I Do Not Own Naruto


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Vines Entwining


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"Wow! Is this Suna!?" Sakura demanded after three weeks of traveling with Naruto and Sasuke; also Sai and Yamato. But it didn't really mean anything, they had been good, Kakashi had threatened to electrocute them. So, yes, it had been a very boring but eventful trip.

"Yes Sakura, this is Suna," Kakashi agreed as she looked around from her perch on his shoulders. She liked her perch, she could see everything from here!

"It's so different!" she admitted delightedly as she looked around.

"Sakura, if you are to stay up there you will hold still, stop your squirming!" Kakashi chided her.

"But it's so different!" Sakura said.

"Yes, it is, but you need to hold still or walk with Naruto and Sasuke," Kakashi threatened. She looked down from her perch at her friends, they were arguing.

"I'm happy here, I'll hold still," she replied solemnly.

"Good," Kakashi replied lazily as he continued reading his Icha Icha book. She didn't know why he loved those books but she knew her guardian owned every single one of them.

"Alright, we'll be taking you kids to the inn, Sai will be watching over you and Kakashi and I will be handling our business. Now," Yamato turned his 'creepy stare' on Sai, Sasuke, and Naruto. "You three will be on your best behavior while we are here. No fighting, unless it is practice spars and even then do no destroy anything; Naruto, Sasuke!"

"Yep!" they squeaked. She giggled as she hugged Kakashi's head, her guardian just sighed and then they were at the gates of Suna. Sakura was loving this as she looked around at the village, it was dusty, it was slightly dull, but it was so different and she loved it as she stared around her. The dry winds tugged at her hair, she felt her red ribbon slip off into the wind.

"Wait! My ribbon!" Sakura shouted as she twisted on her perch.

"I got it!" Naruto shouted.

"Wait Naruto!" Sakura and Sasuke shouted after him. Kakashi let her go as she darted after her friends. She knew Sai was after them as she ran with Sasuke after the ribbon and Naruto. She leapt up, there were people in her way as she grabbed Sasuke and stuck her feet up on the wall.

"Naruto! Get back here!" Sakura shouted desperately. Sasuke stumbled a bit on the wall, but she infused her chakra with her hand before he could fall and drag her off with him. They had perfected this system over the years and running away from Naruto's crime scenes with him.

"Naruto! You Dobe! Get Back Here!" Sasuke shouted, she tossed Sasuke then with her chakra as she leapt after her friend. They rolled onto the street.

"Hey! Give it here! That's Sakura's ribbon!" she heard Naruto long before she saw him. Sasuke grabbed her wrist, she felt his chakra grip as he pulled her up and tossed her over the wall, she landed on the side of the wall with her chakra sticking her there, she pulled Sasuke with her and they landed on the other side of the wall.

"Huh?" the redheaded boy said.

"It's alright Naruto," Sakura said as she grabbed his shoulder before he attacked the small boy with black lining around his eyes. Sakura smiled at the boy, he looked at the red ribbon with uncertain blue eyes and then he looked at her again.

"is this yours?" he asked.

"Yeah, my bestest girl friend Ino gave it to me!" Sakura explained. The boy looked at the ribbon then and then at her.

"Oh," he said as he held it to her. Sasuke was looming over her shoulder, but she ignored the Uchiha and his scowling presences, he never smiled.

"There you are!" huffed Sai, and she sighed; Sai was weird, but he was sweet. Just really, really, really weird. "Oh, have you made a new friend?" he asked, she shook her head; they weren't friends yet, she didn't know red boy's name.

"Thank you," Sakura smiled as she took her ribbon back and put it in her hair. Then she punched Naruto's arm. "Apologize for being mean!" she snapped.

"Wha!? He wasn't going to give the ribbon back!" Naruto argued.

"Apologize!" she repeated the command as she stood there glaring at her best friend. He just frowned but turned reluctantly to smaller boy.

"Sorry for yelling at you," Naruto grumbled.

"Uh-huh," the boy seemed baffled at the apology and he seemed startled that they were talking to him. She smiled broadly then as she clasped her hands behind her.

"I'm Sakura, that's Sai, this is Uzumaki Naruto, and he's Uchiha Sasuke!" Sakura introduced. "Who are you?"

"Gaara," the boy stammered then.

"Hi Gaara, do you know any good play spots here?" she asked eagerly.

"Uh…" the boy looked confused as he stood there staring at them. "Aren't… Aren't you scared of me?" he whispered shyly. She looked to her companions, and shrugged then.

"No?" Sakura shrugged. "Why would we be?"

"Oh…" Gaara sighed.

"Sakura we should go to the inn," Sai informed her.

"Right," Sasuke nodded.

"Well, we can't leave him here!" Sakura declared looking at the boy. He looked so lonely and she didn't want to leave him here, she had been lonely before Kakashi had adopted her; she remembered that so painfully clear to her. And before Sasuke and Naruto played with her she had been lonely, now they were her best friends! And before Ino she had been alone when the village kids would make fun of her about her looks; green eyes, pink hair, large forehead; but she had made a friend. Being lonely was no fun.

"And why not?" Sai asked and she looked at him; he was very smart, and she had seen his painting; he was very good at painting but he was not a good people's person.

"Because! He's lonely! He should come play with us!" Sakura explained. The boy's eyes widened. "Being lonely is no fun!" Sakura explained and then grabbed Gaara's hand as she pulled him up to her side. Sasuke just blinked and Naruto pondered this.

"She's right, he should come play with us!" Naruto declared.

"Fine! But we're not adopting him Sakura!" Sasuke informed her.

"Well, we had best be getting to the inn before Kakashi and Yamato track us," Sai said.

"Come on Gaara!" Sakura said as she pulled him along after her and with Sasuke in her other hand as she smiled to Naruto.


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"Sakura! you can't go abducting other people's kids!" Kakashi explained to her that night as he sat at the table with three kids, one other captain, and another older child, and the newest addition… the Kazekage's son. Kami was Sakura ever good at picking up misfits and dragging them home with her. starting with him, then the Uchiha, then the Nine-Tails, the Yamanaka kid, Yamato, Sai (he counted because Sakura had been dragging him along with her these past weeks), and now Gaara. His girl grinned then as she handed a dish to Sasuke; a tomato dish.

"I know but he was lonely, no one needs to be lonely," Sakura argued as she handed a dish to Gaara. He just blinked and Kakashi sighed again.

"Sakura, we talked about this," Kakashi pinched the brow of his nose in exasperation.

"I know," she grinned happily. "But Gaara likes being here!"

"You're not going to win Kakashi," Sasuke informed him. How was it he was continuously out foxed by these three? Perhaps Itachi right, perhaps he was insane because always ended up being like this for him. At least she hadn't started bringing stray animals home,

"So, Gaara, does the Kazekage know you are here?" he asked as he watched over his kids who were making plans no doubt. Those three were always so busy.

"N-n-no," Gaara mumbled.

"Hmm, well, Sakura and I will return you after dinner; and if you would like we'll come get you in the morning so you can play with them," Kakashi informed the redhead. The kid blinked and then he smiled a bit.

"Really?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Kakashi replied and the rest of the meal was smoot from then. Yamato paled when he was left alone with Naruto, Sasuke and Sai and Naruto started a fight between the boys, he grabbed Gaara and Sakura before she leapt into the fight as well. Gaara was a quiet kid, not that Kakashi really cared, if Sakura wanted him to be her frined he'd not be the man stepping in; unless she was in danger.

"We're here," Kakashi said. The boy looked sad then.

"See you tomorrow Gaara!" Sakura waved as the boy walked into the quiet house. Kakashi frowned. This was not natural. However it didn't matter as he picked Sakura up onto his shoulders and walked her to an inn he was hoping to still be standing.

"Sakura, tomorrow, you must keep the boys in line tomorrow, and in the afternoon we will be train," he informed her.


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Sasuke was sitting there awake when Kakashi and Sakura returned. Naruto and Sai had knocked themselves out, and Yamato had passed out in a form of exhaustion. However, he was not going to sleep until she was here. It weird to sleep when she wasn't around, the annoying pinkette was his normal and he hated having his normal disrupted.

"Hi Sasuke!" Sakura greeted when Kakashi opened the door to their room. He nodded to her as he sat there waiting, Kakashi said good night, the door was shut and she came over with a smile.

"Night!" she declared happily and he found himself in a tackle hug as they hit the mattress, this was normal. He pulled away from her and she lay there besides him. The silence filled the dark room as they both found sleep.

"Sasuke?" her voice whispered after a while.

"Hn?" he responded.

"Why do you think certain people are left alone?" she asked him softly. He stiffened at her innocent question, her fingers grabbed his hand and he entwined their fingers as they both lay there in the dark. Naruto's snores were loud then, Sai's mumblings were initerate but clearly he was agitated; however they were both out of it so he felt safe to give her an honest answer.

"Because, some people can't be loved," he answered. Outside of this room, he didn't think anyone loved him, and he knew no one in the Uchiha clan took him seriously. He was just the youngest Uchiha. At least until Itachi would marry Izumi and they'd have kids he'd be the youngest.

"That's not fair," Sakura mumbled.

"Life's not fair," he stated, stating his father's favorite fact of life. A thing he was continuously told, over and over.

"Are you still lonely?" Sakura whispered.

"No," he admitted. She squeezed his hand and he just stared at the ceiling.

"I love you Sasuke," she mumbled and he felt her fall asleep because she flopped over and then wrapped herself around him like she was some octopus or something. He sighed as her arms wrapped around his head and her leg wrap around his chest. Yup, his normal.

"Sakura?" he poked her stomach then. Sakura grumbled as she curled around him again.

She was lucky he liked her. If he didn't like her he'd punch her in the gut. He was just lucky she wasn't like Naruto who thrashed around violently, hugged people and then punched them in his sleep. And no, he did not ever share a bed with that dobe, but the damage the dobe did to his bed and pillows; and all the noise he made; was proof enough for Sasuke. Sakura just wrapped herself around whatever was warm and stayed there until she woke up; he had discovered this as a toddler. She could even anchor Naruto during naptime; however she'd wake up with bruises; which was why she slept with him.

"I like you," he admitted into the sleeping room; no one would ever need to know he liked her.


That's all for now folks!

Enjoy Blooming in Darkness! =)