Note: Who reads these notes anyways?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I own the Naruto story line.

Chapter Eight:

The Soul Remains Unsound

Sometimes bad things happen for an unknown reason- at the time they happen we don't understand why and usually when that something bad happens there is one question that beats into our minds and controls our thoughts for either that moment or several moments afterwards:

Why me?

Its a selfish question really, but then humans tend to be very selfish.

So very selfish...

You and me- we are no exception to the selfishiness of our race- its just a fact.

A fact that none of us can and will never escape...

Its a grim thought really.

As I said I felt someone catch me when the sword that the bandaged ninja was wielding pierced my flesh, I didn't see who at first due to the emense pain that I was feeling but as soon as the pain had faded some what I opened my eyes to see a pair of sapphire blues staring at me with an intensity that I knew as Naruto.

"Hey are you okay?" he asked me as I sat- my right shoulder was bleeding, but not so bad as to where I couldn't move- up.

I let out a low growl- I felt like an idoit I should have known better- and glanced about to find that my team had feld the empty field and were all in the trees above it.

"What now?" Temari asked after she had finished inspecting Gaara's wound.

"Where did they go?" I asked my blue eyed companion.

"We had no choice but to retreat Sakura," Sasuke cut in looking around as if expecting an attack.

Some leader I was- I swear I have no idea to what Kakashi Sensei was planning but whatever it had been whether or not it worked I'll never know. I was ferious with myself I kept thinking that we would have been better off with Temari or Kankuro or Sasuke or- even Naruto as a leader in my stead than me.

Back then I truely believed that I wasn't a leader; I had no faith in myself.

I- in my own self pity- cradled my head in my hands and in a low voice whispered, "You guys would have been better off with someone else as your leader than me."

Naruto had grabbed my shoulders with two strong hands- I can still feel their warmth on my shoulders even now- shook them roughly and pratically yelled, "Don't say that Sakura!"

"Shut up you idoit," Sasuke growled crouching down really low on his branch, "Do you wanna give our location off with two of our team members injured?"

Releasing my shoulders he said, "Oh, sorry."

"So," Kankuro cut in glancing around at our team, "What do you and Gaara want us to do?"

I glanced at the red-head my jade orbs meeting his sea foam green ones, he spoke as if he wasn't even stratched, "We keep moving- if we slow down now our mission will be compromised."

"What about-"

I cut Naruto off, I had already decided that I would not be the reason why our mission would fail, "We keep moving."

My team mates from team seven stared at me with shock as Temari examined my shoulder, when she was finished wrapping it I stood up, "Lets go."

I kicked off the branch and our large team set off once more with me and Gaara in the front, Temari and Sasuke behind us, and Naruto and Kankuro behind them.

"How far to we have left?" I questioned Gaara ignoring the pain in my shoulder.

"About sixteen more miles," he answered back.

I didn't answer back mainly because what could I say?

In the back I could hear Naruto and Kankuro fighting with each over who was stronger and I felt a smile stretch across my face as Temari yelled at them that they were acting like children and to shut up or else she'd show them who was stronger.

I stole a glance at Gaara who seemed more focused with each second that passed by, his crimson hair seemed to have been dancing as the wind tore through it; he must have sensed that I was watching him because he caught me staring at him.

That moment was somewhat ackward as you can imagine.

I turned my head quickly away as I could due to the severe blush that was forming on my cheeks- after all I had been busted.

We came to another halting stop but this time we were at the edge of the forest hence where the grass ended sand picked up.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto came up next to me as I tried to hide my face from him, "Why is your face all red?"

"Shut up Naruto," I growled at him turning my face so the rest of the group couldn't see what he was so naively talking about, "Its not."

"Yes it is," he contuined now pointing his finger at me.

"NO ITS NOT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Alright, alright," he held his arms up defensively, "Your face isn't red."

Breaking up our arguement Gaara said- not showing any concern or care about the subject we had been fighting over, "Lets go we're almost there."