We're tied together by our souls

"Blabla" saki talking

"Blabla" Minato talking

Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto

Chapter 21

Sakura eyed Sasori with cautious. She knew it would be more difficult now since Chiyo had gotten poisoned. Sasori regarded them with a cold cautious look. He were wary of Sakura's strength and calculated a plan in his head, since Sakura had proved she was someone he needed to take seriously in battle. Sasori regarded the couple with a cold smirk and the puppet disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura eyes widen in shock. She was confused to why Sasori would recall his puppet but right now that wasn't the only problem she had.

Sakura were running out of time. The wolf mode soon coming to an end. Sakura could feel the negative and positive charka slowly leaving her body. Sakura took a deep breath.

"To think I would need to use my best puppets as a last resort to defeat a little girl and an old hag" Sasori summoned his army of puppets, making Sakura gasp in shock. She had never seen anyone who could use that many puppets at the same time. The only one she have seen using puppets were Kankuro. Sakura clenched her fist and mentally prepared herself. This would be a difficult battle.

Sasori let his puppets go forward meeting Sakura in the middle. The puppet were trying to hit Sakura but Sakura managed to avoid them with some difficulty.

Sakura jumped up to avoid a sword, which had poisoned on it. There were no time to rest, Sasori had no intention to let her take a break.

Sakura landed few meters away from Chiyo "Are you all right Chiyo-san?" Sakura asked, not looking back at the older woman, knowing if she took her eyes from Sasori, they would be killed.

"Don't worry about me, just focus on Sasori" she said her teeth clenched biting down to keep down a scream of pain.

Sakura nodded, but she were unsure. Chiyo were injured and got poisoned. Sakura had only two antidotes left but Chiyo needed the antidote. Sakura made a decision.

Taking up a small needle from her holster, Sakura jumped backwards and landed beside Chiyo and stick the needle in her arm. Chiyo looked shocked by her actions but Sakura said nothing. She rushed forward towards Sasori who had finally revealed that he had made himself a puppet and with a blades with poison Sasori meet Sakura half way and they clashed. Sakura used the advantages of the ŌkamiSenjutsu and moved quickly and dodged the attack, she punched Sasori, making him flew right onto the stone wall.

Panting, Sakura landed safely on a rock, leaving the wolf mode.

"Didn't think I would be able to use it so long. " Sakura muttered glancing at Sasori.

Sasori got up he looked at Sakura and then at Chiyo and before Sakura had a chance to move, Sasori went after Chiyo, the blade pointing towards her.

Without thinking, Sakura mustered all her chakra in her legs and forced herself to move and by a miracle, she got between Sasori and Chiyo, however, the blade went straight through her stomach.

"SAKURA!" Chiyo exclaimed shocked, she hadn't expected the young leaf shinobi to interfere Sasori's attack towards her.

Sakura coughed up some blood, she grabbed the sword, she knew the sword were poisoned so the best thing she could do now where to close the wound, but she couldn't let go of Sasori. She heard Chiyo move quickly behind her, and from the corner of her eyes Sakura saw Chiyo pulling something out of her bag and Chiyo throw it towards Sasori, who tried to pull back the sword from Sakura who refused to let go.

Sakura could feel the poison taking effect, she had no control of her chakra anymore, and she were slowly losing her sight, she lost her grip on the sword and fell down on the ground before Chiyo but before she fell unconscious, Sakura managed to pull out the last antidote she had with her and managed to stick it in her leg, Sakura saw Chiyo move towards her.

"Sakura" Chiyo exclaimed. Chiyo moved carefully, she had got several injures but she could care less of her own injures, she needed to help Sakura.

Sakura did her best to keep awake, but it was getting more difficult for her, she heard Chiyo move closer to her and Sakura knew Sasori had stuck, the thing Chiyo had thrown at him had been a seal which imprisoned him against the stone wall. Sakura heard Sasori and Chiyo talking but she were losing conscious, the last thing Sakura saw where Chiyo moving to her side.

Inside Sakura's mind

Sakura knew she were in her mind but she rather not to move. She heard nothing, but she sensed two person beside her.

"You're an idiot you know that?" Saki scolded. Sakura opened her eyes slowly and saw Minato and Saki looking down at her, worried.

"I don't know what you are talking about" Sakura tried but seeing the looks those two gave her, Sakura knew she were in for it now.

""What the hell were you thinking? Taking that sword for Chiyo. You could get yourself killed damn it!" Saki cursed and walked away to get some frustration out of her systems. Sakura wanted to laugh but it would hurt which she rather avoid. She sensed Minato were looking at her.

"Don't worry, I'm not dead, before I fainted I saw Chiyo move to my side, so I guess she is healing me right now"
Minato said nothing, he touched her face with his fingers gently, his face showing worry and concern.

"You could get killed" he said softly, letting his fingers move over the skin lightly making Sakura shiver slightly. "It just happen, did it on instinct" Sakura said sighing.

"You were worried about Chiyo?"

Sakura nodded. "She were still affected by the poison and couldn't move properly and I couldn't stand there and watch Sasori attack Chiyo." Sakura felt his fingers move over to her hair. She had get used to Minato playing with her hair whenever he got a chance to do so. How he found so interesting with her hair will be a mystery.

"How come you like play with my hair?" Sakura asked softly. Minato shrugged. "You had an unusual hair colour, but now you have blonde. It suits you really" Sakura blushed, looking away from him.

"Why do you do that?" Minato asked, Sakura looked back at him

"What do I do?"

"Look away whenever someone is giving you a compliment, but have to admit that you are cute when you're blushing"

Sakura felt her face getting even more warmer so she tried to roll away from Minato but he wouldn't let her, he were holding her, keeping her secure in his arms.

"No need for being embraced, not like you are cute when you are" Minato added smiling softly.

"Now are you lying" Sakura said lowly. Minato shook his head. "Of course not, why would I lie?"

"To make me feel better?" Sakura asked rather than answered. Minato chuckled at her statement.

"Of course not, but you must promise me that you be more carefully from now on, we can't risk getting you killed, not now when you're progressing in the training." Minato spoken. Sakura narrowed her eyes but said nothing. She were tired and wanted nothing more than sleep.

"Minato, I'm getting tired" Sakura muttered, she barely felt his grip on her tense.

"Stay with me Sakura, don't you fall asleep now." Minato moved Sakura so she were sitting up, leaning against him his arm around her shoulders.

Sakura put her head on his shoulder and looked up at him, her eyes half closed. "Minato" Sakura murmured. Minato lightly shake her shoulder, trying to keep her awake. "Sakura listen to me, until Saki come back, stay awake."

Minato looked around, searching after Saki.

"Saki?"

Saki appeared in front of him looking worried and without a word she used the little chakra she had to find out what's going on with her. Sighing in relief Saki sat beside Minato.

"It's all right, she will be fine, it seems Chiyo have healed her just fine and she is about to wake up from unconscious"

Minato relaxed slightly, but he didn't let go of Sakura, which Saki noticed directly. "A bit overprotective are we Minato?" She teased, which Minato answered with a glare. Saki shake her head and let it go, she knew better than to tease Minato when he were in that mood. He could be slightly intimidating when he needed to be.

Minato looked back down at Sakura, Saki had a point, and he had gotten a bit overprotective over Sakura. He were worried about her safety and wanted to make sure she were fine. He cared for her, it was something about her which pulled him to her. She were intriguing him.

Pressing his lips against her hair, Minato sighed and closed his eyes. He could only hope he would figure it out, and he probably would do so and he had no intention to hurry to figure it out, he were certain he would do so in time.

Sakura opened her eyes, she saw Chiyo hovering over her, looking concerned. Sakura smiled to her as to tell Chiyo she were all right. Chiyo relaxed slightly and Sakura slowly got up in a sitting position. Looking around, Sakura saw Sasori stuck against the stone wall, his head were lowered. He didn't move or look up when they moved. It seemed that the fight were finally over. It had been rough but she had managed it with help from Chiyo of course.

Sakura glanced at the older woman who stood up. Chiyo looked down at Sakura.

"Can you stand? We need to get moving, Sasori is dead. We can leave"

Sakura blinked slowly while the information sink in her head. Sasori were dead. They could go after Naruto and Kakashi.

Sakura got up on shakily legs, but she got up none the less. She were determined to continue forward. Naruto and Kakashi probably needed some back up now, as Naruto were so reckless and ran straight after the blonde Akatsuki member.

"Let's go Chiyo. Kakashi-sensei and Naruto probably need some backup" Chiyo nodded and they headed in the same directions as Naruto and Kakashi had earlier.

IT didn't take long before Sakura could sense them nearby, but they weren't alone, team guy had caught up with them and were helping Kakashi and Naruto to handle Deidara.

Suddenly there was a big explosion not too far ahead of them, Sakura glanced at Chiyo who just went faster, Sakura followed her lead, hopefully there wasn't too much injured shinobi to take care of, since Sakura were exhausted and had not much chakra to use for heal.

They landed on the ground and saw two shadow clone of Naruto holding the body of Gaara. The blonde shinobi pecked up when he heard them landing in front of them.

"Sakura-chan" Naruto exclaimed and Sakura knew what he would ask her, so she went to his side, as his two clone lay down Gaara down on the ground. Sakura kneeled down and put her hands over Gaara's chest and let some of her chakra into his body, but as she had expected, Gaara were dead.

"Sakura-Chan?" Naruto asked, his voice broken. Sakura couldn't speak, she just shake her head in answer, refusing to look up. She knew Naruto were heartbroken. Gaara were his friend. They were the same, they had experience the same pain, as both of them were jinchuuriki of tailed beasts or in Gaara's case was, since the one tailed beast were now taken from him, leaving Gaara to die.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Chiyo walking forward to Gaara and kneeled down at the opposite side of the body. Chiyo put her hands over Gaara's chest and slowly her hands started have a light green colour around them.

"Chiyo-san, is that…" Sakura asked, worried for the answer she would be giving. Chiyo grinned.

"I am old, I have seen what wars have done to our villages, our people. I never thought we would have a chance of peace. I was there on that fateful day when Gaara become the Jinchuuriki of the one tailed beast. I knew what would happen, and how the village would threat him. The Kazekage saw him as a weapon nothing else, even if it was his own son. I lost faith in this world but you Uzumaki Naruto have convinced me to believe one more time. It's too late for me to fix my mistakes but I know your generations will fix the mistakes the older generations have done. Seeing the friendship between you and Gaara made me believe there might be a chance left for this world. That something good can become of this cruel twisted world. You're like a sun, you shine brightly and reach out to people even to them who are lost in the darkness. I believe in you, Uzumaki Naruto"

With that Chiyo took her final breath and collapsed but Sakura who had moved to Chiyo's side, caught the older woman before she reached the ground. Looking down at Gaara, she saw him moving, he were breathing! Chiyo had brought him back alive!"

Gaara opened his eyes and first he were confused where he was, he looked like he had seen a ghost, but when Naruto put his hand on his shoulder and smiled a tearful and at the same time happy smile to him, Gaara must have realized that he were alive.

Sakura smiled but it didn't make the pain less knowing Chiyo had sacrifice her own life to bring Gaara back to life. It wasn't fair.

Naruto said something but Sakura didn't listen, she wanted to get away from this, and it was getting too much. Forcing back the sob Sakura took deep breaths to calm down.

She looked up and saw many sand shinobi standing around them. Sakura smiled, they had come to find their leader. Their Kazekage. Gaara wasn't alone anymore. He had many who cared for him and Chiyo were right about Naruto. He truly were like the sun. He brought happiness everywhere he went and make new friends all the time. How he could do it were a mystery for her, but it didn't matter how it he did it, the ability to make new friends are a gift Naruto was gifted with.

"What's going on? How come I am alive?" Gaara asked, confused. Naruto chuckled and explained to his friend what had happened. Sakura watched them under silence, Gaara took Chiyo's death and sacrifice pretty hard but he didn't show it but Sakura were certain of it.

"Well it seems our mission is finished and we can return home now" Tenten said, looking at the Kazekage. Neji nodded, agreeing with her. Sakura glanced at them briefly. She were certain there was something going on between those two but they denied it every time anyone said anything or asked them about it.

Team Kakashi and team guy were on the funeral for Chiyo before they left the sand village, to honour Chiyo for her sacrifice and courage. The old woman had taught Sakura much in so little time, and Sakura were happy for meeting Chiyo. The funeral were a blur for Sakura, she barley remembered how the funeral was or who had giving a speech for Chiyo, to honour her.

The only thing she were sure of, Sakura remembered they were standing outside the village, Gaara and his siblings were there to see them off. She saw Naruto and Gaara shake hands with each other and then they headed back to Konoha.

"Good work all of you" Tsunade exclaimed, looking proud at the both team. "You managed to bring the Kazekage back and brought him back alive, all thanks to Chiyo. I guess she wanted to redeem herself after all mistakes she have done in the past." Tsunade said softly. She had meet Chiyo many years ago. She had been skilled with her puppets and she had a great knowledge of poison and antidote.

"You're dismissed, Sakura may I have a word with you?" Sakura nodded and waited for the rest of the teams leaving, Kakashi were forced to drag Naruto out of the office, since he wanted to wait for Sakura.

Sakura saw Lee close the door after them and she turned to Tsunade. "Sit" Tsunade said, and Sakura took her seat in the chair in front of Tsunade. "Shishou?" Sakura asked, worried. Tsunade sighed. "You look exhausted, are you all right?" Tsunade asked worried about her apprentice.

"I am fine, it was a bit emotional to be on the funeral of Chiyo. I fought with her against Sasori. I was forced to use ŌkamiSenjutsu in the battle in order to defeat Sasori, however Chiyo were only the one who saw me using it, expect Sasori who is dead now." Sakura said.

Tsunade nodded silently and leaned back in her chair. Sakura tensed "Are Tsukiko still around?" Sakura asked. Tsunade nodded. "She is but she will leave as soon as your two are finished with your training, from then on, she will be in contact with you by using her summoning or sending a wolf with a message. She need to return to the ice crystal mountain soon as possible but she wanted to make sure that you are ready and are capable to use the wolf mode without problems."

"I see"

"How does your training with you know who going?" Tsunade said with a raised eyebrow. Sakura had no problem to figure it out who she talked about. "We are to continue as soon I'm done with Tsukiko, he didn't want to make me struggle with both at the same time" Sakura said. Tsunade nodded.

"I am glad nothing went wrong, I was a bit worried something had happen back there" Tsunade said shaking her head. Sakura bite her lip, she hadn't tell anyone about how she had taken a sword right into her stomach to protect Chiyo and she wasn't sure if she should tell them, Tsunade would flip if she told her shishou that.

"Sakura is there anything you haven't told me?" Tsunade asked, frowning seeing Sakura move uneasy.

"well… something did happen, I got a sword stuck right into my stomach with poison from Sasori but Chiyo healed me" Sakura said quickly and winced when she saw Tsunade eyes narrowed but she said nothing, she just stared at her under silence and Sakura didn't know how to handle it.

"Why am I not surprised? I know something would happen since my cup with tea broke for no reason"

"You're not mad?"

"Well, I should but Chiyo healed you well so I can't say anything except this, don't be so reckless please, I can't afford to lose you. You're my student and the last thing I want is to lose you" Tsunade said firmly.

Sakura smiled "I promise Tsunade-shishou I will be more careful" Tsunade chuckled and nodded "I guess that's the best I can get huh" Tsunade said smirking towards Sakura. Sakura relaxed. She were glad that Tsunade didn't took that too hard, she had enough scolding from Saki and Minato. they had been worried sick over her and in one way she were glad they were worried but at the same time, she wasn't so used to have someone worrying so much over her. Tsunade did it in her own way but she also showed it.

And for that, Sakura were happy

TBC

Chapter 21, oh my, what times go fast, already done 20 chapters and we are far from done, and we are not even halfway through the story. I am a wreck, sorry for keeping you wait for so long time but I have been very busy with school, a lot of homework and other stuff the past month so be nice now and please leave a review for this chapter will you be that kind since its almost Christmas in six days. So see this as a early Christmas gift from me and If you are nice and leave reviews there might be another update before the Christmas it's all up to you and if you leave review to me. Till the next time people!