Hey peeps. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter! Here ya go, Chapter 8. :D Oh yeah, and I'm gonna need you readers to review more often! I'm only getting reviews from the same people, no offense. I've been twisting the story line about a bit, and I'm making it that Sasuke doesn't run away until later. Also, Ai's Mailbag needs to get more questions. Anime Supercon rocks against the rock!

Three weeks had passed since Team Ainiuero (bet you didn't remember that was their team name) had started training for the Chuunin exams. Ai learned better genjutsus, Mae mastered a new technique with her sword, and Gaara was forced to learn better people skills. Now they were starting on their journey to Konohagure village with the two former members of Team Sand, and their new member, Ruekia Atamagawarui. Their senseis were going by a different route.

"Damn, I wonder what the hell the leaf village is like." Mae yelled as they ran through over the sand dunes outside of Suna.

"Oh, it's colder than it is here." Kankurou responded, who was running next to Mae.

"And it's obviously leafy." Ruekia said. She was running on Kankurou's other side, and she had shoulder length bright red hair with black tips. She also had pink pupil-less eyes, and wore a short black tank top, full body fishnets, a beige skirt, and black shorts. Mae glared at her.

"No duh, baka." She muttered.

"You wanna say that to my face?!" The redhead screamed angrily.

"Now, now, calm down"- Ai said softly. Kankurou sighed. Temari rolled her eyes, and Gaara kept on trekking ahead, using his sand as some form of transport. Basically it went like this, with Mae and Ruekia glaring at each other. The burning desert sun started to set, and even Gaara seemed to have a need to stop.

"We probably should stop for a while. Konoha'll be there tomorrow." Temari yawned. She stretched her lavender clad arms and slowed up. Gaara turned around his sand mechanism, which started to disappear into the sand around him and his gourd. Ai swiftly came to a stop, and Mae stopped with her. Ruekia stopped with Kankurou.

"Clingy subeta..." Mae whispered under her breath while glaring at the redhead nearby.

"Did you say something Mae-chan?" Ai asked curiously.

"Hm? Oh, nothing!" Mae responded, with an anime sweat drop. In the meanwhile, Ruekia was drooling all over Kankurou, and being clingy as ever. Gaara started walking towards Ai.

"Oh… Um… Hi Gaara-kun…" Ai mumbled flustered.

"Hn… Ai…" He responded, barely waving a hand. Gaara stopped there and stood next to her. Temari, who was a few feet from them, snickered at Kankurou, and pointed at Ai and Gaara, holding up her little finger. Kankurou broke out laughing, which sent Ruekia flying off his arm in the other direction. Fortunately, Ai didn't see this gesture, but only saw Ruekia crash comically into the sand.

"Owww…" She whined, rubbing the small of her back.

"Oops, sorry Atama-san." Kankurou apologized, still laughing.

"Hmph!" Ruekia grumbled as she started to stand.

"Atama-san, are you okay?" Ai asked, extending a hand.

"I'm perfectly able to stand on my own, thank you, and yes I'm fine!" The redhead stated rudely.

"Well you don't have to be mean about it…" Ai mumbled in responese as she walked away towards where she had left her bag. She opened her pack and removed her signature silky blue nightdress and a sleeping bag. Night had begun to approach faster and faster, and she felt the hot air alleviate to a cool one. "I'm gonna go get changed, I'll be right back!" Ai called before she retreated behind a sand dune. She undressed discreetly and quietly, but enjoyed the cool air. A soft breeze blew sand against her face. Still, she pulled the dress over her head, and she was lacing the back when an unlikely intruder walked "in" on her.

"Ai, hurry up"- Gaara started then paused. Ai's back was revealed by the half-laced night dress.

"Eep! Gaara-kun!" The black haired girl nearly screamed.

"Ai…"

"Hey is everything okay back here?" Kankurou called as he walked out behind the sand dune himself. He froze in his tracks. "Oh come on Gaara-sama, if you want to dothat could you do it a bit more discreetly! Or at least told me… You always get to have the most fun!"

"Kankurou you imbecile! This isn't what it looks like!" Gaara furiously held his head with two fingers. Sand started to snake its way to form a wall in behind of Ai.

"Eh heh, sorry Gaara-kun!" She yelled to the redhaired boy who was on the other side of the wall between them. "Really, I am, I should have been faster…"

"Yeah, you should have." He said before walking away. By the time the sand started dissipating, she had finished lacing it. Ai stepped out, and noticed that most everyone was already asleep. Mae was curled up in a dark blue sleeping bag next to where Ai had laid her own bag down and between where Kankurou was sleeping. Temari was sleeping on Kankurou's other side. Ruekia was sleeping away from the rest, probably because of the whole "incident" earlier. Ai had never seen someone get so worked up about tripping. 'Where'd Gaara-kun go?' Ai noticed that Gaara wasn't anywhere to be found. She sighed as she remembered what he had told her at least a month earlier when they were still taking classes. "Because I'm a monster." Ai felt a shiver go down her back, and wrapped her arms around herself. She started walking in the opposite direction of her sleeping bag, and saw a figure. Softly, she looked up at him, sitting on top of a sand dune. She saw short hair, waving in the wind. She approached, but kept her distance, and recognized him as none other than Gaara.

Oh yeah, when Mae said 'Subeta' she was saying the Japanese phrase for "bitch", so you know there's a rivalry. Alright! End of Chapter 8! Or is it? . . Anyways, yeah, I went to the Anime Supercon yesterday. I cosplayed as Sand Village Michiyo, a character I made up. I gots a bunny hat!

-neon light flickers on-

Ai's Mailbag -crash-

AI: Okay, this one's from Ayumi Uchiha.

that was a kind of random chapter I have a question for gaara why did you push ai away if you love her? and I know you love her.

GAARA: Hn? –reads a piece of paper titled SCRIPT- Because of an emotional overload and… -crumples up paper and throws it away- I don't love her. So there.

AI: Okay… Why'd she call it a chapter? Its not like we're characteres in a book…

Next question. From chibisister.

aaw!very cute!Gaara, you're being so sweet!I like it!keep up the good work!

GAARA: Thanks?...

AI: I'm not getting any questions… Next Question… From FearTheFan…

Gaara, how does it feel to have feelings after not feeling at all?

GAARA: I'm not going to answer that. It "feels" weird.

MAE: I'm starting to feel left out!

AI: You're telling me. Anyways, next question. Another one from Ayumi Uchiha.

yos 500 yen to which ever CHARACTER can tell me what is the name of the movie i watched at Michiyo's house

AI: Umm… Seven Samurai?

MAE: The Perfect Stranger?

GAARA: Pf… Pterodactyl.

MACHIKO: Ohh, I'm short on cash! Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness. Haha, BOOMSTICK!

MICHIYO: The correct answer was… Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness! Ayumi, you owe Machiko-san 5 dollars. (500 yen.)

-neon light falls over with a bang and a small fire-

Hope you all enjoyed chapter eight!