Chapter 4
Sakura knelt behind a rock and put her hand on her weapons pouch. She carefully masked her chakra and listened for footsteps. Sakura drew a kunai from her pouch and hefted it in her hand. She drew in slow calming breaths and concentrated chakra in her ears so she could hear the footsteps on a leaf. That is if there was an ant or leaves in the middle of the desert. Then she heard it, heavy footsteps moving closer and closer. Sakura waited until the last possible moment she threw her kunai and jumped out in front of the unknown shinobi, and immediately pulled up short. That unknown shinobi was wearing a Suna forehead protector.
Sakura said swiftly, "I am terribly sorry about that. I didn't know..." She trailed off.
Suddenly, Akira and Nobu appeared at her side. Nobu grimly bowed to the shinobi and said, "We wish you no harm. These times make all of us a little jumpy, some more than others." With that Sakura cringed and she could feel the weight of Nobu's heavy disapproving stare.
The shinobi nodded his head and said solemnly, "I understand, and good luck with your own mission." He turned and headed off into the distance. It wasn't until he had disappeared from view that Gaara appeared as if out of thin air.
His face took on a stormy look and he said in a soft dangerous voice, "I had thought, Haruno-san, that you were smart. By attacking that shinobi you gave away your position as well as possibly endangering the rest of us."
Sakura replied hotly, "If it had been a shinobi of high caliber they would have discovered our position and have circled around and ambushed us. so, I made sure my kunai wouldn't hit anyone. There was no harm done."
Gaara glared at her and said, "Let's keep moving we don't want our mission to be anymore delayed then it already is."
Sakura glowered at the ground. she felt like ripping something in half, no she took that back, she felt like ripping the Kazekage in half. Every arrogant, self-absorbed word he spoke made her grow angrier and angrier. She was so absorbed in her dark thoughts that she didn't notice Akira sidle up to her.
He grinned and said mischievously, "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of that glare."
Sakura glanced up and forced a smile on her face. "Oh Akira-kun, I didn't notice you there."
"It wasn't really your fault you know," he said. "The Kazekage is probably upset that it was so easy to sense one of his own shinobi."
Sakura laughed and said, "I don't think that's it, but thank you Akira-kun." The two of them fell into silence for awhile as they raced across the desert. Finally Sakura mused, "Why is Kato-san so solemn all the time?"
"Ahh well..." Akira began. " I don't think that it would be proper of me to tell you. When he feels comfortable he'll open up."
"I see." Sakura said. Their conversation ended and Sakura went into her own thoughts. She wondered what was so important that had happened in Kato-san's life that would cause him to be so withdrawn. She knew it wasn't healthy to be like that, so stoic. Stoic, that was an adjective she had almost forgotten about. Instantly her heart pulsed with pain as she remembered the one person she most desperately wanted to forget. No, she told herself, I am done thinking about Sasuke. He doesn't exist in my life anymore. She felt her eyes prick with beginnings of tears, but she shook her head and steeled herself. She had to think about safer topics, topics that wouldn't make her burst into embarrassing tears. She looked up and her eyes fell on the Kazekage, Gaara. At first, she was filled with anger all over again, but then she thought of what Akira had said about Nobu. Maybe Gaara also had a reason for being arrogant and stubborn and withdrawn, and she was determined to find it out.
(A/N) I know it's short, but I'm pretty much fed up with this chapter. It got deleted on me three times, so I had to start over. Oh and Akira and Nobu are characters are made up. So please review, they make my day so much brighter!
