The sun glared harshly down on Suna but no one noticed, the Kazekage had been returned alive! Everyone was rejoicing, everyone that is but the man himself. But then again no one ever expected much emotion out of the Kazekage. Though all of them were proud to have him as their leader none prouder than the Kazekage's own brother.

Kankuro sat quietly repairing his damaged puppets working as quickly as he dared. Every second passed by slowly as he enhanced his puppets. An extra blade here, stronger material there, but while his hands worked his mind strayed. He had almost lost his brother, lost him to the Akatsuki.

Their plan to also capture Naruto's Kyubi worried him, after the ease with which they took his fearsome brother Naruto would need to have grown stronger quickly. Especially since the method used to bring Gaara back was no longer available, and unlike Gaara, Naruto would stay very dead.

"Kankuro watch yourself with that poison!" The low pitched growl from his sister almost startled him enough to do what she was warning him against. Sighing in relief as the blade missed his finger he carefully put the puppets bladed arm down. Turning he stared at his sister Temari and frowned at her, she was smiling.

"Is something wrong?" Teal eyes narrowed slightly before she answered. "You've been here nearly a week working on those, I was worried that you'd poisoned yourself accidentally." Irritated he turned back to what he was working on, carefully coating another blade with poison. Temari huffed slightly before he heard the crinkle of a bag being set at his feet.

Not bothering to turn and look as she left, while he knew she was worried he had a bad feeling. Each of them would need to be at their best, meaning he had to finish modifying his puppets, he would not be defeated so easily next time.

...

Breathing deeply she poured some sake for herself while petting the small pink pig. The loss of her friend Shizune was painful, what hurt more was that she would not be able to mourn properly for a while. Picking up the sake she stopped with it just to her lips before drinking it all in one gulp. The fire that spread through her body was familiar; the fact the no one was there to stop her from drinking heavily was not.

Turning away from her morose thoughts she remembered the conversation she'd had with Kakashi. That conversation disturbed her, being the medical ninja that she was. To be merged with a demon and sold as a slave by your own father! The thoughts outraged her, not even Naruto had it that rough!

Sure his father had sealed the Kyubi inside his own son, but the reasons behind it were completely different! Sitting back she looked up at the night sky wondering how Naruto would take the news that Kyubi could merge them together. "Probably start yelling his head off."

Her mutter caused the small pig to nuzzle her hand she smiled at it. The only thing that disturbed her more than the boy's father selling him as a slave to a demon was the fact that the boy seemed to think he needed a new master.

"I think he's completely serious, he said it like it was a natural fact that he has a master." Kakashi's words stuck in her mind like a particularly nasty bur. The copy nin had reported the conversation with the boy. Then, on her orders, gone back to watch over him. She didn't like to think that the boy might just choose one of her medic nins to be his master. Kakashi was the only other person beside herself now allowed into the small tent the boy was currently occupying.

Standing she walked towards the small tent the boy was in. As she approached she heard soft voices coming from inside the tent. Kakashi's voice was a bored tone that she recognized, the others was soft, calm, and unruffled. Suddenly the boy said something she couldn't make out, but the sudden silence coming from inside the tent worried her.

...

Sakura tended to what seemed like hundreds of people weather their injuries were large or small she was there to help. But out of all the friends and nameless faces one stood out. Flawless honey skin around dark chocolate eyes, slender lithe fingers, gentle voice, soft black hair.

"Lael-kun." Her murmured words caused several of her patients to look at her curiously; she just smiled reassuringly at them. Oh at first she had almost thought Sasuke was sitting there, but then her eyes had connected with his. It was those calm chocolate pools that made a startling difference between the two. Sasuke's eyes were cold and uncaring; Lael's were soft and serene. Naruto would like him. I wonder what he would think of Naruto.

Moving to her new sleeping quarters she wondered how her blond friend was doing, he had grown so much from the first time they had met. What would he do to Pain? When would he be back? Would he be able to keep his promise and bring Sasuke back? Enough of that Sakura! You have enough to worry about sleep first.

But as she settled down to sleep she couldn't help but think about the differences between Sasuke and Lael. They might have been considered brothers, both were calm. But where one was uncaring and aloof, the other gave her a sense that he knew exactly what was going on and if he could he would find a way to help.

This reminded her more of Naruto, not the knowing what was going on part though. The idiot's still as clueless as ever! But the wanting to help, yes Naruto wanted to protect and help Konoha. But one last thing bothered her, while Lael was all these things she couldn't help but think that was only the surface to a deeper and more savage face. Those calm eyes hid something; something that she felt was nothing like the calm he portrayed. Something that scared her.

...

He stood once more in his families' home, horror filling him as he turned toward the door. Before he could even turn to his mother or sisters to warn them the door slammed opened. Despite no longer being a vulnerable child the men restrained him easily. He was suddenly slammed against the wall. The breath knocked out of his lungs, his muscles refused to cooperate, his mind was filling with terror.

'Not again!' He felt the hands on his body ripping his clothes large hands thrust into his hair jerking his head back. As he was turned he heard his mother's screams. His head was held in place as the men took their turns raping his mother and sisters, forever imprinting the disturbing images in his mind. Silent tears slipped down his now pale cheeks, his body was trembling from fear and adrenaline.

"Watch! Watch and remember that you are a helpless, worthless..." The faceless man's words faded as a blade was held to his mother's throat her tear stained face pale, her eyes fearful. He watched helpless as the blade was slid across her throat effectively cutting off her screams. Causing the light of life to fade from her beautiful moss green eyes, blood splattered his face but he couldn't turn away. Pain shattered his thoughts and all he could do was scream. 'Noooooooooo!'

Blood pooled on the floor and he watched in horror as his sister's blood followed swiftly behind. The men holding them let go of their long beautiful brown hair. Their faces going pale as the blood drained from their lifeless bodies. They lay on the floor unmoving and covered in blood.

'Why can't I stop them?' He stared at the lifeless bodies unable to look away, they were so still. 'Why?' Screams echoed in his mind his heart thundered as red filled his vision. The laughter in the murder's throats caused his ears to start ringing; he felt the scene before him become hazy as pain stabbed at his body.

It was not the emotional pain that tore at him but physical pain, the pain increased. He looked down to see his own blood. Not a mortal wound but one that he would bear for the rest of his life. A thin slice on his thigh before the man pressed him to the wall and started to rape him. All he could do was scream.

'...!'

Lael jerked awake feeling sweat coating his face and chest, shakily he sat up and brought a trembling hand to his face. The nightmare plagued most of his dreams; usually Sil would force him awake when it started. But she was no longer there and the longer he went without a master the stronger and more realistic his nightmares would become.

He absently wondered if his mask had fallen when he was asleep or if he still looked like the calm unruffled person he portrayed. He supposed he could ask the stoic copy nin, but the thought brought a great amount of distaste. Bile filled his mouth and he reached over and picked up the ever present cup of water next to his bed. Sipping it he looked around the small tent he had been moved to, enjoying the cool tasteless liquid washing away the bile.

The tent was plain, the only things attesting to someone living in it were the small cot he was currently sitting on, a small collapsible table for his water, and a chair for Kakash-san to sit on and read. The last he felt was mocking him for what he had said to the copy nin earlier about being in the Hokage's way. Turning he looked at the tent entrance seeing sunlight filter through the small slit as a breeze opened it wider, then the flap lay back down hiding the small ray that for a moment had made its way into his solitary abode. I wonder if they will let me walk outside, I need some fresh air. That nightmare always makes me want to see the sun, the sun is the only thing that can chase those dark images from my mind. At least it is now that Sil is gone, no harm in asking.

"Hatake-san," He sensed the copy nins eyes on him as he looked up from the book he was reading, gaining Kakash-san's attention he finally looked at him. In the two days he had seen the copy nin, his eyes had only shown two emotions, disinterest and false caring. Somehow that made being around him easier to bear.

He could handle disinterest, after all the people staring at him his entire life he enjoyed not being the center of attention. For most of his life he had wanted to be invisible from the cold eyes that stared at him in disgust and terror. "Yes?" The bored tone held a hint of question but Lael kept his gaze unwavering.

"May I go outside?" The copy nin gave him a smile hidden under his black mask. Lael hated that fake smile. "I am glad you find amusement in my question. Then may I assume that if I wished to leave I would not be stopped?" The smile disappeared as the other tried to word what he wanted to say, before he could say anything though, chocolate eyes broke contact, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

...

"I will take that as a no. But I still wish to go outside the tent if possible." Kakashi had come to learn over the last few days that he had been watching the strange boy that when he no longer made eye contact he was conceding to the wishes of the other. That he would not force a point if the other was adamant about it.

But when he did keep eye contact he would not let the subject go until he was satisfied. His eyes would change to an almost black color barely holding the brown in them, his right eyebrow would lift just the slightest and his lips would press together in a thin line. It felt like I was in a losing battle each time, this kid definitely has an intense stare.

Truth was he had come to dread that look and become relieved when the other did not insist on the subject. His relief was almost comical when the other broke eye contact to look longingly at the tent entrance. He must have spent a lot of time outdoors.

"The Hokage has requested that you stay in the tent until she is sure you will be well enough to move around." He felt those piercing chocolate eyes on him again and refused to feel uneasy. The boy knew that they didn't want him to leave, knew that the words were just excuses to keep him there. When the gaze didn't move away he prepared himself to meet those eyes and the challenge that gaze presented.

But when he met chocolate brown eyes there was no challenge, in fact the dark haired boy seemed stunned by something. The way his eyes had glazed over startled the jounin. That gaze had always been sharp and piercing but the dull look made him worry, it seemed unnatural.

Standing he walked over to the cot putting his fingers against the boys limp wrist to check his pulse. The slow and steady heartbeat did not reassure him though. The boy's body did not seem to react when something was emotionally disturbing him, pulling his hitae-ate off his sharingan eye he activated it. Nothing happened…