AN

You know I really am at the whim of my muse... sometimes I can write just a sentence in a week, sometimes I can write three chapters in as many hours...

End AN

Sasuke scowled as he watched the port from a distance. Suigetsu peered over his shoulder, "Are they almost to port?"

Sasuke turned to him and lowered the binoculars, "No, the captain's stopped to talk with his pet Biju." He sighed but managed to force himself to calm, "And you're target?"

"You mean Pein's or mine," he gave a toothy smile.

"Either, both…"

"Mr. ladies man is spending the evening with some pretty little blonde he picked up shopping with the captains money, while my targets are arriving in the village as we speak."

Now Sasuke smiled, "Since we were sent just to track right now, and we did, I think we can make time for your little detour, it's bound to be an adequate break from our trivial 'initial' assignment, and the fact we managed it without interfering with his objectives will hopefully make Pein trust us more for next time."

"While we get back to the village, tell me more about this Gaara you wanted us to go after before Pein's decision?"

"I don't care about Gaara, but Naruto does. From what I saw, the bastard's ruthless, a true monster like a Jinchuuriki should be. Sasori and Tobi will have their work cut out for them when they get back to take that assignment. You're turn; tell me more about the Kumo twins."

"They're the only sibling members of the seven swordsmen, and aside from the self-proclaimed newest member, the fifth Mizukage's bodyguard, they're both the youngest and newest. Dan uses they earth sword, which is even more massive then Zabuza's, it shakes the earth with every swing. Kiku uses the sixth element sword, I actually don't know as much as I'd like about her sword, but that's where your eyes give us an edge."

"So how did the youngest end up with presumably the strongest sword?"

"Because she's vicious, she and her brother both are known for their assassinations. If you let them strike first, it will often be the last. Besides, those swords best suited their talents, as with the rest of the seven."

"Hm," Sasuke smirked, "Makes me wish Shiev was here, she's much better at tracking people without alerting them than we are."

Suigetsu shrugged, "We'll just have to be careful, and make sure we strike first…

shSHshSHsh

Shiev sneezed. She looked around momentarily then grumbled about being hungry.

"I thought since you were dead you can't starve?"

"No I just don't die from it since I'm already dead- I get hungry too- and cold- and… where they hell are we, I thought you said you knew where the 1 tail was…"

Ice shrugged. "Kimimaro told me before he died, that he lives in the hidden village of sand, he said it was to the far southwest…"

"Southwest… You've been plotting our path based solely on a direction… We're not birds! The straight path is not always the quickest…"

Shiev leaned against a tree. "There was a town we ignored about two hours back. We can eat there and find out exactly where we are, and next time- I plan our travels…"

"Sorry," Ice looked down submissively.

"I know you meant well, but I could have gotten us there in only three days if I knew we were just headed for Sand Village, now we're eight days into a three day hike… Out of food, and low on water." She tossed Ice the last full canteen of water. "Here, I'm already dehydrated, no reason for both of us to be sick before we reach the village…" She stood upright and started leading the way back towards the nearest village.

As they got closer Shiev pulled her cloak tightly against her to cover her pale figure, made even paler due to dehydration…

gaGAgaGAga

Gaara closed the door behind him; he was finally alone with Matsuri. He sighed in relief, all the egging and joking and well-meant jostling was over for now. He still wasn't used to any of it. He sat down on the bed beside Matsuri, neither had spoken for a while. She leaned over and traced the 'Ai' on his forehead, then gently kissed him before she too let out a sigh of relief.

Gaara smiled, "Well, let's not do that again," he managed weak chuckle.

"Yes, next time we'll just elope," she mused. She sighed again and let the back half of her body drop down against the bed, her belly starting to show signs of growth from the child within. Gaara laid on his stomach beside her.

~THUMP~

Gaara looked over toward the door where the loud noise originated. The doorknob slowly turned. The first thing to fly through the door was a long and snake-like artificial arm which flew in and smashed the bed, forcing Matsuri and Gaara to both leap to opposite ends of the room.

Tobi came in on one side of the extension of Sasori closer to Gaara, while Sasori came in enclosed in a new puppet shell in general shape is was similar to Hiruko, though the face and other details were different enough to be clearly a new puppet. This shell form wrapped its arms quickly around Matsuri, a blade ejecting from the hand end laid its edge against Matsuri's cheek.

"Uh-ah- let's not be hasty young Kazekage- young groom even. We wouldn't want the expectant mother harmed, and I suspect you don't want a major battle like this in the middle of your grand village."

Gaara frowned, and though he didn't have his gourd on him at the moment, the surrounding sand was agitating at his aggravation.

Matsuri gave a yelp as Sasori squeezed a little tighter, "Tobi's right, you don't want to resist us right now. You're going to stand still while Tobi incapacitates you."

"What guarantees do I have you'll let her go once you have me."

"We won't, we'll keep her to assure you're continued cooperation, but… once you're dead, we won't have any further use for her, will we?"

"That's not a guarantee."

"It's the best you'll get, 100% dead or 50/50 dead or alive. It's your choice, and you don't have long to make it, it may be your honeymoon, but you're still the Kazekage, soon someone will come, Matsuri will die, and you may or may not escape," Tobi explained.

"No Gaara-" she was cut off by Sasori's binding limb wrapping itself over Matsuri's mouth.

"Tick tock, we took out two small patrols getting in here, I figure those patrols are being noticed about now, they'll follow the trail right here, I imagine you've got less than a minute to decide."

naNAnaNAna

Naruto paced outside the Sand Village hospital. Kakashi comes up seeing Naruto pace.

"Yo!"

Naruto looked up towards him. "Hey Kakashi, what are you doing here."

"I came to see you," he said simply. "We haven't had much time to talk since- well- since you came back and I found out your secrets…"

Naruto gave a bit of a chuckle, "Yeah, what with Itachi and Akatsuki, then the Chounin Exams, then Lyle and his resistance, and Gaara's wedding, yeah… it's all been kind of a rush."

"Not to mention your new friend."

"Itachi, Lyle, or Shirei?"

Kakashi chuckled this time, "Any of them… Pick one, we'll start there," he smirked, "But on a more general note: are you sure you're not overstretching yourself?"

"I rest…"

"Between missions… then you go take on a bigger one, now you want to gather all the Jinchuriki, somehow pull them all into one force possibly more dangerous than whatever Akatsuki has planed?"

"What else am I gonna do, gather what I can, tuck tails and hide? None of us want to do that- none of us even know how- I know not every Jinchuriki will want to do this- but none of them will want to be killed by Akatsuki."

"That leaves attacking them upfront, I know you're strong, plus Itachi, but even then do you think you're strong enough?"

He stopped for a moment, his mind returning to exactly what he'd been thinking about before Kakashi showed up, "Maybe not yet… but I think I will be soon…."