Chapter 20: The Fallen City of Ashenvale

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay. Summer class had just started and I already had piles of paper work to do huh. Anyways too much complain. Here's the next chappie.

They decided to leave the town within three days. That gave much time for the hokage and the kazekage to forge a legal alliance between the Xenoliths. Sakura however was too distracted to think of the days or anything else. Ever since she had that dream, it never left her. Often times, when she was alone and in silence she would hear that voice asking her again and again who she was.

Gaara was the first to notice her condition followed by the others. He would often times he would ask her what was wrong and she would only reply with a broken smile.

In the meeting room…

All the foreign ninjas together with their kage as well as the Xenoliths' "judicial branch" were gathered for a meeting. Kagura was talking something about the alliance or something. Sakura couldn't hear her clearly because she was too distracted by her mind's numerous questions.

To whom did that voice belong? Why is he asking me who I am? Why does he sound too familiar? Maybe I've met him before... in our village? No… maybe the Hidden sand village? No. Why do I worry this much anyway? Maybe I'm getting delusional… if only…

Her thoughts were cut short when a man entered the room. "Kagura-sama," he started. "I told you this is an important meeting. I was not to be disturbed," Kagura reiterated impatiently. "I'm sorry it's just that… a woman… is outside. She said… she wants to speak… with… Sakura-san. She sounded urgent," Sakura paid no attention to this until… "She said her name was… Naisha," the man completed.

"NAISHA!" Sakura exclaimed as she quickly rose from her seat paying no attention to the chair that fell and dashed as quickly as she could outside.

The others were bewildered by Sakura's reaction most especially Gaara who was seated beside her. As she dashed outside, at first he was baffled but he regained his composure and followed her.

Sakura ran as fast as she could to see the very person she needed to see. What is she doing here? Whatever I'll consider this a blessing she might just be the person to answer all my questions. Though she didn't know why, her feet lead her to the nearest open field. She stopped dead upon seeing the hooded figure with the same staff the same as her death encounter just days before.

"Maiev," Sakura acknowledged. The figure faced her as she did the hood fell back down her shoulders as the wind blew. Gaara was surprised at first to see the two with the same hair color. He observed the stranger as she continually stared at Sakura. The others followed as well including the two kage and Kagura. "Who is the new pink?" Sasuke rudely asked. "Don't know but the situation looks serious," the ninja with spiked ponytail replied.

Maiev looked at Sakura with pity in her eyes as well as something else Sakura couldn't figure out. Sakura was about to approach her when Maiev's head turned to the direction towards the group of ninjas. With that there was a blast of smoke followed by a loud roar as a golden dragon emerged from the smoke. It started flapping its wide wings making the others kneel for support.

Sakura spotted Maiev at the back of the beast as it took flight. "Maiev, Wait!" she called but to no avail. Suddenly, the golden dragon turned around and opened its mouth. A fireball started to form in its throat and Sakura knew what will happen next. "Everybody stay clear!" Sakura ordered as she took cover.

There was a thunderous explosion in the open field. Their cover wasn't enough to protect them from the massive blast good thing Gaara made a sand shield to protect everyone.

Soon after, Sakura searched the skies for the flying beast. She saw it. Its golden scales reflected the sun's rays making it seem like a shining armor, their figure disappearing through the setting sun.

Looking back at the wreckage of the blast, she saw the once green fields now acres of burned land. But what surprised her was the symbol formed when the flames began to dissipate. It was as symbol or maybe more of a message left by Maiev.

"What does it mean?" Syaoran asked as he approached Sakura who was in the middle of the ruined fields. She responded by silence as her eyes wandered over the mystic symbols laid before her.

"Do you understand what this means?" Tsunade asked her pupil. Sakura hesitantly shook her head as her eyes never left the symbols. I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. This is a matter that I have to solve for myself… as the last of the summoners.

She didn't know how but at the moment she saw the symbols somehow a voice in her head told her what it meant.

The answer lies in the fallen city of Ashenvale.

There was no time to lose. They will be leaving in three days. She had to act now.

Sakura was asked who that person was when the meeting was resumed soon after Maiev's arrival. She explained everything to them and right after her explanation, Kagura became cold towards Sakura and Sakura knew why. The ability of the Xenoliths to retain their age for a long time was somewhat also a curse for them. To be able to see others grow old and die while they on the other hand would wait for years to age for a day, it was a sort of punishment for them for they were the ones who first envied the power of the summoners that led to their annihilation.

Kouga told Sakura before that Seiya had given her the house as a sign of gratitude for everything she had done, is doing and will do. She was at first baffled but realization struck her that maybe the young prophetess had a foresight of what will be happening so in the end she accepted the house.

Right after the meeting, she made an excuse so that she had time to again enter the halls of knowledge searching for the things that would aid her in her quest. It took her eight and a half hours to find a thin old book placed in between two thicker ones. The book contained the similar symbols as the one in the wrecked fields. This was what she was looking for… the map to the fallen city of Ashenvale.

When the night grew late and the moon in its peak, Sakura again took the clothes Syaoran had lent her since their first mission together. I think I can sneak out but just in case. She thought of as she was again binding her breast with bandage and putting up her long pink hair into a bun and concealing it in a black hood. She was ready to go. Everything was in order. So she grabbed her bag and headed towards the doors when someone tugged her clothing.

It was Azrael. Her dazzling blue eyes blinked as she again tugged at Sakura's shirt, "I'm sorry, baby but you can't come with me." Sakura said sweetly as she patted the cub's little head. "Here, I have a task for you." She said as she removed her forehead protector with a note saying I'll be back I promise. "Give this to Daddy (That's how Azrael know Gaara to be) when the sun rises," she gave it to Azrael and Azrael bit into the package as her brilliant sapphire eyes glistened with sadness. "That's a good boy." She said as she stood up and left the house.

Everything was going well. She was already out of the village when she caught sight of a figure she knew too well. Damn! What is he doing here?

Gaara was in front of the massive gates as he held her forehead protector. Azrael, it seemed did not know the difference between night and day. So she delivered it as soon as Sakura left the house. And upon receiving it from Azrael, Gaara dashed to the only exit in the city… the gate.

She didn't know what to do given her situation she could leave town quietly using the gates but now that he's there she had to consider the other option which was using the village walls unseen.

Sakura drew back into the shadows to head for the walls. Her plan worked perfectly. She was out of the city and as she was about to dash to the forest. "Hey, what are you doing here? Isn't it a bit late for scouting?" a voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Gaara with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Then she realized that she was still disguised as a male scout so, "An urgent errand had to be done sir," she replied making her voice more manly which was of course ridiculous.

Gaara was fighting the urge to laugh out loud when he heard her manly voice. He knew it was her from the very beginning her emerald eyes were a dead give away. As she drew back into the shadows, he felt her intoxicating presence near so he followed her. And the moment her caught sight of her, he was enlightened to see that she had not yet left. She will not leave without me. I'm never gonna lose her again. His whole being proclaimed as he approached her.

Sakura was mentally panicking. Oh no if he comes near me I'm busted. What am I going to do! She backed away from him as he stepped closer. "I'm sorry Kazekage-sama. This task is urgent. I need to go now," she said as she continually backed away while Gaara continually drew closer. "From whose orders are you operating," he asked as he took a step closer. "Err, Under Sakura-san," she replied as she had no further space left to retreat. "Sakura, she gave me this. She said she'll be back," he shared as he let her she the forehead protector. He was now in front of her. "Also did you know that the information about me being a Kazekage is classified?" He informed the scout as he laid his hand on the back of her neck.

Sakura was about to reply something smart when "I'm never gonna let you go again," he said as he leaned in to kiss her. She was about to shout that No! This mission is for me only. I don't want to involve any of you in my problems, most especially you. But all her reasons were forgotten as the kiss intensified.

Those who would find this scene would think it was disturbing, seeing the future Kazekage kissing passionately a male scout!

Gaara wanted the sensation to linger further when Sakura pushed against his chest lightly breaking the intimate kiss. Their eyes spoke, "I'll be back, I promise," Sakura said as she now used her natural female voice. "No," Gaara sternly protested as he drew her into a tight embrace. "You don't know how hard it was for me to see you in the woods with spikes impaling your body… you don't know how much it hurts to remember every single moment with you and then realizing that it would never again happen. I don't want to lose sight of you… ever again so please let me come with you." He almost pleaded as his embrace tightened still.

Sakura was so surprised and at the same time touched by what she heard. Never in her deepest dreams would she imagine that the great Gaara of the desert would embrace her and pour his heart out for her. Gaara looked deeply in her mesmerizing green orbs and searched for the answer he wanted to hear.

Her eyes then smiled. Again he drew her in for another sweet embrace. A moment later they headed towards their destination… to the fallen city of Ashenvale.

By morning, Tsunade received a note from Sakura.

Tsunade-sama,

I'm sorry. I had to do something very important. You can leave town if you wish I'll just follow soon. Take care.

P.S. I'm going to borrow your Kazekage for a while okay?

Sakura

The hokage explained to the others where the two have gone and while she was explaining, "This could only mean one thing…" Naruto said almost intellectually. Tsunade almost smiled thinking So finally he's been able to catch up. He must have realized that Sakura went away to… "THEY'VE ELOPED!" Naruto proclaimed. This was followed by the numerous disappointed sighs and dozens of laughter (The loudest of which was Temari's and Kankuro's) including some physical harassment on Naruto's head. "Idiot! Sakura is more reasonable than that?" Ino said as she hit Naruto's head hard causing huge anime-like bump. "By the way hokage-sama, where's Sasuke?" she asked as she searched the meeting room for the raven-haired ninja.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him this morning," Shikamaru replied. Tsunade clucked her tongue. Here I was thinking that maybe Sakura and Gaara might have some time together to make up and now this happens. Well, I do hope Sakura can handle the pressure of two stubborn boys competing for her heart. Though I already know who won. She smiled to herself as she gave the orders that they will wait in the village for their return.

Following the map, Sakura immediately found the secret entrance to Ashenvale. The only problem was they had to swim into a submerged cave to get to the ruined city. "Huh, guess that leaves us no choice," Sakura sighed as she began to remove her heavy clothing leaving her with a thin shirt and a mini short.

Gaara could only swallow as in the side of his sight he caught sight of her exposed flesh. Unconsciously blushing, he fighting the urge to look straightly at her but looking at her through the sides of her eyes was too troublesome. "Are you still coming?" she asked from afar. Gaara now had the reason to look straightly at her. And upon doing so, the reply that he was supposed to say drowned in the scene that he saw.

His eyes widened as he looked at her from head to toe, Damn! She's beautiful. "We had to remove all our heavy clothing as to prevent being dragged down by its weight when it's already soaked in water," Sakura explained as she blushed madly seeing him looking at her from head to toe.

"Right," this was the only smart reply he could think of at the given moment he had to close his eyes to look away from her. He started removing his thick shirt. This was Sakura's turn to stare. At the side of her vision, she saw his muscled abdomen enough to make any woman drool and his biceps were to die for. If Ino was here he would say "I've died and gone to hottie heaven," at that though Sakura giggled.

"What's so funny?" he asked as he was now wearing only his pants. "Oh… Nothing," she recovered "Ready? Let's go then," she said as she dived into the submerged cave below. Gaara followed soon.

It was no ordinary dive. If the diver isn't a trained ninja he would have died in shortage of air. The light shone for above so they headed towards it. Breaking into the surface, the pair thanked the air that now filled their lungs.

The place was like a dream. It was exactly like the book says it was "a world forgotten by time and a place where dreams failed to remember." Sakura though of as she scanned the expansion of the ruined city in front of them. Though the city was undoubtedly ruined, the expansion of moss and the foliage of trees somehow complimented the beauty of the fallen city. It was as if it was untouched by men for centuries. Even though there weren't any summoners left in that place but her, the place itself was truly magical.

Feeling the cold wind against her skin, this woke her up from her daydream as she swam towards the shore. Sitting by the backs with half of her limbs still submerged in the water, Gaara positioned himself in between her knees.

The sight of her flimsy clothing appearing to be almost transparent against her porcelain white skin was enough to drive him mad. Still in the water but in between Sakura's knees, he looked at her with his desire evident in his eyes. Sakura as if having a cue what to do, leaned in and kissed him passionately. He placed his arms around her waist as he drew her back into the water. Sakura on the other hand placed her hand one against his bare chest and one at the back of his neck.

His kisses traveled down her collar bone as he sucked sweetly her porcelain skin making a love mark against her flawless neck. Her caresses against his hair were turning wild as at first it was gently and then slowly it became rabid. His hand found their way beneath her shirt.

She felt the warmth of his hand against her flat abdomen and all she could do was moan. Upon hearing this Gaara was about to do something else when the cold air blew. "You should order you sand to collect our stuff from the other bank and deliver it here," she ordered as she drew back looking into his green eyes intimately. He could only grunt when she freed herself from his embrace and sexily climbed into the bank. Sometimes I think she's seducing me. He helplessly thought of as he commanded his sand.

Unknown by the two a pair of enraged eyes were observing them very carefully from the shadows.

A/N: OMG I can't believe I wrote this one. It's kinda intense. winks Oh by the way I already have chapter 21 half done. Maybe within this week I can update it. But first Please R n R. hey I'm not kidding I already have it have done. Its title is… Desire. That's it no further clues till you read and review.