A/N: This'll be another travel chapter, though one with more implications to some future events. I've also decided how long this fic is going to be, and I'll say this much: We're gonna be done in about 2 weeks, if that.

Time for chapter 25

Enjoy!

Sasuke impatiently motioned for Kiba to rise to his feet. It was the third time in five minutes he had sent him to the floor off of a counter. Sparring was a rough activity by nature, but the Uchiha was redefining that standard. He was fighting like he had something to prove. This temperament had not gone unnoticed by Kiba, but the Inuzuka heir had also correctly deduced that bringing it up would be unwise. With Kiba fully recovered and back on his feet, Sasuke resumed his attack on his comrade. The boys quickly entered an exchange they had had several times.

They both threw straight, right-handed punches, slipped their heads to their respective lefts, and rebounded off the shift with their opposite hands. In turn, they exchanged hooking left hands, and both landed squarely on their opponent's jaw. Sasuke's mechanics were slightly tighter, allowing him to torque more power into the punch. As a result, Kiba's legs turned to rubber and failed him as he stumbled back and caught himself with his hands.

"I think we're done for today." Sasuke said, much to Kiba's relief. After regaining his equilibrium, the Inuzuka heir made his way over to Sasuke and sat down next to him. He looked to be deep in thought.

"Something on your mind?" Kiba asked. Sasuke initially didn't react, instead opting to maintain his silence. Eventually, he did acknowledge the boy he had just sparred with.

"It's been a week since it all happened. I figured I'd have heard something by now." he said vaguely. His response lacked detail, but Kiba knew what he was referencing.

"They're rogue now. The only news we're gonna get on them is whether or not the Hunters put them in body bags." he said. The Uchiha cracked his stiff neck and frowned.

"We've already had a squad come back empty-handed. There's no way they've gone far enough to be out of reach, and it feels unlikely that either one of them has the savvy to hide from an experienced Hunter. It just doesn't add up to me." he pondered aloud. His mentioning of the failed squadron, Kiba was struck by something.

"You're right about that. They definitely aren't sharp enough about stealth to stay hidden. Especially not Naruto." he said. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his comrade's tone.

"Sounds to me like you have an idea as to what may be going on." he said. Kiba nodded and settled into a cross-legged sitting position.

"When my clan goes on hunts, a tactic we use once in a while is sending off one pack to drive the prey in one direction, and then intercepting them as they adjust their route with another pack. The point of the first advance is entirely to get them to react." he explained. It took Sasuke little time to understand what he was insinuating.

"So, what you're saying is that the first squad of Hunters was a diversion to make Naruto and Gaara move, and that the next set they send out is the real cleanup crew?" he asked. Kiba nodded in confirmation.

"Exactly. They aren't out of the woods. Not at all. Gotta wonder if either one of them's picked up on that. If not, they might be screwed." he said grimly. Sasuke considered the information for several moments before shaking his head.

"Naruto's probably clueless, but I doubt Gaara is. That girl is nothing if not observant. She's also a sensor type. She's probably expecting them, and even if she isn't, she'll feel them coming a mile away." he said. Kiba chuckled slightly.

"If they can't get the jump on those two, I think the Hunters are in for it. Gaara's a monster, and apparently Naruto is even stronger than she is. I don't see how a few Hunters are going to beat them." he said with a shake of his head. Sasuke then recalled back to a piece of information that Kakashi had passed on to him several days previously.

"Apparently, they didn't kill any of the guards during their escape from the prison. Not one of them. They were all either unconscious or incapacitated. None of them were even badly injured." he muttered. Kiba furrowed his brow.

"What's that got to do with anything?" he asked skeptically. Sasuke snapped back to attention and looked to the Inuzuka heir.

"It makes me wonder about something. There's no way Gaara would have held back from killing with no prompting. She's a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse. She isn't controlled enough for that. Naruto had to have talked her into it, and if that's the case, he's probably going to hold her to that from here on out." he said.

"Are you suggesting that they might not kill the Hunters?" he inquired. Sasuke gave a nod in response.

"It's not guaranteed, but maybe. I don't know how much Naruto can really control Gaara, but I guess it remains to be seen. He definitely is stronger, so if he's dedicated to pacifism, he could always just take her down again." he said. Kiba then posed a question Sasuke himself had been grappling with.

"What's up with those two anyways? They were enemies a week and a half ago. Why are they suddenly soul mates or whatever?" he asked. It was a fair thing to ask. There was little information to be gleaned from the Uchiha's encounter with the pair other than the fact that the Jinchuuriki did seem to be on familiar terms.

"To be honest, I don't know for sure. I'm convinced they had history before the final round, though. Gaara changed completely when Naruto showed up. It was really strange. I actually visited Naruto before they broke out, and she was leaning on him, totally out cold." Sasuke said.

"That's fucked up. Like, really. If that means what it sounds like it does, Naruto is getting touchy with a psychopath. Why would he do that?" Kiba asked, seemingly disgusted by the idea of Gaara and Naruto being intimate with one another. The Uchiha shuddered.

"Worst part is, I'm pretty sure that's what's going on. It would explain a lot of things. Honestly, though, I can't fault Naruto a ton." he said. The Inuzuka heir scowled.

"Why the hell not? She's the enemy, and he should know better." he asked gruffly. Sasuke's expression then saddened slightly.

"Because, for all that she's done wrong, she's something to him that nobody else is. She's relatable. They've been through a lot of the same pain, and let me tell you, nothing is more comforting than shared experience. I hate her, and I'd kill to get another crack at her, but Gaara was always going to get to him. It was never a question of 'if', only 'when'." he said. Kiba reluctantly relented.

"Yeah, maybe. Either way, I hope I never have to deal with her again. She was scary." he said. He then paused.

"Wanna get lunch or something?" he asked. The Uchiha thought for a moment before climbing to his feet and nodding.

"Sounds good to me."

Gaara traced shapes in the dirt at her feet. She was bored. Excessively so. There was very little to do other than sleep at the moment, and she had given up on trying several hours ago. In the seven days that had passed since their departure from Konohagakure, they had managed to fix their sleeping schedule at Naruto's behest. The request had sparked a short debate on the topic, but they had eventually come to the agreement that they would indeed travel during the day on the condition that they decrease their rate of movement slightly.

'According to Naruto, we'll now reach the coast in roughly seventeen days. A bit longer than before. Then again, that's partially my fault.' The redhead thought to herself as she recalled a separate discussion she and her companion had had. Having remembered Kakashi's warning to the pair as they had left pertaining to the timeframe in which Hunters would come for them, Gaara had been incredibly on-edge when the third day of their travel arrived. She had been insistent on running with her gourd open so as to be ready for incoming attacks, and her knuckles had been white the entire day.

Much to her and Naruto's surprise, no Hunters came. The day was as uneventful and dull as all the rest. After taking a few moments to consider why it may have been, Gaara had come to a realization. Their route was being monitored and stalked at. Upon coming to this conclusion, the girl made a suggestion.

"I think we should take another path to the coast." Gaara said. The proposition earned her a skeptical glance from the blonde.

"Why? We're making good time doing what we're doing." he asked skeptically. The redhead glanced around them cautiously and then looked back to Naruto.

"I feel as though we're being watched. I'd rather not take the risk of being blindsided." she explained. Naruto immediately understood what she was referencing.

"Hunters, right?" he inferred. Gaara nodded and looked on ahead towards an oncoming collection of buildings. They were near a town.

"Let's settle on the outskirts of that settlement, and then move in the morning. We'll discuss specifics then." she said. Naruto nodded and set out running towards the town, prompting Gaara to follow after him.

Whether or not it was the right call to make remained to be seen, but Gaara felt much more secure in their safety now that they were following an alternate path. Though, her own safety mattered little to the redhead. Her decision to move them along a different route was more driven by her desire to keep Naruto out of harm's way without resorting to violence. He was more than capable of defending himself, but his pacifism would likely come back to bite him should he allow even one Hunter to live. If left alive, they would inevitably return to Konoha with valuable information about their whereabouts and physical condition. It would be an endless chase.

Gaara herself was more than willing to simply cut off the snake's head, so to speak, but she risked nigh permanent disapproval from Naruto by doing so. It was a difficult situation, and one that Gaara despised. There was a serious argument to be made that murder would actually prevent future killing from becoming a necessity. Unfortunately, such a morbid line of thinking would likely fall on deaf ears with Naruto. His stance on murder was a noble one, and it was perfectly justifiable. In certain situations, though, it could also be problematic.

'It amazes me that somebody so immensely strong could be so gentle by nature. Well, to a point. You certainly do have the capacity to be a force when you need to be.' Gaara mused as she gazed at Naruto's sleeping face that lay in her lap.

'I wonder. If our situations had been reversed during our clash, would I have shown you the same mercy you showed me?' she wondered to herself. A quick review of the day of the invasion revealed the obvious answer.

'I'd have made it as painless as I could have. Still, though. I'm happy with the way things are now. Even if the travel is a bit tedious.' she thought to herself. Despite her satisfaction with and appreciation of her current situation, a small twinge of guilt still existed in the back of her mind. For as much as she had benefited from the turn of events, others had not been so fortunate. Gaara's trend of leaving blood and broken bodies in her wake had not been broken just yet. Seemingly in response to her growing unease, an unwelcome voice chimed in.

'One dead, three injured, and another whisked away. Not a bad run of things. Well done, Gaara.' a dark voice congratulated the redhead. It was a voice Gaara knew all too well, and one she had banished to the corners of her mind since arriving in Konoha. It had still been ever-present, but much softer and more suggestive rather than demanding.

'Leave me alone, Shukaku.' Gaara growled within her mind. A low chuckle rippled through her subconscious.

'I think I'll pass. You have nothing to threaten me with, so I fail to understand why I should listen to you.' Shukaku replied. The redhead forced herself to relax and glanced down to make sure Naruto was still asleep.

'If you want me to go on a rampage, then you're out of luck. I'm in no mood.' she said with a scowl. The demon shifted around in her mind and grinned.

'Aren't you? You didn't feel that way in the prison, and you'd have taken great pleasure in cutting down Sasuke Uchiha at the border. Violence is who you are. No amount of forced affection will ever change that.' he said darkly. Gaara shook her head and clenched her jaw.

'I only ever killed to keep you quiet. Never because I wanted to. If anybody is defined by violence, it's you.' she countered. Shukaku laughed out loud, his cackle mad and unrestrained.

'Spare me, runt. Your killing of the man in the apartment complex was entirely of your own accord. I didn't even have to make the suggestion. You were so consumed by hate that you took a life. I was almost proud of you.' he replied. Gaara then hid her eyes behind her bangs and suppressed an urge to punch something.

'I killed him because he deserved it. That murder was born of love.' she snapped back. Shukaku snorted and worked his way to the forefront of her mind.

'Were your maimings of the leaf genin 'born of love'? No, better yet, do you think such reasoning puts you on some sort of moral high ground? Are you really that deluded?' he questioned his Jinchuuriki. Gaara bared her teeth and tried to push the demon back into the depths of her subconscious. It was no use.

"Shut up…" she hissed aloud. Shukaku then heaved a sigh and pondered something for several moments.

'I'm an old being. You're far from my first Jinchuuriki, though you're certainly the most naive. It's strange.' he mused. Before Gaara could demand a further explanation, Shukaku continued speaking.

'Of all my hosts, you've been by far the toughest to break. I've influenced you plenty, but you still haven't given in to me. You don't even know how children are made, and yet your will is the strongest. Then again, if this conversation is to be taken at face value, you've found your own excuse to kill, so perhaps you just don't need as much prompting.' he concluded. When the redhead didn't immediately respond, Shukaku retreated back into the lower regions of her conscience.

'I'll leave you be for now, but always remember. Love or no love, you're a killer all the same. Hunters are on your trail. You don't have very long.' he said before disappearing. For a time, Gaara simply sat in silence, her body shaking slightly as she struggled to calm herself. Conversations with her inner demon never went particularly well, but this most recent encounter had been abysmal.

"Is it...already morning?"

Gaara flinched and glanced downward. Naruto's eyes were slightly open, just barely visible in the darkness of the sandy shell. Feeling a small speck of warmth return to her, the redhead reached down and grazed her fingers over his eyelids to close them.

"No, not yet. I'm sorry for waking you." she whispered back. The blonde gave a tired nod and closed his eyes once more. His breathing soon evened, signifying his return to sleep. Gaara sighed and leaned down to touch his forehead with her lips.

'Come what may, I'll protect you.'

A man with reptilian skin and serrated teeth glanced to his left at his partner, who appeared to be deep in thought. It was his most common state of being, but it still created a few too many uncomfortable silences. It also tended to lead them off course. When he committed himself to a task, he pursued it relentlessly. He was tireless and focused.

"Give me one good reason that we should be in the Land of Fire." the sharp-toothed man asked impatiently. His partner paid him no heed. He simply kept up his pace and remained fixated on the terrain ahead of him. Disliking being ignored, the reptilian man growled slightly.

"Don't ignore me. Tell what we're doing." he said a bit more forcefully. His partner finally acknowledged him by stopping suddenly and casting him an eerie look.

"I have a message to deliver to a man. I need to reinforce the terms of a deal I made with him some time ago." he replied. He then sighed.

"Try to be patient, Kisame-san. We'll be arriving within days." he said. Kisame raised a nonexistent eyebrow and gave his partner a skeptical look.

"I never took you for the type to blackmail. I'm stuck between being impressed and being disappointed. You're an odd one, Itachi." he said. The Uchiha adjusted the collar of his black and red robe.

"I'm not blackmailing him. I'm just holding him accountable. That's all." he corrected as he filed his nails with one of his many kunai. Kisame chuckled.

"Let me guess, it involves your bite-sized brother?" he asked. Itachi gave a curt nod, clearly still focused on whatever he planned to do upon their arrival at their destination.

"It goes without saying, but, I'd prefer if you kept this little endeavor quiet from our superiors." he said. Kisame shrugged his shoulders and jogged to catch up with Itachi, who had increased his walking pace.

"It's not as though I could get away with it if I tried. Our dynamic is well-established at this point." he said. The Uchiha's lips pulled into the ghost of a smile.

"You have little reason to worry. You're on my good side, unlike a certain someone."

A/N: CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN. Itachi won't be SUPER prevalent in this fic, but he does have a brief role to play in what's to come. Next chapter will have more action, so be ready for that. Tell me what you thought :)