Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN NARUTO EVERYTHING BELONGS TO ITS ORIGINAL CREATOR.

Gaara was the only one awake inside of his office, the night before he watched as one by one the team slowly fell asleep...except him. Luckily Gaara had found what the team was seeking for weeks on end. At least he has good news for them upon their awake.

The long scroll laid stretched out all over the floor, with drawings with descriptions, a stroke of luck that Gaara found a small piece of folded paper tucked tightly inside the scroll. Maybe it wasn't in the original scroll for a reason, he didn't care as long as he got what he was looking for.

The sun shined brightly into the room, rays of sunlight hitting the floor waking a snoring Naruto.

"Unh. ..what time is it?" Naruto said rubbing his eyes, looking up at Gaara who was standing over his desk.

"Late afternoon." Naruto perked and sat up quickly nudging awake everyone who were still asleep.

"Guys wake up we overslept!" Naruto grabbed Sakura and violently shook her awake to which her answer was a simple punch to the gut.

"NARUTO WHAT DO YOU THINK YOURE DOING!?" Sakura's angry yelling awake Kakashi.

"So...who wants breakfast." Kakashi said trying to diffuse the situation. The pair immediately stopped bickering. Gaara looked on silently.

"I've found a piece of paper that was tucked away inside the scroll my impression is that it wasn't meant to be found." Gaara said to Kakashi, he handed the paper over to the white haired shinobi.

"Ahh...yes that's exactly what it is...unfortunately it's a very complex type of sealing tag. In many ways it's similar to the sealing tag that we removed from the last hideout of the Akatsuki, but it takes a lot more chakra...much more also it may also be booby trapped. The Akatsuki are very clever they wouldn't make the same mistake twice...they have probably already moved their location." Kakashi sighed and pocketed the paper. Sakura and Naruto gave each other a shared look of worry. Naruto clenched his fists tightly.

"So what you're saying is that all of this was just a waste of time? ! Are we going to walk away?!" Naruto raged inside, Kakashi shook his head.

"Of course not."

"How much chakra does this sealing tag need to be safely removed?" Sakura asked Kakashi.

"It would have to be everybody in the team, combining all our chakra into one sealing tag that's if they decided to use only one, up to seven can be used to seal off an entrance or a large parameter depending on how much chakra was released into the sealing tag by the shinobi who first placed it there. I think we will be able to remove the seal with a little creativity of course." Kakashi smiled at his anxious teammates easing them.

"That sounds like a lot of hard work especially if we're not sure I'd they would even be there. ..like what if it's a trap." Naruto said. Sai watched the group discuss the sealing tag from the corner, not saying a word like a good boy but he had an idea of his own.

Oh well...

"Naruto that's what Kakashi is saying that this mission is a gamble. I would like to take that risk Kakashi it wouldn't be right to stand by and let an allied nation get trampled on like this." Everybody present silently agreed.

" Alright then we leave tomorrow at dawn." Kakashi said. Gaara looked outside at his people we were just beginning to live their old lives again, the village is full of people with their busy lives once more, but Gaara knew of this reptilian creature days before the attack. Gaara owes his village the promise that an attack like this wouldn't happen again.

"I will accompany you to the Akatsuki hideout. " said Gaara turned to face the others.

" Are you sure you want to do that? " Kakashi asked, Gaara nodded.

"I have a duty to my people I don't want to see them hurt like this again I will do anything for their safety and peace of mind."

"Are you sure it's wise for you to come along? How do we know you won't slow us down." Sai spoke up as he stepped out of the corner. Gaara glared at him.

"Don't talk to me." Gaara said coldly. Naruto grinned at Sakura who wanted to knock Sai around the room but refrained from doing so solely because she didn't want spill blood all over the Kazekage' s office.

Sai smiled at Gaara, he is fake. Everything about him is off and Gaara's gut instinct told him exactly why he never liked Sai from the very start.

I do not trust you...

Hinata's morning wasn't going so well, She ran into the bathroom, with morning sickness until the afternoon. Neji requested to Temari for Hinata's breakfast be taken up to her bedroom and not downstairs because Hinata was feeling fevered and dizzy.

"Here you go hun this should make you feel better In no time." Temari said as she placed the tray of food down onto a small table next to Hinata's bedside. Hinata smiled at Temari before she left, slowly she took the cover off the food and then slammed it back down as she felt her inside recoil. Hinata ran out of bed and into the bathroom. Neji looked on with sympathy. How can a baby grow properly without adequate nutrients?

Hinata exited the bathroom and sat next to Neji, she laid her head on the older Hyuuga.

"Hinata I think that we need to bring the situation to Gaara's attention." Neji said looking down at his younger cousin.

"No not yet! Please don't say anything yet..." Hinata had started to cry and Neji wrapped his arms around her.

"Hinata, you can not keep food down how is your baby going to survive? You need the attention of a medical nin, or else you can possibly lose the baby." Hinata pulled away from him.

"I know it's just Gaara has been stressed lately and I'm not sure how to tell him..." Hinata started fidgetting with her hands again.

"Just be honest with him Hinata." Neji patted his cousin on the head and smiled

"What if he wants to send me back to Konoha? " Hinata whimpered.

"Why would he do that?" Neji asked

"I was supposed to be taken back to Konoha before the village was attacked, he wanted me out of dangers way." Hinata explained. Neji realized how deeply Gaara felt about Hinata. Neji hugged his cousin, calming her nerves.

"I think it would be a good idea to take you back to Konoha, but first-" Hinata cut him off. "No I want to stay and help him protect the village!" Hinata made it clear what she wanted. Neji couldn't be more furious, Hinata wasn't thinking straight.

Neji decided to take the situation into his own hands for Hinata's own good. Swiftly and with pinpoint accuracy he struck the chakra point that allows chakra move from the head to the rest of the body blocking it temporarily her limbs became paralyzed, and her mind slipped into unconsciousness, the heart, the lungs still function as they did. Neji lifted Hinata into his arms and made way to see Gaara, she was going to be checked out medically weather she liked it or not.

While the rest of the team were outside training. Gaara decided to stay in the company of Naruto who enlightened him of his past missions and the good times Sakura and himself had when Sasuke was around.

"So what do you think of Sai?" Gaara asked Naruto, who threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

"The guys a major jerk who thinks he's better than everybody else! Man I'd like to put him in his place!" Gaara smiled at his jinchiriki friend.

"I would enjoy that greatly, may be I will join you. We can tag team. " Gaara must of amused Naruto who now laughed uproariously, but he was serious.

There was a knock at the door and Temari and Neji entered the office, an unconscious Hinata in his arms. Gaara rushed over to see if Hinata was okay.

"Don't worry she's fine Gaara, Neji had to knock some sense into her." Temari said, Gaara now glared at Neji, who looked equally serious.

" First off I want to apologize for having to do this but she was not listening to my advice or common sense for that matter. Gaara I recently discovered that Hinata is with child." Neji watched as Gaara's eyes soften, the air of tension seem to lift.

"Wait WHAAAAAAT?! " Naruto couldn't believe his ears, he looked from Gaara to Hinata then back to Gaara who was now staring at him dead on.

"Whoa! Wait! That means you and...her...did-OH EWWWW!" Naruto spazzed out until he hit the floor.

"Where on Earth do you think children come from you idiot?" Neji asked annoyed, his face red with embarrassment.

Naruto nervously scratched his yellow hair, he grinned.

"Um I was always told the storm brought the babies to random doorsteps." Neji turned his attention back to Gaara ignoring Naruto.

"Hinata hasn't been able to keep her food down, I thought it would be best for her to be taken to the infirmary." Gaara nodded.

"Temari take Hinata to the infirmary make sure she is put under 24 hour surveillance I don't want her roaming on her own." Neji handed Hinata over to Temari gently who

Carried her off. Neji sighed, closing his eyes, feeling tad guilty but she will thank him. Neji felt a hand placed on his shoulder, he started, looking up at Gaara in front of him.

"Thank you for taking responsibility for her health...as to why I wasn't informed of this yesterday...I dont know.." Gaara said as he walked past Neji and exited the room. Neji was stunned. Did he know all along?

Naruto leapt off of Gaara's desk and now was standing with his arms folded over his head.

"Well I'm going to see if there is a flower shop around here I think Hinata would like the gesture." Neji realized that Naruto was still in the room, he nodded.

"Yes that sounds like a splendid idea."