Sephynarutocloud: You know what…I never actually thought about that. I'm serious. I never thought about the Akatsuki when I was writing this. You just gave me an idea o.o; Thanks for the review! XD

Candy44: Yeah…when I was writing this, it was long…but then…damn made it shorter. Sure, I love challenges. I think. Ha ha ha, thanks for the review! XD

Agent Vash: Yes, you did cry. Ha ha ha. Er…the glue? Um…that'll be in the next chapter for "Just for You: Behind the Scenes" after all the dancing and Tenten rapping XD.

Rikki-boy: Yes, I shall. In fact, I'm updating it right now. Actually, by the time you're reading this…it'll already be updated…thanks for the review! XD

Welcome all people, to my fourth chapter. Read and you shall...something, whatever, just read. Ha ha ha.

Disclaimer: I own Akiko, and all the characters that are not real in Naruto. And all the made up jutsus.

Chapter 4- Values of feelings


The next couple of days were like a blur. Akiko got to go home within five days, her wound healed up. She wanted everything to go back to normal before she left, but it was hard. She couldn't forget about what the old man and woman said to her in that hospital room. She sighed. Right now, she was hanging up the laundry in her backyard. She loved sunny days like this, everything was so colorful. She heard a door open behind her. She turned to look around and saw Gaara standing there. Akiko dropped the shirt she was about to hang up and looked at Gaara straight in the eyes.

"Uh…" Akiko just stood there. She was shocked!

'Say something! SOMETHING!' she yelled at herself in her head.

"Uh…hi! What brings you here?" she smiled. 'Yes! Score!'

Gaara closed his eyes and well…just stood there.

"Uh…um…" Akiko had nothing to stay. "Can I help you with something…Gaara-kun?" she asked politely.

Suddenly, she could feel whirls of sand grasp her ankles. She looked down and saw the sand tightening around her legs. "Huh…Wha-!" Then, she looked up and saw Gaara walking toward her.

The sand stopped just below her waist. Akiko looked at Gaara and then down at the sand.

"You thought you could leave just like that?" he whispered to her. He caressed her cheek and then moved her hair back from her face.

Akiko looked up at him. She lightly blushed, she had nothing to say. 'Why is Gaara…this is scary!' She told herself in her head.

Suddenly, she heard a noise from behind her and snapped out of her daydreams. "Ok…That was weird. Don't think like that, Akiko!" she scolded herself. She turned around and saw Temari standing at her door, holding a basket full of clothes.

"Ah! Temari-San! Have you come to bring your clothes?" asked Akiko. She walked over to where Temari was standing. Temari handed over the basket of clothes to her and smiled.

"Well, you know the drill. Bring the clothes back by tomorrow," she said.

"Okay," replied Akiko. "Um…Temari-San?" she called. Temari turned around and looked at Akiko.

"Um…" Akiko wanted to ask Temari something about Gaara, but…"Um…never mind, ha ha ha" she said, quickly. She smiled.

"Hey, be glad you're not washing Gaara or Kankuro's clothes," said Temari. Akiko giggled.

"Well, see you tomorrow," said Temari, and she left.

"Bye!" called Akiko after her. She sighed and got started on the clothes. See, when Akiko had no money before, she offered to do people's laundry. But when she became a ninja, there was no time to wash clothes. So, she stopped doing that. But nowadays, she doesn't do that much missions, and Temari and Kankuro do, so she still offers to do Temari's clothes (even though she doesn't get any money from it.).

After an hour of putting up clothes on the clothesline, Akiko picked up the baskets and started to walk inside. But then, she turned to look at the house across from hers and saw Gaara sitting on the roof, looking at the night sky. She sighed and turned to go inside, when she stopped. She should at least say thank you to Gaara. He did take her to the hospital; otherwise, she would have died. She put down the baskets and walked a few steps towards his house. She hid her hands behind her back.

"Um…G-Gaara…Kun?" she called out. She was a bit nervous; it was a while since she spoke with him. He didn't even look at her, or say anything. He just continued looking up. "Uh…I just wanted to say…thank you…you know…for the other night," she said. He finally looked down at her and remained quiet. She smiled. "Good night!" she called out, and then went to pick up her baskets and went inside.

Gaara continued staring at her house. He saw her walking around her house, saw her cleaning the dishes, and saw her dancing. He finally saw her turn off her lights and he went back to looking up at the stars.


"Well, that's it. I'm all done." Akiko sighed. The next day, she was leaving the sand village. She finished packing all her clothes and other items and stepped out of her house. She locked the front door and took out her map from her backpack.

"Ok. Where do I go now?" she asked herself. She turned the map in one direction, and then turned it in the other. "This…is gonna be a long trip,"


"Where is she? Where is she?" Naruto yelled out. He was pacing back and forth in Tsunade's office three days later. He had come four hours earlier then he was supposed to, so that's why he was so impatient. Iruka came 3 hours later and tried to make Naruto calm, but so far, nothing worked. "Why is she so late?" he asked again.

"Naruto…will you be quiet!" Tsunade yelled at him, for the fifth time in a row.

"Hmph," pouted Naruto. He sat down next to Iruka and looked out the window. It was pouring rain outside, and there was hardly anybody in the streets that day. Naruto was a bit nervous, to tell you the truth. And he was scared. How would she react when she saw him? Would she hate him? Would she like him?


Three days had passed since Akiko left the sand village. And so far…the trip was…let's say…interesting. The first day, she was hit with a sand storm and had to seek shelter for most of the day.

And then, the second day came. She was resting by a brook, and she laid the map behind her, because she didn't think anything would happen to it. When she turned around, it was gone! She searched for three hours that day, looking for the map. And when she did find it, it was all ripped up and a cat was lying on top of it. It was of no use anymore, so she just left it there.

The third day was the hardest because, well, she didn't have a map, so she had to use her instincts when she was walking. When she finally reached the leaf, she wasn't allowed into the village because the village guards wouldn't let her through the gate unless she had proper ID.

Akiko couldn't believe this. So she spent most of that day bickering with the village guards. Then, she told them she wouldn't leave until they let her inside, so she sat on the ground in front of the guards for two hours until someone from Tsunade's office came and told the guards that she was supposed to be let in a long time ago, even if she didn't have proper ID.

So, the rest of that day, she walked around with the person from Tsunade's office until they actually went to Tsunade's office. At this point, Naruto was so impatient, he ready to kill anyone.

"WHERE IS SH—!" he yelled out, when Akiko opened the door. Tsunade and Iruka were hiding from Naruto until Tsunade's desk.

"Uh…I'll come back later," Akiko said. She closed the door and just looked at the people walking in the hallway. Then, she sighed, and opened the door again. This time, Naruto was sitting quietly on a chair and so was Iruka. Tsunade was sitting on a chair behind her desk and looking straight at Akiko.

"Please, take a seat,"

Akiko dropped her backpack on the ground near the door and sat down five seats away from Naruto. She looked at Naruto from the corner of her eyes, and Naruto did the same.

"Well, then, let's start, shall we? Ok, welcome to the leaf, I'm the Hokage. We've already arranged some places where you can stay, and also…well, he's right there." Tsunade said to Akiko.

'Well, I can't be silent all the time…' Akiko said to herself in her head. She turned her head to Naruto and smiled. "Hi!" she said. She held out her hand for a handshake, but Naruto didn't greet her back. She stopped smiling and looked at him. She didn't know what to say, so she looked at Iruka and Tsunade. They didn't look back at her. She frowned and looked at the ground.

"Why…why did it have to be like this…?" Naruto asked, quietly. "Why did we have to be kept so far away from each other…? Why?" He asked aloud. Akiko's eyes clouded with darkness, and she kept quiet.

"I'll guess we'll never truly understand…what it means to be in real pain," said Akiko. Naruto looked up at her. She took a look at him, and slightly smiled. Naruto smiled back.

After about two hours of talking in Tsunade's office, Naruto and Akiko left her office. They stood outside in the hallway.

"So, where should we go now?" asked Akiko. Naruto stood rooted to the floor and thought.

"Hmm…I know! Let's go to my favorite place!" he said, smiling.

"Huh? Favorite place? What's that?" asked Akiko.

Naruto just grinned at her, and then led her outside.


"A ramen shop!"

"Hee hee hee," Naruto grinned. "Um…let's see…what would you like to eat?" Naruto asked Akiko as they took a seat.

"Um…Miso sounds good," replied Akiko.

"Two miso ramens please!" Naruto said.

"Coming right up," said the old man who worked at the ramen shop. As he was preparing the food, he began talking to Naruto. "And who's this young lady you brought today, Naruto?" he asked.

"This is my sister!" he exclaimed, excited.

"Wha--? They told you? So soon?" he asked, sounding shocked. He picked up two bowls from behind the counter. "Well, then welcome, what's your name?" he asked Akiko.

"Uzumaki Akiko!" yelled out Naruto. Akiko smiled and bowed politely to the old man.


'That man…I'll kill him…I don't care what it takes…I'll kill him…'

"Sasuke-kun!"

Uchiha Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts and turned around. He was out on a walk, and it was raining heavily, it was also very cold. He saw one of his teammates walking towards his carrying an umbrella.

"Sasuke-kun, if you don't keep warm, you're gonna catch a cold." Said Haruno Sakura. She held up her umbrella above Sasuke's head and smiled. Sasuke closed his eyes, and turned to walk away.

"Huh…? Sasuke…kun…?"

Sasuke continued walking away, until he heard Sakura say Naruto's name. He turned around and saw Naruto sitting at the ramen shop, but he wasn't alone. He was sitting with another person. A girl. Who was that? He continued staring in that direction. Then, Sakura ran up to him, and shook him. He fell out of his daze and looked at Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun! You won't believe it! Naruto has a sister!"

Sasuke just…he just stood there. He was speechless. Shocked. Surprised.

"Sasuke-kun, come and meet her!" Sakura said, she pulled his arm and led him to Naruto and Akiko.

"Sasuke-kun! Meet my sister, this is Akiko!" Naruto yelled out.

"You baka, stop spilling food everywhere," yelled Sakura.

"Sorry…" apologized Naruto. Sasuke took a seat next to Akiko, and stayed silent.

Akiko turned to look at Sasuke, and smiled.

'Hi!"

Sasuke slightly blushed and looked at Akiko.

"Hey…" he said. Naruto started talking to Akiko again, and Akiko's attention turned back to the noodles. Sasuke slightly smiled, and looked away.


"She's left the sand,"

"Do you know where she went?"

"I heard she went to Konoha village in the Fire Country,"

Darkness clouded around Hiro's eyes. "Start the preparation, we're leaving,"

"Okay!"

Hiro looked up at the dark night.

"I never wanted to go back there…"


Yes! Chapter four done, I'm so proud. I didn't want to write about Sasuke, for some odd reason, I don't know why. But the story can't be exciting without Sasuke. I don't know, ha ha ha. I hope fan fiction doesn't make the story look short, or I shall kill it. Chapter 5 coming soon…in the meanwhile…R and R!