Chapter FOUR
A council meeting was held a day after the invasion. Gaara entered the conference room flanked by Sasori and Sakura.
The council members bowed politely and Gaara returned the greeting. He sat down, then gestured for the others to do the same. Once everyone had been seated, Gaara began.
"I am sure that you are all aware by now that Otogakure was responsible for the attack on Suna yesterday. " Gaara began. "Otogakure is the very village the Hokage has warned us about no awhile ago." He paused. "Considering the scale of the invasion, I'm sure we can all agree that this was a planned attack. Most of the destruction has been contained, but I would like to begin by discussing the damage." He nodded at Sasori, who stood up.
"The major resource stations were all untouched." Sasori said. "The damage to the outer walls are currently being repaired, and is being held together by the Kazekage-sama's sand. This is due to be over by the end of the week. The kagutsu butai has suffered minimal damage. There have been no deaths, but a couple were injured. They are currently being treated at the hospital."
"Two of them will be released by the end of the day, and will be fit for duty in two days time." Sakura spoke up. "Another four will be in hospital for another three days, and the last will be in for a week minimum."
Gaara nodded in acknowledgement. "We will begin by upping the security. We will double the number of patrols and an extra shinobi will be added to each post, and will now contain at least two shinobi Jounin or above."
The meeting lasted for an hour or so. Gaara dealt with the concerns brought up by the council and the civilian representatives like a true Kage. Gaara voiced that he would also send a letter to the Hokage about this, for Konoha would probably be deeply involved, especially due to the fact that the attack concerned Orochimaru.
The meeting broke up just before noon. Gaara was up and out of the room the moment it was over, unwilling to show the way his legs hurt from sitting in a stiff chair for so long. Sakura automatically fell in step behind him, Sasori taking his place on his other side.
They made their way back to the Kazekage's office building. Sasori left after grabbing something to eat, for he was scheduled for patrol a little later.
Temari and Kankuro returned with takeaway, arguing about something or another. They passed half of it to Gaara and Sakura, before they withdrew to the redhead's office.
Without a word, they sat down and began sorting through the paperwork. Gaara wrote the letter and had Sakura deliver it to the messenger post.
As he watched her leave out the door, he couldn't suppress the sudden worry he felt.
Good things never lasted for them. Gaara knew this from experience, and he had come to never expect anything to last.
It was unfair, as though everything was trying to stop him from even hoping.
For the next few weeks, nothing happened.
Minato immediately sent over a reply, asking if they wanted help with resources and to promise aid should something like that happen again. While Gaara had sent his letter via messenger bird, Minato sent his reply through a certain team.
"GAARA!"
The redhead looked up, startled.
However, he wasn't as surprised when a blond crashed through the door, grinning widely enough to blind someone.
"Naruto."
Gaara nodded then glanced at the rest of the blond's team. "Hello, Uchiha-san, Hatake-san." He glanced at the boy standing next to them.
"I believe his name is Sai." Sakura told him quietly.
Kakashi nodded in agreement, smiling behind his mask.
"Hello, Sai-san." Gaara nodded at him, then turned to face Kakashi. "What may I do for you?" He asked.
Kakashi stepped forward, scroll in hand. "Hokage-sama sent us to deliver the reply to your letter."
"I heard you were attacked by the Snake Bastard!" Naruto blurted out. "Are you okay?"
Sasuke eyed him in annoyance. "Shut up, Dobe."
"What'd you say, Teme?"
Kakashi sighed, ignoring them. He passed the scroll over to Gaara.
"Hokage-sama sent you to deliver his reply?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi nodded. "More like, we were kicked out because somebody destroyed two training grounds in a spar."
Naruto and Sasuke both froze in their argument.
"Sasori-sama once destroyed four training grounds and a fourth of the main street." Sakura said with a frown.
Gaara sighed.
He already felt a headache coming.
Team Seven decided to linger in Suna for a while. While Naruto claimed that it was so that he could protect them if Orochimaru attacked again, Sasuke stated that it wouldn't be safe if Naruto tried to do something, and Kakashi said that it was so that he could keep an eye on his team, Gaara could tell that they must have pissed off Minato a lot.
Still, he offered them two guest rooms in his house.
When the day was finally over, it felt as though Gaara hadn't rested in forever. He hadn't seen Sakura outside his work office and between the fact that he had to do paperwork until late into the night and Sakura was just about balancing hospital work and night patrols, they didn't have time to really sit and talk.
He already missed the way she looked at him when it was only the two of them.
So when Sakura came back surprisingly early, a box of takeout in hand, Gaara was pretty surprised. Sakura must have noticed, for she approached and placed the box onto his desk. "Are you okay, Gaara-sama?" She asked.
At Gaara's confused blink, she elaborated. "Sasori-sama told me to return early today." She said. "He said you weren't feeling well, and that I was to make sure you are okay."
"Uh...yeah." Gaara smiled, reminding himself to give Sasori an extra day when he next left the village for a mission, to give him some time to gather materials for his puppets. "I was feeling lonely, but seeing you made me feel better." He gestured for her to come closer and when she stepped around his desk, he pulled her onto his lap and buried his nose into her hair, the smell comforting him. He ran his hands over her neck, trying to remove the tenseness in them.
It reminded him of all the years they had been together.
Sakura leaned back into his gentle touch, eyes half closed. "Would you like some help?" She asked, eyeing the stacks of paper and folders on his desk.
Gaara sighed as he was brought back to reality. "Yes, please."
While it was nice, Gaara knew it wouldn't be comfortable for either of them if they tried to work the way they were sitting, so Gaara, albeit reluctantly, moved Sakura so that she was sitting next to him.
Between the two of them, they went through the pile twice as fast, and Gaara was pretty pleased with himself.
Especially because they were rewarded with the chance to rest together for the first time in days.
As Gaara watched Sakura fall asleep with her head on his lap, he allowed himself to hope, just a little, that things would remain like that forever.
So, here's chapter four!
So, we were thinking that every five chapters or something could be in Kabuto's POV, or something...What do you guys think?
Darque: I'm flooding with more ideas.
Raven: More fanfics?
Darque: Ye.
Which one do you guys like more/want to read more?
Sakura x Akatsuki (And other multi pairings)((If published, OUR FIRST completely AU story)):
The Akatsuki are an Elite Police Authority group stationed in a city where the lives people are influenced by the predictions of a Supercomputer. The predictions had never been wrong ever since Version Sakura had been released. However, when the computer shuts down one day for no reason, they come across the horrifying truth and the Akatsuki must confront their twisted government.
Sakura x multi:
The Haruno clan are known for their unique relationship with the dead. To them, hearing whispers, seeing the ghosts of those unable to pass and having their bodies taken over by spirits are common occurrences. However, once in a hundred years, the 'Reaper Child' is born. The chosen of this century, Sakura can walk the land of the dead at will, the limit to her powers unknown.