AN~ Good morning folks! Thank you for the reviews and favorites, and welcome new followers! Please enjoy this next chapter and as always please review! I like hearing what you guys think!
Her mouth was dry, she slowly licked her cracked lips as her eyes opened slightly. Wincing at their sensitivity, even in the darkness of the cell she was in. Slowly sitting up she looked around trying to see anything in the inky shadowed room. The only light was a barely there sliver of light that emanated from under a door.
"Lady Sakura" The soft voice of Katsuyu whispered.
"Hm?" Sakura groaned. She was in pain but welcomed it none the less as it made her aware that she was still alive. She was bound though, she could smell the blood coming from her wrists and ankles where the chakra ropes cut into her tender skin.
"Lady Sakura, I'm sorry I didn't heal you. But your chakra is waning by keeping up all my clones. I'm trying to reserve energy for your friends. They are on their way."
"My friends?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade has sent many to find you. Your daughter is also now safely in Suna."
Sakura breathed a sigh of relief but stiffened almost immeadiately.
"Is she okay? Does he know?"
"Yes Lady Sakura, there is nothing to worry about. The Kazekage is going to stay in Suna with Sayuri. He is sending everyone else to join with those from Konoha to retrieve you."
"I need to reserve my chakra so you can stay with them as long as possible. Leave a clone with Lady Tsunade, Sayuri, and then one with each team. I'm sure they've been broken up. That way I can keep you summoned long enough."
"As you wish my lady."
"How were you not discovered though? Sasuke was bound to notice you."
"I can make myself very small if I wish. I did so and hid in your hair. I only made myself slightly bigger when you were left here. I've been doing what I can to preserve your chakra reservoir as it is. I've already reduced the size of my clone sent to Lady Tsunade as well. But soon even with down sizing the amount we have out there, you might want to consider prioritizing which a clone should remain with till the end.
"One with Sayuri, always. And then one with Naruto."
"Very well my Lady."
Both quieted as footsteps were heard outside of the room coming closer. A jiggle of a lock and then the door was opened revealing the Uchiha.
She narrowed her eyes at the man before her, his frame blocking the light though she could still see the subtle glow of his red eyes.
"You're awake."
"The ever observant Sasuke. You amaze me with your skills." She bit out sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him pulling at the restraints as she adjusted herself.
"Sakura, you know I could take you now if I wanted to. I'm simply giving you some time to choose to come to me on your own. So do not mistake this kindness for patience because you know I am not a patient man."
She turned sharply to look at him and held up her bound hands.
"Kindness? You truss me up and keep me in the dark, send you lackeys in here to rough me up and dare to call it kindness? Don't make me laugh Sasuke. We both know you are not a kind man."
"You know I could make it worse so don't tempt me. Your daughter is still out there. And you know if I wanted to get to her. I could. It doesn't matter where she is. And if I have to go get her and torture her in front of you to get my point across I will. So I suggest you don't try my patiences."
"Who the hell are you? I don't even know you anymore. Threatening children? You're sick, and ill die before I give myself to you Sasuke Uchiha. I know you'll never get your hands on her cause there are many who would stop you before that ever happened."
"And I would kill them all to get to her, while making sure you stayed alive just so you could eat your words and know that you had brought it upon her."
She glared at him then, knowing she should shut up before her temper got to her even more.
"I was going to give you something to eat, but maybe ill wait till tomorrow. Perhaps you'll be in a better mood."
Sighing she watched him walk out of the door and paled as his parting words greeted her.
"Katsuyu, give my reguards to Naruto."
O0o0o0o0o0
"What would you like to do today Sayuri?" Temari looked down at the little red head girl holding her hand as they walked through the village.
"I need to train. My mom says a good ninja trains all the time trying to better themselves and get stronger."
"That's true. Ninja do have to make themselves better, or else we could be taken out by ninja from enemy villages or rogues."
"is there a place we can train?"
"There sure is! Come one this way." The blond woman turned down a street tugging the wide eyes little girl along.
When Temari had walked into the office of her brother yesterday the las thing she had expected to see was him with a little girl sitting on his lap talking animatedly about hoping to become a ninja in one of the hidden villages. The second thing she didn't expect to notices was the striking resemblance between the two. And the third she really didn't expect was to find out that this little girl was in fact his daughter with Sakura. She had become so excited and demanded to know where Sakura was only to be met with two pairs of sad eyes as Gaara relayed the tale of how the little came to be in Suna.
Then Gaara told her that he needed her help because he didn't really know how to care for children, He promised he would learn but he need her help during the day to watch over her because she knew he couldn't trust anyone else with his child. Not now, not after not having her with him.
She reflected that it might have been different if she had a chance to grow up in the village, but this was a whole new thing for Gaara. It was one thing to care about the protection of the village as a whole, and he knew his siblings could take care of themselves. But this little girl was his. His new precious person to protect, and he couldn't relent that trust to just anyone, and if he didn't have his Kazekage duties Temari doubted that little girl would be out of his eye sight.
So this is where she found herself, spending the days with her niece.
Her niece she smiled down at the little girl as they walked. She liked the sound of that. Not to mention their family was growing, and as soon as Sakura was saved she would come here. Because Gaara wouldn't have it any other way.
A few minutes later found them at a large open area on the outskirts of the village. There were several rock formations and a few shrubs but nothing more in the vast open space, except sand.
Sayuri eyed the sand below her feet apprehensively but steadied herself to begin her training. She had to remember the whole of the land had sand, and just because she was now training didn't diminish the fact that she had to becareful at all times, and not just now.
Stepping out into the middle of the training grounds she did a few stretches and then began her routine. Starting with basic excercises, sit-ups, several varieties of push-ups, even a variation while in a handstand position. Then she ran a rew laps.
"Aunt Temari would you like to spar with me?"
The blond woman hopped of the stone wall barrier and made her way over to the little girl, a huge smile plastered on her face when she heard the girl call her 'Aunt'.
"Sure. Just Tai jutsu or are we going all out?" she grinned raising a brow.
Bright Jade eyes stared up at her, she could practically see the excitement filling them.
"Are you sure we can go all out? I don't want to hurt you."
Temari laughed this kid was cute.
"I'm sure ill be okay, but remember you have to really come at me don't hold back okay."
She nodded her head enthusiastically and reached behind her under her shirt and pulled out her chakra blade fans. Temari's smile grew big and she felt pride well in her chest as she hoisted her own fan off her back.
"A fellow fan user huh? "
"Oh yea I can use a lot of weapons. My mom made sure I tried out several, but these are my favorite. I even have a little puppet that my mom gave me to practice my chakra control on, and Uncle Kankuro said he'd teach me how to build my own ninja puppet with weapons and everything!"
"That's awesome, but between you and me, fans are way better."
Sayuri just smiled and then opened her fans getting into her fighting stance a determined look on her face.
Temari smirked and backflipped a few times then landed in her stance a few yards away.
The sand nin swung her fan out sending a huge gust of wind towards the little girl who disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Windstyle, Windblades!"
Temari turned her head sharply to the side to see the chakra infused wind heading her way. Instinctively knowing that they would cut as sharp as knives. She quickly sent a gust of wind to dispel them and jumped out of the way just in case only to hear the tell tale sound of something metal and then heard it again as it cut through the air. Jumping out of the way again she almost didn't make it as she felt a shuriken slice her cheek barely grazing it.
'Man this girl wasn't half bad. Not even a minute and she already had first blood.'
The two went back and forth not noticing the gathering that had formed around the training grounds watching them fight. Nor did they notice a certain red head that had come to check up on them.
He stood there watching the movements carefully. Noticing mistakes and thingsthe little girl could work on, things he could work with her on. That thought both scared him and excited him.
He could tell she was getting tired her movements slowing, but was impressed that she kept on going. There were a few times when he almost intervened to call the spar, but he didn't want to mess up their spar because he could tell the little girl was enjoying herself depite the beating she was taking. And he also knew that Temari wasn't holding back as much as the little girl thougt she was. Which he knew impressed them both.
Suddenly he refocused from his musing as the atmosphere changed. Sayuri was on her last legs and he could tell her aura was different it was almost desperate. He could tell that she wanted to prove that she was a formindable opponent despite her size and age. He should intervene.
Sayuri was breathing hard now she knew she couldn't go on for much longer. She knew she shouldn't do what she was about to do but she didn't care anymore. She remembered her mother saying that the Kazekage used it too, and she was his daughter so she should be allowed to use it now right? Besides part of the reason why she was so weak is because during the whole fight she had been also infusing the sand with her chakra through her feet.
She noticed her aunt standing there breathing heavily, both of them were drenched in sweat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and spread her arms her fans glowing with the chakra she forced through them. Opening her eyes suddenly she dropped her arms and whipped them up in an arc, a flurry of sand came with it and hovered in front of her.
Temari's eyes widened in shock as the little girl manipulated the sand she turned her head slightly to see Gaara's own wide eyes before she turned back just in time to hear the little girl scream out.
"GALE FORCE SAND SCYTHE!"
And then the sand formed the scythe and flew at her. She tried to get away but she noticed her feet were stuck. Looking down she saw sand had come up and grabbed her feet. The only thing she could do was duck, the sand scythe missing her head by inches striking the rock behind her leaving a visible cut in the stone. She turned her head just intime to see the little girl collapse form exhaustion and Gaara appearing just behind her catching her just before she hit the ground.
"Gaara!" Tamari ran towards the two. "Did you see?"
He glared at her momentarily, "Yes I saw."
"It must be something like a kekkei gen kai now. I mean she was born after the one tail was removed."
"I don't know."
"I can't believe Sakura let her use sand. That would have been a dead give away."
"I don't think she did. While the execution of the jutsu was impressive it was severly lacking in itself. I think she was practicing on her own, but lacked the guidance to know if she was doing something wrong or could do something else to improve her jutsu. The fans on the otherhand for her age and skill level were almost flawless. I can see Sakura making sure she trained her properly. Not to mention her tai jutsu and other ninjutsu skills were also impeccable."
"So you're saying that your daughter is a little rebel?" she laughed, "Well, if she is going to use sand properly that means you get to train with her from now on. I don't know anything about using sand."
Gaara nodded a small smile gracing his lips as he stood cradling the little girl. Temari's eyes softened.
"Gaara, this is good right? Our family is finally being blessed?"
"Yes, and it will be even more so when Sakura returns."
Sayuri turned her head then and nuzzled into his chest fast asleep, and the siblings made their way home. Both of them hoping that the promises of a happy future would be kept.
0o0o0
"Naruto!" the urgent but quiet voice of Katsuyu broke the silence as the team traveled towards their destination.
"Whats up Lady Katsuyu?"
"You must hurry, I don't know how much longer I will be with Lady Sakura. Sasuke knows im with her and he knows your coming because he told me to give you his reguards. "
The fox demon vessel growled lowly as he pushed himself faster. "Don't you worry, I'm gonna get her back! You better believe it!"