A/N: Okay… Heh. So It wasn't that long. So sue me. I stole the computer for her in her moment of weakness. Bwahaha that's right she went for a drink and I went with her THEN ran away like a chicken with no head. Ahh yes that is how I will take over the world one day… Like a chicken with no head. Oo End ramble

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto ; If I did I would have taken over Canada and perhaps part of Japan already…. And my manga collection would be the largest in the world bwahahahaha!

Last time:

"Great I'm taking advice from the voice in my head" she muttered slowly peering out the door that connected her room to the vast corridor outside of it.

Then she fled. With chakra at a desperate low she ran without it. Her heart pulsing painfully hard in her chest. The voice said no more, much to her thanks.

Itachi was at the gates. His ebony hair clashing painfully against his pale face. He inhaled softly and drew a kunai. "I've been expecting you to come this way for some time" a bloodlust tainted chuckle filled the outer ridges of the wall. He stood in-between her and freedom.

"Itachi-sama I have a duty" she said wheezing painfully.

"Your duty is to me!" He snarled almost desperately.

"Your confused and insane!" she cried wringing her hands nervously.

Now:

Her fingers curled into fists. With all that she'd seen from the Akatsuki. Even as she was forced to live as they lived. The death was unacceptable. Sakura would stop it. Any means necessary. Even if that meant she had to feel defeat. Which at the moment made no sense to her.

"Good girl.. Come to me." He held up his hand and opened it so the palm was faced up towards the heavens.

Slowly the pink haired teen fell into a fighting stance. Her eyes were dark with wary. Even if she couldn't win. She would know she tried her best to kill the man, that Sasuke's whole existence was based around trying to destroy.

That's when he noticed the dull spark of resistance in her eyes. Her fist collided with his face, making his head snap back in recoil of the blow. Blood was spurting freely, causing his eyes to glaze with it. He'd defeat her without the sharingan.

"We could have been great Sakura" his insane mantra like laugh filled the air as he began to form a seal with his hands.

A dozen needles shot from the ground past her. Wounds formed on her arms. A deep gash fell across her cheek.

Moaning she touched her face feeling the tissue torn. The ground was dark with her blood. And now she had no choice but to move on the defensive.

Countering a kick she kneed him in the face. Her leg making a sickening crack as it made contact with his jaw.

Those who stare death in the face will fight desperately to live even if they know there is no chance that they can.

Forming the hand signs Sasuke once used before his 'disappearance' . A fireball shot at her. There was no time to dodge. Using the rest of her reserve she through her hands in front of her. A scream filled the air. Skin sizzled and blisters that were forming popped under the heat. She was done.

"I can't continue" she fell to her knees at Itachi's feet. Her head lowered in defeat.

Both of her palms rested on the ground. They were painfully scratched with her collision with the ground. Her shoulder pulsed with warmth as a calming hand was placed upon her shoulder.

Now her instincts screamed for her to curl up and try to hide the more tender portions of her body. Curling in a fetal position would keep her neck, stomach, face, and chest from being hurt if he attacked.

"No more running" Itachi snarled. Though her eyes were clenched shut she could feel the dark red blood lusty gaze on the pale of her skin.

He crouched at her side. His breathe brushing against her cheek. It was a lovely feeling. One that made her shudder. She hated him! Despised him. The way he confused her. When she knew there was no escape. Trapped like a animal in the darkness. Blind and scared.

Tears made their way slowly down her face. Pooling against the warmth of Itachi's face. They slid down his neck and to the ground.

"Let go of her" A rough voiced hissed from the top the wall.

"I figured you'd come back." Itachi's hand lifted from her shoulder and he snarled. Slowly he lifted his face towards the wall. A smirk tugging at his lips.

"So you are quite the catch" His words fell meaninglessly onto her ears.

Itachi threw Sakura to the ground. A smirk fell upon his features as she inhaled sharply and rolled to her back to cradle her hands

Riding on a wave of sand Gaara came to rest on the ground that was stained with mainly her blood.

"G-gaara" She clenched her eyes shut hoping the nightmare would end.

The pink haired teen could remember their last encounter. She'd protected Sasuke from his attacks. Even weak as she was at that time. He'd come back to finish the job she was sure.

And then slowly everything faded into a agonizing blackness.

"…Temari I think this is a good enough place" She was dropped into the soft sand. It swirled around her catching her and settling her on the ground.

With a steady movement Gaara formed the sand around her to support her small form. It blanketed Sakura protecting her from some of the rays of the harsh desert sun.

"Her hair is the color of a cupcake" Kakurou smiled impishly. He leaned back into a hill of sand.

Temari was mulling around pulling her canteen out and measuring the water. She sighed looking unsure. "Gaara-san..?" She looked at him fearfully waiting from him to acknowledge her questioning tone.

"Hn?" He didn't bother to look up from the beaten form of Sakura. Slowly her chest rose reassuring him that she was alive.

"I need water to work on her burns.. And I don't have enough for all of us to make it through the desert and treat them." She looked down to the side waiting for him to snap at her.

Perhaps it was because he learned to weigh matters when he took the role of the Kazekage. Or perhaps it was because Sakura would wake up if he had exploded in a bundle of fury. She probably wouldn't be too happy to see, Gaara, the killer hovering only feet away from her on a wave of sand.

"use the water that would have been my rations on her" He said giving her a calculating look as though she should have known the answer.

"Hai brother" Temari bowed her head and began to dab lightly at Sakura's wounds.

The bubblegum haired teenager winced in her hindered state. She thrashed from side to side as though trying to snap herself out of some silly delusional state.

"I dreamt… Gaara saved me" she hissed in a cracked voice. Her hand caught Temari's wrist. The girl coughed spitting out bloodied sand.

"He did" Temari said looking down at the girl fearfully. Maybe her brother would over look the frail girl's words.

Gaara looked over from where he was settled on the side of a sand dune. He waved a hand at Temari to let her know she should continue bandaging the hurt Kunoichi up.

Sakura was laughing now. Tears trickled down her cheeks. They fell into dark spots on the sand below her head. She curled into a ball on her side still laughing. Her hair fell into her eyes. The laughter turned into great gasps and finally loud sobs.

"Ya know… I .. Thought I was dead" she whispered clenching the sand in her hand. "Then.. You gave me a false hope" her gaze shot to Temari with venom dripping from it.

She went silent. Her eyes closed shut and her breathing slowed as she fell back into an unconscious state.

"Female" Gaara snarled. He pushed Temari to one side sending her sprawling in the scalding hot sand. "I'll return to Sunagakure with her. You will follow after. Return as soon as possible" Gathering Sakura he motioned his sand under his feet. The sand propelled him forward. It almost looked like he was floating.

"Hai Gaara-san" Temari whispered bowing her head and picking up her fan. She prodded Kankuro awake and the two headed off after him at a much slower pace.

Night fell swiftly. The desert was rather freezing. But without the trees and the buildings Gaara could clearly get a view of the moon. It glinted an icy silver color back at him. Udner the light Sakura seemed to be even paler.

Crouching at the leaf nin's side he let out a snarl. He didn't know what to do in all honestly. He never took care of a female. Temari was always on her own. And there were no other girls in Suna who weren't afraid of him. In fact… His own sister was afraid of him.

Behind him a tale waved in irratation. The girl did the strangest things to him. His eyes narrowed. Looking back he could clearly see the tail in pale light. God had a strange sense of humor.

Gaara sat cross legged in front of her limp form. His tail curled around her. Dragged her small form to rest against his leg. The tail, though a great deal too small for a blanket would provide some warmth for her. The 'great' Gaara would never pick her up and coo to her as she did him. Even though she'd done it unknowingly.

"When your recovered you will be sent back to your own village. Things will return to how they were before you found me" He called upon his sand. It formed around his back making a formation he could lean comfortably against.

"I know" Was the reply of a female's voice. She was awake. Her gaze was focused onto the stars with a child like enthusiasm.

"Your alive" He muttered.

He didn't sound any thrilled. She could only imagine his disappointment at finding her still able to talk.

"Where are we going?" She asked peering up at him from beneath her hair.

"Sunagakure.. I'm sure there is a mountain of paper work awaiting me." He answered looking down at her.

"Sounds good" she answered. Her gaze fluttered to her tightly wound hands. Pumping chakra through them to heal herself would cause pain she'd never known. Survival made people do crazy things. She held her right hand over her left arm and focused. A light green chakra formed around her hand and went to work.

"Your arm didn't scar" Gaara said masking his amazement.

"My other arm and hands won't be so lucky" She answered wheezing softly. The girl did the same for the other arm. As she was using her chakra, her hands began to sizzle painfully. They bit by bit began to close up.

"Please look away Kazekage-sama" she asked politely.

He turned away without a comment.

She unbound her hands and cringed. There was a mess to be had. The hands had healed for the most part. Long scars ran across the back of one in an 'X' pattern. On her palms were squiggly short scars caused from burns. Indeed. She was not so lucky.

Gaara, being as impatient as ever turned. He snatched her hands and looked at them. For a moment he closed his eyes to clear his anger.

She cringed looking at the palm of her hand. "I hate it" she let out a low rasping sigh. Her hands folded on her lap in attempt to hide the scars.

"If you don't like it cover it" He answered looking back at the sky unfazed by her declaration.

"I don't have anything." She answered trying to get comfortable in the sand.

"Here" He held out his two black gloves to her.

The younger teenager looked at him in wonder. She took the gloves sliding her scared hands in them. They were still warm.

"Gaara-san?" She inquired innocently.

"Hn?"

"Thanks" It was the first time anyone had ever thanked him for something. She looked him in the eye and flashed a wary smile at him. Though she was tired she still had time for manners.

Gaara was silent. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Slowly the words formed.

"Anytime" He answered shrugging his shoulders and going back to looking at the stars.

"The sky is really pretty here" she murmured staring up at the sky in awe.

He didn't bother to respond. She was already starting to take deeper breathes. That was the first sign of sleep. For a moment the red head thought of wrapping her in sand to keep the wind from blowing on her. Instead his tail wrapped back around her protecting her somewhat.

"Kazekage" The guard at the gate of Sunagakure bowed in greeting and motioned that the gate be opened.

The gate swung open revealing the bustling market of Suna. Though it was busy the people moved aside for their respected leader. He held in his arms the apprentice of Tsunade a few of them whispered to one another. Rumors were already spreading that he had killed the girl and came back to village to dispose to the body. Others went around saying they were to be married. It was just another small village. One like you might find anywhere.

"Temari!" Sakura whined from where she was being kept in bed. She'd been doing nothing but sitting there for the last few days. Kankuro came in once or twice to make a small puppet show for her amusement. But then he left without talking to her.

It wasn't the blonde sand sibling that had entered the room this time. At the foot of her bed was Gaara, he wore his black clothes as usual. He didn't bother with a greeting instead he narrowed his eyes at the hand that she had on the remote.

A blush came to her cheeks. If it were Temari she were going to cause quite the ruckus. The remote was in her hand for the mere purpose of throwing it at the sand nin's head.

"Why are you blushing?" He leaned close to get a better view at her cheeks.

"Caught with my hand in the cookie jar?" She said lamely in a questioning tone.

"Your friend will be here soon. They have all sorts of things that will make you sick to your stomach. An excess of sugar. Piles of ramen. Cute things women are said to like." Gaara trailed off looking at her large eyes.

A giggle escaped her lips. "Don't you know anything about women?" She asked looking at him expectantly.

He only grunted and looked away from her.

"I'll teach you!" she said cheerfully. "Women like things that smell nice. Like …" her face flushed red. "Men… and perfume.. Flowers and umm… baked goods" She stuck up another finger each time she listed something off.

Gaara settled on the end of her bed to listen to her. He'd never had many people try to explain things to him.

"They like soft things, cuddly things, and laughing." She added thoughtfully.

"You said flowers" He said quietly.

"Hai, like my name is a type of flower"

"Is that what flowers are for?" He asked finally finding a use for the colorful thing sold in the store downtown.

"Yes! Well…. Sort of. If you give them to a women she'll like them. She'll take them as a compliment. Some of them have a symbolism to them. I don't really remember what stands for what. But I know they do!"

"They make a person feel better?" He inquired looking out the window deep in thought.

"Yes" she answered in an even tone.

"Someone will be sent to bring you flowers" He said walking out the door just as Naruto busted in upon the scene.

Sakura blushed at the sand nin's back. "Gaara…" She murmured his name with a bright smile as she turned her attention to Naruto.

A/N: I'm ending it here. I have major writers block… Well I may not now…. But I did in the beginning of this chapter. Hence it taking so long to get out! Sorry about the wait. And people because of school it may take me a bit longer to get my work out. So give me time. It probably wont' take as long as this chapter to get out though. I promise I will try to work on them on the weekends and get a chapter out hopefully for each chapter then!

Hoshi Thanks to all the people who have responded to each chapter! You make me warm and fuzzy. Like my Gaara plushy when he comes out of the dryer!

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