Thank you fiejen and DiizGiirlJess for reviewing!

Sakura looked up at Itachi with disbelief lacing her vision. Then again, she shouldn't have expected anything less. He was a loner and didn't need anyone. Sakura had been a fool to think she could get through the wall that had been built and strengthened for years. She still wasn't sure exactly what she wanted anyway. After telling Itachi how she was feeling, the kunoichi didn't know where to go from there. Did she want Itachi to be her...boyfriend? That sounded a little too strange…and idiotic; a member of the Akatsuki, destroyer of the Uchiha clan as her first boyfriend? If she was trying to be considered a traitor by her people, that was the perfect way to do it.

The young girl was so confused. Maybe Sakura shouldn't have told Itachi feelings she wasn't sure she had in the first place. Look where that had gotten her: a kunai to her neck. The kidnapped girl knew he wouldn't kill her, but still this wasn't a position the leaf ninja liked to be in. Nevertheless, Sakura didn't attempt to get out of his hold.

"Itachi," she said calmly. "Is this how you treat every girl who happens to be interested in you? I would hate to see what you did to any others."

His eyebrows furrowed. Her words were not doing anything to calm him. He had let her kiss him once and did not stop her, but Itachi couldn't allow this girl to continue showering him with her affections. Itachi was meant to be on his own, ostracized because the crime he committed. It would make those many years he was with the Akatsuki, a group that truly only cared about using his abilities, completely meaningless. The Sharingan was almost extinct so to have a person who was able to use it was more than useful to Pain.

"You have no feelings for me," Itachi said, standing up and placing the kunai into his robe. "You are just infatuated. You will get over it eventually."

Sakura stood to her feet and gave the man in front of her a serious look. "What if I don't?"

The Sharingan user remained silent. That was a question he didn't have an answer to. He didn't even want to even think about something like that. There were more pressing matters than the soft feelings of a girl who was supposed to be in love with his younger brother. However, there was a question Itachi wanted to know the answer to. It annoyed the long-haired male because he shouldn't even want an answer to what he was about to ask.

Opaque eyes gazed intently at the girl with strange colored hair. "What if you were to run into my brother or perhaps by some strand of luck your friends were able to save you? What of your feelings then?"

The young girl's viridian eyes shot open. Sakura had never thought about anything like that. If her friends did come to rescue her, most likely she would not hesitate to leave with them, but if she met up with Sasuke...she wasn't sure what would happen. Would the affections she had for Sasuke return if she saw him? Sakura wasn't sure and was beginning to see just what Itachi was talking about: the female really didn't know what she wanted. What if what Sakura thought was "falling in love" turned out not to be that? She would look like an immature hypocrite. Sakura had already looked like one when she and Itachi got into it before he left to go retrieve the Jinchuriki. She tried to justify killing when she was in the hot seat and made herself look stupid. Sakura never wanted that to happen again.

"Itachi," the girl began slowly, eyes looking up to lock with his. "I don't have the answers to those questions. I don't even know if what I feel for you is real, but now that I've gotten it off my shoulders, it feels as if a huge weight has been lifted. I don't know what it is about you that made me suddenly feel this way. I can't explain it to you."

The Akatsuki member stared at her before brushing past her. "Then this conversation never happened. Do not bring it up again."

Sakura followed him to the hallway and watched his retreating back. She wasn't sure yet if this was a mistake or something that needed to be done. Her mind was still clouded with confusion. Perhaps if she gave herself a few days away from Itachi, that would let her see how she felt when he wasn't around. Then again, that had already happened when he and Kisame went on their mission. No matter how often Sakura tried to push that man out of her mind, he always returned. Then there was that dream where she would run into Itachi's arms. From the looks of things, that wasn't going to happen.

Deciding it was getting late; Sakura returned to her room and tried to fall asleep, the recent events swirling in her mind. She pulled her dark covers around her shoulder tightly, letting out a soft sigh.

Team Gai finally made it to Takigakure and were moving to the leader Shibuki's home. After speaking with him, they would have to find Fu, host of the Seven-tailed horn beetle. There was no telling how she would respond to having people sent to protect her. Even if she declined their assistance, the Konoha ninjas still had a mission to complete so the host's desires made no difference if they were negative.

"It feels so nice here," Tenten murmured, holding her arms out as she and her team exited the dense forest. "It's really cool despite what time of the year it is."

"It must be because of the waterfall here," Neji responded. "It's always cooler near large bodies of water."

Lee looked around at their surroundings. "Now that you mention it, I can hear water."

The ninjas paused for a moment and realized that they could indeed hear the rush of the waterfall. Either they were near it or the waterfall was just so large one could hear it from a distance. Perhaps, they would get to see it during their time spent in the area.

"Alright team," Gai said pointing north. "Let's go find this Shibuki and get settled in. I could use an afternoon snack."

The brunette gave her sensei a strange look before asking, "Do you know where to find Shibuki?"

The Jounin gave his signature smile and said, "Not a clue, but this will be enjoyable! Whoever finds the Leader's building first wins! If I lose, I'll do a thousand pushups on my thumbs!"

"Don't start this sensei," Tenten ground out wearily. "We don't have time for-"

"I will beat you Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed, his smile turning competitive as he raised a fist into the air. "I will find Shibuki first!"

"Is that so?" Gai asked, falling into a running stance, bowl cut bangs moving out of his face. "Let's see about that."

"Guys," Neji started, but it was too late. The ninjas were already hundreds of feet away.

Tenten shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "They are impossible."

Neji agreed and the teammates began walking side by side, deciding not to hurry like Gai and Lee had done. Tenten gazed at her surroundings, completely falling in love with the small village. The trees there seemed to be so much more vibrant than at home and the air wasn't humid. It was crisp and cool, but not chilly enough to be compared to autumn weather. The wind blew gently at her cheeks, cooling her body after a long day of traveling. It was such a beautiful place, almost like a small paradise. The weapon's master decided she would definitely have to return for a vacation.

Her molasses colored eyes turned to look at the male next her and she couldn't stop herself from smiling. Neji was just so handsome and she was glad that she finally had been able to kiss him. Nothing much had happened after that, but Tenten was going to make sure it did. She had always admired the powerful ninja and often praised him for his abilities. Tenten had to admit that she sometimes put Lee down with her complements of Neji, something she had since then apologized for, but it was clear to anyone who saw the Byakugan user in action that he was an exceptional shinobi. Tenten would love to show him off as hers.

The two walked through the market and were greeted by the kind merchants that lined the street. The female ninja felt like she wasn't a stranger with all the sweet words (and offers of items to buy) that she received. Even an outdoor restaurant owner gave them a kind wave and told them to stop by anytime. Tenten decided that would be the place they got something to eat at. The smell of roasted pork and vegetables was already making her stomach tie itself in knots.

"I don't want your money, go buy something somewhere else!"

The two leaf ninjas turned to see a girl with mint green hair in front of one of the fish stands. The owner of it had his arms crossed of his chest, refusing to take the money the buyer had in her hand. Why would he not take money from her? It seemed she was only trying to buy fish.

"Look," she said, anger lacing her voice. "I just want some fish, that's all."

The balding man frowned at her. "You don't belong here, you should leave."

Tenten felt her temper rising, all her thoughts of this being a village full of friendly people vanished. Taking a closer look, she noticed that many of the other shoppers and stand owners were looking at the girl with frowns on their faces. Some were whispering amongst one another while their gazes remained locked on her.

"Could she be Fu?" Neji asked Tenten. "It would make sense from how they're ostracizing her."

That bothered Tenten mainly because she (although she didn't not antagonize him) felt something similar about Naruto at first. She didn't think he was much of a ninja and sometimes feared what would happen if he lost control of the Nine tails. Naruto had proven her and everyone else in their village wrong. Now he was seen as one of the best ninjas they had although still some did not respect him. The way this man was acting was just like how people treated Naruto before he proved himself worthy to be accepted. There was no way Tenten was going to sit around and let these people treat her badly whether she was a Jinchuriki or not.

Walking over to the stand, Tenten said, "I'd like to buy some fish."

To Tenten's disgust the owner immediately turned his attention to her. "Yes ma'am, how many would you like?"

"Three."

Tenten could feel the girl next to her fuming as she watched the exchange and she turned away in anger. When the leaf ninja had the three large fish packaged and paid for, she jogged to catch up with the girl who almost had smoke coming out of her ears.

"Hey," Tenten called. She stopped and glared at the fish in Tenten's hands. "These are yours."

"If you're doing this because you feel sorry for me then you can fu-"

"No," Tenten interrupted quickly. "I got this for you because I wanted to. I don't like the way that man was treating you."

Orange eyes looked up to study Tenten's expression before snatching away the fish. Normally Tenten would have called her out on her rudeness, but after what she saw, the kunoichi was positive that this happened frequently to this girl.

"Is your name Fu?"

She must have been right because her eyes changed with confusion. "How do you know who I am?"

Tenten went on to explain why she and the rest of her team were in the village. With every word, Fu's anger seemed to grow stronger. It looked like the Jinchuriki was not pleased with having to be protected. In fact, she seemed downright enraged.

"What makes you think I need a bunch of kids running around protecting me?!" Fu asked harshly, tangerine eyes dancing with anger. "I never needed anyone so don't expect me to allow myself to be protected by some worthless ninjas from another village. Go home and stay the hell away from me!"

Did she say what I just think she said? Tenten asked herself, the female's words grating on her patience.

Fu turned away and was about to storm off when another voice called out to her. She turned around to see a male with pale eyes gazing at her, a frown on his face.

Neji stepped towards her as he said, "You've got a lot of nerve. When someone does something nice for you, you say thank you. Tenten did not have to help you get something to eat; she did it out of the goodness of her heart so I suggest you be more grateful."

Fu was surprised at the authoritative tone in his voice. No one had ever dared to talk to her like that. Who did this guy think he was? That thought began to leave her mind as she studied him more closely. He looked young, probably still a teenager, but she couldn't deny that he was very handsome, gorgeous even. A smirk crossed her features as Fu placed a hand on her hip that was exposed due to the short mesh shirt she wore.

"You've got a lot of nerve to talk to me like that, but if you're one of the ninjas sent to 'protect me', I can assure you I am more than capable of fending for myself although..." Fu took a step towards Neji and brushed her hand down the side of his face. "I wouldn't mind having you around."

Neji's cheeks tinted slightly at the girl's straightforward attention. This was going to get ugly if Fu kept this up. "I suggest you do leave for now. Go and enjoy your meal."

Fu chuckled, winked at the male. "I'll see ya later Pretty Eyes."

The girl disappeared in a cloud of smoke. So she was at least a ninja but they didn't know the extent of her powers. That didn't matter; right now they needed to catch up with Lee and Gai-sensei to speak with Shibuki.

Neji turned to his female teammate. "Tenten we need to..."

His sentence was silenced by the look of fury on the kunoichi's face. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides and she was glaring fire at the spot Fu was just standing in. A muscle in the pissed off girl's jaw ticked and Neji knew from years of being around her that she was gritting her teeth; Tenten did that when she was frustrated so it was obvious that Fu had gotten to her.

Choosing his words carefully Neji said, "Let's get going Tenten. Don't let what she said bother you."

Cinnamon colored eyes whirled to look at him and the prodigy realized he might have just said the wrong thing despite tactful thinking. "What are you saying? I'm not bothered that she's interested in you at all!"

The Hyuuga arched an eyebrow. That wasn't what he was talking about. He meant Fu's comment about them being worthless ninjas, but now from Tenten's reaction, he understood completely: Tenten was jealous. A miniscule smile broke over his face.

"Sorry I said anything."

The brunette's expression did not change when she turned in the direction where their other squad members had gone. "Let's get going already. If I never have to see that little girl again, it would be too soon."

Shizune's team and Han decided to settle down for the night. It was starting get dark so it was time to get ready for a good night's sleep. Shizune, Chouji, and Shino started the fire and unrolled the sleeping bags.

"Han and I will get something to eat," Temari said, giving her teammates a smile. "I'm definitely up for some dinner."

"Me too," Chouji said after he finished laying out his sleeping bag. "It's been forever since I last ate."

Shizune shook her head at the larger shinobi. "You know Chouji; you could end up sick if you don't watch what you eat. All those chips and meat aren't healthy for the body. You need some vegeta-"

Chouji deep laughter cut her off. "Well, doesn't all the exercise I get as a ninja balance it out?"

"Not exactly," the expert medic began slowly.

Shino stood straight and placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "There is no point in trying to change how he eats Shizune."

"You've got that right," Chouji responded, pull a small bag of chips out from his pack.

Temari shook her head at them and motioned a hand at Han to follow her. They walked through the forest in silence for a moment. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon so it might be a good idea to use the little bit of light left in order to catch their dinner.

"I'm thinking deer, what about you?" Temari questioned.

"It will take longer to cook than fish," Han responded after stepping around a tree.

Temari stopped to listen to the forest around her. "I know, but it will be worth it."

The taller male didn't say anything further, but also began looking for the animal of choice. It took about ten minutes to find one. It was a healthy doe and the two ninja hid quietly in the bushes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill it. Temari raised her kunai knife, readying herself for the quick flick of her wrist. She only had one shot because if she missed, the deer would run off.

Before the sand shinobi could throw the knife, the deer was already falling to its knees, a kunai buried deep in the side of its head. Blinking, Temari looked over at Han who was walking towards the dying animal.

"I almost had it you know," Temari called, standing up from her place in the bushes.

Han bent down and began cleaning the animal. "Almost."

Temari frowned at him before giving him a soft push to the back of his head. "You're so annoying."

Han ignored her and Temari returned to the camp in order to bring back something to carry the meat back in. There was a pan she had bought back in the Village Hidden in the Stones when they first arrived. Temari had planned to have deer on their trip back so she made sure to take care of the necessary details. She even bought some seasonings to make it taste better.

After retrieving the pan, she brought it back to where Han was. He had already cleaned the body and sliced it into sections for cooking. Perhaps living by himself made him an expert with preparing his own food. That was a handy trait to have when on missions.

The Jinchuriki placed the fresh meat into the pan and stood to follow Temari as she walked off to the source of water. Han's light brown eyes watched the female curiously. He was still unsure of how this woman had convinced him to leave his home and follow her. She, although there hadn't been many, had also attempted to be friends with him, but after being tricked by people who wanted to use him for his power, he lost all faith in humans. He hated them for treating him like he was a tool for them to use at their disposal, but this girl...Han couldn't sense her wanting any ill will for him. Han believed her when she said she thought the hosts should be treated like people too.

Temari washed the meat and then turned to face the male who was watching her. She gave him a smile and Han said, "I hold the Five tailed Dolphin Horse."

"Hmm?"

Han crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "The other day you asked me what beast I hold."

Temari nodded while thinking of what such a creature would look like. It was a strange combination, but it sounded kind of cute. "Can you control your beast?"

"Of course I can," the male answered gruffly while they walked back towards the camp.

The blonde felt herself chuckling at his curt answer and when they stepped foot in the camp, Chouji's eyes lit up.

"I can't wait to have some of that!" he exclaimed, setting up the fire so they could roast the meat.

Temari frowned. "Let's get something straight here Chouji. You will not be hogging this meal. Everyone will get an equal share, you understand?"

"Aww, come on!" Chouji whined. "What happened to first come first serve?"

Shino adjusted his dark shades, but didn't say anything and the dark-haired woman beside him couldn't help but giggle at their antics. Temari only glared at Chouji; she hoped that he took her seriously because the moment he tried to get more than his share would be the same instant he would be blown halfway across the forest with her fan. The feisty woman was starving and there was no way she was going to let any of them be greedy.

After Temari seasoned the meat, she set it so it could begin roasting. The five ninjas waited for their meal to finish cooking and within that time, Shizune spoke up.

"I sent a message to the Hokage about what's been going on," she informed the others. "Tonton will be able to get there probably in two days so Lady Tsunade will know of Han's arrival and make preparations for him."

Said man's cold eyes turned to look at the woman who just spoke. "What do you mean preparations?"

Temari nudged him gently in the side. "Calm down, she only means having somewhere for you to stay. What, were you planning on staying in the woods?"

"Yes."

The Sand sibling rolled her dark green eyes at him. "You're such a people person."

He simply growled at her. Shizune's dark orbs sparkled at the two. It was great that Han was willing to come with them. The older woman could see that a strong friendship would be formed between them. It was amazing to watch and Shizune was sure the people of the Leaf would understand why Han was joining them in their village...at least she hoped they would. It had taken a long time for them to accept Naruto, but who knew how they would react to Han.

"We have to see the Hokage first thing when we return," the poison's master said, turning the venison over. "After that, one of our own can show you around the village. As you know, we are trying to keep the Jinchuriki safe from the Akatsuki's clutches. It will only be a matter of time before they come to the Leaf Village looking for you and Naruto. We will do everything in our power to keep you both safe."

Han scoffed. "I do not need protection. I can protect myself."

"So..." Temari started with a grin. "You're really saying you'll help us with what we're doing aren't you?"

"Tch," Han muttered quietly, but didn't say anything further.

Soon their meal was ready and the ninjas enjoyed their dinner before lying down to sleep. Temari watched as Han removed the furnace from his back and his hat, but didn't take off his steel armor.

"Aren't you going to get hot in that?" Temari questioned. "It isn't exactly cold out here."

"I'll be fine."

"You're trying to keep your face hidden," the dark blonde accused.

"Yes."

Temari stood up and pointed to the cloth that was hooked underneath his kasa. "Then why not just tie this around your face that way you don't have a heat stroke or something. I have no idea how you were able to travel in that bulky thing without passing out."

Han's eyes narrowed, but he did as she suggested and after that turned curtly away from her. Temari chuckled at his little pouting and went to sleep herself. Zetsu watched them all for a moment more before slipping back into the tree he had been observing them from.

Fu looks like a straight forward kind of girl to me so I just had to put a bit of tension between her and Tenten haha! I hope you guys see that each scene went from evening, to afternoon the next day, to night. Hope you enjoyed it!