Sun and Moon Rising
***This is a short and sweet chapter filled with mostly fluff. :) Next chapter will have the most sexually explicit content yet and will be the last chapter at Team Taka for awhile before these two head out on more adventures that I am really excited about. Only warning for this chapter is for anyother person out there suffering from emetophobia like me I may use some words that trigger you regarding Karin's pregnancy symptoms. I have found writing them to be oddly therapeutic to me but I completely understand if you are not there yet in your journey. Please leave a review if you are hopefully still reading this story. I don't own Naruto***
Chapter 10
Sasuke and I arrived at the beach starving. I pulled on his arm as we raced through the sand, our feet sinking into the gritty particles hindering our progress. Sasuke's stunning raven hair blew in the ocean breeze contrasting the colors of the picturesque scene so brilliantly. I couldn't help but turn around and glance at him periodically.
"Watch where you are going usuratonkachi, or you are going to trip," he teased.
"Shut up teme! I am not!" But he was right, and I fell flat on my face inhaling sand through my nose and tasting it with my mouth. At the same time, I screamed out in pain as my ankle throbbed. Sasuke knelt beside me and instead of making a fuss saying I told you so, he let me climb on his back and carried me to the picnic spot. A purple blanket sprawled out before us with bento boxes for us filled with chicken, rice, and sushi. My mouth watered at the sight despite how much agony I was in. Sasuke set me down carefully on the ground.
"Naruto sprained his ankle on the way here. I need to go up to the house and get some ice and something to wrap it with," Sasuke announced.
"Let me help you and show you where everything is," Karin shot me a dirty look presumably for having to leave her meal.
"Thank you." They headed up the hill leaving me with Jugo and Suigetsu.
"Ugh so much for swimming today." I hung my head feeling stupid.
"It's okay, Naruto. I don't swim really. You can stay with me," Jugo gave me a kind smile.
"Well no offense, but I am not staying out of the water for you," Suigetsu scoffed. He ripped the lid of his lunch and began eating before Karin and Sasuke returned. Jugo glared at him, but nothing shamed him. "Man, you really have Sasuke whipped. He just dotes on you. How did you get that kind of power over him, honestly?" Suigetsu commented with a mouthful of food which made me realize why Sasuke always looked disgusted with me when I did that.
"I think he just cares a lot about Naruto," Jugo added. I nodded at him in appreciation. I glanced down at my left ankle already three times the size of the right one grateful to see Sasuke and Karin in the distance carrying supplies. Sasuke bent down and placed an ice pack on me causing numbness at the site almost instantaneously, which I couldn't decide if it was worse than the pain.
"Defeats gods but trips on his own feet," he smirked at me then kissed me on the cheek. I blushed at the gesture.
"Sorry I kinda ruined beach day." I frowned at him. He took a bite of food and told me to eat. Conversation among the group flowed amicably. For making fun of Sasuke, Suigetsu spent all lunch devoted to Karin checking on her since she often felt ill after eating. She got annoyed enough at his behavior that she slapped his cheek and insisted that she would just puke on him if she needed to. After we ate, Sasuke built a mound of sand for me to prop my ankle on to decrease the swelling. I encouraged him to swim in the ocean, but he insisted on staying with me laying on the sand resting in the sun. The silence reminded me of our earlier time together where we adjusted to the comfortable camaraderie. I mulled over my 'I love you' confession to him last night. It wasn't when we were bleeding out unconscious after an all for nothing brawl this time, so he must have heard me. But… he said nothing back. I guess he didn't feel the same, and suddenly I didn't feel like eating anymore. Fortunately, Jugo came over by me and inquired about my ankle snapping me out of my gloomy thoughts. I assured him that I was fine. We talked about the blue jay on his shoulder, and he explained to me his ability to communicate with birds and other various creatures. Sasuke watched the tide roll in and out in a harmonious cadence not a part of the conversation. We stayed on the beach all afternoon until a storm brewed in the distance threatening our pleasant outing. Sasuke carried me in his arms back up to the hideout without speaking a word to me. I peered up at him. He didn't look angry with me, but he was definitely deep in thought. Once inside safe from the storm that now rumbled above us, he carried me to our room propping me up on the bed.
"Your ankle is still really swollen. You should stay off it for a while," he suggested.
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere."
"I'll help you take a bath later. Do you need anything?"
"Where are you going?" I asked curiously.
"Karin asked me if I could help her with something, but I'll be back soon."
"Why are you keeping secrets from me, teme?" I accused.
"No secret, just some boring lab work that a dobe like you wouldn't understand. Rest here okay? I'll help you take a bath when you get back then we can have dinner." He kissed me on the forehead, his usual mysterious ritual before he left the room. I wondered what he meant by it. Why wouldn't he just kiss me on the lips? I considered asking him several times before, but I didn't want to insult him. I sighed laying on the bed bored. I tried reading one of his books, but it was too wordy. I tried falling asleep, but I wasn't tired. I heard footsteps shuffling by, so I called out ready to attract anyone's attention. Suigetsu whistled a tune as he entered our room.
"First time I've ever seen you without your appendage, Sasuke," he remarked. "You must be lonely."
"Yeah, he said he had to talk about some research with Karin." I folded my arms.
"The second she stopped throwing up, she darted off with him to the lab. She is always tinkering with something. Honestly, it's all weird to me. I never cared about being a lab rat for Orochimaru or for anyone." He threw himself on the bed putting his hands under his head staring up at the ceiling. I struggled to figure out what to say to him.
"So, uh are you excited about the baby?" I asked for lack of a better topic.
"Sure, why not? I guess it will be pretty cool. Inheriting my awesome genes will make the kid a good swimmer, right?"
"I don't know anything about that, but I believe you."
"Say, Sasuke tells me that you have a demon fox spirit trapped inside you. What happens if you have a kid? Will your kid inherit the fox?"
"Kurama is not a demon… He's my friend. And, I don't think so. I am his jinchuriki. But I bet I won't have any kids of my own," I shrugged.
"Why? Because of Sasuke?"
"I guess we could find a surrogate, but it's not like Sasuke and I could have children."
"That's true. Would you want to if you could?" He turned to his side and looked at me.
"Yeah, definitely. Sasuke was the cutest kid, so our kid would look like him," I chuckled imagining a raven-haired munchkin with puffy cheeks and blue eyes like mine with maybe whiskers too.
"Probably cuter than me and Karin's kid. Don't tell her I said that," he threatened. I belly laughed insisting I wouldn't. I noticed him not so subtly looking for the lube he brought us. I knew it was only a matter of time before….
"You guys used this already? Damn. Sasuke had some nerve getting all pissy to me yesterday then," He picked up the bottle from its hiding place in the sheets
"Only a little bit," I squeaked out unsure why I why I revealed any details about my sex life with Sasuke. He would kill me if he knew this was the topic of discussion.
"Really? You two are so obsessed with each other I thought for sure after I dropped that off last night, you two would have fucked," he scoffed.
"Hey! We are not obsessed with each other! And not yet… Sasuke doesn't want to hurt me," I bit my lip knowing damn well I said too much.
"Could have fooled me. He was a lovesick puppy when he got here when you were ill. And now he is prince charming all over again with your bum foot. Never thought I would see Sasuke so mellow. And interesting… He doesn't want to hurt you huh? I'm not surprised."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I gritted through my teeth. How did Sasuke put up with him during the hunt for his brother?
"I'm just not surprised that you will be on the receiving end if you know what I mean… After all, you did spend your adolescence chasing after the guy." He put his hand on my shoulder.
"Honestly though, you don't need to worry about a thing. He's so in love with you it makes me judge myself that I should feel that way about Karin if she is going to be the mother of my kid," he snorted. He sounded so certain that Sasuke loves me, but I doubted Suigetsu as the perceptive type. He was probably just blowing smoke considering Sasuke has yet to tell me himself. I refused to allow myself to get worked up over speculation by an unreliable source with no evidence. Instead, I focused on the latter part of his speech.
"You don't love Karin?" I questioned.
"Love? Maybe? I don't know…. I like her enough to want to be with her, I guess."
Suddenly, the door burst open. I felt like I needed to sit up straighter even though Suigetsu and I had nothing to hide. When I tried to though, my ankle throbbed so I relaxed back down.
"You two look comfortable," Sasuke said. I could not decipher whether he was joking or serious and if he was angry about it.
"Naruto called me in here because you ditched him for my baby mama," Suigetsu deadpanned.
"She wanted to discuss some of her research with me, and we also agreed that if the swelling has not gone down tomorrow," he flashed his dark eye at me. "That she wants to x-ray your ankle to see if it's broken."
"I really hope not," I replied meekly. Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed examining my foot without touching it.
"Are you still in a lot of pain?" his voice softer than before putting me at ease.
"Yes, but I'll be fine," I smiled. Suigetsu took that as his cue to leave, so he waved to us both. "I hope you didn't plan on leaving here soon to travel elsewhere…."
"No, it's totally okay. I am enjoying spending time here. I just want you to get healed. I hope Suigetsu didn't give you a hard time."
"About my ankle?"
"About anything," he emphasized.
"No, no. It was great. We mostly talked about Karin and the baby."
"Good," Sasuke drew a slight smile. "Want me to help you take a bath, since it is your only option right now to clean yourself?"
"Yes, if you will get in the tub with me," I pouted hoping to get my way.
"I will after you are cared for."
"Okay, I'll compromise," I sighed. I heard the faucet turn on and the tub filling up with water. "Did the storm pass?" I asked as he removed all my clothes as I lay there until he picked me up in his arms. I was so used to being carried by him and naked around him that I thought nothing of the exchange.
"Yeah. That's why I'm letting you take a bath, dobe," he flicked water at my face. I laughed to encourage his playful side. It was so refreshing watching him smile.
"You don't have to help me now, Sas. I can wash myself now that I am in here. Just get in with me." I swatted the water creating ripples as a way to entice him. He rolled his eyes and removed his shirt. I drooled reveling in the fact that I had a front row seat to watching him strip down. I pretended not to stare because I knew Sasuke was a little self-conscious, over what though I had no clue. His body was a masterpiece meant for a beholder who would cherish it. I focused on the bubbles below me as he got in the water laying his body back to rest on me. It had been a while since I got to hold him, so I adored the feeling.
"I don't hear you washing yourself," he scolded. He was correct, my hand concentrated on massaging the tension from his shoulders. He quickly forgot his demand though and sank deeper into my chest as I melted away his soreness with my fingers.
"Thank you. That felt really good." He turned around and pecked me on the lips causing my heart to flutter from his praise.
"Just wanted to take care of you since you do such a good job taking care of me," I said as I took a cloth as washed myself before he griped again.
"I appreciate it. I wouldn't have to take care of you so much if you could stay out of trouble," he laughed. "How are you? Do you need me to adjust your position?" He waded to across the tub where my ankle was propped up on the side ledge to check.
"I'm worse now that you left. Come back here," I whined.
"I think it's broken dobe. You'll probably need to stay off it for a couple weeks. Then Karin can fit you in a boot." He ignored my desperation and concentrated on the injury. He could have definitely made it as a medical nin. He possessed the intelligence and coordination for sure.
"Since when do you know so much about broken ankles teme?" I motioned for him to come back. He obeyed and sank back into my chest.
"I talked to Karin about it earlier."
"I'm sorry that we'll be here for so long. I know this was supposed to be your trip." I hung my head on top of his. Even though he told me previously that the timeline did not matter, I knew to some extent he lied. We had a year together, a fact I kept forgetting on purpose. I know he wants to cover as much ground with me in that time as possible.
"Well, it's our trip now. I'm okay I just don't want to overstay my welcome with Taka. I'll probably start helping out more in the lab especially since Karin is in her early stages of pregnancy and not feeling well. And I can help Jugo cook," he offered.
"I can't do anything to help," I tossed my head back bumping it on the wall.
"Just get better and then when we can get you in a boot, you'll be mobile again. No one expects you to do anything right now." I sighed knowing that he was right, but I still hated feeling useless. Neither of us spoke for a while. His body so relaxed against mine that I thought he might not be awake, but I couldn't see him to know for sure. I started to miss Konoha. I wondered what all my friends were doing and missed my house that I shared with Sasuke. I wondered if there was a way for me to send letters to everyone and tell them about our adventure and my misfortunes. I would ask Sasuke about doing so later. We must have fallen asleep because I never heard the door open or see the look on Suigetsu's appalled face when he saw us in the tub with our eyes closed until he screamed.
"Oh shit! Are you guys dead?" He inched towards us. The bubbles from the bath popped leaving our nakedness completely visible. I perked up first and opened my eyes nudging Sasuke awake too.
"Ah! What are you doing in our room?" I cried out mortified.
"We've been waiting to start dinner for thirty minutes now. And I lost the bet, so I am the one that had to come check on you guys. You should have locked this door!"
"It's our room! I didn't expect someone to come barging in!" I retorted. I pushed Sasuke some more. "Leave before he wakes up. We'll be down there soon. I'm sorry we fell asleep. You can start eating without us."
"Are you sure you can wake up Sasuke?"
"Yes, I can handle it. Just tell everyone to start without us. I'm sorry. I didn't plan on taking a nap in here and neither did he. But he'll be so mad if he sees you in here. He's very protective of me…" I trailed off.
"I've noticed, but he has nothing to worry about. You aren't the one I can see clearly," He shuddered and turned around to leave. I breathed easier touching Sasuke's face and hair placing kisses on his neck and shoulders.
"What happened? Why are we still in here?" What a privilege it was to hear his sleepy morning voice in the evening.
"We kinda fell asleep and have been sleeping through dinner…" I laughed. "Suigestu just knocked on our door asking if we planned on joining everyone. They have been waiting on us apparently…"
"Shit. I'm sorry." He exited the tub and knelt down to pick me up. My ankle definitely inconvenienced us, but I secretly loved being carried by him everywhere. "Can you stand on your good leg so I can give you a towel?"
"Yeah. I can do that." Our naked bodies slid past each other as he put me down causing more friction than I expected considering we were wet. He placed a brief kiss on my lips that left me wanting more, but I knew our presence was expected in the dining room. And, I was hungry. He disappeared into the bedroom for a few minutes and came back dressed looking so handsome in his cloak. He whisked me in his arms and laid me down on the bed as he put my clothes on. "I can still put a shirt on, Sas." I whined.
"Do I really trust you to do that right now with the way that you are looking at me?" He flashed me a deviant smirk. I shook my head because he knew me so well. "Didn't think so." He locked lips with me for a few blissful minutes. His cape draped over us I tried to pull him to lay on top of me, but he resisted and grabbed my wrist. "We can't keep them waiting any longer usuratonkachi," he laughed. I pursed my lips for not getting my way. He squatted down and let me jump on his back. He hooked his hands under my thighs and carried me to dinner.
"Ugh it's about time I'm actually starving," Karin shot us dirty looks. Sasuke propped my ankle up on the chair next to me. "How is gimpy doing?" Her eyes laser focused on me.
"Oh uh, still hurting a lot," I winced.
"We are getting x-rays after dinner. Could have been eating SOONER." This time she exchanged glares at me and Sasuke.
"I apologize Karin. Naruto and I fell asleep by accident," Sasuke said with only a tinge of remorse in his tone.
"Don't mind, Karin. She's just grumpy. Should we all eat this nice curry that Jugo prepared for us?" Sugietu's attempt at diffusing a hot-blooded, hormone raging Karin resulted in her kicking his shin underneath the table with enough force that we didn't have to witness it to know.
"Seriously Jugo. Thank you for dinner. We will not be late again, and I will make it up to you. I will cook for all of you since we have been here for so long now. We are hardly guests." Sasuke sounded so responsible and elegant that I swelled (from something other than my foot) with pride. I put my hand on his thigh and squeezed it. He held my hand underneath the table with his prosthetic one.
"I can attest that Sasuke is an excellent cook. Let him give you a night off, Jugo," I chimed in.
"Alright. That is very kind of you Sasuke. I don't consider cooking a chore, but I would be honored to learn skills from you." Jugo smiled at us as we shoveled food in our mouths. I forgot how hungry I was when distracted by my nap.
"I doubt I have much to teach you, but you can be around if you wish. This one can't though," Sasuke nudged my shoulder. "Don't let him anywhere near a kitchen." He laughed at my expense in a playful way that I joined in. I rested my head on his shoulder, which he didn't seem to mind nor did anyone else.
After dinner, Sasuke helped Jugo wash dishes while Karin made Suigetsu support me so I could hop down to the medical wing for an x-ray. I wanted Sasuke with me but clean up preoccupied him. Plus, I knew he had spent little time with Jugo since I came out of my coma. I didn't want to deprive him of quality time with his friends. Of course, Suigetsu was not as gentle or handsome as Sasuke when handling me. Karin laid me down under an x-ray machine. She posted the scans promptly on a lighted background and pointed to the protruding round bond on the foot.
"It's fractured. So, you have a broken ankle. You need to stay off it for a couple weeks so the bone heals then I can put you in a boot. Total recovery is four to six weeks," Karin spoke to me like a patient instead of her friend's boyfriend.
"I'm sorry we will be here so long in your way. Thank you for looking after me."
"This is the best place for this to happen to you. We have a lot of medical equipment here to accommodate this type of incident. It's not as much of a burden as you think," she shrugged. I was taken aback by her change in attitude.
"I am very grateful for you, Karin," I reiterated.
"You are like family to us if you are with Sasuke," her lips drew into a tiny smile visible only for a second.
"Aww that means a lot to me," I said. Sasuke entered the room interrupting the tender moment demanding details of my fracture and healing requirements. At first, I thought he seemed annoyed by the prognosis. Then I realized his concern was about me not our trip timeline. I gave him a soft smile. He crouched down with the intention of giving me a piggyback ride. I wouldn't tell him, but I really enjoyed being carried this way. He snaked his way through the hallways not going at a particularly fast pace. Maybe I was heavy.
"When I was little, before I even joined The Academy, I sprained my ankle once trying to copy my brother's shuriken jutsu, and he carried me like this the whole way home," Sasuke spoke softly as if to prevent someone from listening in on his memory other than me. I would have injured another limb if it meant the opportunity of seeing the expression on his face when he said that to me. My heart broke more than any of my bones could for him. "But now I'm carrying you for the same reason," he chuckled. It was the sweetest sound that I ever heard him make. Tears brimmed in my eyes.
"Thank you for carrying me. I wasn't trying to copy you. I was just admiring how handsome my boyfriend is," I whispered in his ear.
"You need to come up with a better story to tell people usuratonkachi," He laughed so boisterously that it echoed down the hallway. "What am I going to do with you Uzumaki?" his words smooth as marble. He plopped me on the bed causing the mattress to dip.
"Are you going somewhere?" I tried to hide my annoyance.
"I'm just going to the bathroom. Why? You are so clingy lately." I couldn't tell if he meant that as an insult or observation.
"I just miss you when you are gone…." I mumbled pathetically hoping he didn't hear me with the water running from the sink.
"I am not leaving you. What's really going on?" He sat cross legged on the bed next to me.
"I don't know your friends that well, and besides Jugo, I don't think they really like me… I guess I'm just trying to say I miss my friends…" He stared at me expressionless. He contemplated my word and my body language before he spoke.
"Everyone likes you, trust me on that. But, you should write to your friends," he said simply as if it was the easiest conclusion that could ever be drawn. "I'll bring you some paper and a pen tomorrow from the lab. Jugo can use his birds to send them letters," he replied nonchalantly.
"Thank you, Sasuke." I was not sure why he thought favorably of my desire to contact people in Konoha considering his resentment towards the place. I supposed he might question me on what I planned on telling them but maybe he didn't care if I disclosed our relationship status. "I am just going to write to Shikamaru, Sakura, and Konohamaru probably."
"You don't need my permission to talk to your friends, Naruto. I had no intention of blocking you from communicating with them during our trip. You should know I informed Kakashi about your unfortunate acquaintance with that tainted fish, but you may want to write to him too." His tone so casual it made me nervous. He hoisted my foot up on a mountain of pillows.
"Can I tell them about us?" I squeaked.
"You mean that I'm your boyfriend?" he turned his head to glance at me before dimming the lights in the room.
"Yeah. I won't if you don't want me to…"
"It doesn't bother me. Kakashi probably figured it out anyway. I hinted at it." He laid on his back next to me and laced his fingers with mine. We always positioned ourselves on the side of the bed that allowed our real hands to clasp with one another although most of the time we slept cuddled up. Lately, Sasuke wrapped his body around mine.
"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep like this," I broke the silence to determine if Sasuke was still awake.
"You don't have to. If you are tired, I can bandage your ankle and take the pillows down," he offered. I didn't want to sleep, but I wanted more freedom to move.
"Please." Without further commentary, he slid off the bed and grabbed the bandage from the bathroom wrapping my ankle precisely and gently. Although he was being kind, something felt strange about him like he was lost in thought. He came back to lay next to me on his back, but I turned to my side wanting to hold him close to me. I expected him to protest due to my injury, but he obeyed contorting his body to fill the crevices of my own. Something told me that he needed me tonight. I reached behind me and click off the light switch.
"I think my brother would have approved of us," he said a decibel above a whisper. Extremely flattered by his words, I was moved to tears without letting them grace his perfect skin. I wanted to keep my emotion a secret in case it would upset him.
"Do you think he expected us to be together?" I asked placing light kisses on his back.
"He always thought two steps ahead so probably," a lightness entered his voice that put me at ease. I squeezed him as a response. I should have figured out he was thinking about Itachi after he was reminded of his childhood. I never pressed him to talk more about it. Maybe I was being too careful.
"Your brother loved you, and I love you too," I whispered, but I received nothing in response. I hoped that meant he was asleep, or I just potentially made a fool out of myself if he didn't feel the same way. I supposed time held my answers. I listened for his breathing to deepen as it always did when he slept, so he probably never heard me. Maybe one day I would have the courage to tell him how I feel when he is awake.
Sasuke kicked me in the crotch in the middle of the night. I yelped from the sudden infliction. I blinked my eyes open prepared to tussle with him until I realized he was having a nightmare. He was screaming incoherent phrases through labored breathing. He thrashed his arms and legs in a starfish pattern which explained how he kicked me. I knew I could not be able to spoon him to calm him down. Instead, I saddled myself on top of him and restrained his arms pinning him down.
"Sasuke, it's not real. Wake up." I rocked my hips on him a little trying any method to jolt him from the dream, but he kept fighting me struggling to free himself. "Sasuke! Wake up!" I shouted louder. Even in the pitch black of the room, I noticed his onyx eyes shoot open to stare at me saying nothing not registering where he was or who I was. "Sasuke, you were having a nightmare. You kicked me," I said not intending to make him feel guilty.
"What?" He looked at me in disbelief.
"Yeah. It's been awhile since you have had one." I took a risk and rested my body to lay on top of him with my head over his chest listening to his heart beat trying to find a steady rhythm. He put his arms on my back hesitantly as if he needed to be sure that it was me.
"I'm really sorry. I obviously didn't mean to. Did I harm you?"
"Judging my ability to still get hard right now, I think I'm okay."
"I'm sorry. I certainly wouldn't want to kick you there," he snickered. I was glad he let me stay where I was instead of moving my position to lay beside him. His heartbeat thumped with less erratic pulses. The sound almost put me to sleep.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked before I drifted off on top of him.
"Just the same old dreams. I think remembering my brother today probably triggered it." I perked my head up to look at him though the lack of light in the room made his features fuzzy.
"We can talk about Itachi whenever you want, Sasuke," I spoke with confidence. "I know it's difficult for you… I just want you to know that I will always listen. If it was on your mind before you went to sleep, we should have talked about him more." I was careful not to come across as chastising. I wanted him to feel supported. I climbed off of him and curled up around his sweat soaked body, but I didn't mind. This time he was warm from the exertion during the dream.
"Thank you, Naruto." For some reason, I was touched that he used my real name instead of my petty nickname. "He thought highly of you. He knew you would save me." His voice broke. I wasn't so dense to not sense that he was crying. I hugged him closer to me. I recalled every detail from the few exchanges I had with his revered older brother searching for some new colonel of information to give him.
"Your brother once told me that you were a canvas that could be dyed into any color…." I paused waiting for him to insist I stop talking. When he was either listening or asleep, I continued,
"So I hope you like the color orange," I giggled at my own terrible joke.
"Usuratonkachi, you know I hate the color orange, but I like you. So, I guess I have to put up with it," He grabbed my hand that was intertwined with his and kissed it. I relaxed after I heard him speak with a glimmer of happiness in his voice. Confident that he stopped crying, I smiled and fell asleep wrapping him in my embrace for the rest of the night.
***Okay so I had to call out in the story how goofy it is that Naruto broke his ankle after he literally defeated gods but I needed a plot point. My sister sprained her ankle recently so it gave me the idea lol I am a super huge Itachi fan so I love mentioning him and Sasuke working through his emotions regarding his brother. I was writing a fic earlier in the year that was Itachi centric that I may pick up again someday when this is done. Thank you for reading. I promise these two are going to visit Gaara but they are going on another journey first that I am really excited about and will involve some OC. Next chapter will be in Naruto's POV again to wrap up Team Taka then we will switch to Sasuke when they get back on the road.****