Harbinger

by tigerowl

Naruto's friendship with his teammates Gaara and Haku is put to the test as they prepare to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. The secrets Jiraiya has kept come to a head, and Naruto must shoulder the responsibility of protecting much more than the Leaf Village. Continuation of Forlorn. AU NaruHina, GaaSaku, NejiTen, ObiRin, OCs *Taoism, Self-Indulgent World Building, longfic

8. For Your Consideration

Chapter Soundtrack: "Yume no Hajima Ring Ring" by REMOTE GIRL

Chapter 8- For Your Consideration

In the days following the half-hearted Sound invasion of Hidden Sand, Gaara found it much more difficult to sleep. He had done away with sleep altogether after aiding in the execution of Miosuke. Temari and Kankuro were glad to finally be rid of such a heartless traitor, but he could not share their relief. The insomnia he had suffered from as a child had returned, though it was not nearly as torturous as it had been in the past.

His workload expanded as his time was spent more efficiently. Reports were completed in the dead hours of night, and though his strength waned at times, he was still able to train Matsuri without giving indication of his new predicament to her. Gaara welcomed new assignments without complaint, and was quickly becoming one of the most respected jounin in the village. Gaara suspected that neglecting sleep was one of the wisest moves he had made, besides the fact that he would dream in broad daylight at slow hours of the day.

Last night had been no exception. He had sat on his bed for nine hours examining economic files that would be reviewed by the council. When morning arrived Gaara simply tied up the work and dressed for a new day. His mind went briefly to whether or not he'd have the patience to train Matsuri after reading so many trivial, monetary complaints. He wouldn't be able to, of course, once he remembered she was off on a two day mission with another genin team.

Slipping the binder beneath his arm, Gaara exited his room and shuffled down the hallway with the grace of a zombie. He managed not to fall down the main flight of stairs and reach the first floor of the mansion safely, and then gave a curt, throaty greeting to his older brother. Kankuro was seated in the kitchen and enjoying breakfast, that was, until he saw Gaara appear looking slightly haggard. He told his brother to sit down and eat up.

"Er...what's with your face today?" Kankuro pointed at him with his chopsticks, "Those bags under your eyes, I mean."

Gaara's gaze went from his bowl, to his brother, and back to the bowl, "Are you serious?"

"Well shit! I always knew you've had them for...forever, but now they're," He paused, "I don't know…more pronounced? You look like you lost a fight with a mallet."

The red haired nin flicked a lentil at Kankuro's face, "The next time you're tempted, tell me outright how beautiful I am instead of making useless observations."

Kankuro sighed deeply and then took a bite of egg. That last bit on his brother's part was surprisingly light-hearted, but something was still out of place. He noted the collection of paperwork his younger brother had with him. He hadn't seen it before so it was probably new, 'How long has he been working on that crap? No, I'll rephrase that. How long has it been since he hasn't been working on that crap?'

"Are you okay?" Kankuro tried again, more directly, "Sleeping alright? You look a little out of it today."

He was right on the money, but if his siblings were still in the dark about it he preferred to keep it that way; just one less thing for them to worry about. "I'm alright." Gaara confirmed and then crammed a pickled radish in his mouth.

Kankuro dismissed it after that and Temari showed up looking refreshed and wide awake, a sharp contrast to the others. She knocked Kankuro in the head with a serving spoon after discovering the alarming lack of rolled omelets on the table, "Not gonna save any for me, huh, glutton? A woman has to eat at some point so-"

"Alright, take some of mine if you have to nag..." He offered her the rolls he had not touched, "Good morning to you too, Temari. Nice hair! Sticking up like that-" She hit him again and took the food, feeling vindicated.

She sat down next to Gaara, kissing his temple in greeting, "You look tired, baby brother. Are you up for a mission today or do we hang back and train?"

"I'm ready for whatever is asked of me." He told her, pouring the tea, "Pass the mustard when you can."

Temari paused in her selection of food and then glanced to Kankuro. The expression on his face matched her's and they looked back at Gaara together. "Try not to sound so grown up, okay?" She chuckled quietly, "Feel free to tease and whine a little."

He smiled and Temari was able to relax, eventually passing him the mustard he had asked for. Kankuro was apparently familiar with the financial reports Gaara was handling, and brought it up, "Can you believe that they're actually willing to cut trade with The Tea Country? It's like the council expects a farm to just spring up out here so we don't have to import as much."

"The drought is worrying them. We pay too much for water as it is, and the Tea Country doesn't contribute as much as the Fire Country, or the Bird Country, for that matter."

While her brothers debated the issue, Temari noticed the messenger hawk that had perched expectantly on the ledge of an open window. She took the note that it had delivered, and read it briefly before interrupting the discussion. "Speaking of the council they want to see Gaara immediately." Temari informed them, "Finish it up."

The hawk departed, and the three of them wrapped up breakfast before setting out. The assembly room was situated in a large cavern that had been carved into the cliff side. It was stuffy and uncomfortable navigating down the dimly lit halls, but it opened up into a vast antechamber complete with a wide table and plenty of seats. It was unusually crowded, for some reason.

Baki ushered them over to where he was standing before the village elders. He gave a critical look to Temari and Kankuro, "What are you two doing here? Your brother was the only one required to attend."

"Felt like it." Kankuro answered gruffly, "What the heck is the big to-do here anyway?"

"You'll see soon enough." He pointed to a row of empty seats just behind him, "Wait there. It's just as well you're here, since you were bound to find out sooner or later. Gaara, approach the panel please."

The red haired nin crossed over to where the elders of the Sand village were gathered. A few other ninja, mainly jounin, stood nearby Gaara– Baki included. The council members watched Gaara with steady, squinting eyes, their faces solemn and wrinkled. The occupants of the room fell silent when the head elder spoke, "This committee has determined that there are only two worthy nominees for the title of Kazekage remaining within this village, since the death of the Fourth, and the untimely demise of Orahira Haiji, his second in command..."

Gaara's ears were pounding with such information. He had never known that his father had a planned successor, or that this person had died before their time. His stomach churned with uncertainty. He doubted he wanted to stay and hear the rest of what the head councilman had to say. Baki stood next to him, muttering for him to stay calm.

"I, Soi Masateru, will announce the candidates for the Fifth Kazekage." The old man croaked, trying to sound important. The jounin in the room looked restless, and it was then Temari and Kankuro understood what all the hubbub was about.

'We're picking the new village leader, eh? About damn time.' Kankuro thought to himself, folding his arms, 'This could get ugly. Not many people were as strong as Haiji-sama...but he went and killed himself when his girlfriend betrayed us for Sound...' He looked sidelong to Temari, who also appeared tense, 'There are a couple of people here who are worthy...but probably just as emotionally frail as Haiji.'

"The primary nominee and long-time servant of this village, Baki..." Masateru glared down at the jounin disapprovingly, "Was informed of his selection, but earlier forfeited the billet. His reason for decline was expressed in so that he believes himself unfit for the position..."

Baki's eyes were trained intensely on the floor. Those around him were hushed, seeing that Masateru was keen on humiliating him for his decision in front of the entire assembly. "He's cruel...that old buzzard." Temari hissed to her brother, "I hope the other poor slob they picked is brave enough to turn him down too..."

"This circumstance leaves only the secondary candidate for consideration." Masateru went on roughly, "Accomplished jounin and third child of our late Yondaime, Sabaku no Gaara."

The silence in the room became a soft buzz of whispers and confusion. Temari reached over and placed her palm beneath Kankuro's jaw, knowing it was about to hit the floor. Gaara, front and center to the council, stood like a solitary totem after all of the other anxious jounin had leapt away from him in shock. His brother and sister felt their hearts ache for him as he stood, completely alone, staring in disbelief at Masateru and his peers.

Baki was too ashamed of himself to even look at Gaara in that moment. Silence came over the room when the head councilman gave the young jounin permission to speak. Gaara was able to keep his composure, by some miracle, and spoke pointedly to Masateru, "Soi-sama...I know that you are aware that I am a former Leaf ninja and that I have lived in the Hidden Leaf Village most of my life..."

All ears were focused on Gaara when he continued, "My allegiance to that village will never be extinguished...even if I do accept the title of Kazekage. Would you be willing to have a leader who hails from two different countries?"

"What nonsense are you speaking, young man?" An elderly woman answered sharply, "The late Third Hokage, deceitful as he was in hiding you, could never take from you your heritage. You were born in this land where wind flows through your veins. Here there is no question of your credibility or strength."

Something like anger washed over Gaara. How could they view Sarutobi as a deceitful leader? 'He saved my life...from these people.' He kept his emotions in check as he tried to think clearly, 'They must think I feel victimized or something like that for being kept in Leaf...but if I were to become Kazekage...I could change that view. Ties between Leaf and Sand would be stronger than ever!'

His heart wrenched, 'But I still can't do it.'

Baki finally came to stand beside him, finally having overcome his embarrassment. There was a concerned look on his face, and there seemed to be an unspoken apology to Gaara for letting such a cumbersome matter fall to him. 'He never intended this for me...but he certainly couldn't endure it himself...how do I–?'

"Have you come to a decision, Gaara-sama?" Masateru asked carefully, seeing traces of astonishment and fury glance across the young jounin's face.

His shoulders trembled for a moment, restraining his indignation. Gaara hated how the idea had suddenly downsized into a yes or no question. It was so much more– a massive commitment and burden and privilege...it made him feel sick to his stomach. 'If I also decline...I will come across as an even bigger mutineer than Baki.' It was then he realized he couldn't say no.

"Soi-sama..."

But he could avoid it somewhat.

"May I request a few days to consider this proposal?" Gaara queried, adding, "Deeply and seriously consider it?"

There was a brief uproar of objections from the other jounin who felt cheated, but Baki howled at them for silence, which was quickly achieved. After consulting with a few other elders, Masateru responded, "You may...and be sure to consider carefully, Gaara-sama." He redirected to the entire assembly, "This meeting is adjourned! We will meet again in five days for the candidate's answer." After that he and his fellow elders stood.

With respect for the council all those seated also rose, and waited until the committee had exited the antechamber. Gaara left almost immediately after, closely followed by his siblings. It was a dizzying trip through the corridors back out into fresh air. Gaara could not think of anything to say to his brother and sister as they followed him down the street.

Kankuro had finally gotten a grip on himself and spoke quietly to his brother, "Holy shit...you know...I was expecting some kind of shenanigans to go down when we went in there, but...not all of...that, per se..."

They stopped walking and Gaara turned to face his siblings. His face was the epitome of discomfort. There was no doubt that there was absolutely nothing they could say or do at the time that would help him relax. In that case, Temari thought, might as well deal with this straight up. "Gaara...do you think you can go through with this?" She asked him.

He was silent. He played the scenario over again in his head, and then fast-forwarded to when he'd be in office, managing the village and protecting all of those who needed him. The only thing he really had an objection to, minute as it was, was the one thing he could never let go of. If he was in Sand under such constraints it only made sense that Leaf would be almost unreachable.

"I need to see Sakura." Gaara announced, breathing deeply, "I need to talk to her."

Face to face. No more messages or keepsakes in the mail. He knew his reply had not answered Temari's question, but he simply couldn't get his mind off of the matter. If he could not touch that girl's beautiful face one last time before throwing his future into some godforsaken desert and the dust-swept collection of homes clustered within it, he'd probably do exactly what Orahira Haiji had done and check out early.

"Relax, Gaara." Temari was rubbing a soothing circle against his back, "You've got five days to get your affairs in order. From there it's either: a) Humor that ugly old bastard and take the position and hope you can arrange an ambassador project with Leaf, or, b) Turn him down, get publically humiliated, kidnap Sakura and marry her. Perhaps c) Which entails kidnapping her before you take the position?" She smiled at him, "What do you find most appealing?"

"That really is..." He sighed, rubbing his temples, "A tough choice...although C does seem to have its merits…"

"Let's take a breather..." Kankuro suggested, and they followed without question and parked themselves on a roadside bench. They sat in age order, and in the middle, Kankuro had rested his arms around the shoulders of both siblings on either side of him. "So..." He began lowly, "Anyone have an idea how to finagle out of this one?"

The three of them sat in silence, stewing over the matter. Other than what Temari had come up with on the spot, no other solutions were rising to the top of the resolution barrel.

Baki's appearance was most welcome at that point. Perhaps he could bail Gaara out with some cockamamie scheme of his own? "I'm sorry about all of this, Gaara." The man sounded genuinely remorseful, "I never wanted to put any pressure on you. I only hesitated because I didn't feel entitled to make a decision without you being there as well."

Clearly that had backfired. The council had not taken too kindly to his reluctance, and they were not willing to budge on finding another candidate unless it was wholly necessary. Baki added onto the apology, "I can negotiate later on if it comes to it. If you decide that you can't take the position I will accept it in your stead."

"But you don't want it." Gaara reminded him, "No one wants the title...except for the unfit."

Baki chuckled, "Yes, the unfit, well put." He sighed after that, "This never should have fallen to you...as a veteran of this village something like this is first and foremost my responsibility. It's just...being Kazekage has always been more of a burden than a gift..."

"I understand perfectly." The red haired nin agreed, "I'll need time to clear my head and think about this."

"Then you'd probably want to look into a mission that's available." Baki advised, "Guards are needed to protect an architect at the southern tip of the Wind Country. Your team could handle it easy, and...take some time to reflect while you're at it."

There was a pause and before Gaara could accept the terms Temari interrupted loudly, "Oh! Baki! Such a shame you couldn't have told us sooner!" She stood up, yanking Kankuro to his feet by his elbow, "Kankuro and I can't take a mission right now..."

"We...can't?" He whispered to her near inaudibly, looking for a reason.

"We're too sick to go! Kankuro served some bad tuna yesterday and we've been throwing up sporadically and battling rashes all night." Her face became convincingly ashen, "We ought to wait until the food poisoning passes before taking another mission..."

"I've never in my life served spoiled food-" Kankuro changed his phrasing after Temari jabbed him in the side, "Er...until yesterday...ugh. Yeah...need to get some more rest." He still didn't quite get it, but luckily, Gaara had caught on to what his sister was trying to set up.

"They aren't up to it, Baki." Gaara assured the befuddled jounin. Before he could suggest another team that could be sent, Gaara proposed his solution, "I want the mission, but I also want to put in a request for aid from Leaf."

"That's more expensive, Gaara." Baki admonished lightly.

"I know people who work for less." Gaara smirked, knowing there were plenty of shinobi who could be taken advantage of, "Chances are good I can recruit at least two others for cheap."

Baki saw the logic, inwardly cackled at the foolhardiness of Leaf ninja, and then calmly agreed to Gaara's idea. "Don't be too cheap," He warned, "The Hokage might think we're up to something. She doesn't know that nominations are being examined in Suna right now...and it's better if it stays that way.'

He nodded, giving a grateful look to Temari, "Of course. I'll send word immediately to Konoha, and once backup arrives we'll head for the coast."

---

Not a short time later in the not-too-distant Leaf village, Tsunade was examining a mission proposal from Sand that had been sent by messenger hawk. There was an express, slightly urgent request for Haruno Sakura to attend, and the Hokage would've obliged had it not been for the fact that her apprentice was already deployed on a mission. She got the feeling from reading the rushed details that the sender would not be pleased if the ninja specific to the message were not available.

"I'll just have to send substitutes..." And she actually felt bad about it, because the solicitation was for such little money...and such miserable work, "I'll send a few extra grunts...splitting the wages could ease this up."

Not ten minutes later Nara Shikamaru, Hatake Sato, Maito Tama and Hyuga Hinata were lined up in her office. Tsunade's briefing was more of an advertisement in the hope it would distract from the low pay, "Unlike the winter chill here, the desert is reliably warm all year round, albeit it's cooler this season, but you should think of this as a vacation considering how very little is expected of you."

"Is that really the mindset you want to instill in us, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru verified, "Be warned, Hatake Sato is with us, so there's no need to prompt him to bring his beach chair..."

"Like I'd lug it all the way out there!" Sato snorted at the idea, "Besides, Shika-kun, you'd probably use it to watch clouds in your free time..."

"Are you through?" Tsunade groaned, "Get out of here already. This mission came up suddenly so you don't want to be late for the employer!"

Later on, after packing what supplies they needed, the team made good time through the River Country, but were buffeted by the unforgiving heat just beyond in the Land of Wind. They trekked through the sand dunes, heads bowed to avoid looking into the sun directly. It might have helped if they'd had previous experience with the desert, because Tsunade had completely misinformed them.

"It's so hot even lava would complain..." Sato panted, wiping sweat from his brow, "How the hell do people survive out here anyway?"

"It can't be that difficult." Tama observed optimistically, "Though, Sato-kun...was it really wise to wear your jacket out here?"

"I've got to admit...it wasn't wise at all." He laughed at himself, "It's chilly back home, but here it's like the land winter forgot!"

"That was so poetic, Sato-kun." Hinata was smiling. Her teammate began to fall behind as he stripped off the unhelpful garment, revealing only a fishnet shirt underneath. Shikamaru barked at him to keep up and the Hatake quickly caught up with the rest of his team.

Sato watched Tama from the corner of his eye, proud of how far she had come. After achieving Genin rank, her parents had found out about it after she had gone on her first mission. They reacted less disastrously than what had been anticipated. It did help that Kakashi was her mentor, which was a step above Ken's brother, ironically. Her mother had actually been happy for her, after much persuading on Tama's part. Her father, on the other hand, had reluctantly given his blessing but only after making her pledge to air on the side of caution.

After that things had settled. Tama was an active member of Team 7 and took many missions after quickly becoming one of Tsunade's favorites. Her charisma and efficiency only added to her considerable skill, and both Kiba and Sakura had come to trust her without hesitation, improving the overall team. No one spoke about Sasuke in those days, because broaching the subject in Tama's presence was somewhat taboo. She could still sense their anxiousness at times.

Currently the eldest kunoichi was having a pleasant conversation with Hinata, so Sato assumed he should chat with the team leader. He fell in step beside the Nara, "Hey, Shikamaru. I was just wondering about that crack you made about me back at home...do you not take me seriously or do I just annoy you?"

"Neither." He admitted, "I actually wanted you to bring the beach chair."

"Oh." Sato grinned after a moment, "You could have just said so, but hey, you never know! We might be pretty busy on this one."

"I have my doubts." Shikamaru said, then turning back to the girls just behind them, "We're here. Those walls ahead are the village gates." They looked out onto the horizon where cliffs parted just at a trench that, if none were mistaken, led into the Sand village.

They picked up speed, wary to stay on top of the sand with chakra, and neared the allied village. They stopped just outside of the tremendous stone barrier, and greeted a guard who asked what their business was. "We're answering a request that was made for Leaf." Shikamaru notified him.

The guard nodded in understanding, and then called up to a higher level of the gate, "Oi! Gaara-sama! Your team just arrived!"

"Gaara-kun?" Hinata squeaked in surprise.

"Gaara-sama?" Sato chimed in addition.

A gust of sand followed quickly after and, sure enough, Gaara stood before them looking expectant. Tama had to hold back a gasp at the sight of him. She had always been a little uneasy around the red head since he had squashed Sato in the Chunin Exams, but there was something about him that was vastly different. It could have been the near completely black outfit that complemented his mysterious good looks, or maybe that he had added an inch or two in height already. They all had grown, incidentally, but they were not keen to notice that factoid.

"Gaara-sama, huh?" Shikamaru looked enlightened, "I didn't know you were from a noble family. Scratch that: I barely know your family."

"My family isn't as noble so much as it is respectable." Gaara amended, his eyes searching through the group of Leaf ninja, "Where's-?"

"Where's who?" Shikamaru was frowning, "Not enough people for you, or is this bunch just unimpressive looking?"

These people were his friends, and it hurt that he felt such disappointment after seeing them again at last. Instead of making a fuss about Sakura, as he initially planned to, he took a deep breath before welcoming them to Suna. Hinata was the first to respond with a friendly hug, and he noted her change in appearance. "You're wearing your hair long now." Gaara observed, "Naruto-kun will like that, no doubt."

"E-Eh!" She blushed, trying to explain, "It's the tradition of the Main Family of my clan but...if you say so, Gaara-kun."

Sato was also very glad to see his moody friend again and introduced him to Tama. Gaara recalled the distant Tanabata Festival and the news of how Sato, and this particular kunoichi, were engaged to be married. He felt an apology was in order about the exams, but she waved it off, seeing how rueful he was, "No hard feelings, Gaara-sama." She told him, deciding to treat him with respect. He recovered from the awkwardness and managed to push Sakura out of his mind...for the moment.

He lead the way back out into the desert, briefing them on more up to date details of their mission. The group traveled southeast for the rest of the day until reaching the coastline. Gently rolling cliffs overlooked the sea, and as the sun set the Leaf ninja set up camp as Gaara instructed. They would reach their destination the following morning. The shinobi huddled around a small fire as the temperature dropped rapidly.

The Sand jounin figured that if there was anyone who would know why Sakura was absent, it would be her friend. He sat beside Hinata near the fire and asked, "Hinata-chan, is there any particular reason the Hokage could not send Sakura?"

"I'm sorry Gaara-kun. Sakura and Ino are on an important mission with Shizune, she told me before she left." Hinata explained quietly, "Hokage-sama must have known that it would bother you if she couldn't attend...so she sent more people. I know you must...miss her terribly."

Gaara stared into the spitting flames, "It can't be helped. There are...things I need to discuss with her, but they'll have to wait. I shouldn't have so readily assumed she could come out here."

Hinata was a remarkably sympathetic person, and always had been in his time knowing her. When they were young children he had been amused by her shyness and silent devotion to Naruto, but presently he held her in the highest respect for her loyalty and courage. He was certain that she was struggling just as much in the absence of Naruto as he was with Sakura. Gaara decided against telling her about his nomination to become Godaime. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with his friends– while he still could.

The next day the ninja followed the coast further south. The ocean breeze was a wonderful relief from the staggering, dry heat of the desert they had endured. By mid-day the ninja spotted a small, sea side town just at the land's edge. Beside the bay a huge facility had been built into a plateau and was clearly still under construction. Several water collection vats sat behind a levy that held back the tossing waves.

The mission's parameters were relatively straightforward. The chief architect needed replacement guards to supervise and ensure the safety of the workers. It would be a relatively short mission, and hopefully accidents could be avoided altogether. The worst they were expected to deal with were dangerously high temperatures and possible equipment malfunction– standard C-rank blotter.

They followed a sandy path ahead to the work site, and after entering the premises, a tough-looking woman with gray hair greeted them. The hard lines of her old face formed a welcoming smile, "Here they are! The new ninja! It's about ruddy time you lot showed up."

"You are Mara?" Gaara asked and received an affirmative nod, "I am Gaara, and here with me are comrades from the Leaf village."

Shikamaru introduced his team with less enthusiasm, and Mara proceeded to take them into the interior of the property. On the way the older woman filled them in on the situation, "I'm a volunteer from the Wave Country. You mentioned Tazuna, right?" She looked to Gaara, Hinata, and Sato, "He's a friend of mine. We've worked together for ages! You could say that Wave is renowned for shoreline engineering these days because many different countries are employing us now."

"When did the Wind daimyo request the construction of this water treatment plant?" Gaara asked curiously, "I'm aware that now our country is experiencing a drought, but we've had no news of this."

"Long time ago...five? Six months? It went quick though." Mara held open the tarp covering the entrance to a roomy tent, "In here everyone, I want you to rest up before I put you all to work."

After the shinobi had slipped past the canvas she followed, continuing her explanation, "It's not just for The Land of Wind, you know. Investors from The River Country, just next door, were kind enough to help out…all their damned rivers empty out in this estuary." Her laugh was dry, "But hell, people in the desert kind of need water anyhow, don't you think?"

She mentioned how her last guards had returned home the night before to the Grass Village, "I'm glad for them too, because they've been with us from the start– really nice guys." Mara notified them that once the last of the massive carbon filters were installed there would be two days of inspection before the plant could begin piping in seawater and desalinating it.

She stepped out of the tent after she had finished briefing the new recruits, "Take some time to unwind in here and I'll have some food sent in for you. Gather your energy for later because you're gonna need it!"

Mara left quickly after that and the group settled down to relax without much thought. The ground was covered with mats to lie on and a number of cots were set up around the pavilion. Gaara spread out on a cot, sighing deeply, and looked off to his right unthinkingly. On the floor Tama was sitting cross-legged with Sato stretched out in front of her. She cradled his head in her lap while he dozed, absently combing her fingers through his hair. Gaara turned and faced the opposite side of the tent.

The open display of affection troubled him, especially in the absence of Sakura. He was not sure how to deal with his own frustrations, let alone make a decision on accepting the title of Kazekage. Gaara made sure not to glance back at the two cuddling ninja after that.

Food arrived on a large spread with two workers. They greeted the shinobi animatedly before hurrying back to work. Shikamaru lounged near the low table, picking at the food that was not very appetizing. None of them ate very much, and opted for staying very still in order to beat the sweltering heat. Hinata eventually settled near Gaara, her hair tied up to keep off of her neck.

"Hello, Hinata-chan." He mumbled tiredly.

"Gaara-kun...I was wondering why Haku-kun couldn't join us for this mission." Hinata asked quietly, "Is he busy? Or does he not much like the desert?"

"The hospital back in Suna is always hectic, and woefully under-staffed these days." He answered, and that much was true, "Haku-kun stays where he is needed most."

Gaara wondered how he had gotten away with the lie, and wondered if it was even necessary that Hinata stay in the dark about it. 'No. There may come a point where she forgets herself and mentions it. If the Hokage finds out that Haku is not with me there will be strife.' He reminded himself, 'It's better if she's under the same impression as everyone else.'

"I understand. I'm glad Haku-kun has found a talent." Hinata folded her arms on the side of the cot, resting her chin on top of them, "I miss us all being together, you know? It's been so long...I hope you and Naruto-kun and Haku-kun come home soon."

"That is my hope as well." Gaara agreed weakly, "Tell me what I've missed, Hinata-chan."

The Hyuga recounted events in the Leaf Village that Gaara had not been present for, and a surprising number of them, to his wonderment, involved Sakura. He listened with his eyes closed, envisioning the pink haired girl's face.

---

The afternoon passed in a smoldering haze, and the ninja in the tent napped in the shade of the pavilion to conserve energy. Gaara, still unable to achieve sleep, watched his teammates doze peacefully while trying to preserve some of his own strength. His mind passed in and out of awareness, and occasionally one of the Leaf ninja would stir only to use the bathroom or get a drink of water.

Twilight painted the evening sky with a vibrant sunset along the coast, and the red light stretched through an opening in the tent, illuminating Sato's sleeping face. Eventually he woke up, realizing he had fallen into a deep sleep on one of the cots in the pavilion. The silver haired nin shifted to stretch his arms, but found there was no room to facilitate the movement. Tama was curled up against him on the mattress, her sleep undisturbed by his stirring.

Sato wasn't used to such intimate proximity, and supposed they had forgotten themselves after finding a comfortable place to nap. 'It's no big deal, and technically...we're allowed to be this close to each other. And yet...' He sat up, stretching at last, 'It's still a bit weird to be snuggling with my childhood friend. I can't blame her really, she's fifteen and never had a boyfriend...I hope she understands that she shouldn't wait for me.'

He realized they must have been out for a few hours, because the rest of the team had already left. It couldn't have been all that important if they had been left behind, Sato reasoned, so he relaxed, looking back to Tama. Even if he wasn't really attracted to her, he could acknowledge that she was a beautiful girl right then. Her raven hair had settled in waves across her shoulders, and the lines of her face were tranquil and delicate. At times he forgot her specialty was hand to hand combat.

"I'm...worried about you being on my uncle's team." He said softly, half to himself, "I don't want Kiba freaking you out..."

Out of curiosity Sato reached out his hand and touched her arm. The girl's skin was as smooth as velvet beneath his fingertips, and he felt something in his chest tighten wistfully. She really was something to be coveted. 'Even if she's supposed to be mine one day...I...I don't know! It's sort of like I've been handed treasure for free when I didn't do anything to earn it. I don't deserve diddly-shit, least of all her patience.' After a few careless moments Sato withdrew, slightly overwhelmed by her presence.

Tama woke when the caresses ended, "Hm...why'd you stop?"

That certainly had his attention. Sato couldn't answer that question, or even better, why he had started in the first place. "I dunno." He replied, gently running a knuckle against her arm once more, "Why do you have to be so darn soft?"

She shrugged, "I suppose I'll be rough and wrinkly by 40, but I have a way to go, huh?" She sat up, enjoying how he laughed at her joke. The truth was she was hoping that when she did reach that age, he'd be there to let her know if there was a difference.

They straightened themselves out and then left the tent. Outside of the pavilion Hinata greeted them, as if she had anticipated their awakening, "Did you two have a nice rest?" They answered affirmatively, and continued ahead with the Hyuga to find Gaara and Shikamaru embroiled in a game of shogi. The board had been set up on a bench just overlooking the construction site. The Nara had his feet propped up on Gaara's calabash.

"Seriously, what are we here for?" Sato complained about the lack of action. Weren't guards supposed to guard something? Instead they had napped away the afternoon and were having a grand old time! Tsunade had been right in one respect– it was more of a vacation than a mission. The lack of peril was unusual, all of Sato's teammates agreed, though Shikamaru had no objection to that.

Time passed and the board game war between Leaf and Sand shinobi dragged on. Gaara was surprisingly skilled, the spectators found, but Shikamaru was always four or five steps ahead of him. On one of the Nara's turns there was an abrupt shudder from the construction yard and a huge beam of welded metal slipped from a forklift. Without so much as blinking Gaara raised a hand and with an unspoken order, halted the slab in its descent with his sand, and saved two unsuspecting workers in the process. They cheered.

Disaster averted– the game resumed. 'Okay.' Sato conceded, 'So there are some dangers out here that we've got to keep an eye out for. But still, it looks like Gaara could clean up the whole thing on his own.'

A short while later Shikamaru was impressed Gaara had forced the game into an absolute deadlock– neither side was victorious. Mara would come and go, sometimes asking them to inspect objects or use their chakra to climb up to the more dangerous areas around collection towers and read off serial numbers. All seemed well for a while, and with some stolen time, Hinata, Tama, and Sato walked around the perimeter of the construction site. An off-duty worker let them borrow a fishing pole and the three ventured out onto an upraised jetty.

"So...how would you rate my uncle as a sensei, Tama?" Sato asked curiously, leaning on the guard rail of the walkway, "He's not totally boring is he?"

"Well...no..." She took a moment to think, straightening out the fishing line, "Kakashi-sensei is a bit...um...late sometimes," Sato rolled his eyes at the remark, "Incredibly knowledgeable...clever and outspoken, one might say...even literary–"

"Literary?" Sato spat, "That's not a biography of the Dalai Lama he's reading, you know!"

"There! All finished!" Hinata handed the fishing pole back to Tama after she had wedged a piece of tuna on the hook, "Do you think we'll catch anything?"

"You can cheat...if you want." Tama suggested smilingly, and Hinata took the advice, scanning the water briefly with her Byakugan. She directed the older girl to cast in the direction of the nearest fish, both pleased with their smooth cooperation.

"But really, though, porn novels aside– he's teaching you stuff right?" Sato pressed the matter, hoping to heaven that his uncle could exercise some tact around his newest pupil.

"He taught me three new jutsu last week just to keep me on par with Sakura-chan and Kiba-kun." Tama assured him, "He's a great teacher and I really am grateful...though honestly...I get the feeling he's a little upset with me."

Sato's azure eyes narrowed, "It's not because of Sasuke, is it?"

"No! Sasuke's got nothing to do with it! It's some of the techniques I already know– from Uncle Gai." Tama clarified, "He says they're very dangerous and shouldn't be handed down to ninja so early in their career."

Sato exchanged a thoughtful glance with Hinata before saying, "You know...my uncle is naturally uptight that way. Kakashi just doesn't want to see anyone get hurt again, I think. Besides, you're plenty capable if your uncle saw potential in you, so just give him some time to see how you fight."

"I wonder if maybe I'd be better suited to Uncle Gai's team?" Tama speculated, tapping her chin in thought.

"I hate to break it to you, Tama, but there won't be an open space there ever." Sato took the thought seriously, "They love you, I'm sure, but Tenten is their number one gal."

She was in full agreement, "She's so cool with weapons...I remember how she throttled Shikamaru-kun in the Chunin Exam Finals."

Both Sato and Hinata, who both had very clear memories of the Finals, recounted it to Tama in fragments of their own participation. Sato's was a bit cut-off because he had consequently been beaten within an inch of his life by Gaara and hospitalized, but Hinata filled in the gaps. They passed the fishing pole down the line as they grew tired of monitoring it, taking turns story-telling, and once in Hinata's possession the line went taught.

"O-Oh!" She hadn't been prepared for a result, "A bite!"

"Nab him good, Sunshine!" Sato cheered, watching as Tama clutched her sides with laughter at the sight of the Hyuga frantically reeling in the line. To their wonder Hinata had battled with her captive valiantly, and finally wrestled a thirty-someodd centimeter mackerel over the railing. It was wide-eyed, mouth agape on the hook, and Sato managed to secure the streamlined body that was snapping back and forth in a wild struggle.

"What a catch, Hinata-chan..." Tama sighed, catching her breath after laughing. Sato unhooked the fish and Tama lifted the mackerel up by its gills to scrutinize it, "Looks like dinner to me!"

Hinata and Tama went back to the construction site with their soon-to-be meal, and Sato returned the fishing pole to its owner, though neglected to tell him it had provided handsomely for his team. They spotted Shikamaru on top of a front loader watching the evening clouds pass by. Even he was impressed by the Hyuga girl's catch, and joined them in preparations for eating the poor creature.

"Where'd Gaara-kun go off to?" Sato asked the team leader, prodding at an infant campfire they had made, "Is he looking for food too?"

"Nah. He went with Mara after she discovered how useful his sand ability is. She's making him do all the work." Shikamaru was quite glad about it too, "When he gets back tell him you've all been working just as hard."

"What about you?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "I've never worked a day in my life. No use in ruining that record now."

Hinata had remarkable skill when it came to preparing fish, which Sato knew from past missions, and the others discovered quickly after trying it themselves. They sat around the fire eating contentedly. Stars peeked out from behind clouds in the night sky, and even after waiting nearly an hour for Gaara to appear they returned to the pavilion to rest, making sure to save him some of the food if he was later interested.

Shikamaru was the first to fall asleep, predictably, and Hinata followed shortly after brushing her teeth. Once all the others were settled Tama crossed the tent to where Sato was spread out on his bed and took the spot beside him. Her chin was just level with the bridge of his nose, and Sato got a fantastic view of her rosy mouth, then curved in a comfortable smile. Again, he was deeply conflicted.

"Is this appropriate at all?" He posed a question about their nearness.

Tama raised her eyebrows slightly, "Hm? Oh, I believe it is essentially harmless, but appropriate? Well...we are going to be married someday."

"That again." Sato sighed gently, "Married. It sounds like such a conventional word...then you say it and it kind of," He smiled unintentionally, "Seems heartfelt?" He cleared his throat, "Herm! What I mean is...Tama, don't you ever feel like you're missing out since you can't date other guys?"

"Other guys?" Her tone sounded as if she had no idea other men existed in the world.

"Yeah...guys like," He hesitated slightly, "Like Kiba?"

Tama's laugh echoed with the debonair of a songbird, "Kiba-kun? But he's my teammate! I don't think that I could ever view him as more than a good friend, Sato-kun."

He was relieved with her reply and at the same time identified the exact same way. 'How will I ever see you as more than my friend when I'm supposed to be your husband?' He felt his heart wrench, 'You'll be disappointed in me. You'll want more than what I have to offer.'

"And you?"

Sato blinked, "Huh?"

"Before we're hitched officially, do you see yourself dating another girl?" She sounded perfectly even and relaxed about the idea.

"Maybe." He admitted with a chuckle, "Naruto would kill me if I went anywhere near Sunshine, but Tenten definitely if I can get her to take me seriously one day. Hm. Ino's not bad either..." Sakura was so expressly off limits he didn't dare utter her name for fear of Gaara walking by.

"Ask Hinata-chan anyway, just for fun." Tama suggested.

Sato's face was a mix of astonishment and relief, "Why...are you so cool about it? All this dating business?"

"Well...I love you and I'd do anything to make you happy." She laughed as if it was a no-brainer, "Go explore, young ninja! Date girls and stuff. I'll wait."

Silence weighed heavily on the silver haired nin. He laid there, feeling a strange burning sensation in his throat. Her selfless loyalty had him genuinely astounded, and Sato couldn't picture it: why, of all things, of all people? 'Me?' Sato closed his eyes, slowing his nervous breaths, 'Maybe she just...doesn't know any better.' He wanted to ask her, in full, unadulterated bluntness what exactly about himself she could love, why she did, or if she'd be devastated if her feelings were unrequited.

Sato said nothing. He couldn't form the questions, and he wondered if he was too cowardly to do so or if he outright refused to say anything that might hurt her. His eyes snuck up to her's, and he could see the same calm expression on her face that had been present at the start of their discussion. There was no false pretense there, he knew. The quiet became peaceful after that, and the two studied each other with on a few inches gap between them.

"Thank you." Sato said at length, because he didn't love her back, and feared he never would, "Let's get some sleep."

She pecked his forehead in response, "Okay. Goodnight then, Sato-kun." Tama rolled over, facing her back to him and Sato let out a sigh he had not known he'd been holding. He was unable to place why he felt such an enormous guilt about the whole ordeal. Sleep did not come easy, but while he drifted off, Sato could see the past before he and Tama had known any sort of obligation– carefree and playing in the park. Smiling children.

---

A while later after all occupants of the tent had fallen asleep, Gaara returned from assisting Mara. He was grateful for the food that had been left for him, wondering how they had gotten their hands on such a fish. He couldn't help but notice for the second time Sato and Tama huddled so close together, bathed in moonlight and snoring peacefully. This time he did not look away.

Horrible jealousy filled him. The two were hardly serious about each other, and if things had all gone as they were supposed to, Sakura would be beside him looking that serene. 'Am I destined to not have what I wish for? To always serve others and never think about myself?' He wanted to be selfish again, and part of him was very bitter towards the Hatake and his intended that they had no such problems.

Gaara breathed deeply, acknowledging that they were not responsible for the way things had gone. These people were his friends. Even when he hadn't been blessed with Sakura's presence he believed he should still be glad for their company. He relaxed a margin, turning his gaze to the entrance of the pavilion. Outside the moon was rimmed with silver light– a mirror of his solitude.

---

Hinata rose with the sun the next morning and found Gaara was already picking at the breakfast foods that had been left for them. She stretched before rolling off of her cot and crossed over to the table, "Good morning, Gaara-kun! How did you sleep?"

"Well, thank you." He imagined if he had slept at all it would have been comfortable, "The others have to get up soon. Mara expects us in less than ten minutes."

"Oh." Hinata wasn't accustomed to a construction worker's schedule, "She was here recently?"

"A short while ago I spoke with her, yes." Gaara handed her a bowl of rice topped with bright colored morsels, "That's for you Hinata-chan. I tried waking Shikamaru earlier but he's proven to be incredibly stubborn."

Hinata ate from her bowl, glancing over her shoulder to where the Nara snored. After a few more bites she padded over to him, gently tapping his back and got no response whatsoever. "Incredible is a good word for it." She agreed with her red haired friend, "He's so deeply asleep..."

"Rather he doesn't take this mission seriously; he's leaving everything to me." Gaara said pointedly.

Fortunately Sato rose a few minutes later, stretching like a cat, and then strode over to Hinata, "Morning, Sunshine...morning, Gaara-kun..." He yawned sleepily, "Shika's not up yet?"

Gaara nodded, nipping at a bit of egg, "If he ever intends to wake it won't be soon."

"Hm?" The silver haired nin bounced over to the lax team leader, "Oh well, Shika-kun! You had this coming!" He kicked the Nara off of the cot with his foot, watching with satisfaction as Shikamaru fell, quickly becoming aware of the fast-approaching ground. A woeful moan followed, and before Shikamaru could stand and accuse anyone for the tumble Sato was already seated beside Gaara eating.

"You're a pest..." Shikamaru shuffled over to them, "...Hatake."

"Hinata did it!" Sato corrected him indignantly, "Why do you always pick on me, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru looked to her, his countenance skeptical, but to his surprise she nodded. "I certainly did." She bluffed, smiling amiably, "Good morning, Shikamaru-kun!"

"Feh." He understood they were all in on it, so he sat down to eat with them, promptly dismissing the joke. Gaara found it amusing that Hinata could play along so easily with Sato during his antics. They ate quickly and the Hyuga girl wondered if Tama also needed to be woken.

"She'll get up soon. Let's leave her be, she deserves a few extra minutes." Sato said this while grinning directly at Shikamaru, "Tama will join us in a bit."

"Shaddap already..." Shikamaru warned him, standing from the table and leading the way out of the pavilion. His teammates followed shortly after, not disturbing Tama's sleep.

---

As predicted Tama rose a short while later, blinking sleep out of her eyes. She brushed her arm to the side, jostled slightly by finding there was no one next to her, "Oh! Sato-kun?" She sat up on her elbows, scanning all around the tent. Disappointment sat in her stomach for a moment upon realizing she was completely alone, but Tama recovered, rolling off of the cot and combed her fingers through her hair.

Food had been left out on the table for her but she didn't have an appetite. She left the pavilion, shrugging the sleep out of her limbs. The last time she had woken up Sato had been beside her, and Tama couldn't deny it had given her a very welcome thrill. Granted, he had not been very comfortable with the proximity, but she was glad she had the chance to appreciate his endearing face up close that way. She decided not to take his absence personally since everyone else had been gone too, 'Why did they all leave early? Or...am I just late?'

Tama rounded a corner that lead into the vast inner workings of the construction yard. There was no sign of her team, 'Where should I begin to look for them?' There was a shuffling of feet on the opposite side of a containment unit and she froze when voices followed.

"Did you find that wench yet? If we don't kill her soon we won't get paid the full amount."

A lower voice answered, "No, I just checked the pavilion and it was empty. We'll try the south side of the lot and then the wharf."

Tama peeked her nose just around the edge of the silo, getting a glimpse of the two conspirators. Both were men; the nearest with dirty blonde hair tied in a tight braid down his back, garbed in black leather that showed off his muscular build. His partner stood with his back to Tama, terracotta hair cropped short and also in dark clothes. They turned to leave and she shrunk back, but not after noticing something that made her heart plummet into her gut.

'Rock ninja!' Tama pressed her back against the ridges of the silo, knowing her eyes had not fooled her when she stole a glance at their hitai-ate. She slowed her breathing, listening in silence as they negotiated for another moment until their footsteps faded in the opposite direction. Once she was fairly certain they were gone she bolted.

'They're after Mara! But why? Where is everybody?' Tama crossed through the center of the lot, running quickly and hoping against hope they had not noticed her. She nearly shrieked when someone stepped out in front of her but it was only a construction worker– the one who had lent her the fishing pole, "Er, is everything alright miss?"

"We might be under attack; can you please tell me where Mara is?" She panted breathlessly.

"Sweet lord! Under attack?" He wheezed disbelievingly, "She went off with your lot to the wharf, that's what I heard!"

Tama broke away from her informant immediately, navigating through the construction site back towards the pier. Her worst fear was that she would arrive too late, but thankfully there was no sign of either of the Rock ninja as she raced across the trotter. Workers were already going back to the lot for a break, 'Where is Mara? Do they know?' She stepped onto the opposite bank of the inlet, eyes searching frantically, 'Please let her be–!'

"Tama-chan?"

The black haired girl whipped around, nose to nose with Hinata, "Gosh...you scared the bejesus out of me, Hinata-chan..."

Fortunately the rest of the team showed up as well with Mara just ahead of them, all appropriately confused. Shikamaru gave his attention to Tama, "I gather you have something to report since you rushed all the way over here?"

"Back in the lot...there was no mistaking it..." She took a moment to catch her breath, "I just went out to find you all and the next thing I know there are two Rock ninja! There could be more, I'm not sure...but they're after Mara."

"Blimey! What's so special about an old crone like me?" The old woman barked in astonishment.

Gaara answered promptly as they moved back out onto the bridge as a group, "You're the leader of this project. It's only natural that you'd be targeted first."

"Do you have any enemies or rivals we should be aware of now?" Shikamaru added.

Her laugh was a smoky rumble in her chest, "Well no one comes to mind...perhaps all those sore losers who I out-drank in the pubs back home, but...I honestly don't think I've annoyed enough people for this to happen."

"See, I always think that too," Sato empathized with her, "But then there's always some excuse like: You're that idiot who broke my mailbox! Or, Your rent is two months past due! There are always people who consider you a jerk even if you don't outright mess with them."

"It's nice that we had a firsthand account like that." Shikamaru sighed lowly, "Mara, make sure you stay close to Gaara. You'll benefit from his shield."

Mara took a moment to observe the red haired ninja but saw no such device on him, "Shield, eh? I don't know about that...say, what's the function of that big-ass gourd you keep lugging around, boy?"

"It's comprised of sand I use for battle." Gaara answered distractedly and Mara rolled her eyes as if to say, Fashion fads these days...

Nearly halfway across the lower access Hinata held out her arm suddenly, halting the entire party. Her eyes had quickly picked up on the two unknowns who were approaching, proving Tama's report true. They moved confidently, wearing smug expressions after locating their objective, and stopped about a dozen yards away from the Leaf ninja.

"Kenkichi Romjin and Yamamoto Sanae request your immediate surrender, Miss...Mara, is it?" The blonde man announced in a husky voice, "This is by order of our employer, Fukuda Tsutomu, for he wishes to acquire this facility peaceably."

"Fukuda?" Mara crowed at the notorious name, "That greedy bastard can't be satisfied even within The Earth Country! He has no business with me, that conceited, rich quack!"

"If you do not leave now we will use deadly force." Gaara warned, his tone somewhat unnerving even for his own teammates. The threat didn't seem to much worry Romjin and Sanae, though. Outwardly it was apparent that the two had been partners for years, and had seen more battles than anyone of the opposing ninja combined.

Even though Shikamaru advised against it, Gaara stepped away from the group to deal with the intruders himself. Romjin, the blonde nukenin, regarded him with a raised eyebrow, "Aren't you supposed to be that Sand ninja who killed Gato? They say you're real trouble in a fight, but know that our accomplishments outweigh yours. Only the elite work for Fukuda."

Gaara raised his hand, sand shivering to life around him, "Then it's a shame he didn't send his best...I was hoping for a challenge."

The insult registered quickly, and though fury glanced across Romjin's face it was Sanae who made a hand seal. A blast from beside the landing punched a hole in the concrete of the bridge, and the force of it knocked Gaara back– unharmed thanks to his sand shield. In response to the opening assault Sato and Hinata hurtled ahead towards the Rock ninja.

The worry on Shikamaru's face did not bode well in Tama's opinion. He spoke sidelong to her, "This is bad...they've got explosives set up around the site, and they could take it out at any moment..."

"I thought they were here for Mara..." Tama pointed out.

"Sure they are, just as they're after the plant– it's simple really." Shikamaru deduced, "If they can't have their way with the chief engineer they blow the place to hell." From behind the black haired kunoichi Mara shuddered at the notion.

The brawl unfolding at the center of the viaduct was fast-paced melee combat. Both Romjin and Sanae were experts in taijutsu. Hinata had wedged herself between Sanae and his partner, a palm directed at each of them and lit with chakra. They weren't serious about fighting such a young girl, but quickly found out what an error it was. Stabs of Jyukken connected with agonizing precision, and while trying to block the blows her chakra scalded their upraised arms. Sato took the opportunity to set a trap while the nukenin were distracted.

The Hatake circled around the Rock ninja, avoiding his white-eyed teammate, and snared a wire around both enemies until their legs were locked. Sato rolled away as a kunai sailed past his head and then drew his hand back, tightening the coil and forcing both nukenin to stop their assault. "You want to do the honors, Sunshine?" The silver haired nin grinned at his teammate.

Hinata lunged ahead, poised for a knockout blow, but Sanae and Romjin balanced their weight and shifted so that her strike snapped the wires that bound them together. The enemy pair dove away in perfect synchronization, avoiding the Hyuga girl's assaults completely. Sato, thankfully, was quick enough to land a blind-sided kick to Sanae's jaw.

The brown haired man stumbled for a moment, which was just long enough for Shikamaru to act, "Kage Mane no Jutsu!" Sanae froze, at the mercy of the Nara, and Tama smiled at Mara's exclamation of triumph from the far side of the landing.

The victory was short-lived once Romjin countered, "Katon: Hell Cat Jutsu!" Shikamaru had no choice but to abort the technique or risk the incoming roar of flames. He and Tama rolled to the side, dodging the charging fire beast. Freed from his brief capture, Sanae immediately regrouped with his partner, keeping a watchful eye as Hinata crept ever nearer— poised to strike.

By then Gaara had recovered from the blast and rejoined the fray. His sand put pressure on the fleet-footed Rock duo, who soon resorted to raising a small army of Mud Clones that rose up from the banks beside the breakwater. The replicas proved to be a wise choice— just as agile as their originals and even more frustrating when Gaara could not pick the fakes from the true nukenin. He crushed all those that came in range, and shielded himself from their ruthless attacks.

The Mud Clones outnumbered the Leaf team two to one. Shikamaru knew the stakes were getting higher as Sanae and Romjin's forces slowly drove their team back along the conduit— closer to where Mara was taking refuge. 'The best way to deal with this is a counterattack of equal force. Hinata's Shadow Clones can do that.' Shikamaru came up with a strategy on the spot, but was unable to pass it on to his team after he was hammer-fisted in the side by a sneaky Mud doppelganger.

Nearby Sato and Tama were raking through the crowds that were getting too close to Mara, and Hinata was a short distance from where Gaara was embroiled in the worst of the fighting. Without warning several clones coordinated an attack and ganged up on the Sand ninja, pile-driving into him where his shield was weakest. The blow knocked him off the side of the quay, and though his sand swarmed to keep up it could not catch him in time.

Hinata could see Gaara hit the water with her Byakugan. For a long moment she waited for him to surface, hacking through the clones that were responsible for his fall, but quickly realized he was not above water. 'He can swim, can't he?' Panic gripped her. There was still no progress and her eyes snapped to where Tama had positioned herself directly in front of Mara, hurling kunai at approaching bunshin. To the Hyuga it seemed that she was the only one aware of Gaara's plight.

"Hinata, make some Shadow Clones and we'll clean up the last of them!" Shikamaru finally voiced his idea of how to eliminate the Mud Clones. Sato had already destroyed a fair number of them, but their work was far from over. With muck plentiful beside the inlet more and more replicas were made to replace those lost. Hinata complied, but not in the way Shikamaru had hoped.

It was clear she was distracted after she had made only three duplicates— not nearly enough to fight off the enemy's clones. Hinata abruptly dashed for the side of the viaduct and dove from the railing without any explanation. 'Great…' Shikamaru thought, 'That just leaves me and Sato to hold them off.' He glanced back to where Tama was defending Mara, 'And to be honest I'm not really sure how well Tama can fight…so this ultimately leaves us at a disadvantage.'

The Kage Bunshin Hinata had left behind aided Sato in finishing off the last of the enemy's Mud clones. A pillar of saltwater crashed down moments later, dissipating the Shadow Clones and hurling Sato against the pavement with merciless force. Dizzy, the Hatake struggled to his feet, eyes widening in shock as the real Romjin and Sanae charged for him, "Hey Shika! A little help?"

The Nara's shadow extended across the pavement, reaching futilely for the Rock ninja who were then aware of the technique. They dodged Shikamaru's jutsu and focused their assault on Sato. Overwhelmed, the silver haired nin created several Fire Clones to afford him the chance to escape the crazed pair of nukenin.

Below in the churning waves Hinata had plunged into the icy water after her friend. She was glad to see Gaara was still struggling for the surface, but was clearly inhibited by the heavy calabash secured to his back. She dove down, level with the thick, leather ties that bound him to the sand gourd, and found herself fumbling with the clasps. He also must have had the same problem, Hinata realized.

Knowing the uselessness of trying to free him of the weight, Hinata opted for dragging him bodily out of the water. Her efforts in that respect also failed. Gaara was simply too heavy to breach the surface by that point, and no amount of her frantic tugging and floundering was going to change it. Even after creating a Shadow Clone to help her with the drowning Sand ninja, it was becoming too much for Hinata to attempt on one breath of air alone. For a brief moment Gaara caught the Hyuga girl's eye.

His expression was chillingly calm. Hinata had hoped that there might have been some fight left in him— that he wouldn't have so quickly accepted the fatality of the circumstances. His eyes encouraged her wordlessly to save herself and return to the others, but she wouldn't have it, 'What would Naruto-kun think if his friend perished this way? I won't give up!' She motioned for her clone to dive deeper— to the dark waters that tugged them further down.

The Hyuga girl held fast to the drowning jounin, watching as the Shadow Clone just below them threw herself into a tremendous rotation. The impact was painful, granted, but it had been enough to force Gaara out of the water and, thankfully, to the safety of a low jetty. Out of the swirling water Hinata heaved herself up onto the rocks beside Gaara while he hacked up mouthfuls of seawater.

Drenched and shivering, Hinata staggered to her feet, pulling a very waterlogged Gaara up as well. "Thank you." He said solemnly, fiddling uncomfortably with the ties of his calabash, "I…really hate water."

"Haku-kun should have come with us…" Hinata panted, realizing that she was not cut out for high-stress swimming and other such activities, "Are you alright, Gaara-kun?"

"You saved me. I'm perfectly fine." He assured her, and she nodded gladly. As Hinata began to pick her way across the slippery boulders to the shore, Gaara stopped her, "We can't rejoin the rest of the team just yet."

Hinata looked at him quizzically, "Is something wrong?"

He pointed to the underside of the plant's filters. At intervals, beneath the steel beams and concrete were discretely placed explosives that the Rock shinobi had earlier planted. "We need to deal with those bombs first." Gaara recommended, and added, "I won't be able to fight as well either until my sand is dry."

The contents of his sand gourd had already proven how worthless sand was underwater. Still sodden, it would take some time for it to dry out and again become dependable enough for battle. Hinata followed after the Sand ninja as he crossed the jetty to a pillar under the pier.

---

Above, at the mouth of the conduit, Tama guarded Mara vigilantly. After Romjin and Sanae had concentrated their assault on Sato the mass of Mud Clones had dissipated. While it was good to not fear for their own safety at the time, Tama could only look on worriedly as the silver haired nin dove away from his thrashing foes— leaving his clones to be pummeled in his place. 'He's in trouble…and Shikamaru can't get in close enough to help.' Tama had wondered if Gaara and Hinata would appear sometime soon, 'But I haven't seen them…and there's no use in waiting. I just hope they're alright!'

The tension in the girl's posture was evident, and Mara was through with being a spectator, "Listen up, Missy, your lot's in trouble out there. Go back them up and I'll lay low in one of the storage sheds back in the stocking yard."

"But you'll be vulnerable! I couldn't—"

"No more vulnerable than I am now." Mara grunted pointedly, "With those two maniacs out there busy fighting you ninja they won't give me the time of day until you're all disposed of. My chances are better if I'm out of sight, plain and simple."

It didn't take much more to convince Tama. She and Mara split up, the old woman returning back to the construction area and the kunoichi back to her team.

Tama watched as Sanae plunged his fist into one of Sato's clones, effectively destroying it. She leapt up while he was unprepared, catching him in the jaw with a furious wheel-kick. He fell backwards with a yowl, startling his partner. Sato quickly joined the kunoichi, both standing back to back as the nukenin regrouped ahead of them.

"Nice entry, right there." The silver haired nin chuckled, "Any more bright ideas?"

"Hit them while they're down?" She suggested, to which she received a nod of approval.

Though Shikamaru's distant shout was probably meant to stop them, both Tama and Sato charged ahead towards the pair of Rock ninja. They fought with synchronization that would do Gai proud had he been present, and though they were fearsome and swift, both nukenin possessed equally formidable mimicry. Sanae had recovered from Tama's ambush, and countered the Leaf shinobi alongside his partner with an impatient grimace.

As the blows volleyed Tama quickly analyzed the situation. She ducked beneath a punch from Romjin that left an alarming crater in the concrete just beside her. 'They're stronger than us…much stronger! If Shikamaru or one of the others doesn't step in we might get—'

To Sato (and Tama's) shock the Rock ninja changed strategy, and again ganged up on the Hatake. Two sharp kicks connected with Sato in the gut that sent him crashing to the far railing with a pained grunt.

Rage boiled up in her stomach, but before Tama could retaliate against the dirty trick, Romjin had tossed down several smoke bombs. He and Sanae disappeared into the fog, and as visibility diminished Tama found herself wandering along the bridge— completely directionless.

Unseen to her on the far side of the bridge, Shikamaru hauled Sato to his feet. "They hit really hard…" Sato admitted, holding his throbbing sides, "You may actually be the wisest one here…hanging back…"

Shikamaru snorted, "I told you not to get too close but you did anyway. Until Hinata and Gaara get back here we're at the disadvantage."

There was an abrupt commotion, unmistakably Tama's cry as she fought off an enemy. Sato reacted instinctively, tearing himself away from the team leader and rushing back towards the billowing cloud. More shuffling followed, and Shikamaru blinked upon seeing the kunoichi hurl Sanae out into the open. Clearly visible, the Nara took a shot at the nukenin, successfully snaring him with his shadow.

'Great…and that idiot just ran back into the smoke.' Shikamaru thought glumly after Sato had vanished. Tama obeyed when Shikamaru told her to stay put, "No one else is going in there! These guys have used this tactic before, I'm willing to bet."

It became apparent that Sato and Romjin had at length detected each other in the smoke cover after streaks of white chakra sliced hither and thither through the air. Sato's attacks were sloppy, and Shikamaru figured from the distinct sound of caroming metal that Romjin was wielding a weapon as well. The Nara flicked his gaze from Tama, who stood rigidly several meters away, to Sanae— who reflected the exact posture of his captor. At least with one of them trapped, he thought, the other would probably compromise.

A sudden clash snapped Shikamaru out of his thoughts. From within the haze there was the sound of a dropped sword skidding over pavement, 'Someone's lost their weapon…it's a fifty-fifty chance that it was the enemy's.' His hope was crushed after Sato howled out in pain. Tama took a step forward but Shikamaru cut her off, "Don't move, I told you!"

"But Sato—!"

"Is reckless. He got himself into this because he can't obey orders!" Shikamaru grumbled, even when he too feared for the Hatake's life. There was both a feeling of relief and dread when the vapor cleared.

Sato was on the ground, his right hand reaching desperately for his kodachi that Romjin had kicked aside. His second blade was in Romjin's hand, and Shikamaru feared Romjin was more than a match for the Hatake regarding weaponry. Tama, a short distance away, felt her breath hitch.

Romjin had run his own sword straight through Sato's shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Sato struggled weakly, unable to stem the flow of blood that was rapidly staining the pavement. Romjin's stare focused on Shikamaru, "You'll release Sanae immediately, or this one dies!"

Shikamaru heaved a sigh. The situation had worsened but at least their enemy was out in the open. "Finish him off, Tama." Shikamaru instructed, "He's let his guard down."

"Did you hear what I just said? I'll kill this little pinhead!" Romjin repeated fiercely, "Don't fuck around! Let Sanae go!"

Shikamaru kept his gaze level on the dark haired kunoichi, nodding placatingly. Her attack was certain to end the fight, but she was unable to move. Tama stood rooted to the spot, her eyes transfixed on her best friend caught beneath the enemy's blade. She shook her head roughly— Shikamaru's idea was unthinkable! "I c-can't…" She whispered apologetically, "I don't want…anything to happen to h-him…"

"Hey! I'm…f-fine…" Sato rasped from his place on the ground, "Go ahead, Tama! Beat the snot out of this son of a—"

Romjin stuck his sword deeper into his victim in an effort to silence him. It didn't have the desired effect, however, when Sato let out a bone-chilling wail as the sword snapped through bone and drove its way out through the back of his shoulder. Tama froze up again, terrified, and Shikamaru knew there was no way he was going to get her to cooperate, 'Looks like I'll have to take this upon myself, then…'

Shikamaru directed his captive towards Romjin, snatching up the discarded kodachi on the way, and sent the Rock ninja to attack his own partner. Romjin countered the clever tactic, defending against Sanae's assault with Sato's other kodachi. The Hatake lashed out with a sudden kick that swept Romjin's legs out from under him, and rolled away from the two fighting nukenin.

Shikamaru's effective conducting of Sanae had won back Sato's second sword, and even drove Romjin back towards the opposite side of the conduit. The desperate Rock shinobi resorted to ninjutsu, "Suiton: Water Dragon Blast!" A current of seawater ripped up over the railing and charged down at the Leaf ninja. Shikamaru avoided the attack with Sanae still ensnared, but that was all Romjin needed to put some distance between himself and his partner.

Romjin rounded on Sato, who was still disabled with a sword in his shoulder, 'They seem to be pretty fond of this one…if I nick him off they probably won't fight as hard.' Before he could draw his sword again Tama plowed into him from behind.

His head brushed the pavement as he soared forward from the impact, but Romjin quickly righted himself in the air, getting a clear view of the furious kunoichi. There was a sharp spike in her chakra that he immediately picked up on, 'That explains it…this wench can open Chakra Gates.' He rubbed his nose nonchalantly, 'But she's just some prissy chick! That last punch was a lucky shot!'

Though Romjin had entered the fight initially believing that women did not wield much physical strength, he soon realized how mistaken he was. Tama rushed at him with ever-increasing speed, returning every one of his blows with twice the force. She landed a brutal knee-kick on his back that threw him against the railing, and Romjin, overwhelmed, used a hand seal to activate a detonating tag nearby.

The blast tore off a sizeable piece of the bridge, and both combating shinobi disappeared in the resulting cloud of dust. Sato staggered to his feet, panicked that Tama had been so close to the explosion. Shikamaru puppetted Sanae over in an attempt to restrain him. "You're wounded badly, don't even think about going out there again!" The Nara warned in exasperation.

"But she…she might be…" Sato's face was contorted with pain and fear. Never before had he been on a mission with Tama, nor had he ever expected her life to be in mortal peril. He and Shikamaru edged over to the blast site as the dust settled, catching sight of two ninja out on the waves of the inlet.

Even after a chunk of the bridge had been ripped off both kunoichi and nukenin found the time to evade and continue their brawl. Over the water Tama was an impressive sight, chakra focused enough to keep her feet safely on the surface, yet harsh enough to kick up a small gale. Romjin was quickly losing confidence as Tama danced around his attacks. Without warning, she struck the Rock ninja at an angle that shot him into the air.

Sato's eyes widened as he watched the girl follow through, leaping up and kicking Romjin repeatedly— higher and higher towards the ocean-s pray clouds up above. It was then he understood his uncle's reservations. It was obvious that when Tama had not graduated to genin level on schedule those years ago, her uncle was still more than happy to tutor her on their family's Lotus technique. 'Back when she wasn't even qualified!' Sato thought to himself, 'But it looks like she definitely knows what she's doing…'

He blinked again, there was a spark, and where Tama had once been there was only a dying tongue of flames. She streaked down in the finishing whirl of the Front Lotus, literally burning, and plunged a badly burned Romjin into the salty sting of the bay with anguishing force. For a moment Sato stared breathlessly out over the waves, in awe of the spectacle. Even Shikamaru couldn't sniff at the unexpected and brutal power the kunoichi had displayed. Tama peaked clumsily over the waves, and thankfully her opponent was deep beneath the surface, unlikely to rise again.

Shikamaru, with Sanae still held fast in his shadow, stood beside Sato, watching in horror as the foolish Hatake pulled the sword out of his shoulder with a hiss of pain. "Have you lost that scrap of a mind of yours?" The Nara hollered at him, "You're going to bleed to death now that you took that out!"

A small, crackling lump of white chakra came to life in the Hatake's hand. "My family's chakra is very malleable, my uncle told me." Sato informed his team leader, brushing the fizzling light over his wound, "Ehehe…oh…it sure burns like shit too." After a moment Shikamaru conceded that the injury was thoroughly cauterized, but was still unable to budge on the stupidity of his subordinate.

"Kakashi showed me that trick once, sorry if it freaked you out, Shika-kun." Sato apologized, strolling over to the railing, "But I couldn't very well go get Tama looking like a shish-kabob now could I?" He leapt off the side of the viaduct and crossed the waves to where the exhausted kunoichi was struggling to stay on top of the water.

Shikamaru, then on his own, scratched his nose and watched as a very disinclined Sanae did the same. The Nara broke the silence, "Looks like I'm just about out of chakra myself now…oh well." He made Sanae discard the sword and then released his captive with a sigh. Uninterested, he continued to deal with his itching nose.

Sanae leapt back, wildly happy to be free again, and rounded on Shikamaru, "It's about time for some payback! Any last words, dickhead?"

"Not really." The Nara was totally calm, and in the brief moment Sanae puzzled over such behavior a cloud of sand swarmed and enveloped him from behind.

The Rock ninja panicked, having thought the Sand ninja had long since been finished. In a last ditch effort he made hand seals, but none of the explosives he had set up were responding. He looked over his shoulder, calling futilely for his teammate, "Romjin! Something's not right! This place should be up in smoke right now!"

Hinata came to stand beside Gaara, her soaking jacket folded neatly in her arms. "We dismantled all of those bombs near the filters." She told the Rock ninja in a quiet voice, "You won't be hurting anyone here as long as we have anything to say about it."

Sanae struggled even more fervently as sand encased him with increasing pressure. Gaara, looking worse for the wear beside the Hyuga girl, then spoke up, "I'll be mindful of this Fukuda Tsutomu who sent you, from now on…but so far his mercenaries haven't proven to be very competent." The sand imploded abruptly, instantly crushing Sanae. With the enemy's termination everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Shortly after the battle's conclusion Sato returned, carrying a chakra-spent Tama on his back. "Thank you very much for your chivalry, Sato-kun, but you're hurt more than I am." She reminded him gently, "You can put me down now— I think I can walk."

"Well it does hurt pretty bad…" He whined pathetically, lowering her down, "I wouldn't wish something like that on anyone unless they were a pompous, inconsiderate person!" Neji's name flashed in his mind for a moment but Sato sharply corrected himself on that fact, 'Sunshine says he's changed…and I hear he's already has his fair share of stab-wounds.'

Mara rejoined the group, looking very pleased with the outcome of the skirmish. "Good work, all of you!" The old woman turned to Tama, "Especially you, Missy. Watching you from the sheds I realized you bring a lot more to the table than just a pretty face." Tama chuckled uncomfortably and then thanked her client.

---

By noon everyone had gone back to the pavilion to recuperate. Though the Rock ninja had done some damage to the plant, Mara had assured the team that her workers could fix the viaducts within a month if weather permitted. Tama laid down to take a well-deserved nap shortly afterwards, and Hinata went to work on Sato's injured shoulder. They stayed the night to make certain there would be no further disturbances. Since all was quiet they were able to rest peacefully, with the exception of Gaara, and in the morning Mara thanked them again for their tremendous work before dismissing them.

After setting out back North along the coast, a sea breeze seemed to congratulate them and dispelled the desert heat as they scaled the cliff sides. "All things considered," Gaara said at length, "This group functioned surprisingly well…" He smiled to himself, "I'll be sure to keep your names in mind if there is a mission open in the future."

He pulled Shikamaru aside to have a short debriefing, and while the Sand ninja and the team leader chatted, Sato claimed the moment was a pristine photo-op. "Just look at that ocean over there! And the lighting is great!" He set the timer on his camera and sat it on top of a log of driftwood, "Everyone huddle!"

Gaara did not immediately cooperate but after Hinata had pulled him into the frame the picture seemed to take itself. Every male with the exception of Sato (his arm in a sling) looked awkward, while Tama and Hinata looked like there was nowhere else they would rather be in that moment. As they continued on into the dunes of the Wind Country, every other request Sato made for a picture was denied. The one he did successfully obtain would have to do.

At the border of the River Country they stopped again, only this time it was in parting. "Do you have strength enough to get back to Leaf without me?" Gaara checked, mostly directing the question at Sato and Tama.

They looked contemplative, but Shikamaru answered for them, "I get the feeling we'll make it. Guess I'll see you around, Gaara."

They said their cheerful goodbyes, although Hinata's hug lasted maybe a second longer than normal. The Sand ninja understood her hesitation, and after the group of Leaf shinobi set out in the opposite direction, Gaara waited until they were completely out of sight. 'My friends, you know only half as well as I that this could be the last time we ever see each other.' He turned and headed for Suna on the northern horizon, 'But I suppose that's up to her.'

---

Naruto kept a half step behind Jiraiya as Sumaru led them into the heart of the Star Village. In all his time living in Leaf not once had he ever heard of a village like this. Naruto, aware that he may not get another chance to visit in the future, eagerly took in the sights.

Densely packed conifers and resilient shrubs dotted the mountainous landscape. The environment was an unwelcoming, unusual place for shinobi to want to set up a ninja village, the blonde boy thought, 'In the middle of the godforsaken wilderness…that's gotta be why they call this place the Land of Bears.' Descending a hill ridden with cattails Naruto finally caught a glimpse of Sumaru's home.

Below in the valley, the town was nothing more than a series of brick buildings and log cabins in uniform rows. The imposing woodland was mixed in with the lodges, providing some natural shelter from invaders. A few people traversed the dirt roads, calling greetings and trading goods, but for the most part the place seemed deserted.

"Where is everybody?" Naruto asked his teacher in a low voice.

"An excellent point." Jiraiya agreed, unsure of the answer himself, "One statistic to keep in mind while we're here, squirt. This village has the highest concentration per capita of ninja than any of the five recognized villages."

"I'm not following…" Naruto admitted.

Jiraiya glanced ahead at the young Star ninja guiding them, "Almost every resident here is a ninja. A place this small can't afford to have a weak military or they'd have been stomped out long ago. So it's fair to assume that most of them are on missions or patrols…which would leave the homestead more open to an attack."

The blonde boy folded his arms behind his head, "This place seems pretty safe to me. Who the heck would want to bust their ass coming all the way up here just to see some forests and cabins?"

"You'd be surprised. This place has a treasure that many countries would love to get their hands on…" Jiraiya answered.

They fell silent when Sumaru stopped and looked back at them. The boy was frowning, slightly distrustful, "I sincerely hope neither of you are here to cause trouble, because we've had guests in the past who have caused us grief. Our hospitality has dwindled over the years as a result and I'd hate to have a reason to turn you away."

"Never you mind our whispering, kid, I'm just trying to instill some last minute manners in my pupil before we meet with your leader," Jiraiya mussed Naruto's hair, "He's kind of a social retard and speaks before he thinks."

"Way to put it nicely you ass!" Naruto bit back, slightly perturbed.

The Toad Sage sighed, "See what I mean?"

Sumaru actually smiled at the exchange, and then continued on up the steps of a huge log mansion, ushering the Leaf ninja to follow. Inside the estate the high ceilings and waxed wood floors gave an instant impression of power. Sumaru propelled them past the washitsu into a warm room where a man was seated patiently on the tatami mats.

"Do as he does." Jiraiya reminded Naruto quietly. The suggestion came just in time, because Sumaru quickly kneeled down and prostrated before the man and Jiraiya's student respectfully did the same. Jiraiya simply kneeled across from the lavender haired man regarding them, and gave a soft laugh, "It's been some time hasn't it Akahoshi? Seeing you now I'm starting to feel my age."

"We're not that old." Akahoshi answered in a chuckle, "Welcome, Jiraiya-sama." He glanced over to Sumaru and the Leaf genin beside him, "Please rise, Sumaru, and introduce this young man."

Sumaru sat on his knees again and spoke, "This person is Uzumaki Naruto, apprentice to Jiraiya of the Legendary Three."

Akahoshi's dull slate eyes crossed over to the blonde, "Ah, so you're Jiraiya's student? You should be honored. The Toad Sage does not take on just any ninja to be his apprentice."

"Er, thank you, Akahoshi-sama." Naruto replied, slightly stilted by the cryptic remark.

Jiraiya chimed in, "I know our visit is a bit sudden, Akahoshi. Naruto and I have been training cross-country because his skills could use some fine-tuning. I just recently heard what happened to your late Hoshikage, and I'm very sorry for your loss."

Naruto watched Sumaru's chin drop a bit at the comment, but somehow Akahoshi's expression remained the same as he thanked Jiraiya for his compassion.

"I don't mean to sound like a snoot, but I can't understand how a remote place like this could have a Kage leader." Naruto said, noting how Jiraiya's eyebrows raised a margin, "It's just…I've never even heard of this place until this morning."

"Are we not allowed to make our own decisions? One day this village will be as great as one of the five main villages!" Sumaru snapped at the young Leaf nin, "At that time, I will become the true Hoshikage!"

Naruto was surprised by how the Star ninja possessed a dream parallel to his own. Rather than being affronted, Naruto found himself grinning with anticipation, 'He may be kind of yippity…but he's cut from the same cloth as me!'

"Be silent. Your comments are unnecessary." Akahoshi said sidelong to Sumaru, "And yes, you are correct in saying that our shinobi have no qualifications for being a Kage, Uzumaki-san, but this village has the star that is envied by all the five villages. Using that star's powers, we may have the potential to elect the sixth Kage."

"No kidding? Sounds cool." Naruto was impressed.

The substitute Hoshikage continued, "Jiraiya-sama, your arrival here is most fortunate. I've received intelligence that an individual intends to steal our star. I would much appreciate it if you and your apprentice stayed for a few days to help with surveillance that might disprove these rumors."

"I'd be happy to agree as long as food and board is included in that package." Jiraiya tacked on some luxuries they'd been without for the past week.

"You will have accommodations here in the palace should you choose to stay." Akahoshi offered, and Jiraiya promptly agreed to the terms.

When the meeting concluded, the Sage advised Naruto stick close to Sumaru, "I'll catch up with you later. While you're here make sure you find someone to give you a tour…we probably won't be coming back."

"I figured as much." Naruto agreed before dashing after Sumaru. The moody Star ninja descended the front steps in silence, and Naruto got the impression that there was a rift between Sumaru and Akahoshi that went beyond what he had seen back in the mansion. "Hey! So, uh…what a neat place. You think maybe I could hang out with you and see the—?"

"No." Sumaru stopped in the middle of the street, "No, I will not show you around my village. It's best if you just mind your own business while you're here."

Naruto persistently followed after the Star ninja who was trying to shake him. Around every curve and corner, Naruto kept up with Sumaru's pace, "Look, dude, I totally get it. You're just trying to protect your village's secrets; I'd do the same if I was in your shoes."

Sumaru was not convinced and quickly tiring of the Leaf ninja. Naruto wracked his brain for proof of his good intentions, "Consider this: Ero-sennin called me socially retarded earlier…so how do you expect someone like that to cause problems in your village? Besides, well…annoying people?"

"You are…very strange." Sumaru answered finally, "There's no need for you to be self-effacing. I suppose I'm just not used to outsiders so much, so please forgive me if I've been rude."

"I'll forgive you as long as you tell me there's a place to get some chow around here." Naruto agreed, unable to ignore his empty stomach.

Sumaru cut across the square in the opposite direction and Naruto followed, listening as the Star ninja spoke voluntarily, "I always imagined that foreign shinobi would be condescending know-it-alls…so I wasn't expecting a person like you to arrive here. Much has happened to my village and I find it difficult to trust people sometimes."

"That makes sense I suppose." Naruto agreed, and then asked, "I do wonder though…that guy Akahoshi…he didn't let you get a word in edgewise when I was asking questions. Is he always uptight like that?"

"When the Third Hoshikage died just recently Akahoshi-sama stepped in. He said it was Hoshikage-sama's wish that Akahoshi watch over the village when he passed, and he's been under a lot of stress." Sumaru frowned to himself, "But I don't ever remember a time when he's been so strict. Perhaps it has something to do with the resumption of the Star's training…"

"The Star's what?" Naruto repeated.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that, I'm afraid." Sumaru answered, leading the way into a roadside bar that was emitting a pleasing aroma.

"Well damn! This place may be in the middle of nowhere but at least it has barbeque!" Naruto cheered, pulling up a stool and placing an order while Sumaru watched him with a very unguarded expression.

'He's too distracted to be a threat…' Sumaru finally concluded to himself, 'I guess it wouldn't be so bad sharing the village with an outsider who has good intentions.'

The proprietor came by and served the two ninja their meals, and while Naruto inhaled the meat off of a skewer he also managed to make conversation. Rather than being invasive and inquiring about Sumaru's home, he talked about Leaf— about missions, his friends, and his aspirations to be Hokage. "You got any friends out here?" He asked the dark haired boy.

Sumaru took a sip of a very strange herbal tea, "Well…yes. My two closest friends are also ninja."

"Great! When can I meet them?"

"I don't think now would be a good time." The Star ninja replied, but then amended, "Rather…now is as bad a time as any. I guess we should find them after this."

Naruto generously picked up the bill for the both of them once they had finished their meal. Reluctantly, Sumaru showed the blonde boy down a path that lead out of the village and out to an enormous, ancient crater that had leveled both hills and trees alike. In the center of the basin a temple had been erected beside another lodge, and Naruto suspected that it was the place most ninja in the area would gravitate to.

They entered the building silently, and Naruto beheld several trainees gathered in a ring around a pedestal, all in deep meditation. A tranquil violet aura surrounded the genin, and Naruto recognized the energy from earlier, 'Their chakra is visible…just like Sumaru's was back near the ravine! What the heck do they do to get it like that?'

"What's that rock?' Naruto whispered to his companion, "The one on the pedestal?"

"That is the Star that our village was founded for. Shinobi in training here try to harness its power to intensify our own chakra." Sumaru answered lowly, "The Star is the reason so many villages envy this place."

Though Naruto understood the appeal, he was about to contest the idea since Leaf had no interest whatsoever in the Star, that was until one of the meditating ninja dropped to the floor from exhaustion.

"Mizura?" Sumaru rushed ahead to the fallen boy, startled by his collapse.

The other meditating genin ceased their training and gathered around their fatigued comrade, asking if he was all right. A tall brunette girl kneeled closely beside Mizura, muttering soft reprimands while she and Sumaru hoisted him to his feet. "I told you not to continue with the training…it tires you out too quickly." The pretty girl reminded him, "We're taking you out of here so you can rest properly."

Mizura gave a hushed sound of protest, but Sumaru had swung the shorter boy's arm across his shoulder and helped the kunoichi lead him to the exit. Naruto held the door for the retreating shinobi while the other Star ninja resumed their training. Naruto had wanted to ask how simple meditation could have hurt Mizura so, or if he had been in a fight recently, but he kept his questions to himself as he followed Sumaru and his companions to the trainee lodge next door.

The dormitory for the Star Village's genin was dim and spacious. Thick beams supported the high ceilings, and futons were lined in neat rows on either side of the room.

"I've got him, Hokuto." Sumaru told the kunoichi softly. The Star ninja laid Mizura down on a mat, and the girl, Hokuto, retreated to make some tea for their ailing friend. Sumaru sat down beside Naruto, watching as Mizura drew arduous breaths.

"Is he going to be alright?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Mizura has been feeling ill ever since he started training." Sumaru lowered his eyes, "We've been worried that…the Star might be hurting him somehow."

Naruto raised his eyebrows, "But I thought it made you guys stronger!"

"Sumaru! Don't talk about the Star around outsiders!" Mizura rasped before falling into a coughing fit.

Hokuto returned and kneeled down on Mizura's opposite side, tipping some tea into his mouth. He calmed down soon after and fell back, too exhausted to stay alert. Naruto looked to her curiously, "You're name is Hokuto, right?" She nodded and he then asked, "Have you ever gotten sick like this?"

It occurred to her that Sumaru must have confided in him their training methods, so she answered openly, "Training near the Star is very taxing, and almost all shinobi have been strained by it…but I've never seen a case this bad. I'm worried that if he keeps it up he might not recover."

"Just because I get sick like this doesn't make me weak." Mizura had one final word, "Don't underestimate me, Leaf ninja!"

Before Naruto could respond Sumaru laid a hand on his ill friend's shoulder, "Naruto-san isn't the kind of person to judge others so quickly. He showed me that; there's no need to question him."

The blonde boy appreciated the kind words Sumaru had given since the uptight shinobi seldom had anything so gracious to say. Hokuto laid a hand on Mizura's cheek, "He's feverish…" She turned to Sumaru and asked, "Could you fetch some cold water?"

Naruto stood with Sumaru and followed him across the room. 'The Star made him sick…' Naruto thought while he walked, 'That's some crazy shit. What makes some people stronger makes other people weak?' He looked over his shoulder at the two, and gawked in surprise. Hokuto had bent down and was sharing a discrete lip lock with the ailing boy. Flustered, he turned around to keep pace with Sumaru.

In an adjacent storeroom there was a tap, and Sumaru filled a bowl with cold water while Naruto found a spare towel. The silence was long and uncomfortable, and Naruto was beginning to suspect that he was intruding on the Star ninja's privacy. "Pay them no mind." Sumaru said finally, already aware of what Naruto had witnessed, "Hokuto has always loved Mizura. She's become exceedingly protective of him since he started becoming ill."

Naruto scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Huh. It must be rough when your friends are that close. Does it get…weird?"

"Is that really any of your business?" Sumaru sniffed, turning the faucet off, "Let's go and don't make me regret taking you here."

"Jeez! Just when I thought you were loosening up…" Naruto sighed.

Hokuto thanked them for their help when they returned, and placed the damp cloth on Mizura's head. "What are you doing so far away from your village, I wonder?" Hokuto asked the blonde boy, "The Fire Country is a long way off."

"I'm training away from home with my sensei, Jiraiya the Toad Sage— you've heard of him." Naruto explained briefly, "I have a lot of ground to cover before I can even think about going back to Konoha. You don't become Hokage by just sitting on your butt."

"If only it could be that simple!" Hokuto laughed. Sumaru was very aware of the smile that spread on her face and watched her carefully afterwards.

Naruto continued, "Well…even if I sound enthusiastic about it I'm a wreck. I've got to train, meditate, and put up with Ero-sennin every day to the point of blowing a gasket." His eyes lowered, "And…I miss my friends all the time."

Hokuto exchanged a look with Sumaru before saying, "We've never been outside The Bear Country…so it's difficult to imagine how stressful traveling can be."

"Don't get me wrong— the traveling is great, it's the homesick part that stinks." Naruto amended with a chuckle, "You're missing a lot if you just stay here forever, I mean, I've found about twenty new places I love to eat at just by coming this far!"

"That's enough chat for now." Sumaru decided, having heard enough of Naruto's goofy anecdotes, "We should let Mizura get some undisturbed rest."

Those present agreed and Hokuto separated from them for the evening. Outside of the dormitory the sun had set and the sky was bleeding amber into indigo. Sumaru rounded on the blonde boy abruptly, "I would much prefer it if you didn't put ideas into my friends' heads, Naruto-san."

Naruto was perplexed, "What does that mean?"

"They don't need to get excited about faraway places when they should be focusing on the betterment of our own village!" Sumaru clarified, "You can at least respect that can't you?"

"What's got you in a bad mood all of the sudden?" Naruto quipped, "There's nothing wrong with having aspirations, at least in my book."

"We have a long way to go before we can hope to contend with the Five Main Villages, so stop romanticizing and start concentrating on what you're here for: surveillance."

Naruto refused to let the Star ninja's temper badger him, "You need to relax, man. There's no need to be such a tight ass about emulating the Five Villages."

His slightly insensitive comment was the last straw for Sumaru, and, having worn out his escort's welcome, Naruto was promptly/immediately dropped off at the Hoshikage's estate. "Nice hanging out with you too!" Naruto called to the retreating boy's back.

The blonde nin climbed the steps and entered the large mahogany doors of the mansion. 'Sheesh. He didn't have a beef with me that whole time before we got to the temple.' Naruto observed indignantly, 'Maybe it's got something to do with Mizura and Hokuto. He was all uncomfortable by then, so…maybe it wasn't me. Maybe they upset him?'

He passed a server in the hallway that was kind enough to direct him to Jiraiya's current location. Near the back of the palace there was a private area fenced off for hot springs. Jiraiya dozed in the water, face flushed, looking absolutely thrilled to have found a luxurious place to relax. He noticed Naruto sulking out on the veranda, "Hey, kid. Why don't you take a load off and tell me how the tour went?"

Naruto stripped in a changing room before he settled into the geothermal water. The Toad Sage quickly noticed a lack of rambling on his student's part, "What's the matter? You don't like this village?"

"There's nothing wrong with the village— it's the ambitious, stuck-up people who live in it!" Naruto answered, adjusting the washcloth on his head, "It gets pretty annoying after a while…but I suppose I can't hold it against them when they live all the way out in the middle of nowhere."

"I won't say I told you so but I sure am thinking about it." Jiraiya sighed, "But every place has a flipside to it, I'm sure you've noticed by now. The same vents that feed toxic gas into Hell's Ravine back near the forest are the same ones responsible for such wonderful springs, like the one we're enjoying now…it does wonders for your health…"

"Pft! Health…" Naruto snorted at the notion, "People around here are consistently getting sick."

"How do you figure?"

"It's that rock— that Star of theirs." Naruto clarified, "The genin who train near it get really weak for some reason."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, "That's…very troubling. I'm starting to wonder about that Star myself if it's the object of so much turmoil."

After unwinding in the hot springs the two guests of the Star Village were provided with a room in the eastern hall of the estate. "Add the next set tonight." Jiraiya told his pupil abruptly, and Naruto gave him a quizzical look. "Your leg weights, Naruto. You've adjusted to the incremental increases over the past few weeks, so it's time to put more weight on and start pushing yourself."

"Oh, right!" Naruto nodded in understanding, "But…for the Body Flicker, tell me what's the next step after that, Ero-sensei?"

"See…that's where I can't help you squirt." Jiraiya said quietly, lighting his pipe. The blonde boy stopped halfway through clipping more resistance to his legs, with an expression similar to having been slapped in the face.

"Right now you know just as much as I do about it in regards to the seal mechanics and the required speed…" Jiraiya admitted, exhaling a plume of smoke, "So really the next step is whatever you decide to do."

"Er…I guess that makes sense." Naruto agreed weakly. He finished adjusting his leg weights and left so that his teacher could retire for the night. Naruto exited the palace, only vaguely aware of the chilled night air as he crossed the road to a dirt path that wound up the forested hill.

He thought while he navigated through the dark, 'Whatever I decide to do? This wasn't a Do-It-Yourself training trip last I checked. If Ero-sennin can't point me in the right direction anymore how the hell does he expect me to figure it out?'

Naruto finally acknowledged how he had reached a plateau in his learning. Without Jiraiya to pull the concepts together for him he felt as if the ground had fallen out from under him. Mastering new techniques had been a breeze when Gaara and Haku had been by his side, but those days seemed ancient and foreign to him now.

"What do I do, guys?" Naruto asked himself, as if they were standing with him. His brow knitted into a frown, and he figured soul-searching wouldn't do him any good at the moment. 'I'll stick to what I do know for sure…' Naruto concluded, 'And that's practice over and over until I collapse somewhere!'

Naruto jogged up the meandering stone stairs behind the palace, further into the shadowed woods. He was most concerned with finding 'a spot.' This was defined simply as an undisturbed place where one can clearly hear their innermost thoughts and be at peace with the environment. 'Or whatever mumbo-jumbo Old Roushi was talkin' about…'

A boulder sat inconspicuously beside the path, and Naruto settled there to meditate. Naruto had learned to quiet his mind during his brief meeting with Roushi. Keeping his thoughts still, he was told, would calm even the Kyuubi on a bad day. The blonde boy sat cross-legged on the boulder, unmoving, and retreated into his mind where even the nocturnal sounds of the forest fell silent.

He decided a brief check in would be best, or at least, the least painful. Oddly enough, behind the luminous glowing bars of the demon's prison, the gigantic fox was breathing easy as if in sleep. Deciding not to spark another argument with his furry captive, Naruto left nearly as quickly as he had arrived. The Fox faded from view and Naruto opened his eyes, adjusting them to the creeping dark of the forest.

As per usual, a vast flow of chakra was circulating through his system after visiting the Kyuubi. Naruto shot off of his perch, bulleting through the underbrush with a low huff of adrenalin. 'If I'm gonna get the Body Flicker perfect I have to take advantage of any training time I can get!' His muscles sang with the blissful power he had tapped into, allowing him to soar through the forest, whipping past trees so blindingly fast their leaves shook free from the stems.

Naruto kept the Fourth's knife in hand while he sped through the uncharted woodland, waiting, however irrationally, for a reaction. 'When is it gonna work? When? They can't just expect me to figure it out magically!' There was no response. He flew through the trees with unprecedented speed but could not awaken the three-pronged kunai.

Before he had become fully aware of his surroundings again Naruto found himself at the top of the hill where the valley crested, and yielded a small opening from the dense forest. To his immense surprise, Sumaru was standing quietly in the clearing. Naruto let his Kyuubi chakra simmer down before he approached the Star ninja. He knew Sumaru wasn't very comfortable around him, but Naruto could not ignore his curiosity.

The olive haired boy noticed Naruto after a moment and gave him a dry look. Without a word, Sumaru returned his attention to the night sky. The blonde nin stood beside him, rubbing his neck uncertainly, "I didn't follow you out here or anything, I promise! I was training in the woods and you were up here so I just figured I'd stop over and see…" He paused to take a breath, "If…you're doing okay?"

"You needn't waste your concern on me." Sumaru answered roughly, then added, "But…yes, I am fine now. I apologize if I was being unreasonable earlier. My temper gets the better of me sometimes."

"One of my buddies is like that too, so no worries," Naruto grinned at the thought of Gaara, "I'll endure! But…what are you doing out here anyway?"

"I come here to think when I…need to be alone." He replied simply.

Naruto nodded, "It's nice out here. You can see the sky so clear from these mountains…" A particularly bright star glimmered just off of the horizon, and Naruto found it singularly appealing. "That one there," He pointed out, "It's red, isn't it? I don't do much star-gazing but that's kind of unusual I would think."

Sumaru immediately knew the one Naruto was speaking of, "That is Mars, most commonly known as Natsuhiboshi in these parts. It isn't technically a star…but I know…" He trailed off for a moment, "I know that it watches after me." He unconsciously gripped a crimson pendant that hung at his neck. Naruto had not noticed it earlier, but he assumed it must have been one of Sumaru's treasures.

"I wish I had someone looking after me." Naruto said lowly. Certainly he had his friends, his sensei, and of course, his inner demon backing him up— but Naruto had never felt a spiritual connection with a guardian. He figured the closest he could get to one was Hinata, or possibly Jiraiya or Tsunade. 'I don't exactly rank high on peoples' priority lists of protection.' For once he cursed his tempered spirit and defenses. There was no armor against loneliness.

"You know…you probably shouldn't be training alone in the forest at night." Sumaru advised after a long silence, "It might catch patrolling ninja of my village off guard to see you here."

"Oh." Naruto scratched his head, "Well in that case I'll come by tomorrow morning." He turned on his heel, taking the hint to leave. Suddenly he stopped and called back, "Uh, hey! Sumaru! Why don't you swing by too and we can spar together?"

Sumaru mulled it over, appearing hesitant as always. To Naruto's surprise he answered, "I might just do that…"

Naruto then made his way back to the palace to retire for the night. On his way down the hill he could have sworn he heard Sumaru crooning a lullaby. 'That guy…is definitely not as tough as he lets on…' Naruto concluded.

After a few moments, however, he was unable to help it. Naruto was humming the melody as well as he retraced his steps by starlight.

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Next: Chapter 9- Breach! The Star is seized!