The Search for Saltwater Taffy

Sabaku no Hime. Thank you Tomboy14, who has reviewed every chapter. I think it's going in a weird direction now, but I hope it's alright. I don't own it, neither the basis of the tale, nor Naruto.

6 The Last Batch of Taffy

Sakura and Hanabi made good time, though not quite the time she'd have made if Taffycell in it's entirety was with her, though she'd gladly go without Tenten's nail picking and Lee's 'Yosh!' all the time.

They arrived in Suna late at night, and registered, under suspicion of the guards. The damn guards wouldn't let them in. why not?

Because, they were told, the Kazekage himself wished to see the papers of all nin from Konoha, due to a few petty thefts a few months ago.

'Why's that?' Sakura asked, being as innocent as possible.

'There was a chakra signature that Kazekage sama recognized from Konoha when he was younger.' One of the guards replied, motioning them to sit down in the guard shack on the semi comfortable seats.

Sakura felt pole axed. If her face showed what she was feeling, Hanabi was probably wondering why she wasn't breathing, and likely turning a funky blue or green shade. He recognized the chakra signature?

No way.

He'd been insane that time. There was no way in hell he could recognize her.

Then her worries were over as the Kazekage burst into the guard tower, a cranky frown on his face.

'Why are you coming in so late?' he asked brusquely, not looking at either of them yet. 'I have a lot of paperwork that needs doing.'

'We have papers,' Hanabi told him, flashing a pearly smile and the mission scroll in front of him. He just grabbed the scroll and frowned at her.

'Haruno Sakura and one Hyuuga Hanabi, then,' he mused. 'Here for… shopping?' he glared at the pair in disbelief, disgust scrunching his face up. 'What the hell do you think you're doing, coming to the gates at two in the morning for a shopping trip?' he growled fiercely.

'Well, we timed it badly,' Sakura defended. 'We're sorry that you inconvenienced yourself, the guards told us about it.' She told him. 'But it's not our fault you inconvenienced yourself, now is it?' she growled.

He blinked at her, eyes snapping to her face, and she felt herself cursing inwardly.

'Well, yes, actually, it is,' he replied. 'Now, since there's no hotels open at this time of night, where do you plan on staying?'

'We were just going to train for a few hours and find somewhere in the morning,' Hanabi offered innocently.

'Very well then,' he conceded. 'I do know of a hostel that takes roomers this late, if you wish,'

Hanabi's eyes lit up and she started to do the little jumping-with-excitement thing. Sakura felt herself glaring at the poor Hyuuga girl and nodded curtly at the Kazekage.

Sakura was led to a very familiar hostel, and started to swear internally, hoping it was a different concierge than the last two times. He'd recognize her pink hair. Sometimes, having distinctive hair really sucked.

She really hoped that Gaara would drop them at the door and go home.

No such luck.

He walked them into the reception area, and right up to the concierge that barely masked his surprise at seeing her there in the company of the Kazekage.

She felt his considering glance as she asked for two rooms for the night.

'Aren't you planning on shopping for a while?' Gaara asked her quietly, eyes piercing, and she had the strangest thought that he knew.

'We only have a few days off. We're buying things for my best friend's daughter,' she blurted out happily, nearly wanting to choke herself when she realized what she'd said.

He said goodnight and walked off as the pair made their way towards their rooms.

'Do you know him?' Hanabi asked quietly as they walked up stairs to the third floor.

'Sort of. It's weird and complicated,' she returned.

'Oh-ho!' Hanabi crowed. 'I have something to tell Neji neesan when we get home,'

'Whatever,' Sakura replied coldly; wondering if this was how Sasuke had used to feel when she tried to get his attention.

'Goodnight then,' Hanabi said calmly and retired to her room.

'I'm not quite ready to go yet,' Sakura said, wondering what she was going to do with all sorts of time and insomnia. Gasping in surprise as a black cloaked figure entered the room through her window seemed a pretty good thing to do.

'What are we doing in Suna?' Itachi asked, chuckling a little.

'Are you off vacation yet?' she inched her way away from him.

'No,' he replied calmly. 'I'm taking a year off to decide if I want to take Leader's place since he's getting bored with running the Akatsuki.'

'Oh,' Sakura replied, backing over to the bed, where she promptly sat down.

'So what are you doing in Suna? I know bloody well it isn't a shopping trip.'

'You did cause shit when you told us where to get taffy.' Sakura complained at him. 'Ino is a taffy fiend.'

'It's not my fault; I just told you where to get it. I didn't tell you it'd be easy.' He chided.

'I didn't think it would make something like a small intervillage dispute,' she groused. 'And this is the third time I've had to do this,'

Itachi remained silent for a few minutes, staring out the window at the house he'd directed the girl to.

Salvation, he mused. Was it salvation or damnation that lay there for him? He'd have to find out at some point.

'What do you mean?' Sakura asked him, certain he wasn't aware that he'd been speaking out loud.

'It wasn't entirely altruistic,' he told her.

'I think I figured that one out already, Itachi san,' she told him quietly.

'I'm coming with you to get the taffy,' he told her quietly.

She felt a chill snake down her spine. 'Why?' she asked. 'Are you going to do something really bad to it, or what?'

'I'm off, Sakura.' He reminded her. 'I'm debating how bored I grow in the pursuit of power. It isn't what I thought it was going to be,'

'Things never are,' she told him, patting the bed next to her.

'You know, that's pretty stupid,' he told her, glancing pointedly at the space next to her. Sakura blushed; inviting an enemy to sit close by wasn't very smart of her. 'If I wasn't on vacation, we'd be fighting, and trying to kill each other.' He sat down next to her, and she felt the warmth of his body close to hers.

It was comfortable.

She sighed. 'I hope this is the last time,' she grumbled, lying back, legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

Itachi sighed, laying down as well, staring at the ceiling. 'Are you aware of the rather large spider living in the corner of this room?' he asked quietly. 'It looks pretty fat and well fed to me,'

'I call him Ralph,' she told him, earning herself a wide-eyed look. 'Oh, god Itachi, it's a joke,'

He snorted. 'The child in the next room. Did you bring her just to babysit her? Or is there a reason?' he asked.

'I won't get into so much trouble if I have someone else with me. I learned my lesson that time with you,' she told him. 'I tend to get myself into sticky situations when I'm alone, just because I get bored,'

'I understand.' He smirked. 'The taffy will be set on the sill soon,' he told her. 'We should go.'

'You sound like you've been keeping an eye on the place?' Sakura asked.

'Hrm,' he replied noncommittally, and walked out of the room with a soft swish of his Akatsuki robes.

'Hanabi,' Sakura called through the thin door. 'Come on, it's time,'

Hanabi opened the door like she'd been waiting in the frame. 'Okay, let's go… why's there an Akatsuki with us?' she yanked out a kunai and dropped into a fighting stance, eyes wide and face set. She radiated something, but Sakura knew for a fact that Hanabi hadn't taken a life yet, nor was it the time now.

'It's okay,' Sakura told her 'He's on… vacation.'

'That's lame,' Hanabi groused. 'I want to kill an Akatsuki,'

Itachi covered his mouth with his sleeve, attempting to stifle his laughter. 'You couldn't go up against me if you tried,' he told her.

'Yes I can,' Hanabi exclaimed loudly.

'Shut up—there are people sleeping,' Sakura whispered. 'Now let's go, and you can't kill an Akatsuki, Hanabi. If Sasuke and Naruto together could hardly damage only one, then there's no chance you'd ever touch one.'

'Thanks,' Itachi mumbled something.

'Gee, I feel talented,' Hanabi complained as they went down the stairs and checked out of the hostel.

Sakura sighed and paid their bill, walking out the door and towards the house where the treasure of taffy lay in wait.

They didn't bother sticking to the shadows, all the lights were off in the house, but moonlight glinted off aluminum and smooth taffy candy that sat cooling.

Perfect, Sakura thought to herself as she walked up to the sill, followed by Itachi and Hanabi.

She ignored the sand swirling around her ankles as she yanked out a kunai to cut off a chunk of taffy.

Just as she was about to place it in the wax paper Hanabi held out to her, a wave of sand came cascading up to her knees, holding her stuck. She squeaked, looking to Hanabi and Itachi, seeing them both caught in a similar manner, though Itachi looked less than panicked about it.

'What the hell?' she cursed softly, watching as a light went on in the kitchen and the sand moved up to her waist. 'Shit, shit, shit!' she cursed.

'I thought these people didn't like leaf shinobi?' Hanabi queried. 'So we're in shit now, eh?'

'I'd say so,' Itachi replied with a satisfied smirk. He'd gotten what he wanted.

The outside light came on, and a trio of Suna nin came out of the house slowly. Sakura gasped in horror as she recognized the face paint of Kankuro and the quadruple pigtails of Temari. That meant that the rather short, slender figure behind them, still in shadow was…

Yep.

He came forward with a dark grin on his face, eyeing the trio of culprits with something like predatory bloodlust, and something akin to rage flashing in the pupilless depth of his eyes.

'Oh ho,' Kankuro chuckled. 'So what's this? Looks like some taffy thieves to me, how about you, Temari, Gaara?'

Sakura remained silent as Temari looked at Itachi askance. 'It's you' she said, an angry growl.

'It's me,' he replied, brushing his hair back from his face.

'I was hoping never to see you again, you bastard,' she growled.

'Really,' he mused aloud. 'That's just too bad, isn't it?'

Hanabi stood, frozen, face rigid with fear. 'We stole from the Kazekage?' she squeaked.

'Hanabi,' Sakura chided. 'Be silent unless you have something constructive to add,' she hated herself for telling the girl to shut up, but once Hanabi got going, she'd go for hours.

'So, the Dark Angel returns to Suna?' he growled at her.

Sakura had the good grace to blush at that one. She looked away, and almost laughed since Hanabi and Kankuro were staring at the other four like they'd become monsters.

'Stop it,' Itachi's voice came softly. 'I didn't want to hurt you then, nor do I now,'

'It doesn't matter,' Temari offered harshly. 'Let him go, Gaara kun. I want him out of Suna, now.'

'So I'm Kankuro, and you're Hanabi, I assume?' Sakura turned to face the two again, realizing that Kankuro was introducing himself to Hanabi like they hadn't been caught stealing from Suna citizens.

'Yes,' she offered meekly.

'Welcome to Suna,' he offered, laughing.

'So are you going to let us go?' Sakura asked.

'This is what your pregnant best friend wants?' Gaara asked quietly.

'Yes.' She replied.

'So the whole time, even when you ran off on me, all the times taffy was stolen, it was you?' he asked, frowning as he played with his fingers, not looking at her.

'All the times?' Sakura screeched. 'This is the third time in six months,' she defended.

'No,' Itachi offered. 'The rest of the time it was me.'

'You manipulative bastard,' Temari yelled at him.

'And what exactly do I gain?' he asked disinterestedly.

'I don't know yet, but I know that you've got ten plans and counter plans going right now, so stop acting like you're not up to something,' she growled. 'Let him go, Gaara,' she ordered, furious.

Gaara smirked over at Temari and did as she told him, not that he was afraid of her, but he wanted to see how things played out.

Sakura wasn't sure where Temari and Itachi had met before, but they'd apparently taken an instant dislike to one another. She blinked in confusion as Gaara let the sand drop from her body like it had never been there.

'So you're going to let us get away with it?' she asked sweetly. 'My best friend, who's due in less than a week would love some taffy.'

'You left too much money,' he told her calmly.

'It's your baking habit, Gaara, you were so angry.' Temari said. '"They stole what wasn't theirs, I'll make whoever it is pay,"' she quoted in a harsh voice, obviously a bad immitation of Gaara.

'Hn,' he replied.

'Go, Itachi,' Temari pushed at him. 'I don't want to look at you anymore.' She growled.

'Hyuuga Hanabi, you will take the taffy to Konohagakure under supervision of Kankuro san,' he said coldly.

She nodded, eyes wide, glad he wasn't going to put her in jail or anything like that.

'Temari san,' he trailed off, watching as she attacked Itachi mercilessly, watching as he dodged effortlessly.

'They can work it out themselves,' Gaara frowned, face wrinkling a little. 'I should jail you all,'

'You can't,' Sakura gasped. 'Ino's due in less than a week,' she went on. 'I have to be there. I'm her medic!'

Gaara just glared at her.

'It's important,' Sakura begged. 'She's having twins and they're sitting funny,' she told him. 'I have to be there to make sure they all live through the birthing,'

'What of Hokage sama?' Gaara asked.

'Going to a birth?' Sakura chuckled. 'All the blood would do her in,'

'Very well. You can return to Konoha for the birthing,' he nodded to himself. 'Then you will return here for sentencing.'

'Shit,' she mused aloud.

'Be glad I'm not jailing your whole team,' he growled at her.

'What team? Itachi just jumped into the hostel room to visit and Hanabi is still a genin,' she told him. 'There is no team, it's a couple people trying to make a friend happy.'

'You're still a thief.' He told her sternly. 'I will join you in Konoha. I believe that the Hokage will give me what I ask for to avoid an incident, right, Dark Angel?' he asked coldly.

'I left more than enough money to cover the expenses,' she growled, backing away. She couldn't leave poor Hanabi by herself, but the girl was just standing there, giggling with Kankuro.

He must have noticed her eyeing Hanabi, since he started talking again. 'You can't leave her here. She'd end up taking your punishment in jail time,' he smirked at her a little, triumph making him cheery.

'So I get to deliver Ino's kids, then do my time here?' she asked.

'In a manner of speaking, yes,' he nodded as she sat down in the sand, and folded her legs under her.

'So, do I get to train or help at the hospital while I'm doing my time?' she asked quietly.

'Yes,' he replied. 'You'll even get three meals a day, or more if you're hungry.'

She couldn't help but frown up at him as he smirked down at her.

'Great,' she replied. 'Thanks so much. So you won't starve me to death.'

'I could have you killed,' he told her, chewing on one finger as if he was contemplating it. 'Just because you came in unregistered last time, you could be killed. Now adding thievery on top of that, well, you might be in a lot of trouble,' he told her.

Sakura took a shaky breath. 'But you already said you wouldn't have me killed.'

'That's right. I have no intention on killing you,' he told her, voice cheerful for him.

Sakura winced at the tone of his voice. Gaara being cheery had to mean someone was going to get maimed or damaged… or something very, very bad was going to happen.

Sabaku no Hime what's this? Gaara's being a hard ass? Itachi and Temari have a history? I was unaware of that until it came out. I've written a few chappies ahead, and it confuses me. Anywho, tell me whatcha think. Ideas and constructive criticism are always welcomed.

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