"Damn it Sasuke, let me wrap it," Sakura shouted, hands on her hips. She was currently standing in front of the bed where Sasuke lay on; his wounds had been taken care of by the healers of Suna, but they had said to change the wrappings every few hours in order to help keep it clean. However, Sasuke was proving to be difficult, as his arms were crossed over his chest as he glared at her.
"I can do it myself," He stated, not letting up. Sakura rolled her eyes, staring at him in disbelief.
"As much as you'd like to think you can, you can't effectively wrap it by yourself," Sakura replied, "Therefore, you should let me help you instead of being an aggravating prick."
"Who do you think will win," Kakashi asked, leaning over towards Naruto. Naruto stroked his chin as they watched them glare at each other; if Naruto hadn't known any better, he could have sworn he saw heated sparks flying between them.
"I think Sakura will," Naruto finally replied after a moment of thought, "Although he's putting up a pretty good fight."
"Of course I can wrap it myself," Sasuke shot back; "You don't think I can use magic to control a piece of cloth to wrap itself around my body?"
"If by wrap you mean choke yourself, then yes, I think you can use it just fine," Sakura retorted. Sasuke huffed, crossing his arms over his chest; he winced slightly, the movement irritating the wounds. Sakura sighed as she noticed how he winced, still in slight disbelief over how stubborn he was being.
"Well the Uchiha are very prideful," Kakashi replied, "Not to mention almost as stubborn as mules."
Naruto snorted. "Ha, have you met the Haruno clan? They're basically mules dressed as dwarves!"
"Look, we're not going to always have healers around us," Sakura stated, "Plus, I've been trained back in the village, so I know what I'm doing! Unless, of course, you want to put your trust into one of those two over there," She gestured towards Naruto and Kakashi; the two of them jumped, quickly making it look as if they hadn't been discussing who would win in a match of wills. Sasuke eyed them with a calculating glance, mentally weighing whether it would be good to trust their hands over hers. Sighing, he turned away from them, catching her eye in a dead stare as he made his choice.
"Just be quick about it," He grumbled. Sakura smiled and, ignoring the surprised expressions on Kakashi and Naruto's faces, quickly got to work. She went to her pack, grabbing a fresh roll of bandages and a small container. She approached Sasuke, kneeling before him as she opened up the container; the smell instantly made Sasuke scrunch his nose up in disgust. She began unwrapping the old bandages around his chest, slowly revealing the lithe muscles beneath littered with cuts from Kankurou's creatures. Once the bandages were off, she spread the cream on her fingers.
"Now, this may sting a little bit," Sakura said, rubbing it over his wounds; Sasuke hissed and flinched away from her slightly.
"That hurt," Sasuke snapped at her, glaring; Sakura merely glared back as she continued to spread it.
"I told you it would!"
"You said a little bit," He hissed, his muscles involuntarily flinching, "This feels like you're setting it on fire!"
"Well do you want to die from infection or not," She shot back; Sasuke remained silent. "That's what I thought."
Sasuke huffed at her remark, though he stayed quiet as she continued her work. He noticed how her hands were calloused from working in the forges, yet they were quick and gentle at applying the salve. As she finished, she wiped her hands on a cloth, grabbing the bandages and standing up. She unrolled them, swiftly wrapping them around his chest; he wondered how often she treated wounds, due to the skill and professionalism that she showed while she worked. And, despite hating to admit it, he felt rather at peace with her hands on him; it was only until Naruto spoke up that his thoughts were shattered.
"I can't believe you're this good Sakura," Naruto exclaimed, watching her. Sasuke felt her hand twitch slightly before resuming her previous rhythm.
"And why is that," Sakura asked, pulling out a dagger; she cut the wrappings away from the rest of the roll. "You've know I've treated my clan members for injuries since you began your apprenticeship with Iruka."
"Well yeah," He said, rubbing the back of his neck, "But I always imagined you'd be really rough, considering your demeanor and all."
Sasuke felt her tie the knot to the wrappings a little too tightly, but not enough to be uncomfortable; he decided to keep quiet, lest she decide to come after him as well. "Well Naruto, sometimes people with certain demeanors can still do other skills."
"Well then why not bring some of the gentleness in your life," Naruto said, grinning, "Especially towards me! I mean, sure you're nice, but I'd love if you were gentle like you are now."
"Because if she was, you'd be even more of an idiot," Sasuke interjected as Sakura stood; she snorted, covering her mouth to try and hold back a laugh as Naruto glared at him.
"No one asked you, ya elf bastard," Naruto shouted, pointing at him, "Besides, I totally have Kakashi on my side! Right Kakashi," Naruto asked, looking up at the mage. Kakashi looked back at him, wishing to not have been dragged into this.
"I think Sasuke has a point," Kakashi replied; Naruto's eyes practically bugged out of his head as Sasuke smirked, Sakura laughing beside him.
"You dirty rotten mage," Naruto grumbled, pouting, "Nothing but a messenger of conflict I bet."
"Ah Naruto," Sakura said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "If I wasn't hard on you, it'd mean I didn't value you as family."
Naruto looked up at her, a grin on his face. "You mean it?"
Sakura ruffled his hair, earning a shout from him. "Just like the other ten thousand times I've told you, yes I mean it."
"Ha, see Sasuke," Naruto said, grinning from ear to ear, "I get to be family, while all you get is friendship!"
"If friendship keeps me alive during this journey, then that's all I need," Sasuke replied, pulling his shirt back on over his head. Naruto pouted, though was distracted as a knock on the door caught his attention. The door opened, revealing Kankurou standing there; he had pulled down his hood, revealing a head full of messy brown hair.
"Temari wanted me to let you know that dinner is ready," Kankurou announced, "It won't be anything fancy, but we hope that you'll enjoy it all the same."
"Anything is better than what Sakura cooked for us," Naruto said, earning him a smack from Sakura. "What? You're cooking can kill an orc, I swear!"
"I didn't hear you complaining as you ate it like a wild animal," Sakura said, glaring at him. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking down at the ground.
"Well, it was either eat quietly, or get beaten up," Naruto replied, "Wasn't exactly too hard of a decision."
Kankurou laughed, bringing their attention back to him. "Well, we promise that our food can't be used for poison in a pinch."
Naruto grinned. "That's all I need to hear! Let's go eat!"
The stars shone over the plains as three cloaked figures rode to their destination. A city slowly came into sight, causing them to slow their pace until their horses came to a complete stop atop a hill overlooking the sight. Firelight atop a massive wall surrounding the city twinkled in the distance; they could barely make out the guards at the top watching for intruders.
"So this is Danzou's city," One of them said, removing their hood; blue hair held up by a white flower pin was revealed, as well as a striking feminine face with gray eyes. One of her companions nodded, his facial piercings glinting in the moonlight.
"He said that his personal assistant would come greet us here," He replied, eyes watching the city. The other companion huffed as he grinned, revealing razor sharp teeth.
"Hmph, it would've been much more fun to kill those guards and work our way in," He said, his grin growing wider at the thought, "After all, we'll need practice for those elves."
"I doubt Lord Danzou would appreciate that, Kisame," The other man said; Kisame shrugged.
"I tend to not care what anyone appreciates, Pein," Kisame replied, "As long as Lady Kaguya is happy, then that is all that matters."
"And I would assume that killing Lord Danzou would make her upset," A voice called out in the night; the three were instantly on their guard, looking towards where the voice came. A young man with dark hair stepped out of the shadows, a smile plastered on his face. Pein watched him warily, hands tight on the reins to his horse.
"Are you Sai, the one we seek," Pein asked; Sai nodded.
"And you three must be Kisame, Pein, and Konan," Sai replied, "Lord Danzou has been awaiting your arrival for many days."
"Yes well, horses can only travel so quickly," Kisame said. Sai nodded, turning towards the city and leading them down the hill.
"I've told him that, but he is a rather impatient man. Especially when it involves his desires to protect this city from all dangers," Sai explained they reached the bottom of the hill. He led them to the gates, identifying himself to the guards; the guards saluted, pulling open the large stone doors. Sai turned and smiled at them, the gates revealing the cobblestone streets of his city.
"If you would so kindly follow me, we shall meet with Lord Danzou immediately," He said, turning around and walking into the city; Pein, Konan, and Kisame followed after him quietly. As soon as they had entered, the guards began closing the doors, the sound of the stone slamming together echoing in the peaceful night.
"Right this way," Kankurou said, opening the dining hall's door. Naruto stepped into the room and stared in wonder; the hall was large, with multiple tables scattered everywhere throughout. On the walls hung tapestries depicting Suna's history; Naruto noticed a beige dragon depicted throughout them creating sandstorms that destroyed his enemies. At the farthest wall, where a large table that had yet to be filled stood, were five portraits of what he assumed were the ruling families. His eyes widened as he noticed Kankurou in one of them, accompanied by a girl with hair the color of sand and a young boy with bright red hair. He whipped his head around, staring accusingly at Kankurou.
"You didn't tell us you were some big shot around here," Naruto shouted, pointing at him. Kankurou blinked in confusion before finally a grin spread on his face.
"Ah, so you noticed," Kankurou replied, "Well, at the time of our meeting I didn't consider it important to tell you who I was. But, yes, I am part of the current ruling family; although, Temari is the brains behind the whole operation."
"Ya got that right brother," An older woman called out, causing the group to turn their heads. She approached them, her hair pulled into four ponytails, teal eyes shining with mirth. As she walked, her long black dress moved with her, the slits on the sides revealing toned legs, the red sash around her waist cinched to accentuate her curves. Naruto noticed that she wore black fingerless gloves as she whipped out a small fan and quickly unfolded it, fanning herself with it.
"Ah Temari," Kakashi said, walking over to her. She grinned, greeting him with a hug and a clap on the back. Naruto leaned in towards Kankurou conspiratorially.
"Hey, is your sister courting anyone," Naruto whispered; Kankurou looked at him, bewildered.
"I mean, she's currently courting the captain of the guard, Shikamaru Nara," Kankurou replied, "Though, if you ask her, she as well as he vehemently denies courting the other."
Naruto nodded, slightly disappointed in the news. Sakura rolled her eyes, smacking him behind the head; he yelped, holding the area as he glared at her. "What was that for," He hissed.
"For trying to find a maiden in the middle of a life threatening journey," Sakura replied, frowning at him. "What is wrong with you Naruto?"
"Hey, if I'm going to inherit a throne, I need a queen," Naruto explained innocently, "And I'm sure we'll be seeing many beautiful women, so I need to scope out my options now! Unless of course, you want to be my queen Sakura," He asked, grinning mischievously. Sakura scowled, shoving his face away from hers as she headed towards the table after the others.
"I told you when we were twelve, and I'll tell you again," She replied, "Not interested."
Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he followed after them, Sasuke following behind him. The table they sat at had multiple plates of food on beautiful china spread across it; Naruto wasn't sure who's stomach growled first, but from the sheepish look on Sakura's face it seemed that she might have been the culprit. As Temari took her seat at the head and Kankurou sat on her left, Naruto couldn't help but notice that the seat on her right remained empty.
"Hey, where's the other guy," Naruto asked, motioning towards their family portrait. Temari followed his gesture, noticing that he was pointing at the red haired boy.
"Ah, you mean Gaara," Temari said, "He has to calm that big baby Shukaku. Apparently you four getting into the village has left him a bit sourer than was anticipated. According to the guards, sandstorms are happening all across the desert."
"Um…I guess we're sorry," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He was surprised when Temari laughed, her head thrown back; when she was calmed, she leaned forward on the table, grinning conspiratorially.
"Ah, it's fine," She said, "Besides, between you and me, that dragon needed to be beaten at his game. Full of nothing but hot air if you ask me, and I'm glad it was you four who deflated him a bit."
"Yes well, you're not the only one who's glad it was us." Kakashi stated. Temari nodded, fingers laced together under her chin. All traces of the mirth left her features as she watched Kakashi, a serious shadow seeming to fall across her face.
"So it's true," she murmured, "The enchantress Kaguya returns to start a new reign of terror."
Kakashi nodded. "I'm afraid so. That's why we have come to Suna, in order to seek the help of Shukaku in the inevitable battle."
"Well, I wish you the best of luck with that," Temari replied, leaning back in her chair, "For as long as he has lived, Shukaku has maintained a very isolationist attitude. Whenever anyone comes into the desert, he summons storms to destroy them; whatever he doesn't kill, we do."
"Sounds like a wonderful personality," Sakura stated sarcastically. Temari chuckled, a smile gracing her features as she glanced at her.
"Yes, well, I'm sure that Gaara will at least try to protect you from his wrath," She explained, "After all, he helps protect the rest of this village from his wrath whenever he deems something has gone amiss."
"And why would you assume I'd do such a thing," A male voice asked from behind her. Temari turned, her teal eyes meeting eyes of the same color, only belonging to her brother Gaara. Kakashi frowned as he watched Gaara take his seat, noting the deep bags beneath his eyes.
"I would assume you'd do such a thing," Temari began, "Because if you don't, it is almost certain death for us all."
"I have done what I can to convince Shukaku not to annihilate us all where we sit today," Gaara said, piling food onto his plate. "You may have to give me a month's time to even consider getting him to agree to go into battle."
Temari frowned, noticing his demeanor. "The two of you fought, didn't you?"
"We always fight when these matters come to hand," Gaara replied, "This time around we just happened to fight twice in a single day. He almost had me, for a moment, but I was able to keep him at bay."
"What do you mean by, 'had'," Sasuke asked; Gaara looked up at him, finally taking note of their presence.
"So you are the four…" He murmured; he shook his head slowly, regaining his concentration, "Anyway, by 'had', I mean that he almost took control of me."
"How can he do that," Sakura asked, looking over at him. Gaara glanced her way as he began to cut his food, continuing his explanation.
"A dragon communicates with humans telepathically. As such, the dragon has direct access to the human's mind, and can wreak havoc if they so wish. The one who is close to the dragon however, is one who is able to withstand any attacks on the mind from the dragon; or, it is someone that the dragon prefers, and would never attack. I happen to be the former, since Shukaku tends to disagree with anything that isn't him."
"That's interesting and all," Naruto said, "But we need to talk to him immediately. Not tonight, obviously, but tomorrow would be a good time."
Gaara glared at him; Naruto felt as if a cold wind swept through the room. "If you value your life, you will not attempt to communicate with him anytime soon."
Naruto gulped, fidgeting slightly in his seat. "W-Well, if you value the lives of the people in this village, you'll let us see him tomorrow."
Gaara glared harder at him, his fists clenching slightly; sand began moving on the floor towards Naruto at rapid speeds. A shout of surprise left his throat as it began climbing up his body; he heard Sakura shout his name as he leapt to her feet, the chair falling to the floor. As the sand began covering his eyes, he saw Temari leap to her feet; a wind blew through the room, blowing away the sand that had begun covering him. As he slumped forward in his chair, body shaking, he noticed that Temari suddenly had a large fan in her hands, panting slightly from the adrenaline. He barely registered Sakura kneeling at his side, calling his name to see if he was alright; he merely saw Gaara's eyes on him, the cold teal staring straight into his soul.
"If you still wish to see Shukaku, Kankurou will bring you," He stated coolly. He suddenly turned and left the dining hall, his red robes swishing behind him as he walked. Temari sighed, watching his retreating back. Kakashi looked at her, having watched the whole ordeal calmly.
"Shukaku seems rather merciless," Kakashi noted. Temari looked at him, a weary smile on her face.
"You don't know the half of it," Temari replied. "Sometimes controlling him puts such a mental and physical strain on Gaara that sometimes…well, sometimes, I wish he would just destroy us."
"Not to mention that out of the mages chosen, Gaara is the youngest of them," He said, "Chosen at birth, trained immediately afterwards…The toll on Gaara has been great."
Temari nods. "I know that he took the burden gracefully, but it still hurts to see him suffer, having to bear the weight of this entire village." She said, looking down at the ground. She turned towards Kakashi, her shoulders squared back in determination. "But, the time has come for this burden to be shared; if your quest is truly meant to succeed, then that boy will be the one to help carry Gaara's burden. Perhaps," she said, looking thoughtfully over at Naruto, "He may even be able to change his future."
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "Ah, we should stick with seeing if he can even survive tomorrow's meeting with Shukaku. We'll talk about more philosophical matters afterwards."
"Oi, Naruto," Sakura said, shaking him slightly, "Get a hold of yourself!"
"He…he really tried to kill me," Naruto thought, eyes staring blankly ahead, "If it hadn't been for Temari, I would've been dead now. Is…is this what the rest of the journey is going to be like?"
"Oi, Naruto," Sakura called again; Naruto suddenly snapped out of it, blinking as he looked over at her. She sighed, worry written clearly across her face. "Thank goodness; I've been trying to talk to you for a while now!"
Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, no need to worry Sakura! A little tantrum like that isn't going to scare me off!"
Sakura smiled, though she wasn't entirely convinced. "Well, as long as you're alright."
"Well, I think that's enough excitement for one night," Kakashi proclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Now, why don't we head to bed, unless of course we wish to see what other surprises await us?"
"I'm certainly ready to sleep," Sakura said, stretching slightly, "Seems like forever since I've last slept in an actual bed."
Kakashi smiled, his eye crinkling in amusement. "Well then, let's head out."
The four of them headed towards the entrance, Kakashi and Sakura taking the lead. Naruto trailed behind them, Sasuke walking slightly in front of him. Naruto was lost in his thoughts, too concerned with tomorrow's events to notice that Sasuke had spoken to him. A hand waved in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts; he looked over at Sasuke, the owner of the hand.
"What'd you say," Naruto asked; Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes as he continued moving forward.
"I said, you shouldn't worry about tomorrow," Sasuke replied, "Out of the four of us, you're the one we can't let die."
Naruto blinked. "But…none of you guys can really die either. I mean, you're all important too."
"Hn, as important as guardians can ever be," Sasuke scoffed, "We are replaceable, and we are meant to protect you first and Kakashi second. So don't worry, because the only ones who may die tomorrow are Sakura and I."
Naruto looked over at Sakura; she was talking animatedly with Kakashi, a carefree look on her face. "Does she…know that?"
"Of course she does," Sasuke replied, "It was a given when she volunteered for this quest. And as you said earlier, she sees you as family; so even if you weren't the heir to the throne of Konoha, she'd willingly throw her life away for you."
"You really think that," Naruto asked, slightly in awe. Sasuke rolled his eyes, looking at him as if he was stupid.
"I may not have met many dwarves, but I know that they're fiercely loyal to their clans and their allies," He stated, "Therefore, you've nothing to worry about for tomorrow."
Naruto nodded, staring quietly ahead as he thought over everything that Sasuke had said. As they continued to walk down the hallways, Naruto thought of continuing the journey without Sasuke and Sakura; nights spend around fires where the two weren't bickering or coming to terms with each other. Days traveling where Sakura wasn't scolding him for doing something embarrassing, or getting into arguments with Sasuke over trivial matters. As he thought of those days, he realized that the journey wouldn't be the same without them; that nothing would be the same, even after they had finished the quest.
"No," Naruto spoke quietly, catching Sasuke's attention, "You're wrong."
"Hn, how am I wrong," Sasuke asked, eyebrow quirked. Naruto looked at him, determination set across his face.
"Because I do have something to worry about tomorrow," Naruto replied, "I have to worry about losing my friends. I may have a special role in this giant scheme, but you two have special roles in my life. So don't tell me to worry, because just the thought of losing either of you makes me worry."
Sasuke blinked, before a smirk graced his features. "Ah, then you better be on your toes tomorrow. Shukaku certainly seems to be a rather testy dragon."
Naruto grinned. "Nothing a little beat down can't solve!"
"So, we have come to an agreement on the battle plans," Danzou asked, glancing around the table. Pein nodded, his eyes set on the map spread out on the table.
"We will attack in two weeks' time," Pein reiterated, "In that time, you will gather your troops, and prepare any magic that will be needed to defeat the elves. Afterwards, we will march to the forests and overtake them. Kisame will lead the battle, while Konan and I slip away to find Choumei. We will take our target, and kill anyone who stands in our way."
Danzou smirked. "Well then, we should begin preparations immediately."
A/N: GUYS THAT CATCH MADE ME HAPPY OMG CAPSLOCK AAAHHHH.
*ahem* Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing it (at least the really obvious bonding parts. I is such a shoujo).
Also, as some people may see, I do try to put suggestions into my writing! So if you have something you want to see in a chapter (and it doesn't seem too outlandish/OOC/out of place with my writing), then feel free to put them in a review! I may reject some, buuuut I may also put them in!
