Disclaimer: Bashing head on wall "Why (wham) do (wham) people (wham) ask! (wham)"...
Chapter 28: Returning to Konoha
As Team Noya walked back to Konoha, Sakura was lost in thought. The first thing she thought of was what she had said to Gaara before they left. The sand siblings and their uncle had walked them to the gate and everyone was saying good bye. She had taken Gaara aside so that she could speak to him without anyone overhearing.
Gaara had looked very sad when she had told him that she would be leaving. He had said, "Don't go! You're the only one who understands…the only one who doesn't hate me!" She hadn't been able to tell him anything then because they had been interrupted.
But now that she had been about to leave, she decided to tell him privately, "Look, Gaara, I'm not the only one who understands what you're going through, nor am I the only one to care about you."
Gaara had interrupted her, "Yes you are! Even Temari and Kankuro don't like me! You're the only one!"
Sakura patted him on the shoulder as she said gently, "But you see, that's where you're wrong. Temari and Kankuro do care about you, they're just afraid of what you can do. But don't mistake fear for hate. Gaara…you are young, but please try to understand this: Temari and Kankuro are just children…of course they are going to be afraid. Children often times react without thinking. It's not that they don't care about you…it's not even that they are afraid of you; it's that they are afraid of what they know you and Shukaku can do."
"As to no one else understanding…I probably shouldn't tell you this…" Sakura paused and lowered her voice, "I can't tell you much, but I will say that I happen to know that there are others like you, who have had to deal with having a demon in them. I know of at least one other who is near your age…maybe one day you'll meet and become friends."
Just then Noya had called out that it was time for them to leave, so Sakura had given Gaara a quick hug and left. She hoped that she had changed things for the better…that when she returned to her time he would be happier.
The next thought surprised her. When she thought about returning to her own time…she felt a pain in her chest. Not a physical pain, but a pain none the less. It surprised her…she didn't want to leave. She'd been here for over three months and she'd gotten close to people during that time. Was that why her heart hurt at the thought of leaving? She couldn't be sure.
Her marks were disappearing slower now than they had when she had first arrived. But the marks were still disappearing and she knew that one day they would all be gone; then she'd have to return to her time. Her heart was starting to hurt again, so she changed her line of thought.
This was their third day on the road, and they would reach Konoha today. But she wasn't carrying anything…because the boys apparently decided that they would carry her things for her. Noya said he didn't want her to stress herself or overwork her newly mended legs…but she had a feeling there was more to it than that.
After all, Kakashi had willingly taken her bag…even after she had hit him over the head for reading his orange book. She had waited until she could walk to confront Kakashi about his bad habit. When she could walk she cornered him and told him that she knew he had been reading the orange book.
When she had done that, he had feigned innocence, "I-I don't know what you mean. I haven't been-"
Sakura had cut him off, "I know for a fact that not only have you been reading them, you have been reading them in front of Kankuro. What did I say about reading that thing in front of the children!" She had then hit him over the head before she continued, "You shouldn't be reading that thing at all…how did you even get a hold of it? Isn't there supposed to be an age restriction on those things?"
Kakashi laughed as he rubbed his head, "There is…but I have connections…OW!" Sakura had hit him again, harder.
Sakura smiled at that memory. She had gone on to warn him that if he continued reading those things she would burn them. He had shuddered in fear and stroked the pocket where his book was, like it was precious to him. She figured that to him, it probably was. But she hated it.
As they neared Konoha, Sakura smiled, she was almost home. Then another thought hit her: Home? What was she considering 'home'? Konoha, yes, but was she considering Itachi's house as her 'home'? Maybe…but was that a good thing? Should she even be thinking of anywhere in this time as her 'home'? She wasn't sure.
In this time, her younger self would be considering her aunt and uncles house her 'home'…should she now too? She wasn't sure about anything. She was confused. What was she supposed to consider 'home'? Was she supposed to consider anywhere in this time as 'home'? Then a sad thought came: did she even have a 'home'?
Sakura came out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that the hand belonged to Itachi. She slightly blushed, though she couldn't figure out why. Itachi removed his hand, but asked her in a quiet voice, so as that the other two wouldn't hear, "What were you thinking about?"
Sakura mentally sighed, she'd been caught daydreaming again. She answered him truthfully, "I was wondering about…well, I guess I was wondering if I have anywhere I can really call home." Itachi raised an eyebrow to show her that he wanted her to elaborate.
Sakura decided that she could tell him most of what she was thinking, though she may have to change some things to fit with her alias as Sakura Hoshi. "I wonder…I don't have a father, well, I do, but…I don't know much about him. My mother's dead, and I've never been to my clan since I left. I'm not sure I could go to the Hoshi's and feel that I belong, I mean…they probably don't even remember me."
"I can't say that being with Tsunade gives me a home, because she is always moving around. I was thinking that Konoha was kind of like my home…same with my staying with your family…but I'm going to have to leave eventually…" She wasn't sure what else to say, so she just let her voice fade into silence.
Itachi surprised her by suggesting, "You could stay." Sakura looked at his face, but she couldn't read anything of what she saw there. Why did she feel like he was saying more than what he said?
Sakura shook her head, "No…I can't. When I have to go…I'll have to go. I don't have a choice in the matter…"
Itachi looked at her for a few moments before he said, "You could come back." Sakura gave a small smile, she couldn't explain to him that she would be leaving his time, not just his village.
She ended up saying, "Maybe." If she were to say anything else, she wasn't sure she wouldn't let it slip that she was from another time.
They then continued to walk in silence…or what would be silence if Kakashi wasn't periodically chuckling at what he was reading. Wait…reading! "Kakashi!" Sakura yelled at the 'blond', "I warned you!" Sakura ran at Kakashi, trying to get his book, he ran away from her. Because the two of them were running, Noya and Itachi had to run too, otherwise they would be left in Sakura and Kakashi's dust.
Sakura chased Kakashi through the Konoha gate. She continued chasing him as they got closer to the river. When they reached the bridge, however, she stopped. Kakashi thought she was still after him, so he kept on running. Sakura had stopped because she heard something.
She headed in the direction that the sound was coming from. Something was splashing in the river, and when she saw what it was she ran to help. There was a small child flailing around in the water, obviously unable to swim.
She ran out onto the water and plucked the child out of the waters grasp. She hurried back to the banks of the river and put the child on the ground and used her Chakra to get the water out of the child's lungs. The girl coughed as the water left her lungs then gasped for air. Sakura knew it was a girl for two reasons: one, she was wearing a dress, two, because Sakura recognized the blond child.
Noya and Itachi had seen her help the child and now they were standing by her. Noya brought a blanket out of one of their bags and draped it over the now shivering, crying, girl. Sakura wrapped the blanket around her gently as she asked, "What's your name?"
The girl hiccupped, "Ino…Yamanaka." tears were pouring out of Ino's eyes. Sakura knew that she probably had thought she was going to die.
Sakura brushed Ino's tears away gently as she said, "You're safe now." Ino sniffed and hiccupped, but she stopped crying. Sakura asked kindly, "How did you end up in the river?"
Ino's voice shook as much as her body when she answered, "I-I f-f-fell in. I s-saw a f-flower, and I t-tried to g-get it, but I f-fell in." She then looked down at her feet, and Sakura could see that she was embarrassed at having to be saved. "Th-thank you…f-for saving me."
Sakura watched Ino and couldn't help but remember the times when Ino had saved her. There were so many, and she had never been able to repay Ino for all she had done for her. Now Ino was thanking her, but she couldn't feel that she was worthy of it. Ino was thanking her again, and again.
Sakura felt that Ino was so strung up from the shock of almost drowning that she would soon be babbling, just to hear her own voice, to know she was alive. Sakura knew that Ino would be embarrassed later on if she did so, and she wanted to save Ino from as much as she could. Ino was currently asking how she could repay Sakura for saving her.
Sakura had an idea, she would distract Ino from her near death experience and repay her, at least some what, for what she had done for her in her own time. She smiled at Ino and asked gently, "You want to repay me for saving your life?"
Ino looked up at her and nodded her head as fast as she could. Sakura kneeled down so that she was at eye level with the girl. She had forgotten all about Noya and Itachi watching her, she was so intent upon what she was saying to Ino. "If you want to repay me for saving your life, then here is what I want you to do: keep your eyes open, and when you can, try to save someone else's life."
Sakura took the red ribbon that was in her vest pocket out and showed it to Ino. "I was once saved by someone too. She gave me this ribbon…" She went on to tell Ino a edited version of the story of the ribbon. When she was done, she told Ino, "Someone saved my life, though not from death, she saved me none the less. Now I've saved you. The only thing I want you to do, the only repayment I want, is for you to save someone in your own right.'
Ino was staring at her, astounded, but she nodded her head that she would do what Sakura asked of her. By now Ino was dry and feeling fine, for all that she had almost drowned. She took off the blanket and handed it to Sakura, but Sakura noticed something. Ino's eyes were glued on the ribbon in her hand.
Sakura smiled, and took the blanket and put it beside her. She then looked at her ribbon one last time before she spoke to Ino, "Come here please." Ino came, then Sakura asked her to close her eyes; Ino did so. Sakura wrapped the ribbon around Ino's hair and the girl opened her eyes in surprise.
Sakura smiled sadly, she'd miss the ribbon, but she felt that this was the right thing to do. "Take good care of it…and yourself."
Sakura then stood up, and handed the blanket to Noya as she said, "We'd best report to the Hokage now." she turned back to Ino, who was still staring at her, "Good bye, Ino…I hope we meet again."
They reached the Hokage's tower and found Kakashi waiting for them (that's a first). No one spoke as they entered the tower and were told that the Hokage was waiting for them. They entered the Hokage's room and Noya reported on how their mission went.
When he was done, the Hokage sighed, then told them something they didn't know, "About a day after you left, we got word from Suna via messenger birds that something…happened. It wasn't very detailed, but from what the message said, I know that a number of building had been destroyed by something. It wasn't stated what that something was. It also said that some people were injured, but no one was killed."
He looked at them wearily and said, "We offered to give help, but they said they would deal with this themselves."
Sakura couldn't help but think, 'I hope it wasn't Gaara…but why else-"
Sakura's thoughts were cut short by the Hokage speaking, "I know you've just gotten back, but I have things I need you to do. Noya, you are needed at the hospital; just this morning an ANBU squad returned in a not-so-good condition. Please, go there now." Noya nodded his head and left in a hurry. If his expertise were needed, the situation was probably dire.
Once he was gone the Hokage spoke again, "You three are going to be put on an ANBU mission. The ANBU that Noya will be healing brought us news of the Akatsuki." Sakura involuntarily shivered at the thought of the Akatsuki. She thought no one had noticed, but she was wrong; Itachi had, but he didn't say anything.
The Hokage continued, unaware of Sakura's reaction, "They've been spotted too near to Konoha for comfort. I am assigning you to patrol a part of the forest. There are other ANBU all around Konoha…we are hoping that the heightened security will detour the Akatsuki from bothering us."
"You have a half hour to prepare…wear your ANBU gear. If things go the way I hope they do, nothing will happen. You are dismissed."
There. Thanks to all the people who told me things. I'll tell you right now, in my story, the Akatsuki leader is not The Fourth...since the leader is still unknown for certain, I can make him whoever I want...and he is not The Fourth (I think that would just crush Naruto). And just to warn you, since I am not compltely informed on Naruto happenings, I may botch some things up accidentally. If I do, please just go with it...it is a fan fic after all.
My editer is on vacation...so I'm sorry for my bad spelling. Oh, and RoseMcGee made pic that goes to my story. If you want to look at it, go to my profile and click on it's link.
Ok, people, I will tell you again. My computer is stupid. It will not let me got to Wikipedia or any other sites like that.
Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome, flames I'll lock out of the house.
Thanks to: Sakimi1014, meisi, Devil-Speaker, Krazykoreangurl, DeidaraAddiction, bubbleyum, Dreamergirl92813, shadow miko, XxPinkCherryBlossoms4, Blood Blossom, Kiri Yumiko, Tsubasa-Angel, RoseMcGee, SpeedDemon315, Flower of the Desert, dark Alley, Ur-Bloody-Valentine, Someone Within the World, Shadow Ninja, inked quill, Challa, mistressofmischeif, CosenAngel, , xo Misunderstood kunoichi ox, pinky101, txgirl123, sakura-angel113, XxKayxKayxX, LunaTerr, Gothic Saku-chan, BobOfTheOcean, Starlight - Wild Koneko, Ginny-cry, Enchanting Breeze, Inuforlyf, Chibi Kabuto, xXxambersflamesxXx, Phobi, demon-lulu, Jax9, SilverMononoke, AkatsukiDEMONangel, xnarutoxrocksx, Cute-killer-Gurl, Melimay, PhAnToM SpEaKeR, animemistress209, Crazy Neko Girl, Coeur Casse, cocoapuffaddict, summerlover1, animelover123456, Artemis411, NARUTARDMJR14, & Lyndalion16 for reviewing!
