see if she's okay?! Sakura may be in danger!"

Cinnamon orbs rolled in annoyance as she tried to keep her temper in check. "Do you not have any faith in your teammate?! Sakura is no weak ninja!"

The young male quieted before growling and turning on his heels. "If she isn't back in three days, I'm going after her."

He slammed the door, and the Sannin's raged boiled over. She jumped to her feet, fist clenching. Tsunade almost wished he would try to leave because she would beat the living shit out of him for opening his big Hokage rubbed her temples, returned to her chair, and let her blonde bangs fall over her face. She took a deep breath and counted backward from ten, a trick that had saved many asses from her wrath. She had to admit she too was wondering where Sakura was. Her return date was a week ago. What was holding her? Tsunade knew her prodigy could handle this mission without a problem and if she were to get herself into a sticky situation, she'd figure a way to get out.

"You know how he can get ma'am. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Tsunade looked up to see the Copy Cat Ninja crouching in her windowsill. She had yet to get used to him appearing without her being able to sense his chakra. "Keep him under tight surveillance. He needs to stay right here until I say otherwise."

Kakashi's one visible eye closed and crinkled in the corner, hinting at his hidden smile. "Well, you know he's not the brightest sometimes. I will watch out for him."

With that, he vanished in a puff of smoke. Tsunade gazed out the window. The sky was darkening and thunder rolled in the distance. Her eyes narrowed at the ominous feeling radiating from it. Tsunade leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath, wishing she had a nice cup of sake to help her relax. The difficulties of being the Hokage sometimes got to her, but she never showed that. Everyone knew the Sannin for her headstrong attitude and she would keep that title.

Deep in the forest, Naruto paced, fuming about the situation with Sakura. Sakura was a powerful Kunoichi, but that didn't stop his concern. The blonde leaned against a large tree and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Still fretting about Sakura?"

Blue eyes turned upward to see his mentor crouched on a tree branch above him. Naruto returned his gaze to the forest in front of him, the darkening grey clouds mimicking the rumbling feelings he had inside him.

"Am I not supposed to worry about her?! She's my friend!"

Kakashi jumped down beside the younger male, feet landing so the leaves did not crunch from his weight. "You're making yourself less useful as a ninja. Because it preoccupies your mind, you'd be the last person the Hokage would send on important missions."

Naruto frowned, knowing Kakashi-sensei had a point. He had grown bored; his last S ranked mission was two weeks ago, and he was ready to get moving! He should listen to Lady Tsunade and wait a little longer before he did anything drastic. Sakura was more than capable of coming back safe and she'd punch him in the face if she knew of his fretting.

"Fine," Naruto said after a period of silence. He pushed himself off the tree and locked his fingers behind his head. "Well, I'm getting something to eat." He turned on his heels to leave but paused. "Hey, why don't we train before I go eat? That will definitely build up my appetite!"

"Hmm," Kakashi pondered, placing his hands in his pockets. "I would test my strength now that you can control the Kyuubi."

Naruto held up his fist. "He's my friend, not something I control. I can beat you easy now!"

The older male chuckled before falling into his fighting stance. "We'll just see about that."

After a two-hour long spar, a tired blonde headed towards his apartment. His clothes were wet with sweat and dirt covered him from head to toe. His breath was still coming in shallow gasps as his heart rate returned to normal. That was an intense battle, and it made the Jinchuriki happy to spar with his older mentor again. A few drops of warm rain landed on his face and a flash of lightning forked the sky followed by a loud crack of thunder. Naruto jogged to a denser part of the forest. The rain soothed his skin, but he didn't like being blinded by a heavy downpour. Naruto continued to tread forward and glanced up at the darkening sky. He should move a little faster before he got struck by lightning... that had happened before.

Suddenly, Naruto's gaze shot to the distance and he skidded to a halt. "Hey! Why don't you come out instead of hiding like a coward?!"

Silence answered him, but then a figure appeared. The person had an orange spiraled mask covering his face. Short, spiky hair stuck up from the top of his head. A black robe billowed to his ankles marked with strange red designs visible even in the darkened light. Who was this guy? The strangest part was that he wasn't wearing a ninja headband, but his power hung like a blanket over the atmosphere.

"Who the hell are you?!" Naruto shouted, jumping back and pulling a kunai from his back pocket.

"Still so... rowdy."

Naruto's cerulean orbs flashed.

"What are you talking about?!"

"You still remember nothing?" the figure asked as he took a step forward.

Naruto threw the kunai, and it surprised him when it traveled through the stranger and into a tree behind him. Just what kind of person was this? And what did he mean about remembering?

Naruto's thoughts got interrupted by the intruder before he could ask questions.

"You will soon reunite with Rage, and he has the final piece to the puzzle. Keep her safe, just as you always have."

With that, he disappeared in a minimizing swirl. Naruto stared in the place where he had been standing. Who was that? Reunited with rage, was that a riddle? Naruto wasn't the type who understood riddles. Naruto was thinking maybe he should inform someone of what he saw. His chakra had aura the Jinchuriki never sensed before. It almost had an energized sensation as if he would never run out of chakra.

"I should go let Granny Tsunade kno-"

Naruto's stomach interrupted his thoughts, reminding him of his priorities. Maybe he should eat first. Mm, ramen... The blonde shook his head. Granny would eat him alive if she discovered he delayed important information for food. He didn't want to fall more on her bad side.

Sakura stopped to rest that evening and get something to eat. Since she had regained her strength, the kunoichi had placed her prisoner in genjutsu. It was better than just continuing to knock him unconscious. The better shape he was in, the better Ibiki could rip his mind to shreds. They would discover one of Orochimaru's hideouts. Sakura frowned and placed her prisoner on the ground next to her and pulled her back off her shoulder. She had stopped by a small village to eat. There would be about two more hours of travel and then it home sweet home. Sakura couldn't wait to take a warm bath and wash her hair. It smelled bad.

Sakura sat. She pulled out a small container of smoked meat and vegetables along with a gourd of water she had gotten from a small family owned shop. She could smell the delicious seasonings wafting from the closed container and her mouth watered. Her stomach growled in protest because she hadn't bitten into it yet. Sakura glanced up when she detected Gaara and frowned.

She opened her meal and asked, "What do you want? I don't need saving right now."

The One stood near a large tree with his arms crossed over his chest, a blank look on his face. "You seem like a mortal who places herself in harm's way."

Sakura's face turned red with anger. "Just go away! I don't want you around me!"

Her outburst elicited no reaction from Gaara. He blinked and responded, "I would not be here if I didn't have to. You are an irritating human."

The nerve of this guy! She jumped to her feet and ran towards the asshole, raising her fist and channeling chakra into it.

"Don't toy with me!"

Gaara dodged and her fist smashed through the tree, the force so strong, it got uprooted and thrown twenty feet. Sakura whirled around, coral hair fanning out around her face. Her emerald orbs flashed with anger and when she saw the still blank look on that bastard's face, it threw her into a rage. She ran towards him again and slammed her fists into the hard earth, causing it to break into large chunks and rise from its place as if an earthquake had shattered the land. Gaara jumped into the air and his sand surrounded him, allowing him to stay suspended in the air until the quaking earth subsided.

He's not getting off that easy.

Sakura ran up the tall trees, bounding from branch to branch until she was at the top and launched herself from it. She had enough of this nonsense and if this guy didn't get the hint, she would beat it into him. Sakura didn't care if he was a celestial being; she'd kick his ass.

Such a display intrigued Gaara. Had this been any other human, he would have used his sand to break her slender neck. This woman infuriated him; she didn't comprehend he could kill her like an insect.

"Stop this," he said as he caught her with a whirl of sand.

Her eyes widened when she catapulted towards him, back first, and halted against his chest. His arms wrapped around her like chains.

"Get your hands off me!" she yelled as she tried to break free.

She was using an immense amount of strength, but Gaara's arms didn't loosen. She struggled harder, trying everything from kicking until she got so frustrated, she tried to bite him. Gaara was more than amused. He enjoyed witnessing her rage. This little wench was giving him a hard time, and she needed to get it into her thick, stubborn skull he didn't want to be around her either.

Sakura continued to struggle until she was exhausted.

"Are you finished?"

"Fuck you," came her smart reply.

The hairs on her neck stood up as Gaara's breath fanned over the back of her neck. A tingling sensation followed and Sakura felt her cheeks burning.

"You need to watch your temper. You'll get yourself killed," Gaara said. "Now, are you ready for me to release you, or are you going to rampage like a child again?"

That comment made her blood boil, but Sakura decided he wasn't worth it. Plus, she wanted to get out of his embrace. It made her feel awkward.

"I'm done now let me go."

Gaara dropped her like a rock. She channeled chakra into her feet and landed in the uprooted ground. What a jerk! The angry woman looked up to give the One the worst tongue lashing of his life, but he disappeared. Blowing her bangs out of her face in annoyance, Sakura looked around for her prisoner. She had used up a lot of chakra trying to fight Gaara and she knew the genjutsu wouldn't hold for much longer. She found him lying on a pile of rubble about ten feet away, his eyes still glazed over and a scratch down the side of his face.

Sakura jogged towards him, bent down, reached for her pack next to Hideki and pulled out a rope. She channeled chakra into the rope and hog-tied him. With his hands and feet tied together, Hideki would only injure himself trying to break himself free. Sakura stood and released the genjutsu and watched and Hideki blinked. Bleary eyes glanced around before landing on his captor. The expression vanished, and a smile crossed his thin lips.

"If you think you'll be able to get any information from me, you're mist-"

Sakura's fist connecting with the top of his head cut his sentence short. "Shut up, you idiot."

The blow knocked the man unconscious and Sakura searched for her dinner she'd discarded. The kunoichi frowned when she saw the container open and the contents splattered all over the ground. The ground around her water canteen showed it ruptured. Damn it, Sakura was ravenous after that extensive use of chakra. Well, it looked like she had to continue the journey and make it home. If she hurried, she may make it to her favorite steakhouse before it closed. Sakura exhaled and hauled Hideki onto her shoulder. She couldn't wait to get rid of this burden.

The kunoichi smiled when she saw the welcoming gates of her home village. It was clear it had just rained, and that upset her. Thunderstorms helped her relax in a way nothing else did. She stepped around puddles and frowned at the squishing sound underneath her feet. She looked down to see her shoes had a great deal of mud on them. Cleaning up never sounded appealing than after a mission.

"Welcome back Sakura, "Izumo greeted as he stepped out of the guardhouse. "Your late return worried Naruto."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why was he worried? I swear he acts like I've never been on a solo mission before!"

The brunette gave her a warm smile before saying, "You were due back to Konoha seven days ago." He gazed at the male tossed over her shoulder. "Who's this?"

"Hideki Takahashi," the villain answered, flashing his pearly white smile. "Say, my dear, can I have something to eat before you rip my mind into pieces? I'm thinking grilled shrimp."

Izumo chuckled and brushed his dark hair out of his face. "He's a character."

Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Tell me about it."

The young woman could admit to herself that when she went on missions, she focused more on success than making deadlines. Why would she fail a mission to meet a timeline? Sakura refused to fail again. After her weakling days as a gennin, the medic would never return to such ineptitude.

"I need to get to the Hokage," Sakura spoke. "See you later!"

With the prisoner in tow, Sakura bounded towards the Hokage's office. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could go shower and eat. Her stomach was nibbling on itself and her skin had a layer of dried sweat. Sakura jogged up the steps and ran into the Hokage's assistant in the long hallway.

"Sakura!" she called with excitement. "So glad you're back."

"I am happy to be home," Sakura responded, beaming at the older woman. "Is Lady Tsunade in her office?"

"She is," the ebony-haired woman said as she walked towards the large double doors. She knocked and entered after a gruff "come in!".

Shizune held the door open from Sakura and she walked through, tossing her prisoner on the floor in front of her leader. Tsunade's gaze stayed hard as she looked at the man who landed on his stomach in an ungraceful heap. She got to her feet and walked around her desk.

"Hideki Takahashi," she stated.

"Yes ma'am," the slender man responded, turning his head towards her voice. "I am honored that such a beautiful woman-"

Tsunade cracked him across the back of his head. "Shut your mouth."

"You Leaf Ninja are so violent," he mumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" Sakura hissed as she tugged the glove on her right hand into place.

Tsunade held her hand up signaling for her to stop and Sakura placed her fists down. "Brief me."

Finally, Sakura headed home. Her feet hurt, her hunger and exhaustion topped painful levels, and she was still looking forward to that warm bath. Tonight, she would just eat at home and go to her favorite steakhouse tomorrow. Once she got home, the tired female knew there was no hope of her leaving the house until she had a nice eight-hour nap. Sakura yawned and began the trip to her small apartment. Sakura knew if she hurried along, she'd get there faster, but she didn't have the energy. When she reached the door, she heard a familiar voice shout at her and frowned.

"Not now Naruto, I'm too tired for your shenanigans."

"I just want to make sure you're okay," came the taller male's response. He stopped next to her as she unlocked her door. "What took ya?"

Sakura grit her teeth in frustration. It was none of his business what took her. It was a classified mission! She didn't have the patience to deal with him questioning her. Deep down she knew it was just because he cared, but Sakura didn't stick with rationality.

"Go away Naruto. I'll tell you tomorrow," she said through gritted teeth. She moved inside and slammed the door behind her. "He's such a pain in my ass."

Gaara's eyes widened. His heart felt like it had stopped. These were too many emotions at once: anger, relief, betrayal. There he was, standing at the slammed door scratching his head in disbelief. Naruto was alive. How and why did he make everyone think he died? They were like brothers, but he abandoned him.

He is not your best friend Gaara. No best friend would just leave you.

"He died," Gaara said aloud, trying to rationalize a reason for Naruto's sudden appearance. "He had to stay in hiding so those wretched humans didn't take his power. Naruto would never leave me. There has to be a mistake."

There is no mistake. Naruto could have come home for protection. Or if he was going into hiding, why wouldn't he tell you, his brother?

The Shukaku's words seared Gaara's brain and pulling forth the most intense emotional pain Gaara had experienced once before: when he found out that the One of Determination had died. It couldn't be true that Naruto would just leave him. He knew Gaara had no one else in the universe that even looked in his direction. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he fisted his hair, almost tearing it out by the roots. He needed, no he demanded answers.

Sand seeped from his gourd and he took a shaky step forward, his rage running like fire through his veins. The beast inside him was irate and about thirty seconds from emerging. "Na-"

"Not yet Gaara."

The One of Rage stopped in his tracks and turned towards the voice. There stood another of the mythical beings. His armor glittered in the light as he gazed at Gaara through cinnamon-colored orbs.

"Loyalty," Gaara said, through gritted teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm stopping you from making a grave mistake Rage," came the answer. "Madara does not want you to approach Naruto just yet."

Gaara's cyan eyes narrowed. "Did Madara know he was still alive, Han?"

"The time will soon come where you will learn everything."

With that, he disappeared in a flock of crows. Gaara clenched his fists together and grit his teeth, trying to get his feelings under control. It took everything he had not to storm up to Naruto and demand answers. If he didn't have a good reason for disappearing, he would kill him. Gaara took a deep breath and glanced at the darkened sky. This was the one sure way to calm his emotions. The cloudy abyss reminded him of himself.

"She can be so mean," Naruto muttered as he turned on his heel to head home.

Naruto detected someone's chakra again. It radiated warmth while sinister intention and power swirled around it. Had someone infiltrated the village? The blonde ran towards the woods only for the strange chakra to disappear, like it never existed. Naruto skidded to a halt and reached out for the sensation again, but it withdrew. Two foreign chakras within hours of each other. Were they enemy spies or were they working together?

"I need to go talk to Granny."

With that, he ran towards the Hokage tower again. That was the second strange thing that happened today. What confused Naruto most was the chakra seem familiar.