Desert Rose-Chapter 4

*back to Suna*

'Ah, so warm, Naruto really does make a good heater. Who knew the Kyuubi's chakra could heat up a room so well' Temari thought as she snuggled deeper into the blanket. Naruto was silently crying as he sat next to Temari's bed, the Kyuubi's red chakra cloaked around his body as he served as Temari's personal room heater.

'Kyuubi shut up' Naruto thought sadly as the fox demon was laughing at Naruto's misinterpreted thoughts of what Temari meant when she asked him to 'keep her warm'.

"It funny how your mind went directly to sleeping with her. You have been hanging around pervy sage WAYY too much" Kyuubi snickered as Naruto started yelling at him.

'Oh be quiet you baka fox, if you were in my shoes you would think the same thing…that is if you could even get a fox girlfriend' Naruto laughed when he heard the fox's angry growl.

"What was that Gaki?"

Naruto and Kyuubi then spent the next 20 minutes arguing until both ran out of things to argue about.

'…hey Kyuubi, do you have any advice on how to help Temari get better?' Naruto asked after a while.

"Are you asking me for advice, Gaki? Oh Inari, you're serious, aren't you?" Kyuubi said surprised when Naruto nodded his head in answer.

'So do you have ideas or so…please' Naruto asked softly scaring the hell out of the Kyuubi.

'Kit really loves Temari doesn't he? It's sweet, sigh, I happy for him although I hope this doesn't hurt Hinata too bad.'

Naruto left his mind to check on Temari who was still sleeping. Kyuubi watched as Naruto lightly kiss Temari before tucking her in the covers in.

'I wonder if Kit even knows about Hinata's feelings for him.'

"Hey Kit, can I ask you a question about Hinata?"

'Eh, sure but what about her?'

"Have you figured out that she has feelings for you, you baka?"

'Hey who you calling a bak-Hinata likes me?'

Kyuubi mentally smacked his forehead as he looked at the extremely dense blonde and explained Hinata's feelings.

'…I'm such an idiot, but I love Temari. However if Temari dies…'

Kyuubi sighed and looked down at his depressed host as Naruto softly hit his head against the bed.

"In fact Naruto, I do have some advice for you but I don't know if Temari will agree…"

Kyuubi then began to give Naruto advice that could save Temari…but at a cost.

"I suggest you ask her first how she feels about it though."

'Thank you' Naruto said as he thought about all that Kyuubi had told him.

"So if I do what Kyuubi told me to do Temari will live, but at the cost…Gaara and Kankuro would kill me but I believe they will understand in the end…at least I hope."

Naruto looked at Temari and smiled at how lovely she looked sleeping.

"Please hurry back with the flower Gaara and Hinata."

Hearing a yawn behind him, Naruto turned as Temari opened her eyes.

"Look like now is a good time" he muttered as he looked at Temari.

"Temari I have something to tell you…"

*back in the desert*

"Yes, we're almost to the oasis Gaara-san" Hinata said excitedly as she viewed the small oasis with her byakugan.

"Good" Gaara said emotionless as the night grew cold while the moon rose. Hinata shivered violently, not only because of the cold but at Gaara's attitude.

'Gaara-kun has been acting distant since earlier…I wonder if everything is okay?'

"Let's turn in for the night. We can get the flower in the morning" Gaara said expressionless as he set up his sleeping bag and lay down.

"Gaara-san is everything okay?" Hinata asked but didn't get an answer.

'He can't be sleep yet. Maybe he didn't hear me.'

"Gaara-san, are you alright?" Hinata asked again but still didn't receive a response. "This isn't like Gaara at all" Hinata muttered before trying one last time. "Gaara-san, can you please tell me what's wrong?" Hinata tried once more and got a response. Agitated with Hinata's constant questioning, he looked at her with anger in his eyes.

"Would you stop asking me already or I will kill you for it."

Both ninjas went quiet as Gaara's statement hung in the air thick like a fog. Hinata was shocked and almost burst into tears at Gaara's outburst. Nodding, Hinata silently said, "ok" and went off to her sleeping bag. Hinata turned her back towards Gaara so she could leave him alone. After Gaara heard her get into her sleeping bag, he couldn't help the weird feeling that came over him when he saw Hinata nears tears. (A/N: It's called guilt Gaara) Trying to shake the feeling away, Gaara lay down and went to sleep knowing that the whole adventure was going to end tomorrow. As Hinata heard Gaara's breathing come out lighter she finally let out all the tears she was holding in.

'Why is he so angry? Is he mad because we didn't get here sooner? Is it…my entire fault?'

Hinata silently cried until no more tears ran down her face. Lying in the sleeping bag she turned to look at Gaara before stealthily getting out into the night towards the oasis.

*back in Suna*

"So you're saying that there is a semi-cure that will help me in case Gaara and the kunoichi don't get back in time?" Temari asked as she looked at Naruto who just finished explaining the semi-cure Kyuubi had told him about. Temari was surprised that Naruto would go to great lengths to see her well again. Temari frowned as two things came to her mind, more like two people came to her mind.

"You know Gaara and Kankuro might get extremely mad at you if you were to do that" Temari said as she watched Naruto flinch at the thought of two angry Sand brothers coming after him. Shaking his head to clear it he looked at Temari, who was smiling slightly, and told her that they would see reason in the end when they had time to calm down. "Would you really do that…for me? What about that Hyuuga girl who obviously in love with you?" Temari said as she saw Naruto frown.

'Did everybody but I recognized Hinata's feelings for me?' Naruto thought in which the Kyuubi responded with a loud "Yep" as he shook his head at Naruto. Looking up into Temari's beautiful green eyes he smiled and nodded saying he would to save her for he loved her. Temari eyes grew wide as she heard the seriousness in Naruto's voice.

"Why didn't you go ahead and do that then?" Temari asked knowing that Naruto could have did what the Kyuubi told him to do when she was asleep. Shaking his head Naruto said it was her body and her decision and that was something he never wanted to take from her the decision to say yes or no. Temari had a serious look on her face as she looked at Naruto. "I need some time to think it over" she said in which Naruto just nodded in agreement as he stood up to stretch. Feeling the itchiness in the back of her throat Temari started coughing violently, even worse than before as her eyes started to water from lack of air. Naruto quickly breathe into her mouth trying to open her lungs but this time it didn't seem to be working. As the room started to spin and Temari realized she was about to pass out, she looked at Naruto through half-lidded eyes.

"Save me" she whispered before Temari closed her eyes completely and went into a coma. Shocked at what just happened, Naruto mentally kicked himself to get a move on as he ran out the room calling for the medics as Temari was about to die.

'Kyuubi, it's time' Naruto cried out in his mind as he began to fuel chakra enlarging his canine teeth. Grabbing a hold of Temari, he gently started kissing her neck before biting down lightly…

*in the desert*

With the chill of the desert night seeping into his sleeping bag, Gaara jolted awake and looked around.

'Where is Hinata-chan?' he thought frantically as he noticed her sleeping bag wasn't next to him. 'Maybe she was thirsty and went to the oasis' Gaara thought as he noticed his canteen was full of water. Sitting up he watched as Hinata's sleeping bag slipped off of his along with a note. Frowning Gaara picked up the note and began to read as he got out of the sleeping bag.

"Dear Gaara,

I sorry I was such a nuisance to you throughout the adventure. In your bag is the pollen you need to save Temari along with extra to help you grow some flowers in the greenhouse in Suna. I also refilled your canteen so you can have a safe trip back. I decided to find my way back as not to bother you anymore. After you finish reading this, hurry back to Suna to Temari before it's too late for I will be heading to Konoha alone, I'll find my way there sooner or later. I will take the full blame for my actions, saying you had more important things to worry about, like your sister. I wish you, Kankuro, Temari, and all the residents of Suna a safe life.

Gomensai, Hinata Hyuuga

Gaara stared at the note as if the words were going to rearrange themselves and say something different. Snapping out of his daze, he lightly cursed himself as he picked up his and Hinata's sleeping bags, the canteen, and his bag with the pollen inside of it before using his third eye jutsu to look for Hinata.

'Damnit, why did I have to yell at her. I didn't even mean that I was just…angry. No I wasn't angry at her…I was angry at her calling out Naruto's name in her sleep. What does that mean? Does that mean…I've fallen in love with her?' Gaara thought mentally as he kept looking for the ink blued hair kunoichi was making it easy to spot her. Growling out in frustration, Gaara was about to search the whole desert when he spotted Hinata several miles away heading in the direction of Suna.

'Since she didn't take the map, it makes sense she would head back to Suna first before going back to Konoha'.

Seeing how much ground Hinata had covered, Gaara jumped onto his sand and rode off towards the sad and depressed Hyuuga as she towards the village.

'I hope Gaara-kun makes it back in time to save Temari. At least he can make it back quicker without me slowing him down. It's a good thing I remembered the map so I should be going in the right direction' Hinata sighed as she looked up at the night sky full of stars and continued her journey back to Suna without Gaara.

"I know it's not wise to travel alone in a desert especially since I'm not familiar with the nocturnal animals but at least I won't be a burden to Gaara-kun anymore."

Hinata activated her byakugan to look out for hidden dangers in the cold night.

"Am I doomed to fall in love with people who don't return my feelings. I might as well have father arrange my marriage since I've been avoiding it constantly."

Hinata frowned when she saw something in front of her underneath the sand scuttling around as if hiding.

'Wait a minute, that's the same thing I saw create the sandstorm…I bet it was the same thing that ran away after making the quicksand pit underneath Gaara-kun.'

As Hinata wondered what to do she spotted something flying towards her in her range of byakugan.

"Gaara-kun, I see he is heading for Suna…that's good" Hinata said depressingly as she looked down where the scorpion's nest was. Hinata then heard something that sounded like a laugh coming from below her feet.

"Go forth, for I won't attack you. My orders are only for the red-head. Yes, the redhead, the Kazekage will be finished along with his family, that's my orders."

Hinata watched in shock as a large red scorpion appeared out of the whole to look at her.

"You're the one who tried to harm Gaara-kun" Hinata said angrily as she looked at the laughing scorpion.

"Yes, on my master's orders I will attack him and his family. No one will stop me for I am unstoppable, however I will make you a deal, girl. If you manage to save the redhead before my poison kills him then I will spear his family. Yes, sound like a good deal to me" the scorpion said as he went back into this hole.

"What do you mean-" Hinata was about to ask before she saw Gaara start to float down on his sand. "Kuso, wait Gaara don't-" her warning came too late as Gaara jumped down off his sand in time to be stung in the leg by the scorpion. Looking down to see what hit him, Gaara felt his whole body start to lock down as the poison quickly took effect.

"Time is ticking" the scorpion said before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Gaara collapsed onto his knees, legs unable to support him as he started to feel ill. Within seconds his leg went numb and after a minute he couldn't move neither leg as the numbness and pain began to creep up his body. Unable to bare the pain, Gaara screamed out as he felt as if legs were being burned off him and his throat closing up. Gaara looked at Hinata with fear in his eyes as she wondered how she could save Gaara before time ran out.