Ryo and the others returned to their makeshift campsite with Sakura following them. Ryo was having a hard time trying to not to stare at her.  'Why did I let her stay?' he asked himself. 'How stupid can I get? Like I don't have a hard enough time not thinking about her as it is, now I have to keep my eye on her all the time, just to make sure she doesn't murder us in our sleep.' Apparently the other warriors thought so also, because after everyone had settled around the fire, Sakura slightly excluded by the others, Sage approached him and said so.

"Don't you think that I haven't thought of that," Ryo hissed keeping his voice down, "I'll stay up for tonight and watch, and someone else can do it tomorrow and so on."

True to his word, Ryo stayed awake that night long after everyone was asleep.  Truth be told, he couldn't have slept even if he wanted to. Ryo watched Sakura as she slept her head resting on Kero, who was curled around her.  'She looks like an angel when she sleeps,' he thought to himself. 'Like she could never hurt anybody.  Oh! Snap out of it,' He told himself.  'She can say what she wants, but she is the enemy and I can't allow myself to think that, not if I want to stay alive.'

Ryo spent the rest of the night occupying his mind with other things till morning.  Sakura woke first unaware that Ryo was still up.  She stretched and got up Kero following her. 

"Where do you think your going?" Ryo asked her.

Startled, Sakura turned around to see Ryo watching her. "Stayed awake all night to make sure I didn't murder you all in your sleep did ya?" she asked with a sad smile. "I expected as much."

"Well, can you blame us?" Ryo asked her.

Sakura hung her head, "No, I guess I really can't" and with that she turned and headed towards the river.

"You never answered my question." Ryo yelled getting to his feet.

"The river," Sakura said, without stopping, "you can come if you'd like, but Kero is always thirsty in the morning."

Ryo opted to let her go by herself, what harm could she do down there?

Sakura, relieved that she wasn't being followed made it to the river and set Kero on guard.

"Stay here and alert me if anyone comes this way, I need to speak to father." Kero growled his agreement and sat down by the river.

Sakura hurried over to a group of trees and took of her mother's crystal. She held it in her hand until it turned blue; she then drew a circle in the air with it.  When the circle was completed he fathers face appeared in it.

"How are things?" her father questioned.

"Not so good, they don't trust me at all." Sakura said gravely.

"Not surprising, do we need to attack so that you can prove your loyalty to them?"

Sakura thought about this for a moment, "Let's use that as a last resort," she decided.

"Fine," her father answered, "But find out their secret soon, you understand me." Talpa demanded.

Sakura bowed low, "Yes sir." With that her fathers face disappeared along with the circle.  Sakura replaced the necklace on her neck and found Kero and walked back to the campsite. The other Ronins had woken up by now and were watching her.

"Surprised to be alive?" Sakura questioned them.

She was rewarded with a fake forced smile as they started gathering things up. Ryo silently walked up to Sakura and tapped her on the shoulder.  Sakura turned around.

"Yes," she asked waiting for a stinging comment she was sure that was coming her way.

Ryo looked at her then at the ground. 'How did Mia talk me into this' he thought. "Umm…" he stammered. "Thanks for saving me yesterday," he said looking at her. Sakura face showed the surprise she felt and smiled at him.

"You're welcome," she said as he walked away. 'Maybe spending time with them won't be so bad after all.' She thought with a smile.

"Hey Ryo, come help me with this," Yulie said as he struggled to put up his tent. Ryo walked over to where Yulie was having trouble.

'Maybe having her here won't be so bad after all,' Ryo thought thinking of the surprised expression on her face, as he helped Yulie with this tent.