I do not own NARUTO

Follow the Sun, Part 7

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Sakura was all alone in her little hospital room. The cool breeze from the desert ghosted in through the window she had managed to crack open, offering some fresh air to the stuffy room. The window was stiff and fought with her as she tried to slide it up the sill. But once open she was greeted by the gentle breeze of a calmer desert. The storm had passed and the town was engulfed in a lulling quiet. There were lights here and there that glowed dimly in the night, all nestled below a truly breathtaking starry night sky. It was quiet though, all private little gatherings of families and friends, one could tell, even from where she stood to look out onto the strange city that had given her refuge when she had none.

Niko had excused herself to use the bathroom, since the exam room had none, and grab a little bite to eat from the vending machines down the hall. It was late, with only the overnight nurses left at the hospital as the others returned home for the night, and it was only Niko walking through the halls as she strolled for a snack. After the door shut and Sakura was stuck in the dull, droning quiet of the hospital's air condition units, she began to get stir crazy. It was dark, but she wasn't tired. She had been off her feet and dozing on and off for hours. Her muscles ached and her feet still didn't want to support her but her brain kept buzzing.

So she had forced the window open, hoping to busy her mind by taking the new and curious landscape and architecture of the Wind country's capital. But something else was in the wind, she realized, as she leaned against the sill of the window, letting the breeze waft over her. It was something familiar. She drew her brow together and took a questioning sniff of the air, something perking in interest within her gut. The breeze picked up, and it blew straight into her window, directly from that strange glass dome she had seen a few blocks away. It was a little while ago when she had glimpsed it, and in the light of the setting sun, it was nothing but blinding reflections off those hexagonal panels of glass.

She scoffed, a little disappointed that she hadn't noticed earlier. Now that she could smell it, she knew what it was. Dirt. Moist, rich, musty soil. Full of decomp and leaf decay, full of nutrients and minerals, the start of everything that feeds and sustains life on land. It came from a greenhouse. And a big one.

Suddenly her feet didn't hurt so much and the ache in her calves didn't pull at her muscles so hard, and she found herself taking breath after breath, filling her lungs with the closest thing she had to the smell of the forest. To the smell of home. But it wasn't enough. Now that she had a taste of that fresh, crisp, slightly rotten smell, she needed more. She wanted to press soft leaves and petals to her nose and breathe their scent. And she was determined. She wagered they had Lavender there, something to sooth the inflammation of her skin. Aloe Vera would grow wonderfully there as well, she was sure of it. All she needed was some semblance of home to reboot her strength and some fresh herbs to fix her skin up, then she would be good as new.

The Suna staff was very kind and helpful, but she knew that no one could fix her better than herself.

She had on some loose fitting capris and a baggy tank top, the material was soft as to not irritate her skin even further, her hair was still dirty and she had managed to pull most of the dirty strands away from her face. But still, she needed a shower. The soothing effects of warm water, however, were only second to the beckoning aroma on the wind. She slipped her shoes on and silently crept from the secluded hospital room.

The hallway was dark, the lights above had been dimmed for the nighttime hours, and she walked silently through the hall toward the front lobby. There were no patients in the lobby, no one waiting for an appointment or coming to pick up a prescription, the lights were off and the front door stood almost glowing against the dark walls. But there was a shadow in the lobby with her, a tall figure standing silently before the doors.

Sakura gave a quick huff of defeat. Of course, an open front door would have been too much to ask for. The man was tall, a little slender in his build in terms of muscle mass, with wide shoulders and a confident stance. Sakura stood her ground and crossed her arms over her chest, not at all attempting to conceal her presence.

The man sighed, as if he had been expecting her, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He kicked a foot against the ground, almost as if he were nervous, and spoke with a pleading drawl to his voice. "Miss Haruno," he started. "Please go back to your room."

Sakura huffed at the sound of the formal address, everyone had been calling her that and it made her feel old. She wasn't a superior to anyone here, at most she was just a peer. "I need to stretch my legs." Her voice wasn't at all nasty or clipped, just sure in her words and obviously willing to be stubborn if called for.

The man nodded, stepping away from the door as he did so. He came into view a little better now and Sakura recognized him as one of Temari's. He had been in the lobby when Sakura first arrived, one of the few faces she remembered in her delirium. "Niko would be happy to accompany you for a round through the hospital."

"You know what I meant, Achi," Sakura countered, her voice a little lower than she intended. "Even back home I wouldn't stand for this kind of cooped up recovery. I need a maintained sense of familiarity to help sooth my restlessness. Pacing around a hospital doesn't become of me."

"Yet you wish to become a doctor," he pointed out, his voice taking on a light upward inflection, but his eyes darted behind her. Sakura knew he was looking for Niko, waiting for his backup against that look of determination on the foreign woman's face.

"And I will, then my pacing will be for productive purposes. As for now, I'd like a walk through the streets while it's nice and cool." She finished and smiled sweetly to him, something he wasn't expecting judging by the way he tensed as if suspicious.

Achi swallowed as he struggled with clear indecision. He sighed after a moment, shaking his head and peering to the ground as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Miss Haruno, but I cannot let you leave the premises."

Sakura felt some of her well-managed control over her temper snap. She took a deep breath, a little shaken from her frustration, and set hard eyes on the man before her. She took a step closer, openly maintaining eye contact with him, and spoke in a low voice, something she was trying to master from her teacher. "Choose your words carefully, Achi. I am either a patient who maintains the right to check myself out of treatment whenever I see fit, or I am a prisoner." Achi tried to stifle a groan, knowing full well where she was going, and not liking it one bit. "And if I'm a prisoner, well, you'll have to fight me then."

"Of course you are not a prisoner," he countered, his own voice showing his frustration while his eyes continued to survey the entrances to the lobby for Niko.

"Then step aside," Sakura suggested without skipping a beat.

"I can't do that, I have my orders."

There was a moment when Sakura truly contemplated backing down after that. She knew it wasn't any intention of his own to keep her cooped up in that hospital room, and he was right when he said he was only following his orders. But still, Sakura was in foreign lands with no one to offer true sanctuary and protection. She should consider herself alone here. Achi, Niko, even Temari, could all turn on her at a moment's notice, and she needed to look out for herself. So no, she would not relent to the rationally sensible thing and go back to bed. She wanted to go to the greenhouse, and dammit, she was going to whether Achi allowed it or not. After all…she was not a prisoner.

"I'm not staying here, Achi. I planned to leave and I intend to."

It was at about this time that Achi finally glimpsed Niko from the hallway. She had approached after hearing the strain in their voices, and finding Sakura's room empty, and was standing still and quiet in the dim hall. She had a look of apprehension on her face, something the likes of trepidation or…maybe even fear. Achi didn't fully understand at first, Niko was a brave soul with a fierce connection to personal resilience, but in the darkness of the hospital lobby, it didn't take him long to see what had caught her attention.

Sakura stood before him, most likely aware of Niko but clearly not paying her any mind, and stared him down with a look of strong resolve. Her lips thinned into a hard line, pulling down as if she were to scowl, and her nose scrunched as her brow pulled together over her bright green eyes. The redness to her skin shown in a very strange sort of way as she was illuminated by a glow. Faint and soft, rippling like light through a still pond, a pale green light seemed to dance across her skin. He stopped breathing for a moment, unprepared for the soft light emitting from her skin and followed it down to where it seemed to pulse through the veins at her wrists and over her hands. It was like he could see her blood, as if it were made of the same green that glowed from her skin, getting brighter the longer he looked, and it was as if it pooled there in her hands, or more so her fists.

He didn't want to, truly he didn't, but this was a clear display of some power he didn't quite know how to deal with, or what to even expect. He couldn't let it slide. He stepped forward, Niko reaching out to him as if she could do anything to diffuse their situation, and he made a grab for Sakura.

She moved very quickly, the soft light from her hands, though dull even in the darkness of the hospital lobby, was enough to distract him and he soon found himself stumbling back.

"Achi!" Niko exclaimed, stepping quickly over to the pair as she dropped whatever snacks she had been carrying in her arms.

Still, Sakura paid her no mind and only advanced further as Achi got back to his feet. He was a little flustered now, thoroughly embarrassed for getting knocked down so easily, and tried again. What he didn't know was that Sakura was very good at controlling her chakra, no matter how little she had left to work with, and the right hook she delivered to his cheek was enough to rival even that of Guy. The smack was solid and satisfying as he went down again, and this time he stayed there.

Niko stopped her advance at Sakura's side, looking on with her as they stared at the body lying on the floor. He was out cold. "Damn," she muttered, unintended, but she just a little impressed with the results of Sakura's punches.

Sakura shrugged, the glow that shone beneath the skin of her hands – the way it pulsed through her veins with her heartbeat – all died away as she settled herself and let her normal energy flow relax. "He said I couldn't leave, that was unfortunate."

Niko looked over to Sakura with some stubbornness to her angular features. She obviously wasn't so easily swayed from Sakura's outburst. "Look, I'm all for not getting punched, but he's right."

Sakura nodded. "I know. But I can't stay in here anymore. I need some fresh air."

Niko narrowed her eyes at Sakura, obviously caught in thought with an expression similar to Achi's; hesitant and clearly reluctant. "Fine," Niko said, her voice coming out low and clipped. "But you only have two hours, all right? Then it's back to the hospital. I don't need to be getting demoted over this," she finished with a grumble, her eyes swinging low as she looked to the side with a pout on her lips.

Sakura smiled, quite literally beaming at the woman's compliance, and nodded in ready agreeance. "It'll be fine, I promise." Niko only rolled her eyes at this.

"Any idea where you want to go? We'll basically have the run of the town this late at night."

Sakura nodded, heading for the lobby's front doors. She made a quick check at Achi as she passed, making sure that he wouldn't be too sore after he woke up. Nothing worse than she'd ever given Naruto. In fact, he might be tempted to say that Sakura had gone easy on the Suna guard. But still, whenever he did manage to come to, he would be no worse for wear. It seemed Niko shared this opinion, given the way that she stepped over her fallen comrade as if it were just another day to her.

"Ah, ah," Sakura scolded as Niko reached for the door handle. She looked to Sakura, taking a moment's pause. Sakura pointed to the ear piece hidden beneath that dark bob of hers. Niko thinned her lips and cursed under her breath. With a triumphant smile, intent on thoroughly enjoying her little outing, Sakura spoke with a lightness to her voice. "You're not coming anywhere with me if you've still got that in. After all, I'm just a guest, right? Not a prisoner?"

Niko grimaced, it was supposed to be a smile, but that just didn't work out. "Of course," she agreed with a tight voice. She pulled the bud from her ear and unclipped the radio collar from her vest. With a little bit of thud against the table, she tossed them to the side. "Lead the way."

Once outside, Sakura stood in the soft breeze ghosting through the streets of the city, breathing in the tantalizing and seductive scent that had beckoned her out of her stuffy room. Niko took pause at her side, her eyes scanning the empty streets, ready to take on any threat to Sakura out in the open, and seemed to notice the way Sakura sighed with pleasurable relief as the smell of moist decay hit her nose. "Where to?" Niko asked shortly.

Sakura looked to Niko then, a slightly naughty and crooked smirk on her lips. "I have an idea."

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"That's ridiculous!"

"No, it's actually not. At all." Kankuro stared blankly at his brother, doing his best – and actually managing – to hide his amusement at Gaara's expense. Their little conversation had escalated quite a bit now that he had pried enough to get under Gaara's skin. It all came pouring out after that, all his pent up frustration had been spilled forth and laid out plainly for Kankuro to inspect. He had been rather surprised after getting his explanation, he never would have assumed it all to be about a girl. But it was.

"How is that supposed to go well for me?" Gaara demanded, that twitchy look of unease still rippled across his face. His features shifted from hard and set in a displeased scowl, to scrunched together in confusion and bewilderment. It mainly depended on the last words to leave his brother's mouth.

Kankuro couldn't help but chuckle at this. "It won't. It's not supposed to go well for you, Gaara, that's what makes it a sincere apology."

Gaara grimaced and looked to the floor. Kankuro had managed to get to the source of Gaara's irritation and was trying to give him some insight into how to deal with matters such as this. In regards to Sakura, Gaara was indeed clueless. It was very obvious to Kankuro that his little brother felt bad, guilty even, for his past actions toward her. He was happy about this, it meant that not only were his actions and behavior changing, but he was changing as well. But with that change came the arduous task of seeking recompense for past transgressions.

"It's not so bad," Kankuro urged. "You'll see."

"What if it doesn't go well at all?" he snapped, a little shorter with his brother than intended. It was just the topic that got him all worked up.

"Like what? Like if she rejects your apology or like if she tries to smack you?"

Gaara paused for a moment, a dumbfounded expression on his face. "Well," he began, a little agitation showing in his voice. "If those are my only two options…then I guess both."

"There's nothing you can do," Kankuro replied with a shrug. Gaara felt his shoulders slump.

"Nothing?" he pressed. "Nothing at all?"

Kankuro shook his head. "Sorry, man. But that's how this stuff works. You surrender yourself to the whim of another. However momentarily it may be, but that little bit of vulnerability goes a long way with people. They appreciate the gesture. Even if you are bad at talking."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Gaara grumbled before rubbing his eyes with a sigh.

Kankuro just chuckled. "I've got more confidence in you than in anyone else, Gaara. Nothing holds you back, only yourself."

Gaara pondered this for a moment, searching for what his brother meant beyond the obvious, beyond his use as a soldier and weapon of war. "Is it," he began, not really knowing how to proceed. "Is it like that for everyone?"

Kankuro snickered and nodded curtly. "Oh, yeah," he affirmed. "Welcome to being just like the rest of us." He stood after that and stretched out with a yawn. He exhaled in a huff as he continued. "I hope it's worth it."

Gaara rolled his eyes before slouching back in his chair.

Kankuro walked passed and gave him a quick wave goodnight before heading up the stairs. He turned before he walked up the stairs, pausing a moment as he thought over his words. "Listen," he started, all joking and good humor gone from his voice. "After everything that happened, she entrusted you with her life today. And to me, that sounds like someone who might be willing to go as far as forgiving you too. But," he sighed, running a hand through his choppy brown as he looked to the floor. "You won't know unless you try. I'm just saying that…you might not get a better chance."

The hallway light shut off and Gaara was left in the soft glow of the lamp on the end table. It illuminated the folder that held Temari's documents. He stared at the folder a moment, stewing over the idea of doing the paper work for his sister. His conversation with Kankuro, meant to ease his worry, had only added more doubt and apprehension to his person. This…apology that he was to give Sakura was supposed to leave him vulnerable and that was said to be a good thing. Perhaps he had misunderstood but he had quickly grown sour of the subject.

He was immediately stumped when Kankuro had asked what he intended to say to the poor girl, who was completely unaware of the brooding attention she had been given by Suna's own Gaara Sabaku, and had offered a sorry excuse for an answer. He was rather certain that, 'so listen, sorry I tried to crush you to death just to spite your teammates' wasn't the greatest thing to say. Kankuro had told him that he was right. He suggested easing into it, perhaps bringing it up in a less…abrasive way.

Gaara really should have scoffed at the very idea. He was born of the desert, his body could mold seamlessly with the sand, and the very land spoke to him and surrendered to his will. By his most basic nature, he was considered abrasive. But what was he to do about Sakura? She was now, by order, on lock down within the walls of his city. She wouldn't be permitted to leave until it was confirmed that either she was to be escorted back, or she was to wait until her team came to retrieve her. Either outcome still left him with too much time to convincingly avoid her without raising any suspicion. He was sure that she wouldn't notice or at all care, but his brother was a different story. Now that he knew, Gaara was on a timeline.

He stifled a groan, rubbing his tired eyes and doing his best to ignore that throbbing in his head. If his headache came back now, he wasn't likely to shake it for another few hours. He rubbed his temples and tried not to think about that nagging question at the back of his head. But it was just too pressing. It had bothered him for months and now that she was here, it wasn't about to vacate his thoughts anytime soon. What if she couldn't forgive him? What if she chose not to offer him forgiveness for what he had done, for the mistake he had made? Gaara would never have admitted it out loud, or even to himself if he could help it, but he had been counting on her to forgive him.

He had watched how she interacted with Naruto, he had seen glimpses of how he agitated her and rattled her to the point of bursting. But every time it always ended with her still standing by his side and proclaiming their friendship without shame or apprehension. She could constantly forgive his grievances and shortcomings even knowing what he was and what lie dormant inside of him. And Naruto himself, he adored her. There had to be a reason why, a reason that maybe…just maybe, she could share with himself.

It unnerved him to think of what he would do if he was denied that same acceptance, but also didn't really what to do should he be granted such a sentiment. What would he do with it? Gaara had no idea.

Gaara felt something shift at the corner of his attention, something prickling in his peripheral. Someone was approaching the house, quickly. He got up and met them at the door, quietly pulling it open before they could knock and disturb his siblings, and was surprised to see Achi standing stiff and rigid on the other side of his door.

"Oh!" he said, jumping slightly when the door opened before he could knock. "Good evening, Sir," he addressed quickly, obviously preoccupied with something. "Is Captain Temari in?"

"She's gone to bed for the night. What is it?" Gaara asked in a low tone. He may not have slept like the normal man, but that didn't mean he appreciated being bothered in the late hours of the night.

Achi thinned his lips, not at all happy about what he was about to admit to his captain's more intimidating brother. "Well," he began, subconsciously bringing up a hand to touch the side of his face as he looked to the dirt. "It's Miss Haruno. I'm afraid that she insisted on leaving the hospital grounds. I tried to dissuade her, but…she packs a surprising punch. I'm sorry to say that she knocked me out cold, and when I came to, she and Niko were gone. Niko left her radio."

Gaara had folded his arms over his chest as his subordinate relayed this unfortunate turn of events. His face, though he hardly noticed, had gradually shifted into a deep frown and Achi shifted on his feet as he waited for Gaara to speak.

Not wise to bet on such things, Achi decided to just continue. "I don't know how to proceed. I was told that in no way shape or form was she to be treated as a prisoner, yet she was forbidden to leave the hospital. I need to reinforce her parameters, but can't lay a hand on her doing it. I figured I'd try and speak with the captain before following through with anything."

Slightly puzzled by Achi's words, Gaara thought for a moment. Achi, though nervous and skittish around Gaara, was actually a rather strong man. He wasn't small by any means and wasn't easily deterred by nothing more than a punch to the face. "I'll do it," he said after a moment, his eyes flickering to the city behind Achi. "I've got an idea as to where she might have gone."

Achi nodded, looked to the ground for a moment and bowed curtly before turning and taking his leave. Gaara waited a moment, studying the way his subordinate walked off. He scuffed his feet and hung his head, his shoulders slumped but tense. Nursing a hurt pride, most likely, and that intrigued Gaara. It must have been one good punch to do that to Achi.

He turned back inside for a moment, grabbing a jacket for the brisk night air and throwing it on. As he fastened the buttons down the front, his eyes caught the folder still waiting patiently under the dim glow of the lamp. He was suddenly overcome with the urge to see just what it was that his sister had been copying earlier and picked up the folder. He flipped open the cover and skimmed over the simplified documents on top, rough copies of the original without all the non-essential information.

Sakura's name was at the top, along with her teacher and her teammates, and then some additional deployment history of missions. Her grades in school, much better than his had ever been, and the additional optional courses that she had filled her time with. But then he got to the bottom of the page, to the more present reports of her history.

Wait…that can't be right. Could it? Surely not, so he cast the copied papers to the table and searched for the original document. His sister must have misread something, or misspelled or miscopied or misunderstood, or something. He found the original document at the back of the folder. The paper was thin and soft after so much handle over the months. He quickly read through the words on the report.

"…excellent example of academic success and shows true promise in the fields of…excelling in her training…shows impressive retentiveness to materials learned…cleared for apprenticeship with Lady Tsunade…"

"Holy shit…" he muttered, his eyes widening a little as he read. Sakura? Apprenticed with Tsunade? He had heard stories of the woman, but never would he have guessed her to take a person like Sakura under her wing. There were plenty of people, in Suna included, that would have killed for an opportunity to train under the world renowned medical ninja of the Fire country. But according to the file, Sakura had been practically hand-picked.

Gaara stared down at the name on the paper, the name of the new leader of the Leaf. She was a strong-minded woman who many learned quickly not to trifle with. She was steadfast and stubborn, a great ally and deadly adversary. His eyes then shifted to the picture that had been clipped to the top of that page, the picture of Sakura. Her eyes were wide and bright, brimming with excitement for her upcoming challenges. Her smile was soft and subtle, but it brightened her face and lit a fire of pride in her eyes. She was clearly confident in herself. How had he missed that before?

Gaara folded the paper, taking care not to crease the picture attached to it, and stuffed it in his pocket. It had a lot of information about her history with the Leaf's national military, and of her personal self as well, and that just might come in handy. He went back to the door, his attention falling to his gourd that lay perched against the wall waiting for him. That voice in his head came back and he didn't miss the way that the sand in the gourd stirred and shook in response.

The beast was getting excited again. Yet again he was to set out after her. Only this time it was just Achi who knew of his plans, someone easily silenced, and it was dark and empty through those streets. No one around to see. It would be another game of chase for the girl who was growing stronger and stronger the longer she stayed in his city, just what that thing wanted. Gaara stifled the thoughts and quickly walked out of his home, leaving the gourd sitting by the door. It was not only his protection, but his weapon as well, and he didn't want to risk a threatening appearance when trying to wrangle a more able-bodied Sakura. Else she try and hit him like she had Achi.

He chose not to transport himself and took the walk to the hospital as an opportunity to gather himself. Gaara tried desperately to come to a quick and simple solution as he walked briskly through the streets back toward the hospital by mulling over Kankuro's words. He had been right, after all, now was a good a time as he was ever going to get. If he didn't try and make amends with her now, she may never wish to hear it from him. Then what would he do? Spend the rest of his life scorned by the one person he had ever seen actually love someone like him? He wasn't much of the jealous type, but he deeply wanted the acceptance and ease that Naruto had with her.

Gaara sighed, frustrated with – not only himself – but also this girl he had spent the better part of his day chasing. It had been on and off his mind for months, but only now was he starting to understand how much of a threat she truly was to him.

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