"You're late."

"Good morning to you too," Sakura yawned.

"Yeah, yeah. Ready?" Tenmari asked.

"Mmm. Shikimaru isn't here to see you off?"

"I could say the same to you about Kakashi-san."

"Wha..?"

The blonde smirked and started off, Sakura close at her heels. It was late into the night before they stopped.

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Sakura tore hungrily into her fish. "Ow! Hot! Hot! Hungry! Hot! Ow!"

"I figured you'd be hungry," Tenmari stated. "But you're not even letting it cool off!"

"I haven't eaten all day!" Sakura protested. "Excuse me for being a bit hungry!"

"I thought you'd want to make the best time possible," the blonde said quietly.

The green-eyed girl lowered the food. "And you were right. But I can't just ignore my stomach!"

"You'll have to learn, if Gaara reacts the way I think he will. He'll probably want to leave again as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Tenmari. I joke, but I'll be ok. I'm just the messenger. As long as Gaara gets the message, that's all that matters."

The other teen smiled slightly. "Come on, finish up and let's get this fire out so we can get some sleep."

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The two started out again just as the sun was breaking over the horizon. By the end of the afternoon, they'd reached The Village Hidden In The Sand.

"Come on, let's get something to eat, then go see Gaara," the blonde said, tugging the other girl along.

"But- We're so close," Sakura protested.

"Gaara always stays in the Kazekage's office all day. It's a rarity to see him out before nightfall, and if we eat now, it'll be around that time when we finish."

Still reluctant, Sakura nodded. "Okay.." 'Kakashi's keeping an eye on Naruto, everything will be fine,' she told herself.

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Tenmari spoke the truth. They approached the large building in the center of town just in time to see the redhead coming out of it.

"Oi! Gaara!" the blonde called.

"Tenmari. Sakura-san," he greeted them.

"Sakura has something- or someone- she needs to discuss with you. See ya," she said, disappearing onto a cloud of smoke.

Gaara turned to the remaining kunoichi. "And that is?" he asked.

Sakura swore she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. It seemed all the nervousness she didn't know she'd had about talking with the man she barely knew was hitting her all at once. 'But I have to help him,' she told herself.

"Naruto," she answered.

She swore she saw his complacent face turn to a frown. "And what about him?"

As Sakura explained her friend's extensive depression, she found it hard to read the Kazekage's expression. Not that it really surprised her.

"I don't know if I will be able to help," he finally said carefully. "But… I will try."

"Thank you," she replied with a small bow.

"We'll leave early tomorrow, and won't be stopping until we reach the Fire Country."

"I understand," she replied, although his words seemed more like orders than requests. He was worried, and that she could understand. 'Seems sister dear was right on,' she added mentally.

"Did Tenmari tell you where to find her after you spoke with me?" he asked.

The realization that she had nowhere to stay hit her hard. "No, she didn't."

"No matter. Come with me. I just have some paperwork at my residence I need to get done before we go. You can get some rest, if you wish."

"Oh, ok," she replied, surprised by the gesture.

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"Naruto, why don't you play with me anymore? It's so lonely here. Why don't you come join me?"

The blonde shot up in the dark, suddenly wide awake. "Damn it, Sasuke…" he muttered.

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Gaara shook Sakura awake before the sun even began rising. She jolted up and looked at him. "You want to leave?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Five minutes, Gaara-san, and I'll be ready."

"I'll wait for you outside."

"Ok." She got herself ready as quickly as she could, and if she timed it right, she was by the redhead's side again in four minutes. "You don't have a pack," the medic observed.

"I'll be fine," he replied.

'STUPID SAND SHINOBI SHOWOFFS!' inner Sakura raged.

"Let's go," he said, and she briefly wondered how he was able to leave the village on such short notice.

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Naruto was having a stare down. And from his vantage point on the next roof, Kakashi was having a stare down with the stare down. Why was the jounin so interested? Because Naruto's stare down was with a kunai blade. The white haired man had even gone so far as to radio the apartment when the blonde had been asleep.

"You want me to come play with you, huh Sasuke?" the boy was saying. "You would never say a thing like that to me when you were alive, why would you now? I can't leave Sakura anyway, she'd find a way to bring me back just to kill me again, you know that. Yea, she does have Kakashi now, that's true…"

Aforementioned jounin's eyes widened. Was… he actually having a conversation with Sasuke? In his head?

Crap. This was not good.