Chapter 4: Xenoliths, the Children of the Earth
A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay I had a hard time remembering these short details but as promised the next chapter of Desert Rose. Oh please don't forget my mantra, R n R.
Having no chakra, the pair still continued on with the mission. Each too occupied to even speak; they traveled the rest of the day in almost complete silence. It was the fog that caused, but how on earth did it do that? And how are we going to get our chakra back. Damn! I can't fight like this what should I do? I wonder is he thinking the same things I am thinking now. With that Sakura again looked intently at Gaara, she was already used to looking at him that it seemed as if it was already her hobby. Somehow, she finds him interesting and even more interesting when he gets annoyed because of her frequent staring but at the midst of it all she could do was smile.
Where in the hell are we supposed to go to get our chakra back and…? The same sensation ran through his spine. The feeling he knows all too well. Huh, she's staring at me again. What am I some bird to watch every now and then? What the? She's smiling at me or by herself. She's really giving me the creeps. What's wrong with her? Then again the anticipated reaction of Gaara, he stopped and called for her. "Oi, Haruno," he said as he descend to the ground below. Sakura all ready expecting this followed soon.
"It's about time you stopped. We've been traveling for ten hours already." Sakura complained as she reached the ground. And I didn't realized until now that traveling without using chakra can be quite tiresome. Her inner voice complained.
Then without warning ropes covered by chakra started enveloping the branches of the trees around them, They couldn't do anything since it also requires chakra to cut those kind of ropes so they stood there back to back as they wait what was in store for them. Five shadows started to form on each corner and as the light revealed their forms… "You guys again!" Sakura spat out. "Isn't this ironic?" Their leader proclaimed. "Don't you feel anything strange about the ropes?" he continued. Sakura and Gaara fixed their eyes on the ropes that were "glowing" with chakra. The chakras in the ropes are… calling for us. Gaara suddenly realized. "That's our chakra, isn't it?" Then silence…
The five warriors suddenly fell on their knees. "We ask for your forgiveness." They repeatedly said as they kept bowing their heads. "What's going on?" Gaara retorted. "Our leader wants to see you… both." One of them replied. "We are the inhabitants of the village you are seeking." The other continued. "We attacked the wrong people. We ask for your forgiveness." Their leader finally finished. "So where is he? Will you return our chakra when we come with you?" Sakura questioned. "Our orders were to take you. Your chakra will return "in time". Follow us; we will lead you to our leader." He answered as the roped disintegrated and the five sprinted forward.
Sakura glanced at Gaara only to find him staring at her. She read his stare as "What do you think you are doing, you bitch? This is a trap for certain!" "Look we have no other choice but to follow them. Besides could you think of any other ideas to get our chakras back other than this? If we fight with them, they will be using our own chakras against us. We stand a chance in winning if we had our chakras but now the tables have turned." Sakura explained. Gaara's reply was to follow the five that were now in a distance from them. Sakura of course followed soon smiling as she rejoiced mentally. Hey I did it! I won my first argument with Mister-I-know-everything-therefore-follow-me.
They stopped at a large cave. From there, they started walking slowly and silently towards the heart of the cave. As they enter the cave, the darkness seemed to swallow them as an invisible force weakly guides them forward. Sakura wanted to talk but no words came out of her mouth. She started to panic as she only saw complete darkness not even the outline of her hand or anybody's figure.
Then suddenly, someone grabbed her hand and guided her forward. This person who is he? Why do I feel so calm even though I know we are in complete trouble because of me? Sakura thought as she tried to recognize as to who this person might be. Surely enough this is not Gaara. This person has such soft hands. She thought as she unconsciously rubbed her thumb over the persons hand and to her surprise the person did the same thing. In the darkness, she blushed from head to toe. Never in her life did she felt this warm not even with Sasuke or even with Naruto.
Then all too soon, a dot of light was seen at the very end of the cave. Suddenly the person let go of Sakura's hand quickly even before Sakura could decipher who he/she was. As they departed the cave, Sakura started looking around the people nearest to her. There were two persons in front of her the leader and Gaara. Instinctively Sakura stared at the hands of the leader only to find that… He's wearing gloves? Then the person who held my hand was… She tore her gaze from the leader to Gaara who was looking at the opposite direction so Sakura only saw the back of his head. No, it can't be him, can it? Then a cold stare from Gaara. No definitely, absolutely, positively not! She answered her own mental question as she ignored Gaara's cold stare and concentrated on the scene below.
What the fuck am I doing? Why did I hold her hand like that? What the hell is happening to me? Damn it's hot! Gaara rambled in his mind as he unconsciously stared at his hand that held hers a while ago and his cheeks turned into a light pink. Then he focused his attention on he village below, it was at the edge of a cliff a totally strategic position. Wait, at the edge of the cliff? We didn't even climb a slope or anything to reach this height? Gaara rationalized as he tried to erase the seen before from his mind. The five started to descend. The two followed suit. They reached a gate with a turtle-snake engraftment. As the gates opened, the people inside the walls turned their attention on the new comers but especially on the pink haired shinobi. Okay, what's with the stare? Is something wrong with me? She silently inquired as she waked down the streets of the village towards the largest building.
They finally arrived at the office of their leader. The five bowed and left. "Welcome my friends. We are the Xenoliths, the children of the Earth." Their old female leader proclaimed.