It took Gaara a few moments to realise what was different about Sakura as they walked through the quiet streets. She had changed at some point and now wore lose black trousers with a pink shirt that had white and dark pink squared printed on it. The main difference was her hair, it was down, and for some reason Gaara had a strong urge to touch it.

"Do you like Ramen?"

"Huh?"

She smiled and pointed to a small stand that was still open. "This is Naruto's favourite place, beside the Hokage monument, and they do good ramen" She gently pulled him towards it.

As soon as they entered the stand greetings were called out to Sakura. " Ohio!" Sakura called back waving to everyone whilst choosing a seat far away from other customers.

"Sakura-chan!" An elderly man came up to the table wiping his hands on his apron and smiling at Sakura in a fatherly way.
" Ohio!" Sakura said smiling "How are you? How's your wife?"
"She's fine" he said smiling more "Thanks to you! Who's your friend?"
"This is Gaar-san" Sakura said
"Ahhh, so what'll you and Gaar-san be having? You do know everything's on the house for you and your friends……well in Naruto's case the first 4 bowls are" He said
"I can't take free food from you!" Sakura said blushing
The elderly mans smile disappeared and a serious look came over as he sat down "Sakura-sama" he said quietly "When I thought I'd lost Missiua you gave me hope, you brought her back, you didn't need to, you weren't on duty, you were exhausted from a mission – you still saved her life, nothing I can ever do will repay that" He reached across and gripped her hand, tears in his eyes "Please, let your meal be on me"
Dumbly Sakura nodded, his tears echoed in hers "H.hai"
Nodding he stood "Same as usual?" At her nod he disappeared

Gaara had watched this all from the sidelines seeing the emotion that came from the older man and Sakura.
The pink haired woman seemed in deep thought as he reached up and wiped her eyes. "Sorry Gaar-kun" she said snapping back into focus
"That's alright" he said looking at her expression "What was that about?"
"His wife had an accident, I healed her" A bowl was placed in front of her and she smiled. "I'll be right back"

Gaara was surprised when the old man slid into her vacant seat. He raised his eyebrow. "She's too modest" the man explained
"Really?" Gaara stirred the noodly soup in front of him absently
"I remember it like it was yesterday…."

Sakura and Naruto were walking past the stand. They looked like they'd been on a bad mission, both had little nicks that they were too tired to heal; Naruto was covered in blood stains.

"Come on Naruto, I'll treat you to Ramen"

"…..NOW!" came the voice as Naruto and Sakura entered the stall. "..SHIT"

A man stood near the door holding an elderly woman a knife to her throat, the old man was shoving money into a bag as fast as he could. When the thief saw Sakura and Naruto enter his eyes widened in panic, "NO! You won't take me alive!" With that he drew the knife across the woman's throat throwing her towards Naruto as he pushed past and out of the door

"Missiua!" the owner screamed

"Naruto go!" Sakura ordered lowering a faintly struggling woman to the floor, "Stay back!" she ordered the customers in the shop, the bell clanging in the doorway as Naruto exited.

"I was so worried, Missiua looked so pale and the blood…" the man wiped his hand over his face "there's not much else to say Sakura healed my wife, Naruto caught the man"

"Hey Gaar" Sakura slid into the seat abandoned by the stall owner moments before.
Gaara didn't answer at once, mind still pre-occupied by the story the old man had just told, Compassionate, caring….things I am not
Kit….you could be
Never with you, never
The demon shook his head and stalked around his cage feeling his host's misery 'kit, why not ask her what she thinks of you….Gaara'
Why not

"Gaar!" Sakura said catching his chopsticks which were swirling his noodles around at a fast pace.
He looked up at her silently
"What's wrong?"
"I have to go home soon, Gaara will be expecting me"
She didn't flinch at the name, though her eyes widened a bit "I forgot that Gaara was the Kazehage….it seems like only yesterday I saw him revived from the dead"
"When did you meet him?" Gaara asked, knowing, but wanting it from her side
Sakura smiled "We met him at the chunin exams….seems a long time ago, with me and Naruto being ANBU now, but he stopped his brother….Kan… Kan…"
"Kankuro"
"Yes, from beating us up, we must have seemed so weak to him" she smiled ruefully eating a small portion of her food before continuing "I can't pretend to like him, but, when he was going to kill me, Sasuke and Naruto, he seemed so alone, so, so desolate as if no one loved him in the world" Gaara was shocked to see a tear slip down her cheek. She's crying for me? She's crying, the same as she did for her family.
"You cry for him, mourn like you do your family, yet you don't even like him"
She shook her head "I don't hate him, I no longer fear him….yet so many do, he's done wonderful things for Suna, yet all we hear about is his past its as if no one will accept him for the human he is"
Gaara swallowed, his throat suddenly thick "You should tell him that one day" She looked at him with wide eyes "everyone screams or jumps when they see him, they fear him and it makes him angry, then he feels angry for being angry and then he needs to run or kill someone"

Whatever Sakura was about to say was cut off by a high pitched giggle and Sakura's smile faded.
"Sasuke?" Gaara asked quietly not turning around
She nodded "I want to leave now….but he's next to the door, he's seen us" suddenly she shrank into the booth "He's coming over!" she hissed
Gaara grinned, here he could help. "Sand transport" he whispered forming the seals.

When Sasuke arrived at their booth with his date, there was no one I could have sworn….the black haired man thought seating his date, a blond girl who was absolutely infatuated with him; she suddenly stood "Sasuke-kun!" she said "there's sand everywhere!"
"Gaar" Sasuke growled