A/N: Beta'd by DistractedStudent


Chapter Forty


'Gaara, what happened to you?'

The question echoes in her mind over and over and over as she stares at Gaara's round gaze with her own narrowed look. Her features are like plaster, still, and the crowd around her seems to focus both entirely on her and Gaara only. As their stares linger, her solid gaze against Gaara's astonished features, the men and women around them slowly begin to whisper their thoughts.

"Who is she?"

"Someone important?"

"Did we manage to catch one of them?"

"Wait, doesn't she look a lot like..."

Their murmurs grow louder, and those who dare, doing so hidden behind their comrades, yell out their demands.

"Finish her off!"

"Do something!"

"Kill our enemies!"

"Death to all rebels!"

The army grows restless and their voices boom. Despite them and their threats, Sakura goes undeterred, instead letting the young man in front of her absorb the anger in her, towards him, through her eyes. Her gaze is enough to draw Gaara in, and he quietly absorbs the fact that someone from his past now stands before him. Yet, where Sakura is disciplined enough to ignore the cries of others around them, Gaara begins to falter with the growing voices, and he does jump slightly one cry, close to him, screams out.

"Finish her off already, Temari!"

Gaara's eyes drift then, despite himself, wanting nothing more than to keep his rocky gaze with the woman who resurfaces old memories and past whispers, his body abandons his mind and his line of sight drifts towards the crying crowd around him with eyes still wide and mouth agape. It's as if he is pulled back into reality, into his world, and along with him Temari obediently follows. Slowly, the blonde woman rises when she senses Sakura's next move.

Though her stare is still concentrated on Gaara, Sakura seeks the opportunity in his mistake of turning his eyes away.

'So unlike a ninja', she quickly thinks, remembering they are taught to never break the contact in their eyes, especially when up against an enemy.

For not only does it leave an open window for your opponent, but it also speaks louder to both parties over who has the upper-hand in the scenario. In a sense, if viewed as a fight, Sakura would say Gaara has backed away first by taking his gaze from her to another.

Yet, as quick as that thought comes, Sakura also realizes now is not the time to analyze such things. Instead, with the enemy's watchful eye gone, she gives her bindings one last hard tug. Slowly, she had been secretly pulling her binds loser and loser as her and Gaara stared at one another. Now realizing this, it is Temari who rushes towards her dropped kunai as soon as she spots the wires and ropes falling loosely from Sakura's fists.

However, the older woman is not quick enough. Reaching down for the metal blade, Temari's vision is quickly replaced with Sakura's fist, and she feels the hard, crunching impact before hearing Sakura's angry roar.

"This is for every one of those bodies in that pile!"

For Sakura, it's still hard to wrap her mind around the idea that Temari had been the one to drag her sharp blade across the many flesh of innocents. Whether she had played the role of executioner now only for Sakura, or all those burning corpses, Sakura does not hold back hitting the blonde hard. In the end, her actions, and the actions of her brother, are enough for Sakura to justify the hard punch. She doesn't even take the moment to watch Temari fly back, off the platform, and into the crowd. Instead, she reaches for the kunai before pointing it out towards the redhead whose eyes have returned to watch her actions.

"What have you done?!" Sakura cries towards Gaara, the blade still aimed at him.

The voices around her hush again and they watch the rosette spill outrage, revolt, and hurt with her next words.

Sakura keeps her hand steady, despite the anger in her, and her eyes once again challenge the young man who still stares at her in complete surprise.

"Why are you doing this?!" Sakura calls out again.

This time, Gaara finally manages to glower towards her and swallows hard, keeping quiet as Sakura waits for an answer.

In her mind, Sakura falls back to the Gaara of her time. He was Naruto's friend. He helped lead the world to peace. He was the good guy in her world, so what had happened here? Where had she gone wrong in teaching a sad, lonely boy that he was loved by many, including herself? She can't help herself as her mind falls back to all the hugs and laughter they had shared together, the memories that are still ever so fresh in her mind.

"I love you too, Sakura."

Tiny Gaara's small voice begins echoing in her mind, words she literally had just listened to days prior. It is enough to suddenly make her hand tremble, and instead of showing that to Gaara in front of her, she brings her arm with the kunai back to her side.

"What is happening?" she murmurs to herself.

She questions not only everything around her, but what has transpired over the course of time. Quickly, she covers her eyes into her free hands, trying to stable her emotions. Though she cannot see, her actions are enough to make Gaara's eyes grow wide in shock, but her move then also speaks to his army, and from Temari's hit does the crowd find themselves able to step forward and rush towards Sakura. Like Gaara before, averting his gaze had told Sakura so much then, but she is a culprit as well as she lets the enemy see her sudden, chaotic emotions.

For the rosette, as soon as she senses their approach, she narrows her gaze at the hundreds that now race towards the platform. Though she knows this fight against her will not end well unless her chakra suddenly decides to cooperate, she puts up a brave face at those that approach closer and closer. She raises the kunai back up with a steady hand, silently telling them each that she has no fear as their cries ring out throughout the town.

Above them though, a voice roars even louder, and it shakes each and ever man.

"Don't touch her!"

Steps stop, and eyes turn then towards the source of that cry, Gaara. His eyes still set on the rosette, his gaze is narrowed and with rage, even his breathing is heavy. Sakura finally gets the challenge from his gaze she sought and she turns to fully face him, showing him once again, her anger through her scowl.

"She's mine," Gaara says through gritted teeth.

Apparently his words are enough, whether through personal experiences or witnessing others, to send the army of men and women quickly racing back to the sidelines. Even his little harem scramble and disperse quickly, and the reason behind it becomes clear as Sakura watches a wave of sand suddenly pour out and race towards her in high speed. He doesn't wait for all of his colleagues to clear out of the way, and his eyes become deranged as Sakura takes a fighting stance.

'I can dodge the sand,' she thinks. 'Dodge it and work my way towards him. If I can just get one hit in to knock him out then…!'

Sakura's thoughts stop as a loud, echoing sound suddenly fills the air. The sounds of birds tweeting fill the town and forest around them with noise. It's enough to make Gaara suddenly dismiss his attack, and like his army he carefully glances around the town searching for the source of the noise.

"What is that?" murmurs echo.

"Birds?"

"But there's so many of them!"

Sakura lets her eyes venture to her side for a moment, but quickly brings her gaze back towards Gaara. Yet, her mind is full of frantic thoughts.

'Chidori!' she thinks, placing a name on the sounds around her. 'But then does that mean...Sasuke…?'

Her mind also tells her to abandon her thoughts and use the opportunity, and she does so by jumping off the platform and racing towards a distracted Gaara.

'Just one hit,' she keeps thinking. 'Just watch his sand.'

For her, everything seems to move in slow-motion as Sakura races with all her speed towards Gaara. Abandoning the kunai, she instead clenches her fingers into a fist, eyes still narrow as the redhead notices her move and brings his eyes back to face her.

'Just one hit,' Sakura continues to repeat in her mind.

Her moment seems sealed in victory as she draws nearer and nearer.

And yet…

His teal gaze meets with her emerald orbs, and she falters. Like the time with Sasuke and her vow to end Naruto's pain, her heart suddenly wavers. Her heart betrays her, and her mind is quick to silently remind her that his eyes have not changed over the years. The little boy appears once more in front of her, and he speaks again.

"Let's go get Kakigori, Sakura!"

Sakura's steps do not stumble or trip, but they do slow their speed, and her eyes widen as her chest tightens. For Gaara, who quickly spots her hesitance, he is the one now given opportunity and he seizes it by whisking his grains once again towards Sakura. His determination does not falter while looking towards her. If anything, as he takes in her appearance exactly as he remembered it, his perseverance to capture her grows so much stronger.

However, Sakura watches as Gaara grits his teeth suddenly, annoyance evident on his face. His angry stare suddenly turns from Sakura to the side of him, and in that split second he waves his sand out in front of him while jumping back and farther away from Sakura. Sakura stops then, watching with wide eyes as her old teacher, Kakashi, suddenly appears next to Gaara in the blink of her eye. It's no question now why Gaara had cast his sand out to the side of him instead of towards her. Though the grains do not hold back the lightening in his hand entirely, it is enough to slow Kakashi's approach and give Gaara the opportunity to jump away.

Sakura stops then, watching the two now share a glance at one another. She listens as a battle behind her begins, cries of men and women, shouts of fighters all around her, and there is no doubt in the rosette that Kakashi has finally led the shinobi of Konoha here.

Kakashi is silent, as always, staring down the enemy in front of him, the lightening in his hand casting shadows all around. Yet, what catches Sakura's attention, is the small chuckle that emits from Gaara suddenly. The longer she and Kakashi watch, the louder that chuckle becomes until Gaara holds nothing back and bellows out an uncontrollable, loud laugh. Gaara's eyes grow wide, his manic expression held up with a grin, as he keeps his stare set on Kakashi.

"My lucky day," Gaara eventually manages out after his laughs. "Not only do I find one interesting person, but here is another just running up to me."

Gaara moves his arms slightly outward to the side of him then, chuckling once more as he motions his fingers up a little.

"Let's continue to keep this intriguing fight, shall we."

Grains start to pick up around Gaara from his motions, and Sakura winces slightly as a surge of dark aura chills her bones. Not only does a feel for a colossal amount of chakra hit her senses, but the ambiance from the source suddenly feels foul and sinister. In a sense, for Sakura, it is a magnitude of the ambiance she had first gotten going up against Gaara in her younger years at the exam. The power she feels now speaks two things in Sakura's mind.

First, as an ally, Gaara is one of the best Konoha can have. They were very fortunate for Naruto, and the gratitude the Kazekage of her time had for her blonde friend. For as an enemy now, Sakura actually worries for Kakashi in front of her, despite his demeanor saying otherwise.

'This is power from Ichibi, he still has Shukaku in him!' Sakura thinks.

Sakura continues to watch, in shock, as sand continues around Gaara still.

'Is this his transformation?' she wonders.

Not even the army behind her, with clashes of metals and jutsus, sways her attention. She is fortunate, unbeknownst to her, that Gaara's army still leaves her be just as he had ordered. She is left for Gaara just as he claimed. Kakashi's men, through what they see as Gaara's distraction, heed instead their silver-haired comrade's order.

Sakura steps back somewhat as a man suddenly appears next to her. She brings up a fighting stance only to bring it back down once she recognizes the familiar face.

"Lee-san!" she exclaims, a smile almost breaking across her face.

Though the recognition is not seen in Lee's eyes, and he even blinks somewhat in surprise at Sakura's use of his name before reaching out for her.

"Pardon my boldness, but my colleagues and I are going to get you out of here now. You have nothing to worry about!"

Sakura's eyes go wide as she is hoisted, easily, up by Lee and placed over his shoulders.

"Hey!" Sakura barks at him, fist rising. "Put me down this instant!"

Yet, as two more beings come to take Lee's back, Sakura is wide-eyed once again.

"Please don't struggle. It will be faster to escape this way," Tenten speaks, turning to face her back toward Sakura lest attackers come forth.

Next to Tenten is another man, and though quiet, he nods in agreement with Tenten while also scouting for enemies ahead of Lee.

"Neji…?" Sakura whispers with more questions filling her already overflowing mind.

"Let's go!" Lee cries out, lifting his free hand up as if he were leading a charge.

His acts cause his teammates to tense.

"Quietly, Lee. Quietly," Tenten tells him while Neji shakes his head disapprovingly.

Sakura cries out somewhat as Lee sprints away at a speed she can't even comprehend, and he yells out in a cheer while doing so. Sakura watches as Neji and Tenten are left, now far behind Lee, watching him in a stupor.

"Lee!" Tenten cries out, now racing to catch up. "You're suppose to wait for us, jeez!"

Neji quickly follows as well.

"Moron," he mumbles under his breath.

As they race on, another being realizes his mistake getting caught up in the enemy. Even Kakashi is surprised to see him suddenly turn his gaze from him and back towards the direction Sakura disappeared to. Gaara's sand falls then, the harsh aura of chakra dissipates, and his manic expression falls to almost one of panic. He even sets foot in the direction to follow Lee and his team before Kakashi flashes in front of him with eyes that silently say that he is Gaara's opponent now. Though Kakashi's ultimate goal is far from defeating this enemy today, he does what he can now to save lives. Yet, instead of on him, Gaara's gaze once again falls back and towards his army. And almost as if their eyes are trained on him, Kankuro and Temari are quick to his side, not needing an explanation for what it is Gaara desires.

"We'll get her for you," Temari says before racing forward.

Though he gulps first, Kankuro's gaze is set as well, and he nods in agreement with his sister.

"We won't let you down," he tells Gaara before jumping forward along with Temari.

The redhead turns back to Kakashi, amusement washed away from his gaze, Gaara now looks at his enemy in annoyance. As one prize lingers, another has escaped, and in his mind, as much as he had wanted both, the more valuable one has been stolen away.

"Your enemy is me now," Kakashi taunts him, to draw his attention away from his comrades.

Gaara shakes his head then, releasing the thought of using all of his strength against Kakashi. It'd just be a waste, his sensible mind tells him now.

"No," Gaara says with narrowed eyes, waving his hands to command his grains. "You're just small nuisance."


Sakura is, at first, flabbergasted by Lee's speed. She can barely hold herself upright against his shoulder as he races on, and the town is far gone from her sweeping eyes within minutes. Though they are still back some, despite their calls to Lee to slow down, his teammates follow relatively close.

"Put me down!" she calls out to Lee. "I can fight! I can help out!"

Despite the limit her body puts her in with her chakra not manifesting properly, Sakura solely believes her strength alone is enough to put up a fight. She can easily use the chaos to her advantage, and is still capable of dodging and throwing bone-breaking hits.

Lee, however, just shakes his head.

"I admire your guts," he comments to Sakura, "but these are orders we must follow. Our goal is to infiltrate and rescue. We engaged the enemy only to distract them. Stopping Gaara here is..."

Sakura narrows her eyes while listening to Lee carefully.

"Is," he repeats. "Is not our objective now."

Though she is aware of his older age now, her confidence in her old teacher makes her speak out.

"Kakashi-sensei can beat him! If you take me back, Kakashi-sensei and I-"

"Lee, we got company following us!"

Sakura is cut off by Tenten then, and braces herself as Lee jumps from the trees towards the ground and skids violently to a halt. Despite the rough landing, his movement is swift and graceful as he twirls Sakura off of him and places her hidden behind a boulder. As they share a quick glance, she can almost see a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Like I said," he is quick to say. "I like that strong backbone of yours, but even Kakashi-sensei is aware of Gaara's strength."

Sakura's eyes narrow again, but not from anger. This time confusion riddles her mind, and she tries to fall back on both Gaara and Kakashi's traits to stack them up in her mind to gauge how well they would fair against each other. Yet, as Lee speaks again, Sakura's eyes and mind follow him instead.

"Wait right here, I'll be back!"

He gives her a reassuring grin before falling back with his comrades.

"Neji," Lee asks as he approaches. "How many?"

"Just two," the man answers back, making Tenten sigh.

"Are they underestimating the three of us, or are we to expect these two are strong enough to take all of us down?"

It is Lee who gives her words of wisdom then.

"Always expect your enemy to be the strongest there is," he tells her. "That way you're always mentally prepared."

Yet, to his phrase, Neji grimaces.

"No, their chakra levels are nothing extraordinary. We shouldn't have a problem unless-"

A gust of wind cuts him off, and the trio watch as the trees in front of them are sliced from the strong current. They jump back, avoiding the powerful winds.

"They're long-range fighters," Neji finishes.

This time, the group scatters as needles shower towards the ground, and they regroup a distance away.

"Lee, take the girl and go. Tenten and I will hold them back," Neji tells Lee.

Yet, his comrade shakes his head. Numbers in their favor, he tells them.

"If we think about it strategically, and what they're after, we'll have the upper hand if they chase after you. So long as they get close, Neji and I should have no problem. It looks like their plan now is trying to draw us to them," Tenten speaks.

As if on cue, another gust trails their way and the three scatter again as the air slices all around them.

"But-!" Lee tries to argue.

"Just go!" Tenten cuts him off, nodding her head behind her. "We're here to rescue the survivors. We don't want to fail now."

As if he knows his comrade's words are convincing enough, Neji instead gives Lee some advice.

"Be mindful of your surroundings."

Lee rushes back then, towards the boulder he left Sakura at. Yet, his face drops as he sneaks a peek at her spot. As he turns to face his comrades, his face is enough to silently tell them something is amiss.

"What?!" they bark in unison, almost annoyed.

"She's gone."

Neji quickly turns his powerful eyes back towards the forest. He spots Sakura with ease but she has ventured far and close behind her is another pair of chakras.


Sakura isn't naive as she rushes back towards the burning town and cries of men. She knows exactly who wields the attacks against Lee and his team. She is, however, surprised they seek her out more than the group she left behind.

'Maybe they think me an easier target,' she wonders as she runs. 'Get rid of me first than the others.'

As she runs, Kankuro's puppets prove easy enough for her to dodge. Even she is still speedy enough to decipher where his puppet attacks will land, and she dodges them with ease. Yet, though she has yet to attack, it's Temari's range she worries about. Also, Kankuro's poisons would put her in a bad position unless her chakra suddenly decides to obey. Despite all this, she keeps on running. There are two sides of her that want to get to Gaara to either speak with him and understand his mindset, or join up with Kakashi in kicking his ass. As she listens to a rustle of leaves ahead of her, Sakura makes a swift kick towards the tree she senses someone is on. She smirks as the tree rocks slightly from her still powerful kick. Even if her speed isn't quick enough to knock down said person on tree, she hopes her power shown now speaks to them.

"Stay away, or I will hurt you," Sakura wants them to hear in their mind from her display.

Yet, retaliation comes forth then, and Sakura crosses her arms to shield her face as a powerful gust sweeps past her. She dodges the trees and debris that are rooted up from the powerful winds, and she grounds her feet best she can so as not to get blasted back. Still, harm does come her way, and though small, Sakura still doesn't have a means to fix it now. As the winds pass, she looks down to her bloody arms and legs. Before she has time to inspect her lacerations, a voice suddenly booms above her.

"Boy, they sure are getting pretty desperate. The last Sakura they sent lasted at least a day with us."

Sakura narrows her eyes to the shadow that stands herself tall within the high tree, and though she is darkened by the shadows from the leaves, Sakura recognizes Temari as she rests herself against her fan.

"Isn't that right, Kankuro?"

In another blink, Kankuro is now crouched by his sister on the tree branch and the pair stare down at Sakura.

The man says nothing, but their silhouettes are distracting enough for Sakura as she narrows her eyes angrily towards them. Sakura, then, decides to let her action speak first as she senses another puppet sneaking up behind her. She brings it down with a hard kick of her leg. The wood breaks, painted in the blood of Sakura's leg, and whatever remains of it is swiftly lifted back towards Kankuro. Sakura smirks when she hears Temari click her tongue an annoyance.

"This is taking too damn long!" Temari cries out in rage, spreading her fan wide and showing off the third star.

"Wait!" Kankuro quickly interjects.

Though his voice is hush Sakura can still hear him. Though as of now she cares only for a means to escape this scenario and reach the town.

"Don't hit her with something that hard; it will kill her," Kankuro says, reaching for his sister in the process.

"Huh?!" Temari retorts. "Gaara is just going to kill her anyway. We might as well do the job for him! Besides, I owe her for that punch earlier."

"...You know better than that," Kankuro's voice hushes more. "When he wants something, we have to make sure we get it for him or else..."

Temari sneers at her brother then while Sakura tries to slowly step away while they're distracted.

"Don't tell me you're just trying to save her! You did this with the last one too; she's clearly another fake one! We might as well give her a quick death, or it will be another bloody mess Gaara leaves you to clean up."

"It-It's just that she-uh-she knows-"

Whatever Kankuro has to say is lost as the pair suddenly disperse and jump away within the trees. A clash happens again, hidden within the leaves, and Sakura wastes no time using this chance to step forward towards the village. Though, she is stopped once Kakashi flashes in front of her, his breath heavy and sweat broken out on him. Sakura's instinct then is to help her older friend.

"Are you hurt?!" she asks frantically. "Show me!"

As Kakashi is slow to move, Sakura reaches for him. Yet, he does the same with her in haste, and the rosette cries out in surprise as she is picked up once again and rushed away from the battle. Lee's words from before ring in her mind.

"Our goal is to infiltrate and rescue."

Yet, Sakura's eyes narrow. So far, as she can tell, there were not others in need of saving. Even now, as Kakashi carries her from tree to tree, stopping each enemy that crosses them, Sakura can only see herself heralded around like some prize both teams are after. As Kakashi draws her farther and farther away from the town, away from the enemies, another goal is escaping her then.

"Put me down!" she demands of Kakashi. "I need to speak with Gaara!"

His eyes trail up then, towards Sakura's narrow gaze. He is quiet, studying her, before sliding his eyes back in front of him without another word. The thought of squirming out of his hold, or at least giving him a swift kick to release her, plays in Sakura's mind. Yet, it is then many bodies begin to surround them. The aura of others circles around her and Kakashi, and they all head towards the same goal silently. The army that has come with Kakashi follows him back, and the air is a little lighter, so filled with ease that Sakura half wonders if they were able to do in all of Gaara's army, including Gaara himself. She swallows hard at the thought, realizing that despite her comrades around her, she doesn't have their same mindset of victory.

Sakura decides not to pull away then, instead, she will wait for the right moment to talk, to understand this strange world around her.

'I have to get a feel all over again,' she thinks miserably, her thoughts falling once more to her friends and family back home.

It even falls to a little boy who was so happy to show her his grin.

"Kakashi-sensei!" a loud cry rings out.

Sakura watches as the caller, Lee, draws near, and she is relieved to see Tenten and Neji behind him, unharmed.

"Lee-kun," Kakashi says, displeasure in voice. "I told you not to engage the enemy. To just bring-"

"It wasn't Lee-san's fault!" Sakura quickly speaks, defending her friend. "I ran off on my own. I told you, I need to speak with Gaara! I don't understand why he is doing this! Don't Konoha and Suna have an alliance together in this world? What is he doing to Fire country?!"

Sakura then isn't sure how to take their silence. Lee, once again, blinks rapidly at the rosette in surprise. Perhaps her words are baffling to him, as if the answers to her questions should be common knowledge. That, or it could be he tries to recognize the face of one who speaks his name so casually. Even Kakashi's gaze slides back to look at Sakura once more, but it returns in front of him as soon as she returns his look.

To their gazes, Sakura bites her inner lip and hangs her head as she glowers towards the passing branches.

'This world...' she thinks and wonders. 'What has happened in the past years?!'

She picks her head back up, looking back towards the direction she had last seen the redhead.

'Gaara!' she thinks while grinding her teeth.

It's Kakashi's voice that gives her the only answer he can then.

"Not just our country," he tells her. "This horror is everywhere."

'Everywhere...' Sakura repeats in her mind. 'Because of Gaara...?'

Sakura's thoughts shift as soon as they come closer towards Konoha. She had imagined, from the numbers, that Kakashi has led all the able ninja he could to that one town, but as she passes the lines of guards after guards that gather around the forest before her village, she realizes there are more people here than the village can contain.

"What?" she asks, eyeing everyone she can. "What is this? Why are there so many here?"

Alliances, she first thinks. They are here to help their brother country. Yet, it's an unsettling sight to see after hearing how hesitant Lee had sounded engaging Gaara and his army. There is enough here to easily stop the group Gaara had led through the town, but instead the majority were left here to protect Konoha.

Sakura eyes what familiar faces she can, even those she knows belong to other villages, before she gasps as they enter her home village. Despite the army out guarding the gates, war has already found Konoha, and Sakura shakes her head in disbelief as she spots the crumbling buildings, and broken streets. It is almost ironic, in her mind, that the first village she passed through in this world, Suna, was broken down and far from rebuilding itself because of Gaara. To what she would learn later, her home would be no different because of that redhead.

Sakura remains speechless as she takes in all around her, she isn't even sure what her first question will be. Kakashi had said it was everywhere, but she had wanted to believe it was still far from her home. She wanted to believe all her friends would have been strong enough to prevent this destruction.

She remains silent still, somewhat in shock, as Kakashi continues to carry her towards the Hokage Rock. The army he has led follows and even though many have called out to him and rushed to his side to ask questions, Sakura has listened to none of Kakashi's answers, instead she delves deeper and deeper into her mind. Doubts resurface in her mind, but along with them, is a determination that she can fix this.

'I just need to speak with him,' Sakura thinks. 'I just need to get to Gaara and understand why he is doing this! Remind him that he can still overcome the darkness in his mind!'

Something new, as they travel into the mountain, has also come forth within this world that is not her own she realizes. Where it was once a place for hiding, the routes within the mountain have grown longer more numerous. Dim lights hang above them, but as they pass by the many people, Sakura realizes that the people here seek and live within the Hokage Rock instead of outside in the destroyed village. It isn't long before Kakashi stops within an open room, the few people who have followed stopping along with him, before he slowly settles Sakura down onto the cool rock.

Attendants quickly rush towards Kakashi side. Helping him to drink, cleaning his face around the mask, and tending to his wounds; many others attempt the same to the men and women who have returned. It isn't long before Sakura is surrounded as well.

"You poor thing," their voices echo.

"You're alright now."

"Can you tell us where you're from?"

"Any injuries?"

Yet, the voices fall silent as they listen to Kakashi begin to mumble.

"We were far too late," he whispers. "Hundreds and we only bring back one."

There is a storm of support then, everyone telling Kakashi he acted promptly as soon as the intel had come in. They have done all they can, some tell him. One is better than none, others say. Yet, there are the few, the pessimistic side, who agree that this was just probably another trap to draw Kakashi out. To which others state their relief that Kakashi at least returned safely.

"We need our leaders still against that monster," they tell him.

To this commotion, Sakura slowly stands herself, and her gaze is caught instantly by Kakashi as he silently studies her. Despite his fatigue, he rushes towards Sakura then, brushing those aside that still try to tend to her. Despite his intentions earlier, getting her as far away from Gaara as possible, he is rough reaching for Sakura's arm and pulling her hastily away and down the hall towards another room. His crude manner is so surprising to Sakura, that she doesn't pull away right away, instead just eyeing Kakashi skeptically as he turns his almost wide gaze towards her before he opens a door leading to a small room.

"Let's have a little talk now, Sa-ku-ra," he speaks, emphasizing her name.