Consider this a bonus chapter! I was not planning to have another one up so soon, and I wasn't even wanting to write at all a few days ago.

I was going through a lot. But I was shown so much kindness from my readers, it really inspired me to write this again. This AU also just wont leave me alone. I find myself thinking about it a lot in my spare time.

Kankuro watched as heavy clods of sand buffeted the outside of the estate. Sandstorms in the Wind Kingdom were a part of life, but the ferocity they'd had lately almost felt like a sign. Or an omen.

"Princess, wait! You're ruining the stitching!" The door to the study slammed open, causing the prince to jump. Temari stomped into the room with a scowl in a traditional emerald gown with unfinished tailoring. The measuring tape was still wrapped around her waist and there were several frantic tailors trailing her.

When Temari glared at them from over her shoulder, they wisely chose to step back. "I need to speak to my brother. Alone." No one challenged her, not that Kankuro could really blame them.

Personally, he thought the tailors looked relieved to be dismissed. Temari's temper was a force to be reckoned with, going from his own past experiences.

"Yes, your grace…"

As soon as the door was closed his sister threw herself into an armchair, face falling into her hands. "I can't take this anymore. I don't want to be the queen! I want to get Gaara's name cleared…"

Kankuro hesitated to tell her what he'd been thinking, afraid all her frustration would suddenly find a new bullseye. The hesitation died the more he thought of their younger brother living in hiding, unable to come home with the equivalent of a magical time bomb implanted inside him. "Ya know Temari. Maybe going through with this whole coronation thing might not be a bad idea."

Her blonde head jerked in his direction, fire in her eyes. "I mean think about it! Who's gonna be on the throne if it's not you? Me?" Kankuro firmly shook his head. "I think we all know that's not what's best for the kingdom. This is the safest way, plus, this way when we get enough evidence we can bring Gaara home, order a retrial and clear his name that way."

The fight was starting to leave her eyes, and he sighed to himself. Temari had always been just as sharp as she was feisty. She'd see the sense in his words.

"I just don't like the idea of being the court's puppet…and you remember the last thing Yashamaru told us, right? Whoever framed Gaara is probably still on the inside. Someone close to us we'd never expect. We need to suss them out."

Kankuro nodded in understanding. "Okay, so, I can use Crow. It was made for recon like this. I'll get in cozy with the council and see who cracks first. There's gotta be something they're hiding. Something that'd make them jump on the chance to kill Gaara…"

Temari wiggled her feet out of the tight heels she'd been forced into, slouching back in her chair. "What do you mean? He was just one of Father's loose ends to them. They figured it wouldn't be too much longer until he snapped, so—"

"Yeah, but I wonder." Kankuro stood, starting to pace the way he knew she hated. "If they were really so worried about Gaara losing control, seems like they wouldn't have made such a big deal about getting rid of him. The whole incident just seems…conveniently timed."

Temari leaned forward, sea blue eyes intense. "Let me see Yashamaru's notes."

Her brother gave her an annoyed glance before getting up. "For somebody that says they don't wanna be queen, you sure give orders like one…"

Nonetheless, he collected his uncle's notes and handed them over to her. Temari shuffled through them until her eyes landed on a particular page. "Aha! This is a list of suspicious characters Yashamaru managed to put together." She passed it to him over her shoulders.

"Are we really sure about this Temari? I think we should do some more investigating first. I still say Crow'd be good for the job. Think about it…not even two weeks ago a crowned prince was put on trial and sentenced to execution. That hasn't happened in centuries! We've still got all those foreign reporters snooping around, too…There's a lot of outside interest in this regime change. Before we nail anybody, there has to be no doubt they set up Gaara."

"I know all that, genius." She hissed. "I figure if the council is compromised, then I can use a mole of my own."

That had Kankuro truly baffled. He couldn't imagine someone who Temari trusted enough to reveal their plans to, let alone someone who had the right kind of access to the council to go unnoticed while collecting information.

"You…lost me." he admitted. "Big time."

"No surprise there." The princess threw a toned leg over the chair's arm as she got comfortable, and Kankuro was forced to avert his eyes with an indignant squawk. "She'll be by tomorrow, and you can expect to see a familiar face…"

Sakura rubbed her temple, willing the dull ache that had resurfaced to go away. 'Just a little sleep-deprived…' she yawned. The night before she'd poured over one of the books Shizune had brought her. One chapter in particular about the rare case studies in which a magical bond between Summoner and Summon were successfully broken caught her eye.

The book detailed three examples over the last fifty years in which, with the aid of some powerful Detraction spells, unsuitable bonds had been reversed with relatively little pain for the involved parties. Although she'd been side-tracked, there was still strong determination to undo the mess Sai had caused.

She could be free to return to her hedge witch studies without the worry of being scouted by the Regulatory Council. There was only a small amount of guilt dampening some of her excitement… Admittedly, she didn't know what would happen to Sai. He needed a Summoner maybe more than she'd initially needed a Summon. If she broke off their bond, would he begin wasting away? Sai was clueless, annoying, and sometimes even plain rude, but in the end he was a victim of Compellers who had turned him into what he was.

'I'm not making a snap decision. I'm just doing a little more research.' She reasoned, getting up. 'I'll take a trip to the library and check out some books on advanced cancellation spells…Probably won't find that in a book of every day spells, but if I ask Shizune for too many restricted books at a time…it might get her in trouble.' Mind made up, she gathered her bag and began stuffing things inside. By the time she was debating on whether or not she should risk sneaking in a candy bar for a snack, her cellphone began vibrating against her upper thigh. Cramming a hand into her skirt pocket, Sakura fished it out and picked up the call without so much as glancing at the ID.

"Hel—"

"Sakura! This is an all hands on deck situation!" Ino's frantic voice reached her almost before the phone had connected.

"Could you slow down," Sakura rolled her eyes, use to her friend's antics. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can't be that bad…"

"It is that bad." Ino whined. "The Barometz bloomed early this year. Dad's still doing his hush-hush work with the government so it's up to me and Mom and there's way too much here. Half of it's gonna go bad at this rate. I mean I'm so desperate for help I called Shikamaru, but he probably won't even be out of bed before one. And Chouji…I can't ask Chouji. He'd eat the gourds."

The throbbing had not only migrated to between her eyes, it had intensified. Sakura fought back a grimace, trying to sound understanding as she listened to her friend panic. "I…I can't help today Ino. I'm really sorry. But what if I sent Sai?"

It was probably ill-advised. Sai was…Sai. And despite Ino's infatuation for him, she was serious about doing whatever it took to help out around her family's cherished shop.

"…Sakura, are you sure about that? I mean I don't mind the eye-candy, but uh, I thought you were keeping the cat on a short leash, if you know what I mean."

Sakura shrugged, before remembering Ino couldn't see her. "I am. That's why I'm going to the library now…" Lowering her voice, she continued, "I think I found a way out, Ino. I need to check what I found out, but I don't need Sai getting in the way. He's better off with you for today."

"Fine!" Ino said through a long sigh. "I'll be your cat-sitter while you do your nerd thing and hit the books. You owe me. Hm…let's see. It'll be your treat next time we hit Sunspot Café."

Deciding it was a relatively small price to pay, the pink-haired fae was quick to agree. "Lunch. My treat. Got it. I'm going now, Ino. How soon can you come pick Sai up?"

"I was already on my way over! If you turned me down with no backup I wasn't above making a scene at your door."

Sakura pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it incredulously. "That is…so like you."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell him be ready because I'm coming in fifteen."

That was the easy part, Sakura knew. Convincing Sai that he didn't need to shadow her the way he had been since the day they met, was where the true ordeal began.

Dragging her feet, she walked across the hall and knocked, waiting. It didn't take long for her Summon to open the door and peer out. "I've been informed by Senju-sama that licking plates clean isn't the correct way to do dishes. I already washed them properly."

"Did you make sure you soaked them for at least thirty minutes because those grease stains can be really hard to get off—wait, you've been licking dishes clean?!" Sakura was curious what shade her face would settle on, angry apple red or sickly pea green. "No!" She slapped a palm over his mouth when he opened it to speak. "N-never…never mind. That's not why I'm here. I need you to stay with Ino today." Sai's eyes shifted downward and he started to shake his head. "I was fine before I had a Summon. I'll be fine for a day. I just…need some space, and Ino really needs some help." Feeling it was safe to, Sakura finally peeled her hand away.

"The bond is still new. It's best for both of us—"

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek stubbornly, and he faltered. "We're still two separate people." she insisted. "You'll be okay for a day, Sai." Tapping her foot impatiently, Sakura started walking backwards down the hall. "Anyway, I've got a bus to catch. Stay here because Ino's coming to pick you up any minute."

The fae didn't give him a chance to guilt her with his lost puppy eyes, instead making a clean break and dashing down the stairs.

In her hurry she nearly skidded into customers Tsunade was helping. Her godmother turned around just in time to see Sakura barely manage to right herself. "Whoa, what's the rush? Hot date?"

"Library research!" Sakura corrected, jogging in place.

"You blow through that book Shizune brought already?" Tsunade shook her head. "Whatever, no harm in a hungry mind I guess. You'd better pick up something on botanical spells while you're out. You've got a pop quiz from yours truly coming up."

ARfF

The bus wasn't too crowded, so there were plenty of free seats to choose from. Sakura found one near the middle, settling her bag on her lap and doing a run through of all the information she was going to the library to research. 'I need to make sure there really are no side effects to doing this. For me or for Sai…The vibrations of…vibrations?' Sure enough, her phone was once again vibrating wildly, this time with an oncoming text. It was Naruto, gushing about how excited he was to be going to the ramen bar he looked up.

Sakura was filled with horror and embarrassment, realizing that she was supposed to hang out with Naruto again. Typing up a quick but sincere apology, she offered to reschedule and pay for his lunch.

Surprisingly, instead of sad emojis like she'd expected, there was a lightning fast response laced with hope.

Uzumaki Naruto: Wanna meet at the library then?

Sakura wasn't if she saw Naruto as someone who could quietly sit and study for a long period of time, or at all, really. But they hadn't met long ago, and he might surprise her. Making up her mind, she looked up and sent him directions to the library, settling her phone back into her pocket when she was positive he'd gotten them.

Plans completed, she settled her head back against the seat and tried to empty her mind in the hopes that her headache would go away. Easing a little of her healing magic into her temples via her fingertips, she sighed in relief when the pounding dulled. Headaches had been a thing of the past after Sai came around, but they were pushing their way back into her life all of a sudden, and she was hardly enthused. Telling Tsunade, or even Ino, wasn't an option either. She'd handle it herself. No need to send them into a spiral of worry over what was likely a minor affliction.

The art of emoting still came far from easily for him. In part, that was why being around Sakura and others had been so informative. In just a short time, Sai had discovered so many different emotions, lots of them he wasn't even aware existed.

Furthermore, he was technically capable of feeling everything those around him could. Learning how would take time, and it was an intimidating process, but having a master who went through so many emotions every day, Sai wasn't too concerned that in time, getting in touch with his own feelings would come more easily.

Even now, in the moment, as he watched Yamanaka Ino's car coming up the small drive, he was sure he'd found a new pocket of emotions. Dread. Betrayal. Something in between there.

"Sai, hurry up and hop in!" she said from behind the shades covering her blue eyes. "Sakura, already gave you the run down, right?"

The abandoned shifter gave the house one final glance. Tsunade watched from the doorway—simultaneously barricading his way back inside—sipping from a steaming mug of tea. Never one to shirk duties, he squared his shoulders and schooled his features into impassiveness, deciding he would treat whatever awaited him like a mission.

Climbing in beside Ino, he fumbled to buckle himself in as she fiddled with the dial of the radio. "What's with you? That lost without Sakura?"

"No," Sai denied. "I have my objective. I can comply with or without my master present."

"Uh…huh." She took off with a final honk of farewell to Tsunade. "I don't really get you, Sai. But I have to say…in a weird way, you're sort of a dramatic guy."

Dramatic. Now there was an adjective never before used to describe him. Then again, it was hard to say for certain when there was a large chunk of his life he didn't have memories of. In that regard, the feedback he received on his personality from Sakura, Ino, Naruto and others was the closest he could say he had ever been to "knowing himself".

To most people, only having a sense of self through the eyes of others was strange. He didn't need a book to know how incomplete he was. In a way he did rely heavily on his master to give him direction, possibly more than he should.

They were leaving the cozy, sheltered forested area near Tsunade's cabin, driving back into city limits. The windows were rolled down, and a warm breeze tussled his hair, making Sai vaguely wonder how fast Ino was driving. Possibly prompted by the awkward silence, Ino started talking, drumming her fingers against the wheel. "I've known Sakura a really long time. I'm probably her oldest friend, actually," Ah, she'd chosen the one topic they undoubtedly had in common. Sakura. "I remember the day we met, right down to how much snot was running out of her nose. Oh, don't tell her I said that, okay?" Ino gave him a conspiratorial wink, sticking out her tongue.

"Imagining her that way is hard. It's true she looks vulnerable…but, how did the book put it? Looks can be deceiving." His hand absently rubbed at his cheek. Sometimes, Sai could still feel it. A phantom pain.

"Yep, she hides it well." Ino affirmed. "She thinks she's gotta take on everything herself. It's really annoying. Sometimes I miss the clingy crybaby she use to be." The blonde fae laughed quietly. It's a little funny that she'd be born a Summoner, of all things. That means that she's got magic that ties her to someone else for the rest of her life. The most headstrong, independent person I know needs to rely on somebody else to survive." The car came to a stop at a light; they were officially in the city of Konoha, on the main street. The colorful shops and restaurants hardly registered though, because Sai felt like he was on the verge of understanding something important about the girl he called master.

The shifter's head bowed forward as he thought of how it must be from Sakura's perspective. Being attached to a Summoner meant…someone commanded you, they shared their magic with you, they used you as a weapon and as a shield. For a Summoner…no, for someone like Sakura, it meant an end to a freedom she was desperately trying to maintain.

Maybe even to an extent that he would never understand.

How could he? This…this was the closest he had ever been to true freedom. His life before had consisted of a void existence, of blood, of living and dying for a person he couldn't even say he felt loyalty to. That was all he knew. That was why, trading one set of shackles for another hardly boded thinking about. Sai knew he would have done it again, with anyone who had the magic strong enough to keep him alive. It didn't matter who. It didn't matter if his new master had turned out to be worse than his last. A weapon in the hands of one madman was the same as any other. That's what he was. A weapon. A tool. Not a partner. Not a friend. Number 5,086.

"Sai? …Sai!" Startled, Sai blinked back into his present reality. Riding in a car with his master's trusted friend, Ino, who almost smelled like freshly bloomed flowers and sunshine. "Are you clocking out on me already? Rude…" Despite scolding him, there was no discernable anger in Ino's words. Most importantly, she hadn't called him by his numbered identification.

"I'm Sai now…" he whispered to himself. She allowed him to choose, she permitted him a name, and he picked Sai. Sai and 5,086…were the same, but quickly becoming two separate entities. 5,086 lived for the mission and Sai lived for his master.

"Okay Sai Now, are you ready to do some lamb wrangling?" The car was cruising down the main streets, turning periodically. The city was making way to well-groomed neighborhoods. One of which, he assumed, Ino lived in.

"Lamb...what?" He wasn't sure he appreciated Ino's peels of laughter at his expense. While he wasn't the most well versed in conversation, he was almost sure what she'd just asked him was strange. It wasn't just him this time.

Confusion came through the link of the Evoker, and Sakura tapped the stone as she exited the bus. It had suddenly become warm, and she absently reached for her phone, determined to call Ino and make sure Sai was doing alright. For whose sake, she wasn't sure just yet. But there was no harm in checking in on them periodically.

Just as she prepared to scroll through her contacts, the warmth emitting from the Evoker subsided, drawing her attention back to the mysterious device. With any luck, the library would have more detailed texts on the function an Evoker played in mediating the connection between Summon and Summoner. Clearly, it transmitted Sai's emotions, or at the very least a vague imprint of them, to her. And there was no denying that even without its warmth, she could feel the steady pulse of his presence in the stone. Her bloodstone was...a conduit for their connection, she was sure of it.

Sakura smoothed her thumb across the gleaming surface of the pretty stone, glancing up as she trekked down the sidewalk toward the library's front steps. It was fortunate that the bus stop was a quick walk across the street from her destination. There were no signs of Naruto, but she wasn't concerned. If anything, he was still in route. Nothing to worry about.

Although, a little punctuality wouldn't kill him. Sakura started across the street in the crosswalk as the light changed, moving her duffle higher up her shoulder when the weight of it started to hurt her arm. 'Why's this so heavy? I didn't even bring that much...' The same essentials she carried every day, plus the addition of her notebook and pen, rested in her bag. Nothing that should be making her feel the strain she had on her arm.

It was just some left over soreness from some of the motions she'd done in transfiguration practice the day before. No need to get dramatic over it...the heaviness creeping up on her as she finally made it across the street and to the library's many steps...well, that was training fatigue too.

But she had no right to complain. Tsunade had already been so patient and so lenient about the Summoner business. Sakura was determined to keep pulling her weight.

As if the very thought of weight was enough to throw her off balance, her feet became clumsy as she climbed the stairs, and she stumbled with a gasp. Flailing ungracefully, Sakura reached for the railing, trying to pull herself up.

Instead, her hand found something sturdier, warmer, fleshier. Squeezing the support under her fingers earned her a grunt, and her vision refocused enough that she could clearly make out dark eyes framed by impressive lashes. The boy they belonged to was descending the steps from the opposite side of the railing.

Dimly, Sakura thought he looked familiar... Strange, since the blazer and slacks suggested a private school uniform she didn't recognize. Regardless of whether she knew him or from where, she could attest that he was her age, and cute. Very cute. The look of apprehension he was giving her suggested his thoughts were moving in a very different direction.

Once she got her bearings, Sakura was quick to let him go, flustered. "I'm sorry!" There wasn't enough of an expression on the boy's pale face to know what his feelings were toward a stranger clinging to him, and the thick headphones over his ears made it hard to tell if he'd even heard.

"Careful," He said after a beat, voice impressively low for someone his age. Still recovering, Sakura couldn't focus too much on his tone, so she didn't know if he said it out of concern or admonishment. The latter was understandable, given how she'd grabbed onto him for a prolonged period.

"Y-Yeah, sorry," she swallowed, mentally screaming at her legs to regain their lost strength. To save face, beating a swift retreat into the safety of the library's lobby might be necessary.

The boy turned away, and Sakura's gaze followed his involuntarily. A sleek black car had pulled up at the curb, passerbys slowing down to stare in appreciation. Although she knew next to nothing about luxury vehicles, the smooth lines and shining rims made it obvious to even her the car was expensive, special.

The window rolled down, revealing a driver that bore a resemblance to the dark-haired boy. They were close enough for her to notice the differences, however, like his longer hair and the deep troughs under his almond eyes.

"Sasuke," he greeted, lips lifting just so in the barest traces of a smile. Moving away from her, Sasuke started down the stairs again, sliding into the passenger seat without a second glance back. The driver was another story, eyes briefly flickering to meet hers. It could have been her skewed senses, but the fae girl was sure he nodded once at her before they pulled off.

Although there was no reason to, she stared after their car, until it turned a corner and disappeared. A small blush crept up her face. She'd officially lingered too long. Advancing up the steps once more, Sakura took a deep breath, shaking her head in hopes it would dispel not only unhelpful thoughts of cute, mysterious boys, but her headache too.

Just as her fingers wrapped around the door handle, the sound of sneakers scraping up stone and a warm shout alerted her of her friend's arrival. "Hey, Sakura-chan, I made it! Sorry I'm a little late." By the time Sakura had turned to greet him, all her previous irritation had long since faded away. There was just no staying mad when Naruto flashed her such a genuine smile.

"I haven't been waiting too long, so you're off the hook this time." she scolded playfully.

Naruto's grin dimmed and he canted his head in concentration. "Hmm..." Suddenly he was very close, squinting into her face. Lightly scenting the air, the kitsune's brows knit together. "Your scent's all funny."

Indignant, Sakura shoved at him, so hard he almost toppled over. "Well, excuse me for trying a new body wash!" she snapped. Who wanted to walk around knowing they shared the same cleanser as their Summon?

"N-No!" Naruto pouted, rubbing at his shoulder. "I don't mean that way. It's like you're sick but...not sick?" Growling, Sakura marched her way into the library with Naruto hot on her heels. So close, she could feel his breath rustle the hairs on her neck. Spinning, she readied a more stern reprimand, only to notice he was openly sniffing her.

"Cut it out!" Without thinking, she smacked him upside the head and he whined, backing off.

"That should be my line." Naruto grumbled. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here..."

Sakura gave him an unsympathetic glare. "Do it in a non-weird way." For good measure, she moved some of her pink hair inconspicuously, so it would hide her warm cheeks. Naruto wasn't even the least bit fazed, but having him in her personal space without warning made her stomach somersault. Afraid he would notice, she swiftly proceeded.

Whatever annoyance the blonde had for her, he abandoned quickly, his footsteps echoing hers. "So...books, huh? I guess you're smart, so you'd be into libraries and stuff." He tried picking up a more neutral conversation, to which she shook her head at his attempt.

Laughing a little, Sakura climbed the spiraling steps to the second floor. "I won't pretend I don't like books. You could say that absorbing knowledge makes me feel like I'm in my element."

"I take after my mom, so..." There was a woeful sigh as the kitsune's head slumped forward. "Don't tell her, but she's not good at studying and she doesn't have the attention span to sit still and try for long, so it's sorta her fault I turned out this way." Naruto carded a hand through his hair. "Dad says that just means I'm a hands-on learner."

Thinking back to what the book described, Sakura rubbed at her chin, wandering down the first aisle she came to on the second floor. "Kitsune abilities did seem pretty practical. You try until it works. Reading about time-traveling and fox fire wouldn't be that helpful." In that regard, Naruto's learning style wouldn't be that much of a detriment to his development.

Noticing Naruto's attentive expression, Sakura coyly tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, adjusting her headband. "I...I mean I'm speculating."

"Did I tell you about kitsune magic? I don't remember ever talking about that stuff."

"I got curious after dinner the other night." Sakura confessed. "So I read up about kitsune culture in my compendium and...and it mentioned really interesting abilities honestly." The title on the spine of a particular book caught her attention and Sakura plucked it from the shelf, flipping it over to read the dust jacket. "Hopefully I can find something that...can at least tell me more about Summoner and Summon connections through the Summon's perspective. Maybe it'll actually give me a clue on how to deal with Sai. I'm pretty much just winging it."

"Oh," Naruto drawled. "That guy."

"Plus, I want to find out if there's ever any negative effects on Summons in these bonds..."

"You mean like, a bad connection? A forced one?" Naruto's blue eyes widened in shock. She hadn't ever told him how Sai had come to be her Summon.

"S-Something like that." she confided.

"Sakura-chan," his tone was suddenly quiet, serious. "What's going on?" Goofy though he may have been, suspicion was starting to shine in those clear blue eyes. So, even Naruto could read a mood.

Chancing a peek around, she beckoned him to sit as she slid down a shelf and folded herself neatly on the library's carpeted floor. He followed almost instantly, his assent far less graceful.

"You know I'm a new Summoner, but...I never wanted to be. What you saw the day we met, that guy from the Regulatory Council approaching me...that's what I've been afraid of most of my life. Being on their radar. Now it's happening, and I..." Sakura took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm trying to find a way out of all this." There it was, the bald truth. Afraid to see his reaction, Sakura closed her eyes.

It wasn't a huge secret. Tsunade, Shizune, Ino...all the important people in her life, hell, even Sai himself, knew she hadn't given up on trying to leave Summoning behind. Naruto still didn't know her well though. And he was a kitsune. If she understood correctly, her friend would one day need a Summoner or his own, and here she was selfishly admitting she was looking for a way to abandon her current Summon. Sai wasn't perfect, but Naruto could probably sympathize with him despite their rivalry (?)

"I probably look terrible to you," she whispered, tucking her chin into her knees. "Being a Summoner is a blessing," The words kept flowing unprompted, and Sakura cursed her loose tongue. Something about the way Naruto only listened, uninterrupting, urged her on. "I just thought I'd have more time! It's just too much! And I—" The warm hand settled on her head stopped her rambling, making Sakura peek into Naruto's face for the first time since she'd started talking.

"It's okay Sakura-chan." He soothed. "I get it..."

"Really?" she breathed, vaguely aware that his hand's warmth felt like a little flame, and that he'd scooted closer so their legs touched.

"It's not really fair." His hand was still rested on the crown of her head, but she didn't mind like she thought she would. "When I found out about...about Summoners, I didn't ever wanna meet one. I thought I wouldn't be...me anymore, ya know."

It was Sakura's turn to listen carefully. "I wish I'd known sooner a Summoner is someone like you." Heat found its way to her face yet again, and she knew her cheeks were at least pink now.

Sakura shook her head, dislodging his hand. "I-I'm not..."

"Yeah, you are." There was nothing but complete confidence on his face. "You're a good person. And you're my friend."

So this was what blind faith looked like, Sakura thought. Or maybe, it was just what Naruto's blind faith looked like.

"I'll help you find whatever book you want." he promised, leaping up as if nothing had happened. Bending down, he offered her a hand. Hurriedly wiping at her warm face, Sakura took it, getting back on her feet. "Breaking bonds, right? I'll take this way, you take that way."

Despite having not known anything about her plan ten minutes ago, suddenly Naruto was taking charge. Running down another aisle—and ignoring the librarian's admonishing gaze—and putting all his energy behind helping her, even if he didn't completely understand.

Given his actions since meeting, it wasn't a strange pattern. He'd always been quick to jump in for her sake, ever since they'd encountered Ebisu at the cafe.

Naruto was a good friend, without question. Even if she felt she didn't deserve it, she had his support and loyalty.

Loyalty.

Sakura mulled over the meaning of the word. The compendium had forgotten to mention that kitsune had impressive loyalty.

For anyone curious, Barometz (at least in lore) is supposedly a plant that produces gourds. Inside those gourds are live baby lambs attached by an umbilical cord. As long as you separate lamb and plant carefully, they will not only be just fine, but they'll then start grazing, as normal lambs might, until they've had their fill. Supposedly the plant then dies after the lambs have eaten all the vegetation around it, and they then move on. Sometimes, people harvest the lambs themselves and eat their meat…which…according to my lore book tastes like crab of all things. Anyway, this is a fantasy AU so naturally the kind of plants the Yamanaka family grow range from pretty mundane things to more…magical species. Also, some of the special seeds Ino briefly mentioned in an earlier chapter are great for alchemy!

And before anyone gets excited and/or disappointed, there won't be any Sai/Ino whatsoever. Just some friendship moments. Sakura's best friend and her Summon(s) are bound to interact sometimes. Speaking of interacting, as promised, there's more NaruSaku interaction and more Naruto in general. I wanted cute NaruSaku scenes but true to the tone of this chapter they turned out more serious and angsty...ugh. There's definitely gonna be much, much more with both Naruto and Gaara going forward. If you think you can guess how they end up on Team Sakura, guess again. ;)

Plus yes, brief but important cameo happened in this chapter—yes, yes there absolutely will be a major role for the entire Uchiha clan.

Also, I think I've probably said it a dozen times, but no! Sakura will not be getting more than three Summons total! I don't mind "spoiling" that since I don't want anyone getting their hopes up. She may still meet and get some surprising allies though.

If you've come this far, it'd be great of you to review. Thanks~