"It's not so hard. I like the smell. What does this is for?" Yue asked once he stored the ointment on bottles. Kaoru took the new box of supplies and saved them on the storage room.

"This serves to stimulate the paralyzed muscles, thanks Yuu. If I knew sooner you were so efficient… you had been my first on the list of assistants"

She cleaned her hands with a towel and looking at the mud on his face Kaoru captured him.

"As-As if… I will have done it.! Let me go!" Yue could not run from her as she scoffed and pinched his cheek.

"Next time I won't make a compliment to you… then go and take a shower, your hair seems brown instead of orange"

"Kaoru-san?" The soft tone took me by surprise but once I see those lavender eyes Kaoru smiled to the newcomer.

"Hinata! I'm so glad! Do you need something? I had just finished a new stock" She stopped at mid-turn when another Hyuga approached behind her female friend and Yue shouted.

"You!" Neji lifted an eyebrow and Hinata slightly jumped at the sudden outburst. "Because of you I… ugh…. you ought me an apology"

"What is wrong with your manners!? That's is not the way we receive a guest" Kaoru make Yue turn and go inside for the much needed shower before acknowledging both Hyugas. "Sorry about that, usually he is much more friendly. Am, would you like tea?"

"No, thank you. We came for you." Not exactly what I was expecting but I tagged along with them, talking on the way to the hospital where Neji disappeared, apparently Ten Ten had trained too hard and had been sleeping there until her chakra storaged filled up. When I entered a room marked as, personal only I was surprised to see not only Tsunade, but Sakura and Ino with green hands glowing and other masked patients.

"Right on time Hinata, take care of this" The imponent woman grinned and detached herself from the injured man and said "Now that I have the chance, I have been curious about your medical knowledge. Care to show it?"

The way the Hokage said it with a soft tone left me wary, but I had no intention to comply just because of it "I-I don't think it's a good idea. My knowledge is basic compared to yours" Tsunade approached and I had to make her stop "Besides I won't like to hurt anyone by mistake proving my point"

Well, she listened to that, it was a relief but her inquiries continued. "That's not what Sakura had reported back, if you don't care to follow me and explain along the way, we can clear the misunderstandings with other matters as well" I had the feeling that it would take a part of my day.

Naruto was on his best mood, after a good meal at Ichikaru he wanted to meet Sakura at the hospital. So he decided to pick a little flower on his way and with some luck make her smile. Feeling particularly bold when her pink hair danced a few paces away he give her a hug. Just to end with a black eye and half of his face lost sensation, he was sure. Is it so bad showing his love once in a while? Well, it's not as if he were around being like Jiraiya being with any pair of legs. One day he will got Sakura to see that, Naruto was sure! He was on his way out when he encountered a weird scene. Maybe Sakura hit him with such force he was hallucinating, that had to be… because it was super strange watching a smiling NEJI.

At first he thought it was Hinata who was besides him, since the sun position practically semi-blinded and confused the colors. Covering enough did he felt a lump on his throat, he didn't see Shikamaru also smiling and between them her raven teammate with a pout. Blinking unsure at first, since he hadn't seen her pout in… years. Then Neji bowed to them and turned as if nothing had happened, Shikamaru took her shoulders and whispered something.

Following the strange instinct that whispered for him to follow, minutes later he noticed the oddness. Their steps were relaxed, her friend leaned fully on Shikamaru and just then he though how… tiny she looked besides him. Has she always been short? The Nara hands never left her friend, he stopped and purchased dango for her.

Then an unsettling idea crawled all the way to his mind. Yet he refused to grasp it and continued his surveillance for a far. From time to time Naruto wished he could read their lips. When Shikamaru hands finally left her shoulders they were on a green patch, lying down too close for his liking.

Well, he knew her friend was strong enough. Just a bit strange, he liked that, it was something that make her special. Shikamaru, was intelligent, loyal, a good friend, so why it perturbed him as she tickled him and their laughs did flips inside him.

Why did Gaara face surfaced on his mind as Shikamaru hand touched her collar. He hadn't noticed until then the object around her neck and he approached more just to hear what they were talking. Because it was bothering him, even if she had said before no one could replace him... Naruto felt there was something different with him.

"Then, this is what he thought… it is his sand?" Shikamaru delicately touched all the way down to the glass containing flowing sand. The shape of the moon encasing all around, a single butterfly whose wings circled the sand clock.

"You… you knew?" Kaoru could not hide the blush but her grin was timid.

"What else happened?" Naruto was loosing interest on his surroundings, his suspicion got worse.

"No-nothing. Gaara just worries too much, how could I say no?"

"You may had done that" Shikamaru said with a slight tone of discomfort, one that even her friend picked up. Kaoru tilted her head as her fingers traced the gift.

"Have you ever considered Gaara is in love with you?"

Once Shikamaru said that Naruto almost lost his grip on the tree he was spying. Feeling his heart twitch, his tummy churn and the only feeling he recognized at the moment was pure fear. The silence just made it worst, why did he was afraid? Why did Shikamaru said that? Why did he think it was a bad idea? Gaara was his friend, one of the closest and who was absolutely sure had the purest intention and.. this had to be a misunderstanding, right?

Finally her voice stopped his distress "That can't be Shika."

"Why not? I can't believe anyone before hadn't approached you and don't…" then he stopped and Naruto watched him turn around, that had been a first… he had never seen Shikamaru loss his cool, specially for her… He was at two seconds to jump and break this for the sake of his confused mind when Kaoru crawled and poked Shikamaru back.

"Are you mad with me?" The Nara didn't answered, she continued poking him gently. "Listen, I'm sorry." But he sighed, she left him alone and started playing with her hair

"You know… I do love him" He gripped the branch just as Shikamaru turned and he felt his face mirrored his. "I… almost lost it when I thought I would never see him again. Since Shisui left, I was so afraid and had lots of questions." She took his hand, her fingers glowed and Shikamaru faced down. Naruto knew her bond helped and Kaoru didn't did it with just anyone, sometimes she expressed better like that or that was what he though.

"Can you distinguish? I don't. I have grown but I am just as stupid with emotions like before." Naruto could not see her face, but he wanted to do something.

"Gaara showed me I had to stop pushing out everything around me. Being honest, try to understand and name my own feelings and thoughts" He watched as Shikamaru finally faced her, serious and sad, as the glow diminished but he didn't let her go.

"Can you tell me then? Because I love him, but I don't know in which way. Honestly, I love how I think it's right. Do I have to… push him out? "

His chest could move again, but the sensation of anxiousness still lingered. Now he felt he had intrude on something too personal, it had been wrong. This was not how he won her trust, then why does his body disobeyed and continued waiting? "No. I just… don't want you to… get hurt"

"Is that all?"

"Not exactly, but… you're forgetting a tiny problem. Does he knows you will…" Shikamaru was interrupted by her "Yes…"

"I won't hold my hopes high… maybe Sasuke changed…" And Shikamaru let her go then, facing the sky and it was the sign she needed because both lied down and Naruto left in silence just wondering where Sasuke fitted on their talk.

He avoided as possible any injury and reacting on such brief instances, evading every possible contact with Kabuto. Sasuke had learned the bad way what a medical check up involved on his standards. On this new hideout between Suna and Konoha he got a better access to the near town of Takumi. There was an old mute woman which he sometimes went to cure anything he could not hide easily, a safe place, sometimes he left food since she insisted feeding him on her check ups.

This time when he was about to walk on her garden the laughs of some children stopped his advance. A quick survey pointed out the little group head-band, Konoha genins were leaving few boxes and the old lady was pointing out where each one of the bottles and herbs belonged. The little one with brown wild hair and a tiny black dog had to be an Inuzuka, the girl who was shouting orders around with pearl eyes and short brown hair had to be a Hyuga. His jounin-sensei was just an ordinary man with glasses who was occupied writing something on a scroll.

The last child with striking orange hair and caramel eyes was the only one who seemed comfortable and intelligent to follow the woman indications. He didn't knew why looking at them did he almost replaced their faces with his team. After that encounter he had avoided thinking about them, Orochimaru had been particularly nasty trying to provoke him. Now he had to take care of his burn himself, or wait if maybe tomorrow the woman would be alone.

Orochimaru had left again, Kabuto was stuck on his laboratory and he got his chance. This time the woman was alone and once she parched his backside he went to the market for some food for them. Here the security was low so using a henge to disguise himself was easy. Once he got what he desired Sasuke gaze focused on a singular nice smell next to him. Familiar and foreign, his thoughts irrevocably falled on her memory and before he could stop himself his hand had brushed the dried leafs assorted.

"Oh sir, you have a nice taste. This is a limited stock from our best tea. Excellent quality, I can give you a discount" the young woman interrupted his musings, he quickly denied and turned around. This time Sasuke declined her offert to eat and continued his path on the long way back to the hideout. His disguise gone as his steps guided him once again to that awful place. The sun was his silent companion, in solitude he wondered why he looked for the light when he was supposed to fall on the darkness. Survival instincts? No, it was more than that. Just by habit his fingers touched the hilt of his sword, where the sunset necklace rested peacefully. Sasuke decided then delaying his return, relaxing on the branches of an oak tree, closing his eyes.

The woods, its sound and aroma a contrast of his usual surroundings. His breath had been the only motion he focused for a long time. Until the woods calm aura was disrupted by familiar sounds of a battle. Even so Sasuke didn't moved, it wasn't too near to bother him. When he opened his eyes the sun was almost out, few stars popped out, he might have to go back now. Yet, as he approached did he noticed someone was coming as well. Sasuke mild curiosity on whom would try attacking him so carelessly made him wait.

He didn't feel the need to use any weapon, as the sounds increased he guessed they were two instead of one. It proved right, but not what he expected. He barely identified the orange when a shuriken flied to his face. Not a problem, the boy collapsed near with another body next to him barely holding a kunai with a bleeding arm. Their eyes clashed, the initial surprise quickly replaced with suspicion. Yet the other ninja, older and rusty appeared.

"Kid, better give me the girl now." Sasuke returned the shuriken on the same calm fashion since this man was not a challenge. "You have 5 seconds to run" he felt generous, but stupidly the man pride could not take the message. On seconds he left him unconscious and disarmed, the anxious call of the boy to his partner diverted his attention. Now that some light falled on them he recognized them as the gennin squad from the other day. What took his attention was how the boy handled the situation, checking for vital signs, bruises or injuries until he finally let the girl on the ground. His only arm trembling, Sasuke was stuck between leaving or helping. The boy gazed at him and the fallen girl unsure of what to do, then the strangest thing happened. A sensation he hadn't felt on years of raw power made his fingers glow on a gentle blue, a bubble of water surrounded the body of the girl and the familiarity of that aura compelled him to watch as the boy closed the remaining bruises.

"It-It will be alright H-hanabi-san" the boy managed to mumble before his energy evaporated. Sasuke felt traces of other chakra searching, his mind was anxious for an answer but he had to take care of some pests. His decision already made, Sasuke send a shadow clone to the intruders while the real one took both children out. Surprised the boy tried to resist with little conscious left.

"Don't waste energy, I won't hurt you"

He didn't expected him to believe, yet he stilled. Fingers touching her wrist pulse, for a second Sasuke scoffed.

"It worked…" the boy mumbled, as Sasuke jumped far from the hideout, back to the village. Where he hoped the old woman could help them. Noticing he was blinking at seconds Sasuke tried to keep him awake.

"Worry for yourself, don't sleep… you have lost too much blood already"

"I- I try… it's cold" the boy leaned more on him, shivering but still awake.

"We are close." Sasuke focused on the sole blurry light of the woman house. The urgency of the situation just as the boy eyes closed moved him forward to the woman whose tiredness was erased at the glance of blood. He left them next to each other, his brain continued banging familiarity as the woman worked. When she finished, her nod and tired smile was all he needed. As he stared on the silent night a question lingered. Why did he saw her face at that moment? Is that why he pushed himself to do something unnecessary? The older woman gave him a white shirt, he blinked until she pointed to his chest and understood. Forgetting the blood that had stained on the way here, undressing mechanically thinking about his own perplexing actions until a soft purple glow paused his actions. The hilt where the sunset pendant glowed softly was pulsing and approaching the boy wrist. Until that moment he hadn't recognized the familiar wristband design where his blue glow answered back.

Sasuke examined the wristband, it was not the same, but the replica was awfully close to the real.

More questions piled up as he watched the color return slowly, the night covered the little house, he knew he had to go back now or else Kabuto would pick the opportunity to chase after him. The old woman returned with a pile of blankets, offering one to him but he declined.

"Take care of them."

Walking away on the night did his clones met him half the way, puffing them out he prepared his usual cold mask for the annoying medic who was on the entrance with a fake smile. As expected Kabuto didn't shut up until he threatened cutting his tongue, that night he actually dreamed. A weird occurrence, sadly once he wake up it was forgotten. What remained of it had been a candid softness and the sunray caressing his skin. This time Sasuke waited outside the house, surveilling the area just in case.

"This is for last night" he paid, even if she tried to refuse he was more stubborn. The woman guided him to the room where he didn't expected the boy being awake and leaning against his healthy arm.

Deep black meet clear brown, neither blinked but the woman cut short the staring contest lying down the boy.

"You are that man…" He murmured, Sasuke just nodded, the old lady hands moved but he was busy assessing the children. The girl was still asleep, but she looked better. "Hum… thank you." The woman left them alone with a smile, now the boy was looking at him intensely, this time he came like himself so Sasuke expected that maybe he recognized him and contemplated the implications of it.

"Do I know you?" There was something on his tone, which proved it was a honest inquiry. That lifted an eyebrow from his part, it was against the norm of shinobi, and it started to bother him.

"Last night…" Sasuke proved another tactic, the boy tilted his head and then denied.

"No, I mean… your face I think it's familiar"

Well, Sasuke was sure he had never seen anyone with orange hair. There shouldn't be a connection, but that wristband…

"Where is my team?" The boy asked, gazing briefly at the sleepy Hyuga.

"No idea. Both just found me… that's all I know" He leaned on the wall, making himself comfortable.

"We split up, they may be looking for us." How could he be so honest? The boy seem smart, what did he planned?

"What happened?" Mild curious looking for an answer, something that broke the stable truth pattern. However the boy defied his suspicion recalling when they were on their way back and got ambushed by a large group, apparently once they noticed a Hyuga accompanied them, they went straight for her and got forced to split.

"... she will freak out if I return with my arm bandaged" He mumbled.

"It's part of being a shinobi…" That was right, but he remembered how her mother worried every time he returned with bruises, when she cleaned his face or… No, he didn't wanted to think about that.

"Do you live here?" Eyes gazed in wonder, Sasuke felt almost amused at his boldness.

"No, I move around a lot"

"Where is your home?" That particular question cut their stare, maybe it was the semblance of her memory, on the power he saw, that Sasuke's words escaped his lips before he thought about it.

"Nowhere"

Then he gazed down, just realizing he had unveiled a truth. The old woman returned with food, Sasuke sighed because she purposely left the other plate for the boy at his side. Tempted for a second to disappear, but he wasn't like that, much less for something like this.

The boy might have think Sasuke was hesitating because he tried again to sit up. Almost succeeding, but before he fall Sasuke's hand was on his back. Owlishly blinking before blushing and nodding, he had finished almost half of it in silence when his soft tone broke the silence.

"I hope you find a place then"

Sasuke confusion at his… his innocent wish was not expected, it perturbed his thoughts, he had to close his eyes just to focus on something different. "I don't deserve one. There is no point"

He didn't have time to think about what he said when the girl grunted, Sasuke could not remain anymore. He disappeared before the boy could complain, because nothing could assure him the girl might not recognize him. The last thing he wanted was Naruto coming after him…