Disclaimer: I don't own naruto or any of its characters as they are the property of Masashi Kishimoto.
The author of the cover image is
indy-riquez from DeviantArt. You can check the link for the original image in my profile.

Chapter 17: Intermission In The Sand

-Sunagakure no Sato-

Sunagakure was a large village in the middle of the dessert. It was surrounded by tall cliffs made of rock that left only a single passage to get in and out. The buildings were made of clay, and the streets were covered in sand. The villagers used long robes to cover the heat from the environment and some even used turbans. But aside from all that, the village was just as busy as any other of the great ninja nations. And right now, there was a large group of people gathering at the sole entrance after someone spotted their Konoha allies coming from the horizon.

As soon as teams Kakashi and Gai entered Sunagakure, they were swarmed by Shinobi and civilians alike, hoping to see their Kazekage safe and sound.

''Is Kazekage-Sama safe!?'' ''Gaara-Sama, are you hurt!?'' ''He is just sleeping, right!?''' Shouted the crowd as they surrounded the group.

Naruto, Sakura, Kurotsuchi, and the younger members from Team Gai felt overwhelmed by their welcome as the people tried to reach out to the unconscious Gaara in Lee's arms. Meanwhile, Kakashi, Gai, Yugao, and Chiyo were calm and collected despite the state of unrest of the people surrounding them.

''Get out of the way, all of you!'' Shouted a man as he came pushing through the crowd, and his order was enough to make his fellow Suna citizens calm themselves. The man was wearing the standard Suna uniform, which was very similar to the one Konoha used, except that the flak jacket was beige and had shoulder pads. The man had almost all his head covered by a turban and only left visible the right side of his face, and the only distinctive features he had were two red markings on his cheek.

Once the man reached Kakashi and company, he didn't waste any time to ask about the situation. ''So, how did it go?'' Inquired the anxious man at the copy ninja.

Once the man appeared, Kurotsuchi noticed Yugao narrowing her eyes in a glare directed towards him. The tomboy could tell that the ANBU was doing an effort to keep herself from acting out. The Iwa Kunoichi raised an eyebrow and wondered what the deal was between Yugao and the Suna ninja.

''The mission was a success, Baki-San. I'll give you the details later as tending to Gaara is more important right now.'' Informed Kakashi. But before the conversation could go on, they were interrupted by someone else.

''Gaara!''

Everyone present turned to look at a young woman rushing towards them in a hurry. She was a blonde girl with four ponytails and teal-colored eyes. She was wearing a black kimono with short sleeves and had a giant metal fan strapped to her back.

''How is Gaara!? Is my little brother safe?!'' The worried woman urged to know.

''You have nothing to worry about, Temari-San. Gaara is safe.'' Affirmed Kakashi calmly.

Lee decided to reassure the girl and stepped towards her with Gaara still in his arms to let the worried blonde examine her youngest sibling.

Both Temari and Baki gave a sigh of relief when they noted that Gaara was just unconscious and very much alive.

''Thank goodness.'' Muttered Temari in relief as she gripped Gaara's shoulder tightly.

''Temari, please take Gaara-Sama to the hospital. He seems unharmed but we can't take any chances.'' Said the turban-wearing Jounin.

Temari nodded in understanding, and gently took Gaara from Lee's arms.

''I'll go with Temari. I'm the one who treated Gaara first, they might ask for my diagnosis at the hospital.'' Said Sakura.

''Good thinking.'' Kakashi agreed with his female student.

''Thanks, Sakura.'' Said Temari with a small smile before both girls rushed towards Suna's main hospital.

As they all watched Temari and Sakura go, Kakashi decided to add another thing. ''Also we have something else.'' Said the copy ninja as he stepped aside to let Gai come forward.

The self-proclaimed green beast of Konoha came over to Baki with a serious face as he carried the still bound Deidara. ''We managed to apprehend the one responsible for the Kazekage's capture.'' Said Gai as he presented the mad bomber, and with one arm extended, he held the blond man by his cloak.

Deidara looked insulted and outraged at being handled in such an indelicate manner and he started twisting in rage.

Baki narrowed his eyes at the seized terrorist and swiftly turned to some ANBU among the crowd. ''You there! Put this scum in a cell and leave him there to rot. Once Gaara-Sama has woken up, we'll let him decide the fate of this trash.'' Said Baki with contempt.

The ANBU nodded and snatched Deidara from Gai, and went away with the bomber squirming all the way.

Once that was done, Baki regarded Kakashi and his team once more. ''Our words can't express our gratitude, Kakashi-San. Suna will be forever in your debt.'' Said Baki with cordiality.

''No need for that, we are glad to help our allies in need.'' Said Kakashi.

''That's right! There is no way we would let such unyouthful actions go unpunished!'' Declared Gai with a raised fist and a gleaming smile.

''Gaara is my friend! I would gladly help him again in a heartbeat if need be!'' Replied Naruto with resolution, which made his young friends from team Gai nod in agreement.

''Happy to hear it.'' Said Baki with a grateful smile to his allies for their helpful disposition. But upon noticing Kurotsuchi, his face became one of perplexity. ''I don't mean to be rude, but why is there an Iwa Kunoichi accompanying you?'' Asked the man as he continued to stare at the girl.

Kurotsuchi crossed her arms in irritation. Everyone kept asking the same thing and it was getting old.

''They can tell you later. We are done with the mission, and frankly, I would like nothing more than to get a well-deserved rest for these old bones.'' Interrupted Chiyo with an impatient frown. She was still not in a good mood from her fight with Sasori and she would rather go already to relax or find a way to clear her mind.

''O-of course, Chiyo-Baasama.'' Said Baki with utmost respect to the elder.

After they saw Chiyo leave the group, Baki turned again to the team. ''I think Chiyo-Baasama has the right idea. Why don't you guys stay for a little while? At least until tomorrow to let you guys catch your breath. It's the least we could do to show our appreciation.'' Suggested Baki amicably.

Gai gave a reassuring smile before he politely attempted to turn down the offer. ''Thanks for the gesture, it is very much appreciated. But I think we should be..''

''Actually, that sounds like a really good idea. Thank you, Baki-San. I hope it's not a bother.'' Kakashi interrupted Gai, which earned him more than a few odd looks and raised eyebrows from his group. Except for Yugao, who looked openly displeased at Kakashi's acceptance.

''It won't be a problem at all. We'll send a message to the Hokage, informing her of the situation to put her worries at ease. Besides, I think that Gaara-Sama will want to thank you in person if he manages to wake up before you go. Please, come this way.'' Said Baki before turning around and started walking towards the Kazekage Tower with Teams Kakashi and Gai right behind him. The tower was easy to distinguish from the rest since the top was round with the Kanji for 'Wind' carved at the front of said orb.

As they walked, Naruto noticed that Kurotsuchi seemed anxious, so he closed the distance between them to see what was worrying her. ''Hey Kurotsuchi, what's up?'' Asked Naruto cheerfully.

''I'm just really uncomfortable walking around Suna.'' Said the girl as she glanced around her warily.

''What's wrong with being in Suna?'' Asked an oblivious Naruto.

''Don't you know? Suna hates Iwa just as much as Konoha does, that's what up.'' Replied the tomboy, a little more brusquely than she intended.

Naruto widened his eyes in realization before he tried to make the girl stop worrying so much. ''I didn't know. But don't you worry, Gaara is the Kazekage and he would not let anything happen to you, and I wouldn't let them do anything either!'' Declared the blond.

''Naruto-Kun speaks the truth! Gaara-San would never allow any harm to befall his allies!'' Added Lee with confidence. He knew that Gaara was a far cry from the unstable individual he had been when he was younger. And even if he wasn't that familiar with the red head, he had full confidence that they could depend on him.

''Not to mention, that you just helped rescue him. I doubt that he will forget about it.'' Said Tenten. She briefly considered asking Neji to say his opinion on the matter but she refrained from it; the Hyuga had been acting colder than usual when Kurotsuchi was involved, so she guessed that it was for the best to keep him from giving input when the Iwa Kunoichi was concerned.

Kurotsuchi sighed in resignation. ''You guys are probably right. Still, I don't know why we have to stay for a day, maybe even more.'' Complained the pink-eyed girl.

''Beats me. I'm glad that I can have a chance to talk to Gaara but I didn't expect Kakashi-Sensei to agree to stay.'' Said Naruto. Usually, whenever they completed a mission, they went on their way as soon as they could.

As the teenagers talked among themselves, the adult members of the group were also conversing.

''Kakashi, I don't really have a problem with accepting Suna's hospitality, but I thought that you would have agreed that reporting our progress to the Hokage as soon as possible would be the best thing to do.'' Said Gai to the cyclops, with unusual seriousness.

''I agree with Gai. This is unlike you, Kakashi-Senpai.'' Said Yugao, obviously unhappy at the turn of events. She didn't have a problem being in Suna per se, but she couldn't stand being around Baki. After her boyfriend, Hayate, had been assassinated during the Oto-Suna invasion, she did some digging, and she found out that Hayate had been tailing Baki, as he had suspected something was off. Shortly after, he had been found dead with deep cuts on his torso as the cause of death, likely made by a wind Jutsu. When Yugao found out that Baki could use a wind sword, it was pretty obvious what had happened. They might be allies now, but she would never forgive Baki for taking away her lover.

Kakashi looked at both of them with an apologetic look in his lone visible eye. ''I'm sorry guys. I didn't mention it earlier, but I'm not feeling too good right now.'' Replied the copy ninja, and now that both Gai and Yugao paid close attention to Kakashi, they noticed that he was sweating more than he should have, and had a worn look in his eye. ''The Jutsu I used earlier to incapacitate the Akatsuki drains my Chakra tremendously. I was trying to keep up appearances for the sake of the mission but I had a lot of trouble just getting here to Suna. Had we gone back to Konoha immediately, I would not have lasted the trip and would just have ended up becoming a burden for everyone. I really do need the rest.'' Admitted Kakashi, now finally letting his fatigue show, and they could hear the exhaustion in his voice. He thankfully never had to use Kamui more than once in the mission, if he had, he would probably have ended up incapacitated for weeks due to extreme Chakra exhaustion.

Now, both Gai and Yugao looked at the Sharingan user in understanding.

''You should have told us earlier, you could have ended up pushing your body beyond its limits. Don't go around taking such risks.'' Yugao reprimanded the copy ninja.

''You are always trying to look cool in front of everyone else. Some of these days you'll end up really hurting yourself for real.'' Said Gai.

''I'm really sorry. I thought I could handle it.'' Responded Kakashi as he scratched the back of his head apologetically, as they all continued their walk.

Before long, they all reached the Kazekage Tower and were currently entering the office of Suna's leader.

As they all went in, Kurotsuchi took note of the look of the place, as she had never expected to be there in her life. The place wasn't that spacious, about the same size as the Hokage's office. There were round windows all around the office and the Kazekage's desk was all the way to the front of the room, and beside it was a potted plant. The desk had all kinds of books, scrolls, and documents on top of it, along with a small pot with a cactus. Kurotsuchi noted that everything on the desk seemed to be carefully organized, unlike Tsunade's office.

As they all walked to the center of the room, Baki proceeded to close the door behind them.

''I'm glad that you took my invitation to stay as I'd really like to show our gratitude for what you did.'' Said Baki, as he went behind the Kazekage's desk but he didn't sit on the chair. He was just covering for Gaara while he was away and didn't feel comfortable taking the seat as if he was the Kazekage.

''I thought that we could all use a little rest. The mission was a bit rough, to say the least.'' Said Kakashi nonchalantly.

''I can only imagine.'' Replied the Suna Jounin. ''I'll check some of our finest hotels. I can personally go and find you some place to stay for the night.''

''That won't be necessary.'' Interrupted a young man that suddenly entered the office. He was wearing an all-black baggy bodysuit with a matching black hood that had cat-like ears which covered his hair completely. The young man was also wearing purple face paint and had three scrolls strapped to his back. ''They can stay here in the Kazekage Tower. We have lots of space and enough guest rooms. I'm sure that Temari and Gaara will be fine with it.''

''Hey, if it isn't Kankuro-San, long time no see!'' Said Lee with a smile, glad to see the puppeteer again.

''Hey there.'' Said Kankuro with a small grin of his own.

''Kankuro, shouldn't you still be resting?'' Asked Baki with concern.

''I'm feeling better already, and I wanted to come and thank Naruto and the rest for saving Gaara.'' Explained the painted man.

''I see. So you already saw Gaara?'' Inquired the turban-wearing Shinobi.

''I did. I was getting discharged from the hospital when Temari and Sakura arrived with him. I stayed a little bit to ensure that everything was Okay. In fact, Gaara didn't take long to wake up after that. Last I saw him, he was being prohibited by the nurses to leave the hospital. I suspect that they won't be able to keep him down for long.'' Said Kankuro with an amused grin. He knew that Gaara could be stubborn sometimes. He would no doubt try to be up as soon as he could to get back to work, and thank Naruto and company while at it.

''So Gaara already woke up?!'' Asked an eager Naruto.

''Yea. He should come here soon. I'm sure that he will want to properly thank all of you for your help.'' Said Kankuro. ''And speaking of which, I'm glad to see that you improved in your years of training, Naruto. You may not be much of a runt anymore after all.'' Teased Kankuro good-naturedly.

''Of course, I have! We all have! Everyone did their absolute best.'' Boasted Naruto with pride.

''I know and I'm happy to see all of you again.'' Replied Kankuro with a smile as he also looked at Team Gai. However, his smile disappeared and a look of surprise took its place once he spotted Kurotsuchi among them. ''I don't think I've met you before.'' Said Kankuro as he regarded the tomboy.

''No, you haven't'' Said Kurotsuchi plainly, but she noticed that she was coming off as rude and that would not go well while she was there, especially under Konoha's supervision. So she decided to properly introduce herself. ''I'm Kurotsuchi, happy to make your acquittance.'' Said the girl out of obligation.

''Same here.'' Replied Kankuro, still not sure what to make of the girl's presence. ''I didn't know that Konoha and Iwa relationships had improved.'' Added the puppeteer.

''It's unfortunate and sad to say, but they haven't. A series of unusual circumstances are responsible for young Kurotsuchi's presence here, which is out of the norm. But I can attest that she is a good kid.'' Assured Gai with a thumbs up.

Neji snorted incredulously at his sensei's declaration, which earned him a glare from Tenten, warning him from starting a scene.

''O-kay...'' Said Kankuro. Team Gai's contradictory reactions did little to relieve his doubts.

''I hope that Kurotsuchi accompanying us is not a problem?'' Asked Kakashi serenely.

Kankuro didn't know what to say. Since Gai's team didn't exactly give him a sure answer, he turned to someone he knew he could trust. ''Naruto, do you vouch for her?'' Asked Kankuro.

Naruto looked at Kankuro with a wide grin. ''Of course, she can be trusted, she is my friend! In fact, if it wasn't for her help we might not have been able to get to Gaara in time.'' Declared the blond.

Kankuro stared at the blond for a moment longer before he broke a grin. If the guy that managed to turn Gaara from a homicidal maniac to a responsible, caring leader and sibling, then in Kankuro's opinion there was nothing to worry about. In his book, there was no better judge of character than Naruto. ''Then I have no complaints. She can stay.''

Kurotsuchi felt like she could count her blessings. It seemed that every single person they came across that was even marginally important held Naruto in high esteem.

''Then it's settled.'' Said Baki as he clasped his hands behind his back. ''I'll show you to your rooms for the day. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to let us know.''

''Actually, I have a request.'' Said Kurotsuchi, which caught everyone's attention.

Everyone could only stare at the Iwa Kunoichi with puzzled expressions, which made Kurotsuchi start to feel uncomfortable once again, but at this point, that ought to be her default mood.

''What is it that you want, then?'' Asked Baki with a raised eyebrow.

Kurotsuchi did her best to ignore everyone's gaze and proceeded with her request. ''I can understand if you can't comply, but there is someone I wanted to talk to.''

-Suna's T&I Cells-

Deidara was laying on a bed in his, cell looking at the ceiling. He didn't have his Akatsuki cloak anymore which left him with his Gray shirt. And his arms were now little more than bandaged stumps of flesh. He had nothing more to do but wait until he was given his sentence, which no doubt wouldn't be pretty. So all in all, things weren't going his way, to say the least.

The mad bomber felt someone approaching his cell, so he turned his head to the side to see an ANBU standing at the other side of the bars of his door.

''Get up, scum. Someone is here to see you.'' Said the ANBU before stepping aside to let Kurotsuchi walk up to the door. ''I'll be in the other room should you need me.'' Said the ANBU to Kurotsuchi before leaving her with the Akatsuki member.

Deidara's blank face turned into one of amusement when he saw the pink-eyed girl. ''Ahh, Kurotsuchi-Chan. What an honor to see you taking your time to visit little old me. Did your Konoha and Suna masters reward you like the good dog you are?'' Said the blond mockingly.

However, unlike last time, Kurotsuchi remained calm in the face of his insults. ''I'm not falling for your taunts anymore, Deidara-nii. And this might be the last decent conversation you'll ever get to have in what remains of your life, so I suggest you to not let it go to waste.'' Said the girl with a glare.

Deidara's snide grin was erased from his face; she did have a point. And besides, tormenting her wasn't as fun if she was going to remain cool. ''Fine, what do you want? Why did you even come here anyway?'' Asked the man.

Kurotsuchi wasn't even sure of that herself. Deidara used to be a huge influence on her life when she was little and she supposed that this was the perfect time to say farewell to the bastard and close that chapter of her life once and for all. ''I guess I wanted to see if you had something to say since you'll probably die soon.''

''If I'm lucky, un.'' Added Deidara plainly.

''If you're lucky.'' Repeated Kurotsuchi. At least Deidara understood just how deep was the trouble he was in. Even he realized that a swift execution was the best he could hope for. ''You know, for an asshole that is about to be torn apart piece by piece, you sure don't seem all that bothered by it.'' Noted the girl.

Deidara just shrugged at the girl's observation. ''I always knew I was going to end up dead since the day I left Iwa. My only regret is not dying in a glorious and flashy manner, un.'' Preferably in a huge explosion that could be seen for miles around as he took his enemies with him, but one couldn't have everything in life he supposed.

''Well at least he still got some Iwa pride in him after all.'' Thought the tomboy. Most Iwa Shinobi didn't fear death in itself, what they feared was dying without honor, without a cause, or purpose. So it wasn't that surprising really that Deidara had come to terms with his eventual demise. ''Why did you leave us, then? If you knew you were going to end up this miserable I can't understand your motives.'' Asked the girl solemnly.

Deidara snorted at the girl's question. ''What is it with that question? Is this supposed to be the part when I'm at the end of my rope and I finally realize all my past wrong doings and regret my betrayal and all that shit? Sorry to burst your bubble, Kurotsuchi-Chan; but if that's what you want from me, you'll be seriously disappointed, un'' Remarked the terrorist.

The tomboy frowned at the crazy blond. ''That's not it at all. I'm genuinely curious. At one point you were even being considered as gramp's successor. I don't see how could you even think of betraying us despite having the possibility of being the next Tsuchikage.'' Said the girl in distaste.

Deidara rolled his eyes at that. ''Bah! I never once cared for the position of Tsuchikage. All I ever wanted was to show the world my art. And the best way to do that was just within my reach: The village's secret Kinjutsu. I only needed that to become the greatest artist the world had ever seen! If I had to break the law and make the whole village my enemy, then so be it. I would have destroyed anything that got in the way of me and my art, be it Iwa or any other village!'' Said the agitated man, almost in a yell.

Kurotsuchi could only look at him in disgust. She didn't know why she had even bothered to ask him. Like if a deranged maniac like him could have had any deeper motives. ''So much good that did you. Just look at your pathetic state, Deidara-nii. I can only pity you.'' He went through so much trouble just to torment the world with his clay figures and now he didn't even have any arms to use them. ''You threw your whole life away for a Kinjutsu that you can't even use anymore. Tell me, Deidara-nii, was it worth it?'' Asked the girl judgmentally.

Deidara was already fuming at the remainder of his failure. ''At least I'll die and that's it, I will be out of my misery. Meanwhile, you keep being Konoha's bitch. I find that to be a more sad existence than my own, un.'' the bomber shot back.

''And you aren't someone else's bitch?'' Replied Kurotsuchi with a mocking expression. ''You do the Akatsuki's bidding when it's clear that they don't give a shit about you. They are the reason you are in this mess in the first place. But what can you expect to happen when they send you to capture Jinchuuriki with only two men?''

''What? Are you angry that we are hunting your boyfriend?'' Said Deidara in an attempt to make her angry. ''You know, I was just joking before when I said back there in the Land of Rivers that you were the Kyuubi's buddy. I was just trying to rile you up, but to actually see that I was right it's just priceless! when is the wedding? Are you having little demon babies with the moron?!''

Now it was Kurotsuchi's turn to roll her eyes at the remarks. ''You really are an idiot. You got it all wrong, dipshit. It's true that I get along with Naruto, but that's about it. So you can take your brilliant deductions and shove them up your ass.''

''Oh, so it's 'Naruto' now? How cute, you are already calling each other by first names!'' Said the mad bomber with a derisive smirk. Kurotsuchi could deny it all she wanted, even to herself, but he saw how she looked at the idiot and he knew that she was starting to feel something for the Jinchuuriki. Deidara wasn't stupid, he knew all too well that the kind of face that she looked at the Kyuubi with was very similar to the one she used to give him when she was little. He always knew of the crush she used to have on him long ago, it was pretty difficult not to notice it actually when she kept herself plastered to him all the time that he had had barely room to breath sometimes.

''Now you are just rambling like the lunatic you are.'' Said Kurotsuchi with a sigh. This had been such a waste of time. ''Farewell, Deidara-nii. I hope you enjoy your stay in Suna. you twisted son of a bitch.'' Said the girl as she turned to leave.

However, Deidara continued his tirade. ''Me? Twisted? Funny coming from you, Kurotsuchi-Chan. I would have thought that you would have wanted the Kyuubi dead, considering who he is and all. I guess you are just as twisted as me.'' Said the mad bomber. The idea of someone falling in love with the son of their mother's killer was fucked up, even for someone like Deidara.

Kurotsuchi stopped momentarily to look back at Deidara after that statement. ''What do you mean by that?'' Asked the tomboy.

''You know what I mean by that.'' Said Deidara, still keeping his sly smirk as he looked at Kurotsuchi. However, the Iwa Kunoichi just kept looking at him with a blank expression and a raised eyebrow in wonder. Deidara's grin banished and his expression mirrored Kurotsuchi's puzzled look. Her reaction wasn't what he had been expecting. If he didn't know any better he would even say that she didn't know who was the father of the blond Jinchuuriki...Oh, no way! She really didn't know!

Kurotsuchi became more and more confused once Deidara started to laugh. He started with a low snicker until he eventually was full on shrieking with laughter. ''What's so funny, dumbass?!'' The girl demanded to know.

Deidara just ignored her as he continued to laugh mindlessly. This was just golden! The little idiot was developing feelings for the yellow flash's son and she didn't even know it! This was too good! After a couple of minutes, Deidara finally calmed himself enough to start talking again. ''You don't know who he is, don't you?'' Asked the mad bomber with a derogatory grin.

Kurotsuchi frowned at Deidara's weird behavior. ''He is the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. What else would I need to know?''

Deidara's smirk got even wider. ''So, Ohnoki never told you the real reason he sent you to capture him in the first place? And I'm not talking about him being a Jinchuuriki, he had stronger incentives.''

Kurotsuchi didn't know what to think about that. Better reasons to capture Naruto than him being a Jinchuuriki? She doubted that. ''Now you are just talking nonsense. There is literally nothing remarkable about Naruto aside from him being the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.''

''Well, I'll have you know that the moron is actually the...'' Deidara stopped himself before he could finish. Now that he thought about it, it would be better to let the stupid girl realize it by herself. If she continued getting closer to the Kyuubi, it would only devastate her even more when she eventually learned the truth about the Jinchuuriki. And she would have to learn it at one point, those kinds of secrets never stayed buried. ''You know what? Never mind, forget I said anything.'' Replied the bomber with a sadistic grin.

''You were about to say something. What was it?'' Insisted the tomboy with narrowed eyes.

''You'll find out soon enough.'' Said Deidara with finality.

Kurotsuchi stared at Deidara silently for a moment, until she realized that the Akatsuki member wasn't going to elaborate. ''As I thought. He is just rambling like a madman. He knows nothing.'' Concluded the girl with an annoyed huff. ''See ya, Deidara-nii. And good riddance.'' Finished Kurotsuchi as she finally left the room with a still grinning Deidara in it.

''well that was unpleasant. At least I won't ever see his aggravating face again.'' Thought Kurotsuchi as she entered the other room where a Suna ANBU was already expecting her.

''You done?'' Asked the man.

''Yea. I have nothing more to say to that asshole.'' Responded the pink-eyed girl.

The ANBU nodded in understanding. ''Good. Someone is already waiting for you outside to escort you back.''

''Fine, lead the way.'' Answered Kurotsuchi as she started following the ANBU. Even if she had been accepted to join Naruto and company in their stay in Suna, since she was a foreigner- And from an enemy nation at that- She had to be kept under watch at all times, if only for everyone else's peace of mind. And that included being escorted everywhere by someone, preferably by one of her group.

-Sunagakure's streets-

Once the ANBU took Kurotsuchi outside the building, the girl was surprised to see Neji leaned on a wall waiting for her. She would have guessed that if anyone was going to be escorting her back to the Kazekage tower, it would have been either Yugao or Naruto, Heck maybe even Kakashi or Gai, but not the guy that liked her the least from the bunch.

''Hyuga, what are you doing here?'' Asked Kurotsuchi with skepticism.

''I was waiting for you to take you back, obviously.'' Responded Neji in a matter-of-fact way as he crossed his arms.

''I know that, smartass. I mean, why you?'' Said the girl with a harsh look.

''Does it matter? I was asked to come for you and here I am, so get a move on already.'' Responded Neji with impatience.

Kurotsuchi glared at the Hyuga for his condescending attitude, but she complied nonetheless. ''Fine. let's get going.'' Even if she didn't enjoy Neji's company, there was nothing to be done about it, and the sooner this was over the better.

And with all that said, both teenagers went on their way, with Neji leading the way as Kurotsuchi followed.

As they walked, Kurotsuchi noticed that they were getting plenty of attention from the civilians around them, as was expected, but by now, Kurotsuchi was so used to getting those kinds of stares in Konoha that she did not pay them much mind here.

Instead, the tomboy's thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation she had with Deidara. She had a feeling that whatever the mad bomber was about to say regarding Naruto, was something big and significant. She would like to think that he was just trying to screw with her, but she couldn't help but have a nagging suspicion that he really refrained from telling her something important. But even if Deidara was right and there was something else about Naruto, then what could it be? Something more important than him being the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and the real reason for the mission assigned to her and her team? It just seemed extremely unlikely. She couldn't think of anything about Naruto that would even remotely make him a high priority target if it wasn't for his Biju. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like Deidara was just trying to get under her skin, and in a sense, he did succeed. ''So much for not letting myself fall for the bastard's taunts.'' the girl berated herself mentally.

When Neji suddenly came to a stop, Kurotsuchi noticed that they somehow ended up in an alleyway. She couldn't see anyone else close by besides the two of them. She had been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she hadn't been paying attention to where they were going.

Kurotsuchi glared at the back of the Hyuga in front of her, and her body tensed in preparation for a battle. ''What's wrong, Hyuga? Did you get lost on the way?'' She wouldn't put it past him to get her somewhere isolated from everyone else, just so he could get rid of her.

''You don't have to worry about a sneak attack, Iwa.'' Said Neji before he turned to face her with a cold look in his white eyes. ''I didn't bring you here to fight. I just thought that it was a good opportunity to get some things straight with you.''

''To get things straight with me? Oh, I wonder what could be so important that you needed to bring me here all by myself.'' Replied Kurotsuchi with suspicion, and still kept her guard up. She didn't trust the Hyuga. He had despised her since they met and for some reason his hatred towards her seemed to only have been getting stronger lately.

Neji's look got even harsher at her attitude. ''This goes without saying, but I don't like you. And somehow, you managed to get everyone else on the team to at least not see you as a threat for the time being.'' And some of the most trusting of them, like Naruto and Lee, considered her a comrade.

''And what is this all about then exactly, uh? Are you throwing a fit just because some of your friends like me? Are you annoyed that they might like me better than you or something? Well, with that stuck up attitude of yours I can't blame them.'' Kurotsuchi shot back.

''The problem is that they don't realize that you are a threat to us and to the village. But you can't fool me, my eyes don't miss anything.'' Said Neji with a glare.

''Maybe because they are not a bunch of paranoid fucks like you are? I have never done anything to endanger any of you since I was put under Konoha's custody.'' Said Kurotsuchi with exasperation.

Neji narrowed his eyes at her as if he was insulted by her statement. ''Don't play dumb with me. I know what you almost did back in the Land of Rivers.''

''What are you even talking abo...'' Kurotsuchi didn't finish her sentence as she widened her eyes in panic. She now realized what the Hyuga was referring to. ''Oh crap, he knows!''

Neji smiled victoriously at her reaction, seeing her realize that she screwed up was so satisfying. ''That's right. Back then, when we were on the mission, I wasn't just paying attention to the tags keeping the barrier sealed, I was also keeping an eye on you in case you tried anything sneaky. I saw how you were about to attack Yugao-San from the back while she had her guard down.'' Accused Neji with a dangerously low and cold tone of voice.

Damn it! Kurotsuchi didn't consider that the Hyuga was going to be watching her with that Byakugan of his while she was debating on her escape. But despite being caught, she tried to feign ignorance. She quickly put on a neutral expression, trying to mask her previous surprise. ''I don't know what you are talking about. You must be imagining things, Hyuga.'' Said Kurotsuchi with as much confidence as she could muster.

''There is no use in denying it now, you already gave yourself away with your previous reaction.'' Said Neji.

''If you are so sure of what you saw, why didn't you say anything to the others, then?'' Asked the defiant girl.

''Back then, I was about to do it before you made your move, but for some reason, you never went trough with your actions, you probably realized the futility of it. But the point is, that you never did anything, and saying something that would make us fight among ourselves would have jeopardized the mission.'' Neji knew that without proof of the girl's attempt on the life of her ANBU guard, it would just become a matter of his word against hers. And in that situation, Naruto would back her up no doubt, and as sad as it was to admit it, the blond was much more persuasive than Neji was. It would just create a conflict that would go nowhere. Neji liked Naruto, he was one of his best friends; the blond was the one responsible for freeing Neji from his grudge against his own clan. But damn if Naruto didn't make things difficult sometimes.

''So you are not gonna do anything? I find that hard to believe.'' Said Kurotsuchi with a harsh look.

''I never said that. Now that I know for certain that you are dangerous to us, I'll be keeping a very close eye on you. You interact daily with some of my friends, Naruto especially. If I ever see you do anything to them or if you give me even just one reason to make me think that you would harm them in any way, I will personally end you, consequences be damned.'' Warned Neji with a serious face.

''Oh, I'm so scared.'' Said Kurotsuchi with sarcasm.

''You should be.'' Replied Neji, activating his Byakugan for emphasis.

After that, both teenagers stayed silent as they glared at each other spitefully. That continued that for a few minutes until Neji broke the silence.

''That's all I had to say. I suggest we go back, for real this time. Everyone is going to start wondering where we are.'' Suggested the Hyuga with his eyes still staring at the girl.

''You first.'' Said Kurotsuchi. She wasn't about to turn her back to the Hyuga anytime soon.

''hmph, as you wish.'' Replied Neji. And after shooting her one last glare, he walked out of the alleyway and back into Suna's streets with Kurotsuchi behind him, but this time, she was keeping more of a distance between them.

-Kazekage Tower-

Naruto was bored out of his mind. Team Gai had left earlier; Tenten opted for going shopping around Suna, Gai and Lee wanted to use this opportunity to try training under harsher climatic conditions so they too left to find a good training spot at the outskirts of the village, and gods knew what Neji and Kakashi were up to. And Sakura had yet to arrive from the Suna main hospital. So that left Naruto waiting alone at one of the guest rooms that was assigned to the members of his group. The only reason he didn't also leave the place was because he had been expecting Gaara to arrive soon and he was very eager to see his fellow Jinchuuriki.

A knock on the door caught the blond's attention, and shortly after, the door opened to show Sakura peeking through it.

''Naruto, are you here?'' Asked the pinkette as she entered the room and spotted the Jinchuuriki sitting on a couch.

''Sakura-Chan, you are back!'' Said Naruto as he stood up from the couch. ''How is Gaara?! Is he here?''

''He is fine. I, along with other nurses, determined that he just needs some rest. We would have wanted him to remain in the hospital for a little while just to make sure he recovered properly but he just wouldn't accept.'' Said the medic with a sigh. ''And yes, he is here. He went to talk to Baki-San.'' Finished the pink-haired girl just as Naruto rushed past her.

''Thank you for letting me know, Sakura-Chan!'' Shouted Naruto as he left and disappeared in the corridor.

Sakura was just left there staring at where Naruto ran off to. She had meant to ask him where everyone was and what room she would be staying in. She had already been informed that her group had taken Suna's hospitality and would be staying the night but she refrained from asking any more details. ''Damn it, Naruto! He didn't even give me a chance to ask him anything!'' Thought the frustrated Sakura.

Naruto rapidly traversed the corridors, turning corner after corner until he was almost at the Kazekage's office, and sure enough, he arrived just in time to catch Gaara exiting the office along with Kankuro and Temari. ''Gaara!'' Said Naruto with excitement when he saw the Kazekage and his two siblings.

At Naruto's call, Gaara turned around in surprise at the sudden yell, but he quickly put on a content smile when he saw his blond friend.

''Naruto, I was just about to go see you.'' Said the red-haired boy with cordiality just as Naruto stopped in front of him.

''He wanted to thank you guys as soon as possible. He ignored all the attempts from the doctors to keep him in bed.'' Said Temari with an amused grin.

''Told ya you weren't gonna be able to keep him from coming home as soon as he woke up.'' Replied Kankuro. Even if it was difficult to notice, Kankuro could tell that Gaara was very happy to have the Konoha teams here, especially Naruto.

''We were so worried when we found you unconscious with those Akatsuki bastards!'' Said Naruto. ''Are you alright? Are you feeling fine?'' Inquired the worried blond.

Gaara nodded, trying to calm his friend. ''I'll be fine. I feel very tired still, but the doctors say that I just need to take it easy for a few days.''

With that information in mind, this time, Naruto took notice of the red head's appearance. Gaara's skin was paler than usual, and he could swear that the black rings around his eyes looked more defined than normal, probably as a testament to Gaara's exhaustion.

''Are you sure? You don't look so good.'' Asked Naruto in doubt.

''I'm fine, really. I feel better than I look. Don't worry about it.'' Responded the Kazekage. He would have surely died if it wasn't for Naruto and his friends, and judging by what he heard, he had come really close to it; so all things considered he was as fine as he could be.

''If you say so.'' Said Naruto, deciding to drop the issue.

''Anyway, Gaara, you should take a couple of days off.'' Said Kankuro. ''Me, Temari, and Baki can do your duties while you properly recover.

''I agree with Kankuro.'' Said Temari. ''It is no problem for us.''

''I appreciate it.'' replied Gaara with a grateful smile. Normally, he would not neglect his job for anything, but he really felt awfully tired as much as he tried to mask it. Not to mention, that he wanted to have some time to talk to Naruto.

''Well, we have work to do. So we'll leave you two to catch up.'' Said Temari cheerfully. ''Come, Kankuro.''

''See ya guys later.'' Replied the puppeteer, and together with his sister, he went back into the Kazekage's office, leaving the two Jinchuuriki by themselves.

Naruto and Gaara stood facing each other for a moment, unsure of what to say.

''It's been such a long time since we had a moment to talk like this.'' Naruto broke the silence as he put his hands behind his head casually.

''It has. I haven't seen you since before you went on your training trip.'' Responded Gaara.

''I know. Ero-Sennin really takes his time with his training.'' Stated the blond.

''Maybe, but you must have improved greatly for it. To be sent in missions against the Akatsuki is proof of that.'' Praised Gaara.

''hehe, I sure have! My training was pretty tough.'' Boasted Naruto with squinted eyes and a smile. ''But I can't deny that I'm a bit envious. You became Kazekage while I was away! That's awesome! But just wait, I'll become Hokage myself before you know it!''

''I don't doubt it.'' Said Gaara encouragingly.

Naruto smiled brightly at hearing that Gaara believed in him. Normally, most people just laughed when he told them he was going to become Hokage.

''Naruto, why don't you accompany me to the roof? I would like some fresh air. You can tell me about your training trip on the way.'' Suggested the red head. Not to mention that they would have more privacy there.

''Of course, Gaara. I have a lot of things to talk about!'' Replied the excited Genin.

As they walked towards their destination, Gaara heard attentively the stories that his fellow Jinchuuriki had to tell him, glad to finally spend some time with the person he considered his best friend.

When Kurotsuchi finally arrived at her room in the Kazekage tower, she practically threw herself at the sofa with a tired sigh.'' what a day this has been.'' Thought the tomboy as she laid there looking at the ceiling. She wasn't physically tired, but mentally she was pretty stressed. Her conversation with Deidara had already been stressful enough, and after that, her confrontation with Neji didn't help either and that only served to make the walk back even more awkward in the company of the Hyuga.

There was a knock on the door, and for a moment, Kurotsuchi hoped that Naruto had come to hang out. It would have been a decent way to pass the time she supposed.

That was not to be, however, since, after a moment, Kakashi came in instead.

''Hi there.'' Said the Sharingan user amicably.

Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow at the man, wondering what he was doing there. This wasn't the room assigned to the copy ninja.

''Hatake? What are you doing here?'' Questioned the Iwa Kunoichi.

Kakashi shrugged casually in response. ''Yugao asked me to keep you company. She said that she had things to do.'' That was basically a polite way of saying that he was going to be keeping an eye on her while the purple-haired ANBU was away. He was still recovering from his Chakra exhaustion, but he could make the girl some company at the very least. He very much doubted she would try anything, she had proved to be trustworthy so far.

''Is that so?'' Asked Kurotsuchi as she sat upright on the sofa. ''And speaking of which, where is she? I haven't seen her all day.''

''She is just preoccupied. Don't stress over it.'' Said Kakashi as he sat in a nearby chair that was beside a coffee table. Yugao would much rather avoid being close to Baki if she could help it, so she asked Kakashi to do her a favor and check on Kurotsuchi while she wasn't there.

''And when is she coming back?'' Questioned the girl, finding suspicious that someone as dutiful as Yugao was disregarding her job of watching her.

''If I had to guess, I'd say until evening.'' Said the copy ninja. Yugao would probably be back once Baki went home, and that would only happen once the Kazekage office closed. Luckily, it shouldn't take that long since the sunset could already be seen. ''So for the time being, we'll just have to enjoy each other's company.'' Said the cyclops with his trademark eye-smile before he pulled one of his icha icha books and started reading it.

Kurotsuchi groaned once she saw Kakashi begin to read his smut. ''Why do you have to do that in public?! Don't you care about what people might say if they saw the famous copy ninja Kakashi reading that shit? You'll just end up tarnishing your reputation.'' Said Kurotsuchi with disgust.

''Meh. I don't really care about that. I never asked for my reputation. It was everyone else who cared more about it, honestly.'' Replied the Sharingan user as he flipped one of the pages of his book. He had used to care about it long ago, but after experiencing the kind of loses that he had, he eventually learned that those kinds of things were meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Now he would just rather enjoy life and not worry about stuff like titles or fame.

Kurotsuchi was astounded. Was this guy for real?! She would kill, literally, for having her name as renowned and feared as Sharingan Kakashi. She could not even begin to comprehend how the man took something like that so lightly.

''Still, I don't know how you can like that garbage.'' Said the girl with a grimace as she pointed to the book.

''Don't let yourself be fooled by the genre, the book it's good. It has more than just mindless sex, you know?'' Said Kakashi calmly as he continued to read.

Kurotsuchi snorted incredulously at the statement. ''Yea right.''

''Why don't you try it and see for yourself, then?'' Suggested the copy ninja in a friendly manner.

Kurotsuchi almost looked offended for even suggesting it. ''I wouldn't be caught dead reading that shit.''

''Come on, You can start from the first one to get the whole story. Just give it a read, it won't hurt you.'' Said Kakashi as he pulled a second book from his vest, but this one was colored orange instead of the green one he had already been reading. ''I'll even lend you my personal copy.''

''Why are you carrying that? You already read that one, didn't you? So what's the point?'' Inquired Kurotsuchi.

''No particular reason.'' Answered Kakashi calmly. ''So what do you say? Accept my offer?''

''Don't want it.'' Replied the girl as she crossed her arms and legs in refusal.

''Suit yourself.'' Said Kakashi smoothly. But shortly after that, the copy ninja stood up from his seat with his books still in had. ''Actually, I suddenly feel like stretching my legs. I think I'll go for a little walk.''

''Weren't you supposed to watching over me or something?'' Kurotsuchi pointed out, not caring at all in sugar coating it.

''I won't go far. I'll be in the corridor outside. But I'll leave this here, just in case you change your mind.'' Said Kakashi as he put the orange book on the coffee table.

Kurotsuchi looked at Kakashi with a deadpan expression. She wasn't going to fall for the man's obvious attempt to make her read that thing. ''Don't bother. I'm not touching that crap.''

''You can read it or not, it's your choice. I'll see you later.'' Finished the silver-haired Shinobi before giving her one last eye-smile and leaving her alone in the room.

Kurotsuchi sat in silence, glaring at the piece of literature on the table. As bored as she was, she wasn't about to degrade herself by reading erotica.

''The nerve of Kakashi for trying to make me read that filth.'' Thought the girl in annoyance. But the copy ninja did have a point, maybe she ought to read a small bit before disregarding it completely...She started shaking her head trying to get rid of such thoughts. ''I'm not reading that dirty book and that's final!'' Concluded Kurotsuchi with a huff, before she went back to staring at the book laying on the table...

-Roof of the Kazekage Tower-

Gaara and Naruto continued their chat in the balcony of the Kazekage Tower. Night had already fallen and Naruto was currently telling Gaara of the adventures of his past months.

''...And then I just barely had time to say goodbye to Kurotsuchi before I came to help you. And you probably know everything after that.'' Finished Naruto with a grin. Gaara had stayed silent through most of his tales, only nodding occasionally and giving a small comment here and there. But Naruto could tell that Gaara had listened to everything he said, as the red head had been very attentive.

''You really have been busy.'' Said Gaara. The Kazekage was somewhat impressed by the kind of things that Naruto managed to get himself into.

''I guess that's one way of looking at it.'' Added the blond sheepishly.

''However, this Kurotsuchi you keep mentioning, are you sure she is one to trust? You said she was the one who kidnapped you in the first place and tried to kill you, right?'' Inquired Gaara with crossed arms. He felt kind of hypocritical by judging the girl like that since he himself had tried to kill Naruto in the past. And as rough as the girl seemed to be, she couldn't possible be worse than Gaara had been when he was younger. But still, as a friend he couldn't help but worry about Naruto's security.

''Kurotsuchi? Of course we can trust her, she has been a good friend so far. And she also helped on the effort to get you back from those Akatsuki bastards. In fact, if she hadn't been there we might have failed the mission. She is just awesome, you don't have to worry about her.'' Naruto defended his Iwa friend with praise.

''I see.'' Replied Gaara. If Naruto felt so strongly that the girl could be trusted, Gaara could give her a chance too. ''You seem to be fond of her, despite not knowing her for that long.'' The Kazekage pointed out.

Naruto put on a thoughtful look at that. ''Well, I know she is a good person at heart. She just likes to make people think that she is cold. And between you and me, she kinda reminds me of Sasuke somewhat.'' Declared the blond.

''Of Sasuke?'' Asked a confused Gaara. ''How so?''

Naruto put a hand on his neck as he tried to find a way to properly convey his words. ''It's hard to explain. I just feel that they are alike in a lot of ways.'' Now that Naruto thought about it, both Sasuke and Kurotsuchi were prodigies that came from a respected family; they were both very competitive and despised the idea of anyone being better than them; they both hid their softer side with a mean attitude; and they were both prisoners of their hatred: Sasuke would give anything to get his revenge on his brother, and Kurotsuchi had lived all her life resenting Konoha for her mother's death. Naruto even felt that their characters were similar if Sasuke wasn't so stoic, Naruto had a feeling that the raven-haired boy would act similar to Kurotsuchi if only the Uchiha spoke his mind more often. ''And I feel this connection with her, similar to the bond I felt with Sasuke, but not quite the same.'' His relationship with Sasuke had been so strong because Naruto considered the Uchiha his best friend, and what he felt when he was around the girl was comparable, but at the same time it felt different. It really was a weird feeling.

Gaara was just as lost as his fellow Jinchuuriki. A connection that felt similar to the one he had with Sasuke, but different at the same time? Gaara had no clue what that meant, he himself wasn't very knowledgeable of personal relationships. Until just recently did Gaara start to make an effort to connect with people, so he was pretty inexperienced on these matters. ''How I see it, the most important thing is that you two get along. You'll eventually come to understand the connection you two have in due time.''

Naruto smiled thankfully at the Kazekage, grateful for his input. ''I guess you are right.''

-Inside the Kazekage tower-

''Don't be a fool, Himiko! That guy is obviously bad news, don't go with him!'' Thought Kurotsuchi as she flipped through yet another page of the orange book in her hands. Her curiosity had eventually gotten the best of her and she went over to the coffee table to read a little bit of the book Kakashi had left, but the more she read the more engrossed she became, and before she knew it, she was already several chapters in.

However, as soon as the tomboy heard the door to the room starting to open, she closed the book shut as fast as lightning and hurled it all the way across the room.

''I'm back, sorry for disappearing without...'' Yugao stepped through the door and she just barely had time to see an orange book collide with the wall at the other side of the room. ''What are you doing?'' Asked the ANBU at the nervous girl sitting at the small table.

''Th-there was a fly on the wall! I was just trying to kill it!'' Replied quickly the flustered Iwa Kunoichi.

Yugao raised an eyebrow at the girl's bizarre behavior. ''That seems a little excessive just for a fly, don't you think?'' Said the purple-haired woman as she saw what the girl had thrown, and upon seeing that it was an Icha Icha book, she widened her eyes before looking at Kurotsuchi with an amused smirk. ''Wait, were you by any chance just reading that? ''

Kurotsuchi got even redder in the face, feeling shame at being caught. ''Of course not! In fact, I was just about to go find Naruto!'' Said the girl as she rapidly stood up from the chair. She needed to get out of there to avoid further humiliation. She couldn't bear to look at Yugao's sly grin anymore. She was already going to the door when she went back to pick up the book on the floor. ''I'll give this back to Hatake. I'm going to tell him to stop leaving his stuff around here, geez!'' Said the girl before she rushed to the door and left a very amused Yugao in the room.

As soon as Kurotsuchi was out of the room, she leaned on the wall and gave a deep sigh. That had probably been one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. ''This is all your fault!'' Thought the angry girl as she glared at the book in her hands. She resolved to throw the thing out of one of the small windows in the corridor, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. ''I'll just get rid of it later. There is no rush, right?'' Thought the girl as she put the book in the pouch on her waist. She still needed to find out what happened to Himiko after all.

Now that her small lecture time had been interrupted, she decided that she might as well go look for her blond friend. It took her a few minutes of asking around the tower if someone had seen Naruto, and after she learned that he had gone to the roof, she did just that.

-Roof of the Kazekage Tower-

Upon arriving at the roof of the building, she indeed saw Naruto leaning on the railing, but she hadn't expected to find the Kazekage along with him. She didn't know why no one told her he was hanging with the Kazekage himself. You would think that it would be the first thing people would point out.

Once Naruto spotted the Iwa Kunoichi, he broke a wide smile as she started waving at her. ''Hey Kurotsuchi, over here! Why don't you join us?''

Kurotsuchi felt uncomfortable intruding in a conversation that the Kazekage was having, so she was reluctant to comply with Naruto. ''Sorry, I didn't know you had company. I can talk to you later.''

''It's fine, you can join us. I have no problem with it.'' Said Gaara cordially.

Kurotsuchi still didn't felt comfortable with it, but turning down the Kazekage didn't feel good either. ''If you are sure...'' Said the girl with uncertainty.

''Don't worry about it, Kurotsuchi! Gaara says it's fine, so don't be so tense!'' Said Naruto.

''I'm not tense, Naruto!'' Replied the girl with a bit of annoyance. Having the blond point out her obvious discomfort didn't help matters at all. Still, she complied and approached the two Jinchuuriki.

''Gaara, this is Kurotsuchi. Kurotsuchi, this is Gaara.'' Said Naruto, introducing his two friends to each other.

''It's a pleasure.'' Said Gaara cordially as he shook hands with the girl.

''The pleasure it's mine, umm...sir.'' Said the girl with uncertainty. This was the first time that she actually paid attention to the Kazekage, and she was surprised to see that he was so freaking young! He was younger than she was for god's sake!

''Just Gaara, please. Right now I'm here as a friend, not as Kazekage.'' Said Gaara serenely.

Kurotsuchi nodded awkwardly. Even if the Kazekage said it, she still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to act so casual around him. She had heard a great deal of horror stories about Sabaku no Gaara. And even if he seemed like a reasonable person, she didn't want to risk offending him in any way, especially since he was the leader of a village that had a strained relationship with her own.

''Naruto told me you that you helped to bring me back. You have my thanks.'' Said Gaara with a small smile.

''It was nothing really. Everyone else helped just as much as I did, if not more.'' Said the girl with a humility rarely seen on her.

''Come on, Kurotsuchi! Don't sell yourself short! I heard that you were the first to get to Gaara and almost snatched him back from those bastards!'' Praised Naruto.

''Almost is not the same as actually doing it.'' Said the tomboy.

''Still, your efforts will not go unnoticed.'' Said the Kazekage. ''I'm indebted to Naruto and his friends and that includes you. I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for all of you.''

''I...I'll be honest, I don't know what to say.'' Replied Kurotsuchi sheepishly. She could say that being praised by the leader of an entire village, and tell you that he owed you, felt nice.

''You don't have to say that, Gaara! You don't owe us anything, that's what friends are for!'' Naruto proclaimed with a smile and squinted eyes.

''Friends also know when they should appreciate the things friends do for them and try to make it up.'' Replied Gaara with a grateful smile of his own.

Kurotsuchi watched the interaction between Naruto and Suna's leader with amazement. Seriously, how the hell did Naruto manage to be friends with everyone important?!

''By the way, Kurotsuchi, did you need me for something? You were looking for me, right?'' Questioned the blond, remembering the original reason for the girl being here.

''Well, I didn't need you for a particular reason. I just wanted to see what you were doing, that's all.'' Said the tomboy, not trying to interrupt the blond's conversation with the Kazekage anymore. ''I'll look for you later if you are busy.''

''There is no need for that. I was just about to go rest.'' Reassured Gaara. He didn't want to interfere in Naruto's interaction with the Kunoichi, even less so after the blond admitted to feeling a connection with her, whatever that meant. And he could tell that his presense was making the girl nervous. ''I'll see you later, Naruto. You can keep telling me about your travels some other time.''

''Sure! I'll see you later, Gaara!'' Said the loud blond.

''I'll take my leave then. Again, it was nice meeting you, Kurotsuchi-San.'' Finished Gaara as he started walking towards the entrance to the Kazekage tower.

''Likewise, Gaara-San.'' Responded the girl as the Kazekage left her alone with Naruto.

''You finally met Gaara. And what did you think? He is pretty cool, uh?'' Asked Naruto cheerfully.

''He is not what I expected. But he seems Okay.'' Said the girl thoughtfully, which earned her a smile from the Jinchuuriki.

''Sooo, what have you been doing? Did you talk to the bastard of your former comrade?'' Asked Naruto curiously.

At the reminder of Deidara, Kurotsuchi frowned as she recalled what the mad bomber had said about Naruto. ''Yea, I did.'' Said the girl somberly.

''And what did you talk about?'' Asked Naruto casually.

''Nothing of importance, really. He just said nonsense, pretty much. Don't worry about it.'' Said the girl with a shook of her head.

''If you say so.'' Said Naruto, not believing that to be entirely true. Kurotsuchi seemed stressed about the topic, so there had to be more to it than that, but he decided to not press the issue. ''And aside from that? How did your day go?''

''It was pretty boring to be honest. I just spent most of my time sitting around and stuff.'' Said the Iwa Kunoichi. She wasn't about to mention her confrontation with Neji and she sure as hell wasn't going to tell Naruto about the new book she picked up, so that didn't leave much else of her daily activities to talk about.

''I see.'' Replied Naruto solemnly. ''I'm sorry, Kurotsuchi. I have been so distracted lately that I have been forgetting to hang out more with you. I'm supposed to be looking after you, you know.'' However, Naruto got confused when, for some reason, his comment seemed to make the girl mad.

''You don't have the obligation to be with me all the time, so don't feel like you do.'' replied the girl with an angry look in her eyes as she crossed her arms. ''I can take care of myself, I don't need you looking over my shoulder everyday of the week.'' It irked her that Naruto felt like he had a duty to always be by her side. Well, technically he kind of did, but that wasn't the point; she enjoyed being around the idiot, and she hoped that he did too. If he only spent time with her out of commitment she couldn't help but feel offended.

''That's not it at all!'' Stated the blond, feeling a bit upset that the girl would think that. ''You are as much of a friend to me as Lee, Neji, Tenten, or Gaara are. And lately, I have barely paid much attention to you. I don't treat my precious people like that if I can help it.''

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened in shock at hearing him say that. ''Y-You think I'm precious?'' Asked the dumbfounded girl.

''Well, yea. All my friends are precious to me. I would do anything for them, so I would do anything for you also.'' Said the blond with a relaxed smile as he put his hand behind his head. Acting as if what he just said was the most natural thing to speak out loud.

Kurotsuchi blushed at hearing Naruto admit that he considered her that important to him. ''D-Don't go around saying such corny things, idiot.''

When the flustered girl broke eye contact with the blond, Naruto was starting to worry that he had said something wrong without realizing.

However, it only took a moment for the girl to look at him in the eye once again, but now, she was smiling warmly at the Jinchuuriki. ''But I suppose I can let it pass. We are friends, so it's only fair, right?'' Declared the girl, still keeping her smile and the blush on her face.

Now, it was Naruto's turn to widen his eyes in shock. This was the first time hearing the girl admit to him that she thought of him as a friend, and he couldn't be happier for it. ''I'm glad.'' Said Naruto as he gave the girl a smile too.

As they gazed at each other, Naruto couldn't help but notice that the dim light of the stars in the night sky reflected on Kurotsuchi's eyes. due to that, her pink eyes almost seemed to glow in the dark as she gave him a tender look. The effect of that, combined with the smile she was giving him, made the girl look captivating to him, and he would dare say, pretty.

''Is something wrong?'' Asked Kurotsuchi with a perplexed expression when she saw Naruto giving her a weird look.

Once Naruto realized he had been staring, he snapped back to normal as he shook his head. ''S-sorry about that. My thoughts drifted somewhere else.'' Said the blond, wondering what the heck happened to him.

''I guess that's no surprise. Your thoughts are always somewhere else.'' Replied the girl with a roll of her eyes.

''Hey, that's not true! I'm usually pretty focused on whatever I'm doing.'' Said Naruto a bit indignant.

''Uh huh.'' Said Kurotsuchi with a deadpan look, which caused Naruto to pout. ''I'm just teasing you, silly.'' Said the tomboy good-naturedly.

Naruto decided to change the subject, so instead, he directed his attention to the village. ''You know, Suna might not have tons of trees like we do in Konoha, but it still manages to look cool somehow.'' Said the blond as he overlooked the the numerous clay buildings. Since the Kazekage tower was one of the tallest buildings in Suna, they could pretty much see the entirety of the village from there.

Kurotsuchi mirrored Naruto's action as she gazed at the village enveloped in the dark. And the blond was right; even if the place was mostly a bunch of sandy cliffs, the way that the sand moved with the chilly night wind as it caressed the buildings, made Kurotsuchi feel strangely soothed. The view was like something out of a painting. ''This is so different to Iwa, but it does have a certain charm to it.'' Admitted the girl.

''I know what you mean. It's really something else, isn't it?'' commented Naruto as he leaned on the railing to have a better look at the village.

Kurotsuchi was surprised to see that Naruto was actually acting pretty tranquil for once. He wasn't being loud or anything, he just contemplated the village in silence. Deciding to join her blond friend, Kurotsuchi placed herself just beside Naruto as she too leaned on the railing.

This is what Naruto had meant in his earlier chat with Gaara. Right now, he could feel the connection that he had talked about before. Even if he and Kurotsuchi weren't really doing anything at the moment, he still could tell that they had a strange kind of bond.

With all this, Kurotsuchi had already forgotten her previous doubts that Deidara had caused. She didn't know if the bastard had said the truth and there was more to Naruto than met the eye, but right now, she didn't care. The only thing on her mind was enjoying this moment with her friend.

Meanwhile, as Naruto and Kurotsuchi continued their interaction, they were unaware of Yugao watching them through the gap of the ajar balcony door. The ANBU had gotten there since the Kazekage left. It was still her job to be watching Kurotsuchi, and after neglecting her duty all day, she wasn't about to slack off now. But out of all the times that she had watched the girl, this was the first time when she actually felt awkward in doing so. She had the feeling that the scene she was looking at was an intimate moment for the two teenagers. The thought of that worried Yugao. Them being friends was one thing, but if for some reason they were to become something more it could cause a big mess if their villages found out. But she was getting ahead of herself. They still hadn't done anything inappropriate and she could only hope it stayed that way.

And so, both teenagers kept watching the beautiful sight of the village with content, just enjoying each other's company for most of the night.

Author's notes:

The next chapter, finally! This one took me longer than I anticipated and it ended up as the longest chapter yet! But thankfully, I didn't take as long to finish it as some of the others, which is nice. This was one of the chapters I had the most fun writing, probably due to the interactions in it, and another reason was that there were some scenes in this that I had been meaning to write since forever.

Another thing I'm excited about is that I'm finally getting close to the good stuff! Kinda.

And as always, please review if you feel like it, and you can even PM me for any doubts or comments you want to tell me! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far and I'll see you soon!