Chapter Eight
Sorry I havent posted in a while. Life is getting the best of me! This guy is a lil shorty, but I wanted to get something out there for you all. 3
The group had been travelling for a few hours before they decided to break. As this was not a time sensitive transfer, Shikamaru and Sai believed that a break by one of the many river banks would be a nice change for the shinobi.
Rinsing off her face, Sakura couldn't help but think about Kakashi. Why didn't he come? Even n awkward goodbye would have sufficed. Fuck.
Shikamaru peered over at Sakura, the turmoil radiating off her body. "You okay?" he asked.
Surprised that he would ask a question like that while on 'mission', she smiled at him, "Just nervous."
"Ah, you'll do great. Just remember, you are going to be training people who then go out and save lives. So you are technically saving lives vicariously through them."
"So I am the ultimate healer?" she teased.
He smiled, That's the first joke I've heard her tell in a while. "Gods help us if that's the case."
"We should move faster…Try to get as far as we can before we rest." Sakura suggested, all jokes aside.
"I know." He bluntly stated.
Rolling her eyes, she wiped the dust off her pants and started packing her bag. Looking around her, she couldn't help but think that she was going to miss this…the green, the flowers,…and the smell of rain.
"Why are you pacing?" Gaara peered up at his brother from his desk. "Everything is set, we are more than prepared for their arrival."
Kankuro stopped and looked at the red head. Ugh, he has no idea… "I know that."
"Then why are you making a fuss in my office? Is there no where else you can do…" Gaara pointed up and down at Kankuro' body, "…that?"
"Really? Pointing at my whole body? Implying not to be…me?" Kankuro embellished, falling to he knees.
"You know, I could kill you and make it look like an accident."
"Why do you hate me?" Kanurko mocked.
"It's because I love you, brother, that I would make it look like an accident."
"Oh? Why is that?"
Gaara annoying set his pen down and looked at his brother, "Because…can you imagine the bragging rights? First I take the Kazakage title from my elder siblings and then I kill my older brother…how strong I would look. So…alpha like."
"You suck." Kankuro huffed, sitting down in one of the crimson red velvet chairs. Temari had picked them picked them out and it was Matsuri's idea to get the ones with the gold accents.
Sighing, Garaa observed his brother. He had unusually large bags under his eyes, was only wearing a white T-shirt and sage pants, not his usual Ninja outfit, and he wasn't wearing his usual war paint. He usually doesn't come out of the living courters with out it. "Hm?" was all Gaara needed to say before Kankuro broke.
"Matsuri wants to get married."
"Ah…"
"…and I can't condemn her to this life. Our family…it's our job to submit to the village. We give our lives to our people and that just mean physically…I can't ask her to do the same."
"I see."
"And what if something happens? What if they target her? Or, what if I die? Hell, I'm pretty sure she wants kids! I don't want them to be left behind if something were to happen."
"I know you don't." Gaara replied, thinking of the pain he had caused his siblings after their mother died.
"Gods Gaara. I shouldn't have started this with her. Her feelings have gotten out of hand…"
"Her feelings?"
Kankuro flashed Gaara a puzzled look.
"Kankuro, the moment you fell in love with her and she with you, you both decided to choose this life. She helps Temari around here, she is not blind to what our family does."
"Gaara, I don't think you…"
"I wasn't Finished…" Gaara spoke softly, putting his hand up to stop his brother from talking. "Do not forget that I also trained Masturi, she is strong and intelligent. She is more than capable to take on the role of your wife if you so choose to do so, but do not make excuses or blame others for your fears. Do not blame our commitment to the village or her inability to understand what it means to be with one of us. Shikamaru knew the moment he asked Temari to date, what that would mean."
"Skiamaru is from a prominent clan in the leaf…"
"That is not the point. Do not underestimate her. Just because people are not part of our family does not make them less than capable of joining us and taking on what we do."
"What if someone targeted her because of us? Because of me?"
"We protect our people…we defend our family."
The two became silent. Kankuro was nervously playing with the seams of the chair, wondering when his little brother became so wise. Kankuro sighed, looking out the window. It was blistering hot here today. "Sakura will be here soon."
"I am well aware of that Kankuro."
"I think she will fall in love with Suna."
Gaara picked up his pen and looked at the document he was trying to get finished. "And why is that?"
Kankuro looked at his brother, "because you're here."
Gaara paused and looked up at his older brother, confusion stricken upon his face. "I don't…"
Kankuro stood up and started for the door, "I want to marry Masturi. Shall I bring it up to the council?"
"No need, we have been expecting you to come to us for a while. Let Iko-kun know when you are ready and he will put in the agenda for the council meeting." Gaara replied, confused by the sudden shift in topics.
"Sounds good" Kanuro said as he opened the door. "Thank you Gaara, I am lucky to have you as a brother."
Gaara looked up and smiled at his brother. He secretly cherished these moments. "And I you." He whispered as Kankuro shut the door behind him.
It started pouring about nine hours into their trek.
"It's getting darker Shika." Temari whispered, cleaning her eyes from the monsoon. "There is no need to rush and the closer we get to land of wind, the colder it will get and with us being soaked..."
He looked her, both admiring her strategic mind and also annoyed because he was already thinking it. "Ah."
Temari had signalled to the group, at once they stopped and rested against the tree branches. "We will make camp here. It's getting cold and you Leaf nin aren't used to that." Temari laughed.
"We should try to get closer." Sai stated bluntly.
"Why? I just told you that…" Temari started.
Sai looked up at the dark sky, rain soaking his face, "Something's different."
Everyone paused, glancing around at each other. Sakura couldn't feel or sense anything out of the ordinary. "What's different Sai?" she probed. Having been on a team together, she knew his communication skills were sub par at least. He may be blunt, but he assumes people know what he says all the time.
"I don't know…just something seems…off" he frowned.
Hinata looked at Shino and the pair nodded. She initiated her byakugan while Shino released a bug jutsu, both scanning the surrounding area. "I feel it too," Hinata cautioned. "…but I don't see anything."
Shikamaru looked at the Hyuga, knowing her sight had only gotten better after the war. It was rumoured that she kept honing her craft, knowing that she would one day be the wife of a Hokage. "Nothing." Murmured Shino, as several tiny black bugs crawled on to his extended finger.
Temari hesitated, what was she not sensing? "We can keep moving, but not for much farther, we will hit dessert soon and not even I can survive that at night without proper equipment."
"There are some caves in the mountains before we hit the dessert, we can head to one and make camp in there. If there is something out there, at least we have our backs covered." Shikamaru commanded.
"Hai!" Everyone replied.
"Lets go before this gets troublesome…" He complained as he started for the next branch. It was before his foot came into contact with the 100 year old wood that, he too felt something. Something is definetly off.
The group had travelled for several more hours, well into the night and well into exhaustion.
Oh thank gods! Sakura thought as they reached a cave big enough to accommodate the whole crew.
"We camp here tonight, two people on watch." Shikamaru led.
"Two people?" Temari questioned.
"Two people. I don't want to be caught off guard." He replied
"Off guard by what? The weird one said something weird, so what?" she ushered towards Sai.
"So did the future wife of the future Hokage." Shino Challenged.
"Tsk…" Temari grunted.
"I felt it too, Tem." Shikamaru uttered, closing his hand around hers.
She faced him, looking into his brown eyes. "Okay." She breathed, squeezing his hand in response.
"I can take first watch." Sakura volunteered.
"I'll join you!" Hinata smiled.
"We will go in three hour increments and then switch out. Everyone else try and get some rest." Temari commanded.
As the other started setting up their sleeping bags, Sakura took out a protein ball she had prepped for the road. It had her favourite Konaha sourced ingredients: dates, cashews, dark chocolate, peanut butter, and puffed rice. The perfect snack for travelling. She took out the mini bento, remembering that Choji had given it to her for her promotion last year. "For when you need a snack at work!" she remembered him saying. The bento was a dark, forest green. On it, was hand painted branches with intricately painted tigers crawling around it. I didn't want to get you something with flowers on it because I wanted to make it extra special. Plus, tigers are fierce, just like you he had smiled while explaining the choice of design. I'm going to miss his kindess.
Hinata stared at the pink kinochi, how brave she thought. Turning her attention back onto the canyon she scanned the surrounding area. She had to release her byakugan not long before they reached the cave, as her eyes were beginning to strain.
"You want one?" Sakura asked, passing her the container.
"Mh, thank you." The purple haired nin replied as she took a bite of the ball.
They sat in silence for the rest of their shift, no words were needed as both friends enjoyed the company of each other for the little time that they had.
Dear Dobe,
Nothing weird happening. What's exactly going on out there?
Also don't lecture me about Sakura. It was time for her to let me go. I cant give her what she deserves, you know that…she knows that. There was no other way. She needed to be cut off.
You know I will love her...always. It was time.
I will keep you updated if anything happens around these parts.
- S