Drowning in Freedom

Chapter 9: Stolen Moments

A/N: Enjoy :) This chapter is longer than the previous ones, by a great amount, so I hope you all enjoy it!

moonlight46: Thank you! And oh most definitely, you will see how in upcoming chapters how Tenzo has changed in these years apart. Haha yeah, I wanted Amaya to be sassy, but I also tried to show that she still had some reservations in her nature as the character, but I am happy you enjoyed it nonetheless. And you will be in for many more surprises, just you wait :)

phoenixx313: Hehe I'm ready to write the whole Pain arc, to be honest. However, we have a whole lot to get through before that :P But I promise there is a good fight arc coming up, which I am thoroughly going to enjoy writing it. Anyway, I hope you like this upload!

PrismRootStarlight: That's good then! Means I am doing my job well! Yeah, you can really tell that the two women care for each other, both on the personal and professional level.

Guest: I am so happy that you like it as much as you do and your review made me smile. I am just touched that I have been able to give you a story in which you keep coming back to read more, so thank you. And thank you for the compliments! I hope this new chapter doesn't dissapoint, and you will have to let me know what you think about it :)

A lot had happened after the Anbu escorted Amaya away from Tsunade, after she warned the hokage about Pain. There wasn't much that she knew about the leader, but she knew that if he had the ability to lead the Akatsuki down the path that the group was headed, he was a formidable opponent, one that Konoha should use all of their resources to gather information on. These are the types of things that Amaya thought about as she laid on the floor of her kitchen, her feet almost protruding into the hallway that used to lead to her room. Everything that she once kept in here was surprisingly still there, but now, it was just coated in a thick layer of dust. Amaya figured that she should do something about it, but then, it felt like if she did, she would have to admit to herself that she was home—and she couldn't do that.

She didn't have a home anymore, she couldn't allow herself to become complacent in thinking that either. She had a job to do, and she was going to do it. She had set out because of Danzo, but along the way, as she grew stronger, Amaya came up with a different goal, a different mission, a different ninja way. She had promised Kakashi that she would always be there for him, to protect him. She made the same pact as he did when they went on the mission to the land of snow together with the genin of team seven. Now, her ninja way had changed. She knew that it wasn't just enough to protect Kakashi anymore. She had a duty to uphold and that duty fell to her shoulders, and hers alone. She wouldn't let the Akatsuki destroy the last thing she had—Konoha.

Even if the people, the community, of the village gave up on her, decided that she was a traitor and cast her aside, it was still sentimental to her. She didn't want ot let anything happen to this village, because even though all the bad memories she had, the good ones that outweighed the bad all happened here. She knew that Itachi had volunteered to help train her because he knew this. He knew that he couldn't come back to the village he loved, because they needed someone to hate. But Amaya, Itachi had always thought there could be hope for her once more. Without realizing it, Amaya had a chosen family in Konoha. One that she chose for herself, in which, that same one chose her right back.

It was one thing to love another, but it was completely different when one becomes close enough as family. Even though one wasn't blood, Amaya still had that, she just had to fins it again. The kunoichi took a deep breath and let her thoughts rush over her. She turned her head to the side, staring out of the closed window, and up to the moon that was cascading light into her apartment. The part of town her apartment was in was still in one of the worst districts. She was sure that the landlord would have given her apartment unit over to a new tenant by now. She knew that the landlord was a nicer older lady, but she still needed to make money. Plus, it wasn't unusual that shinobi never came back to retrieve their things.

Most died on a mission, and some had little to no family to come and claim their items that they had left behind. However, here Amaya was, locked into this old apartment unit that she once called home. Once the Anbu members escorted her here, she had a rough time believing what she was seeing. At first, she thought she was hallucinating, not believing that the Anbu would place her back in her old apartment, then proceed to leave her alone outside. Yes, they were stationed on every corner, looking in and watching her, but still, she was affording some privacy and she didn't know how the Hokage managed to pull all these strings for her. Amaya felt her eyes water, but gritted her teeth, trying to tell herself to keep it together, that there was no need to cry.

That is why, she didn't hesitate to strip off her old dirty clothes, leaving them in the hallway, not bothering with them until she came back out. She headed directly to the shower and let the hot water wash over her body. It was a welcoming feeling, even though the scalding water felt like Satan was the one there with her, washing her back for her. Finally, after almost a week, when the kunoichi stepped out of the shower, she felt warmth coming from her bones. She also looked through her closet and found some comfortable clothes to put on and wear for the rest of the night. A black tank top complete with black, stretchy pants. It was the same type of outfit she wore when she refused to leave the house, reading all day and napping whenever she managed to get a few days off from the intense missions of the Anbu.

In a better, calmer mood after her shower, Amaya went back into the hall and proceeded to gather up her dirty clothes and throw them into her hamper, so she could wash them later. However, before she let her cloak fall into the pile, she pulled out the folded picture of her kissing Kakashi's cheek. She took a deep breath and held it against her heart. It filled her with a sense of melancholy and that was how she ended up where she was now. Laying on the dirty floor with her wet hair splayed out around her, airdrying. The photo taking its place above Amaya's heart as she held it there.

The kunoichi knew that it was counter-intuitive to get clean and then lay down on a dusty, dirty floor, but she didn't care. Taking a deep breath, Amaya played with the frayed corners of the photograph. Over the years, she had bent and unbent it so much, and it being weathered by the elements she passed through and trained in, the colors of the photo started to fade, and the frayed corners felt soft and fuzzy. Amaya licked her lips and she stared up at the ceiling. She would have started to count the ceiling tiled and the speckles of paint on them, but she had enough counting for a while.

She didn't know how long had passed, as she stayed like that, un-moving and looking up at the ceiling, but it was long enough that she could sense the Anbu outside of her apartment start to shift around and prioritize other things as time went on. She was sure that there was a chakra barrier around her place, and Amaya had no intention of breaking her house arrest, but she hoped that the black ops till remained on guard. She didn't want to see her beloved trope get complacent just because nothing was happening at the moment. It didn't help that typically, the people who were assigned to the babysitting tasks were the new recruits. The ones that could be expended on missions of less significance like this.

Amaya figured that watching her was of less importance because if need be, they could have always stuck her back into the interrogation cell, and placed chakra absorbing equipment on her, and she would hardly be able to do anything, besides normal, human functions. She did have to give the Anbu around her credit though, where credit was due. All the people stationed around her seemed to take their job seriously, making sure that their mission was a success and that the kunoichi that they were watching did what she was told. It was a good thing, that Tsunade was taking such steps. It was clear that the ones watching Amaya now were shinobi that Tsunade trusted.

The only thing that irked Amaya was the fact that no one benefited more from this arrangement than Amaya did. There were only two logical reasons why Tsunade had allowed Amaya to return to her old apartment under house arrest. The first being that Tsunade was trying to keep her in a confined location, one that Tsunade knew could be better managed, in case Amaya decided to rebel against her word. The other reason, was quite simple. Tsunade was trying to prevent someone, or something, from coming in and getting the blue-haired kunoichi.

Licking her lips, Amaya tried to think about the situation she was in. She knew that the kid from the sand village was rescued, at least his deceased body could return home for a proper burial. The only thing weird about that part of her predicament was that the sand village wasn't demanding her head. That made Amaya think that for some odd reason, the Kazekage may still be alive. She knew that the odds were almost impossible, but she had seen crazier things happen then people coming back from the dead. Amaya also wondered if one of her favorite students would ever look at her the same again. Naruto probably blamed her for the death of his friend, and she knew that there would never be enough ways to apologize to the blond, even though she wasn't one of the people who actually partook in the death of the red-head. However, she was to blame in the fact that she was associated with the organization that did end a young boy's life.

Not only was Amaya concerned about the ending that befell the sand village, but she also wondered about Itachi and Kisame. Before her, the two just went about their business, but after her, they really did become a trio. They weren't friends, or even something that could be considered. Amaya had to almost worry about the people she was fighting beside more than the opponents she faced. However, she never would say she worried about Kisame, she never would. That man would eventually meet his maker, it was just a matter of time with his attitude and ego. She knew that whatever the mist nin's end would be, she knew that it would be a well-drawn out fight, one that she hoped karma would let her watch one day.

The person that Amaya worried about was Itachi. She knew that her old friend and ally was sick and was just trying to prevent the inevitable. Every day he became weaker and weaker. Some days the only thing that got him through the day was thinking about his little brother. Amaya knew that the sharingan user was waiting for his little brother, to make sure that Sasuke was strong enough to carry the burden of the Uchiha clan by himself. Over the time she was together with Itachi, Amaya came to realize how selfless Itachi was. Everything that he did, all the cruel and unusual things that he embarked on, including killing his clan, was all for the sake of the village. Itachi just couldn't bring himself to kill Sasuke, and that was just like Amaya. She couldn't bring herself to kill Kakashi.

Now, Sasuke was training endlessly to try and hunt down and kill his only brother, Itachi. On Amaya's side, Kakashi had been training, his new jutsu evident of this, and the kunoichi had a feeling that someday Kakashi planned to hurt her just as she had hurt him. Itachi and Amaya were just two people forced to choose and make a decision. Be made into the bad guy so the hidden leaf could flourish or watch and see their love ones filled with sorrow with the pain that would come from not accepting a deal or mission. The village always believed that a few souls for the greater good would help the mass of people more than letting everyone take on a bite of the pain. This was why Amaya and Itachi were created. The village needed to unit themselves against a threat that they could identify with.

The village always chooses the easy route out of things. Find the biggest threat, have someone take care of it, and then that left the people in power with the declaration to make a threat. Making a threat meant that, in theory, one could control it. However, with Itachi and Amaya's case, it seemed as if the old village way of thinking backfired on them. Here they were, Itachi and Amaya, trying to do what is right even when they were presented to evil beings to everyone that they ever cared about.

However, before Amaya could let herself get even deeper with her dark and depressing thoughts, she felt a chakra presence before she heard him step foot on the creaky floor boards next to her front door. She didn't know how he gotten in here without the use of the front door, but then again, the Anbu may have updated their quick passages, a mark being just inside of Amaya's apartment in case she decided to act out. The kunoichi didn't bother dragging her eyes away from the ceiling. She just resumed her normal position, unmoving and staring up at the ceiling as if she was a dead corpse. The man started to walk towards her, and instead of saying anything when he was next to her, he just laid down on the dirty, dusty, ground besides Amaya.

She felt the man's arm brush against her own as the two of them laid there, side-by-side. Carefully, Amaya moved her arm away, crossing it over her chest, wanting only to feel the warmth of her own skin. She didn't want to fall into a trap and remember what it felt like to absorb someone's radiated heat. No, she wanted to be her only source of heat. Then, she didn't have to depend on anyone and if she had to leave again, it would just make everything that easier.

"Should I ask how you knew that I wasn't him?"

Amaya hesitated but knew that she owed Tenzo at least that much of information. Especially since he was still there after all this time, and he had gone out of his way to come and see her here in confinement.

"Your scent. I knew the instant you and Tsunade found yourselves in that dungeon."

"I can understand that… but how did you do that with Ibiki's specialized chakra absorption mask? He made and designed it to be able to keep high risk criminals—"

"You can say traitors, I won't get offended."

"That's the last thing you are—"

"Are you sure about that Tenzo?"

"Don't try and change the conversation here, Amaya."

Amaya could tell that her friend was not amused by her comments as silence fell between them. The two of them just listened to the other take deep steady breaths, making sure that the other wasn't too uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath and letting out the air in a sigh, Amaya broke the silence.

"I know him Tenzo. Its not a matter of me beating the mask or not, I just… even though you were spot on with everything else, I could tell."

Tenzo didn't say anything in response, but Amaya could have sworn that she felt Tenzo nod his head at her words as if that was an accurate and plausible explanation.

"Why are you here, Tenzo?" Amaya asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace that was surrounding them in the apartment.

Amaya could still feel some chakra signatures around the apartment, making sure nothing happened, but it also seemed like the Anbu were turned away from them, giving the two friends some privacy for their reunion. Tenzo shifts his body, trying to stall from having to answer Amaya's question. So, instead of answering it, he turned his head to look at the kunoichi, and saw, what looked like to be an old piece of paper, on her chest.

"You shouldn't be carrying around garbage," Tenzo teased, as he shifted himself upwards and snatched the photo off of Amaya.

Amaya could have stopped him if she wanted too, but she trusted her friend. She knew that once he realized what the photo was, he would probably be a mixture of surprise and shock. So, the only thing that she did was turn her head sideways to look at him. Watching his face as he turned over the photo, Amaya knew that her prediction had been correct.

"This is the one thing you took from your apartment that night, isn't it?" Tenzo rhetorically asking, knowing full well the answer.

Amaya didn't bother answering him, and instead just waited for her friend to return his attention back onto her, however, it wasn't until he flipped the photo back over and read the inscription on the back that she had made a while ago. Tenzo brought his eyes back to Amaya's and it seemed as if the brunet's eyes had glazed over with emotion. He quickly blinked away the water, making sure no tears spilled from his eyes. Amaya's inscription making his heart hurt with the raw emotions held by mere simple words. Instead, Tenzo focused on Amaya's nonchalant attitude.

He knew that she was acting that way to make sure that he stayed calm in her presence. But, he knew Amaya. She was watching every move he made, just as if he was a mouse that a house cat was ready to pounce on. He couldn't blame her, especially after everything that had been done to her. She was wary to trust again, and rightfully so. She was thrown to the wolves, and she refused to become a part of the pack. She was alone, and she was alone still. In her mind, the only person who had her back was her. The air around the two friends started to turn thick and Amaya waved her hand in front of her face as if she was trying to clear it, making it seem like nothing was bothering her. She rested her hand back on her chest and closed her eyes, knowing that it would help Tenzo relax once more if she set the example.

"If you won't answer me as to why you are here, can you at least answer something for me?"

"What would that be?" Tenzo looked down at Amaya, who slowly opened her eyes, meeting the brunet's.

Tenzo waited for Amaya to respond, as he shifted his weight, letting himself lean back on his arms.

"Is the village more worried about keeping me in, or preventing something from entering?"

Tenzo couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at Amaya's question, given it was one of the last things she figured she would ask him. Licking his lips, Tenzo weighed his options before speaking.

"I have to admit that it is a little bit of both. The elders and the hokage are currently in an emergency meeting with the fire lords."

"You probably shouldn't have told me that much."

Tenzo shrugged, and through the action, the two friends started to smile, the corners of their mouths turning upwards. Both having to stifle a laugh. However, even as the two shared in a light-hearted moment, Amaya couldn't help but notice the crow's feet that stemmed from Tenzo's eyes. It just seemed that in these past two years, her friend had aged significantly. He was still the high strung character that he always was, but there also seemed to be a certain newfound peace within him. Tenzo, after these years seemed to have found himself and grown into his new roles.

"What are you looking at?" Tenzo questioned.

Without missing a beat, Amaya answered, "You."

Amaya watched as Tenzo's cheeks started to flush and his neck started to become red. The kunoichi could help but let out a small chuckle at his blushing features. With Amaya's remark, Tenzo couldn't help but join in with the easy-going atmosphere.

"So, how did you get in here with all the guards outside?" Amaya asked, her tone light.

"Well, I own the place, so they had to let me in." Tenzo responded in the same simple, and honest attitude that Amaya had.

Amaya gave a confused look to Tenzo, in which Tenzo nodded his head and answered the unspoken question between the two of them.

"The landlady needed someone to take over the lease, so I did, simple as that," Tenzo shrugged again like it wasn't a big deal.

"You don't receive enough in wages to afford two places, Tenzo…"

Tenzo just smiled in response, "I like keeping people on their toes, that way I can have an air of mystery around me."

"I bet the ladies love that… but if this is your apartment, don't you think maybe you should dust in here or something? It is looking a bit dirty."

"I think that the added texture gives the place a certain, je ne sais quoi."

Amaya rolled her eyes at her friend, and the action caused the brunet to start laughing. Eventually his voice died down and the two returned to a comfortable silence between them. Tenzo stayed slightly upright while Amaya returned her eyes back to the ceiling tiles. She wouldn't admit it, but it felt nice having an easy-going conversation with someone for once. She usually wasn't ever in the mood for talking anymore, but something about Tenzo just made it seem easy. Like talking wasn't an effort with him. She knew that she should keep her guard up around her friend, but for once, she didn't listen to her brain. She knew that it would probably come back to bite her in the ass, but while the moment lasted, she wanted a few minutes of feeling normal again.

"Thank you," Amaya whispered between the two of them.

Tenzo didn't say anything, but out of the corner of her eye, Amaya saw Tenzo nod his head in reply. As if to say it wasn't a big deal and he had faith in her Faith that she wasn't as bad as everyone had said she was, and that she would eventually come back to the village someday. Time passed between them, until it was lost track of. Tenzo shifted once more in that time, as he laid down once more. This time, he placed his hands under his head, his elbow almost touching Amaya, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the company of his friend.

Amaya closed hers as well and shifted her hands, so they laid on her stomach. She could feel the warmth radiate from Tenzo even though they weren't touching. It was a type of warmth which she never thought she would feel again and even though at the beginning she wanted to make sure she kept her distance from it, she couldn't help for the longing of sharing body heat with another again.

"Is that offer still available?"

"Hmm? What are you talking about?" Tenzo responded, not really paying attention to Amaya.

"The proposal to marry you?"

Tenzo opened his eyes and bolted upright so fast that Amaya wsa sure that if he had been drinking water he would have done a spit-take. Amaya looked at Tenzo but couldn't help but smile at him as he just looked at her if she had grown an extra head. She started to laugh at his expression and stated that if he kept looking at her like that then his face would get suck like that. Tenzo didn't know what to think but when he finally registered the fact that Amaya was teasing him, he started to relax, curing under his breath and running a hand through his hair. He eventually found the back of his neck and rubbed it as Amaya calmed down after laughing. After she did so, it was the first time that Amaya moved upright, joining Tenzo for the first time.

Licking her lips a sadness started to invade her voice as she spoke, "You wouldn't want me for a wife anyway."

"Amaya… Don't—" Tenzo quickly picked up on the change in tone and where this conversation was going.

However, he couldn't finish his sentence before Amaya cut him off.

"Don't be so serious with me Tenzo, I was only joking. I know my role in this life, and I am ready to fulfill it. Please don't take that the wrong way," Amaya rushed out at the end to cover herself from Tenzo asking any prying questions.

"Amaya—"

"Tenzo—"

"Please let me finish…" Tenzo looked at Amaya who picked up her knees and brought them to her chest, as she wrapped her arms around herself and laid her head down on her knee caps giving him her full, undivided attention.

"It isn't that I wouldn't want you for a wife, Amaya. I wouldn't hesitate getting down on one knee and marrying you today if I could. We could be happy—"

"I know we could have been happy… you would have made it that way for me—to make sure that I always was." Amaya interjected.

"However, I know that you still love him, don't you?"

Amaya should have realized where this conversation was going to go, and she hardened at the question, not willing to give an answer. She let her training kick in and she resolved herself into showing no weakness to anyone, especially her friend next to her. She wanted to look away from Tenzo, but she felt if she did, it would be seen as an omission of guilt and she wasn't about to let anyone use anything against her. Ever again. It was her love of that man that landed her in the position she was in now, and she wouldn't let someone use something like that against her again. She knew that Tenzo would be one of the least likey people to do that, but she still didn't know why exactly he had been sent here. For all she knew he was sent here to gather information on her so that way the elder council and Danzo could use the details gathered against her to make her do their evil bidding once again.

After a beat, Tenzo sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to receive an answer from the kunoichi, and instead, rose back onto his two feet. He leaned down slightly and brushed off his pants. The photo fell from him when he stood, it took the place on the floor where he was once laying down. The picture stared up at the brunet and Tenzo tried to push out the inscription of the words on the back. He swallowed, knowing that Amaya had to have written those words a few days after she had left the hidden village. The words were faded, but they still carried a heavy meaning behind them and he knew that Amaya had written them to make sure she never forgot who she used to be as she was being made into the formidable opponent she now was.

Amaya knew that Tenzo was looking at the picture once more and took this time to stand up as well. She knew that she couldn't reach his same height, but this way, it was almost as if it was two equals talking. That's why when Tenzo came in, he laid next to her, and it was the same way with the Hokage. She was seated when she asked Amaya all those questions. Amaya ignored the photo for now but made sure that neither of them stepped on it. Tenzo realized that Amaya had stood up as well, and her small stature made him turn his gaze towards her. The two knew that the brunet was getting ready to leave, but neither wanted to part on a tense feeling such as this. Tenzo shifted on his feet, and casted his eyes downwards.

"If you can't answer my previous question, can you at least answer this one?"

Amaya didn't answer him, but when Tenzo looked up, he realized that Amaya was waiting for him to just simply ask her what was on his mind.

"Why… why didn't you let him save you?"

The kunoichi opened her mouth, but then, simply just closed it. She opened it again and repeated the action, knowing that she didn't have a good answer to give Tenzo. Finally, she responded with words that had little to no true meaning.

"There was no point in both of us getting killed over something simple."

Tenzo pressed his lips together, "Wouldn't it hurt more to realize that a lover threw their life away for another?"

Again, Amaya didn't have an answer for her friend. She didn't know if he was putting her on the spot, on purpose, or if he just wanted to make her think. If Amaya and Kakashi's roles had been switched, she knew exactly how she would feel and react. In all honesty, she figured that she would be in even worse shape than Kakashi was. She didn't realize she was doing it, but with all of her thinking, Amaya had gritted her teeth together and her jaw had clenched. She wasn't taken out of her thoughts until she felt Tenzo ruffling her hair. Amaya looked up through the mess of her hair and saw Tenzo grinning widely down at her.

"Don't think so hard, or your face may stay like that. You're already ugly enough as it is."

"Hah, hah. Very funny." Amaya rolled her eyes at the friend, not really understanding the shift in his attitude suddenly.

The kunoichi placed her hand on Tenzo's wrist, and he immediately stopped laughing. She removed Tenzo's hand from her hair and flicked her head to the side, so her hair wasn't in her face anymore. She didn't let Tenzo's hand go, and instead, let their now-joined hands swing in between the two of them. Amaya looked at their held hands and missed the touch of her friend. She felt Tenzo use his other hand and place it on her cheek, causing Amaya to look at him.

"I meant it, you know. When I made that promise to you all those years ago."

"What—"

"I will always be in your corner, Amaya. No matter what."

Amaya's eyes widened. She didn't know if it was from the torture, the lack of sleep, or simply being in the presence of her best friend again, but she could start to feel tears pool in the corner of her eyes. A feeling washed over her that she hadn't felt in a long time. Tenzo realized how overwhelmed Amaya may feel about this, and without warning, or asking for permission, or really caring what anyone else thought of this situation, Tenzo pulled Amaya against his chest, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

Tenzo shifted his hand from Amaya's cheek to the back of her neck, moving her blue tendrils from her face, as he undid his hands and placed his other at the small of the kunoichi's back, keeping her pressed against him. Amaya shoved her face into Tenzo's chest and gripped his shirt tightly in both hands, letting his warmth wash over her, bringing her some well-deserved comfort. Tenzo held her tighter when he felt her back quiver and could feel the kunoichi's hot, silent tears penetrate his clothes. The blue-haired woman let her tears fall as Tenzo held her, and her friend didn't say a single word to her the whole time. He just held her close and let her relieve some of the frustration and stress she had built up over the years.

"Shhh, I got you… I got you…" Tenzo whispered against Amaya's hairline, tucking her head under his chin. The kunoichi just gripping his shirt harder in response.

Eventually, Amaya's breathing evened out and when she wanted to, Tenzo let Amaya back away. She quickly wiped under her eyes, the darkness concealing any red tones of her face. Tenzo reached forward and used his thumb to wipe away any stray tears that Amaya may have missed and let his hand rest on Amaya's cheek once again. He leaned forward, and Amaya closed her eyes. Tenzo placed a soft kiss onto Amaya's forehead, and she leaned into it. The two friends knew that the kiss didn't mean anything romantic, it was a gesture that Tenzo was there for her, and he wasn't going to let her fall if he could help it. The two eventually broke apart and the two didn't look the other in the eye for a while, knowing that the moment of vulnerability had passed.

"Thank you for visiting me…" Amaya said simply, testing out her voice and making sure there was no waver in it.

"No problem. I'll try to stop by again soon, when I have the time. I know that there isn't much food or anything in here, and you're bound to get hungry," Tenzo smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I think there is probably some rice and some other things, I'll figure out what to do for food," Amaya replied and Tenzo nodded his head at her.

Tenzo shifted on his feet, and then gestured behind him towards the door. Amaya understood what he was saying and nodded her head.

"I should probably get going…"

"I'll walk you out then."

Tenzo walked towards the door and placed his hand on the knob but held up his other to make sure that Amaya stayed back, making sure she didn't pass an invisible line that was set up in front of the door. Amaya held back and clasped her hands behind herself, watching as Tenzo was about to leave. However, the brunet never turned the door handle, and it made Amaya cock her head to the side, wondering what was holding him up. She looked at his hand and saw the whiteness of his knuckles from the moonlight. Whatever it was, Tenzo was thinking hard about if he should tell her or not. He evidently made his decision when he threw his head back behind him and the kunoichi caught the profile of his face.

"I'll have news on Kakashi soon."

"What do you mean... that you'll have news on Kaka—" Amaya cut her own voice off, giving a curious look at Tenzo.

"When they brought you back from the sand village, Kakashi had to be hospitalized."

Amaya swallowed hard and the only think that ran through her mind was that she wasn't able to protect both him and Naruto adequately enough from Deidara's explosion. She didn't want to ask any questions in fear that it really was her fault as to why the white-haired nin was in the hospital. She figured that Tenzo was going out on a limb here, telling her that information, but she never figured that he would go into even more private details.

"Before you start thinking it was your fault—"

"I don't—"

"It's written all over your face, Amaya. I know my best friend and I can clearly see you are worried about him and that you think it was your fault. It's not. Kakashi overextended himself using his new jutsu and will just need to rest and take an easy and recover. There is nothing tremendously wrong with him. I heard even, that you were the one that saved him. If you didn't act as quickly as you did, both he and Naruto would most likely have died in the explosion."

Amaya let a breath out that she didn't realize she was holding, and reached out for Tenso, gripping his arm so he couldn't turn the door handle and leave. She still had one question she needed to ask, one that would give her some resolve on how to face her blond genin again.

"What happened to the red-headed Kazekage?"

Tenzo was surprised by the question, and was fully expecting Amaya to ask about Kakashi, not Gaara.

"The Kazekage made it out alive. One of the elder ladies from the hidden sand village revived him, using a forbidden jutsu. She exchanged her life for his. He doesn't have the one tails completely inside of him anymore, but he is alive. He is alive Amaya." A sorrowful note filled with Tenzo's voice filled the room regarding the passing of the elder.

The kunoichi nodded in a somber way and let Tenzo go. He nodded his head and twisted the door handle before nodding his head in goodbye. Amaya watched as Tenzo pulled the door closed behind him, without looking back at her. She stood there, watching the door as she wrapped her arms around herself. The apartment had a sudden chill in it, and a part of her thought that it felt even colder than her cell since Tenzo's presence had faded. Licking her lips, Amaya watched the door and willed Tenzo to turn back around and open it back up to keep her company. However, she knew that wasn't going to happen. She fought back her emotions, but she couldn't help them as she let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through her hair. She looked away from the door and before she turned away from it to lay down again, she answered Tenzo's question in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"Yes, I still love him. I still am in love with Kakashi."