Gaara's hand moved over the document in front of him requesting that the village guard be increased as he signed it and then pressed the seal of the Kazekage onto the paper.
"Is that all of them?" he asked his brother standing near his side.
Kankuro nodded. "That is. There are a few late proposals that have been submitted but none of them are urgent."
The Kazekage nodded and rose from his desk. "In that case, I'll take my leave." He said. "I'm going to attend to some personal business now."
"Of course." Kuro replied as his brother moved towards the door. "Sakura told me today that she was moved from intensive care to a regular room."
"Thank you." The red haired shinobi replied before he left the room closing the door behind him. With a steady, determined stride he moved through the streets of Suna. It was nearing sunset and he picked up the pace as he walked to one of the few flower shops in the village and stepped inside.
"Lord Kazekage. So nice to see you again." An older woman with white hair, brown eyes, and a warm smile greeted him. She quickly walked to the back room and returned with a single white, long stemmed rose.
"Thank you." He said. He glanced around the shop and spotted a small bouquet of purple and white violets. "I'll take those as well." He said motioning to the bundle.
The woman raised a brow at the request and quickly plucked the bundle from the display case. "May I ask who these are for?" the old woman asked as she rang up his total.
"They're for a friend of mine." He replied simply though his voice was tender.
"I see." The woman replied as she took the money he gave her and counted out his change. "Tell that lovely young woman with purple hair to get well soon." His eyes widened and a little blush came to his cheeks. The woman winked at him and smiled as he left the shop. "Oh Chiyo, you should see this boy now. I bet you never imagined when you sealed that monster inside of him all those years ago that the day would come when he'd come into my shop to buy not only a rose for you but flowers for a pretty girl as well." She chuckled. "Ah young love."
He made his way through the streets of the village to the hospital. He quickly walked up to the front desk thankful that the receptionist was a man for once. "Lord Kazekage, how can I help you?" the man asked.
"I'm here to see Onchou." He replied. "I was told she was moved rooms today."
"Ah yes." The young man said his fingers moving over the hospital map on his desk. "She's in room 307." He replied handing the red head a visitors pass. "From what I've been told, she's doing exceptionally well. Lady Sakura is a miracle worker."
Gaara nodded and left the reception desk and walked to the elevator pushing the up arrow. A boy of about thirteen came up beside him and joined him on the elevator clutching a small bunch of daisies in his hands. He shifted and then glanced at the flowers the sand wielder held.
"Are you here to visit a girl too?" the boy asked.
The sand shinobi blinked in surprise and nodded.
"I thought so." The boy replied looking at his own flowers. "I don't really get why girls like stuff like this." The boy admitted. "Do you?" the boy asked.
Gaara thought for a moment. "Why did you pick those flowers?" he asked.
"She likes daisies best." The boy replied. "Why did you pick the flowers you have?"
"They remind me of her eyes and her hair." The Kazekage replied. "I think that's why girls like getting flowers. It means that the person giving them the flowers was thinking of them."
The boy thought for a moment and then nodded. "That makes sense." He said as they both got off on the third floor. "Good luck Lord Kazekage and thank you." He said before he dashed down the hallway.
He shook his head a little and then followed the signs until he found room 307. He rapped lightly on the closed door and heard the shuffling of feet before the door flew open revealing a boy with ruby eyes and silver hair.
"Oh, it's you." He replied his voice dripping with annoyance.
"Who is it?" Onchou called out softly.
"It's just raccoon eyes!" he replied in a bored tone. "Come in." he said pulling the door open wider.
"Thank you Ryuu." The Kazekage said as he moved into the room. He passed the curtain and let out the breath he didn't know he was holding her as he looked her over. She looked much better than the last time he'd seen her. There was life sparkling in her eyes and her skin was radiant and bright. Her gaze fell upon him and she smiled warmly at him.
"Hello Gaara." She said. "What brings you here?"
Ryuu climbed up onto her hospital bed and Naruto grinned at him from where he was seated at Onchou's bedside.
He walked forward and handed the bouquet of violets to her. "These are for you." He said softly.
Her eyes widened and a smile brightened her face further revealing the dimple he liked so much. Her eyes closed as she pressed the blossoms to her face and breathed deeply. "They're beautiful." She said. "Thank you very much." She turned to Ryuu. "Can you get a vase from the nurse's station for me?" she asked.
"Sure." The boy replied hopping down from the bed. "Smooth move, ginger." He whispered as he passed the red head before he dashed out the door.
Naruto chuckled. "Man, that kid is really something else isn't he?" he remarked. "He's almost as smooth of a talker as Shikimaru."
The Kazekage nodded and took a seat next to the Uzamaki. "So you're looking after him today?" he asked.
The blue eyed ninja nodded. "Yeah. Sai and Sasuke are busy in the library and Sakura is working on that vaccine for Onchou." He replied.
"I don't know what I'll ever be able to do to repay her." Onchou murmured. "She's saved my life twice already."
The blonde snorted. "Don't worry about it. She's happy to do it."
The boy returned with a small vase and filled it up with water. He took the flowers from Onchou and smiled at them. "Is this the first time someone else besides me gave you flowers Onchou?" Ryuu asked.
"Yes." She replied with a smile as blush came to her cheeks. "I'm surprised. Thank you again." She said looking at the Kazekage.
"You're welcome. I was actually hoping you could come with me somewhere for a little while." He said.
She blinked in surprise. "Oh, ok. I'm a little weak though."
"It's alright." He replied. "I'll carry you if it's too much."
"Ok then." She replied. "You run along with Naruto." She said to Ryuu. "He's taking you to get ramen right?"
The ruby eyed child nodded. "Will you be back in time to sing me a song before bed?"
The violet haired girl glanced at the Kazekage. "Yes. We'll be back before then." He assured the silver haired child.
"Alright. See you later Onchou." He said running up to her and throwing his arms around her. He hugged her tightly and then kissed her cheek before bouncing out of the room with Naruto in tow. "Don't try anything weird raccoon eyes." He warned the Kazekage as he left.
Gaara shook his head slightly and then extended a hand to Onchou. She took it as she slid to the edge of the bed and stepped down onto the floor. She reached for her shoes and then cringed as she motion irritated the still healing stab wound.
"Stop." The sand shinobi said noting her discomfort. "I will do this for you." He said kneeling down in front of her.
"You don't have to." She protested. "I can call a nurse. The Kazekage shouldn't be doing something like this at all, let alone to me."
He lifted her slender foot in his hand and slid it into her sandal. "I was simply Gaara long before I was The Kazekage." He replied as he moved to the next foot. "I want to do this for you." He said repeating the same action. "Come." He said helping her from her bed and picking up the rose he'd left on the empty chair nearby.
They left the hospital together and she stumbled as she walked the dirt streets of Suna bumping into him. "Sorry." She replied quickly. "I'm still a little unsteady on my feet."
"It's alright." He replied grabbing her arm and threading it through his own. "I'll keep you from falling."
She blushed a little and nodded letting him support her as they moved towards the village burial ground. He led her through the organized maze of stone towards a monument dedicated to ninja who fell honorably in battle. He stopped in front of one of the newer looking headstones and left her side reaching for a dying white rose atop the stone and replacing it with the fresh one in his hand using a little of his sand to secure it in place.
He knelt in front of the stone and presses his palms together as his eyes closed and offered words to the woman buried beneath him. 'Lady Chiyo. The person I have brought to meet you today is someone who has become very dear to me. She has experienced a lifetime of hardships and even now is pursued by evil men who desire her for power. Please watch over her as you watch over me. Don't let her make the same sacrifice you did for my sake. I want her by my side.' He opened his eyes and stood up again and turned to the young woman behind him who had her head bowed respectfully.
"This is the resting place of Lady Chiyo." He said moving to stand beside her again. "Have you heard of her?"
Onchou nodded. "Sakura told me that it was her technique she used to save me in the desert."
The Kazekage nodded. "She was an incredible person. Full of immense wisdom. There was a time when I hated her." He admitted. The violet haired girl glanced at him but didn't speak, waiting patiently for him to continue. "She did something to me that I felt was unforgivable. It was at my father's request but it still angered me. Then, a little over four years ago I was captured, by a group of international terrorists." Onchou's eyes widened her jaw dropping slightly in surprise. "They proceeded to perform a three day long ritual that took my life."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Gaara." She whimpered her voice full of tenderness.
He touched her shoulder to steady her and continued. "At the time I hadn't been Kazekage long and there were many who didn't approve for one reason or another. The elders in particularly were wary of me and refused to send anyone after me."
The girl's hands balled into fists. "How could they do such a thing?!" she demanded.
He shrugged. "Fear causes people to make strange decisions. A group from the village hidden in the leaves came to my aid instead and Lady Chiyo was the only one of my people who came with them."
Her eyes widened. "She did?"
He nodded. "She was mortally wounded in battle with one of my captors but still managed to save Sakura's life. Once my body was recovered from his partner, she used a forbidden jutsu to bring me back to life with the help of Naruto at the cost of her own life."
Onchou's eyes misted with tears as she turned her gaze to the stone. "What an amazing woman." She murmured.
The Kazakage nodded. "She was. I feel that it might have been her way of making amends for the unforgivable thing she did to me. I'll never know for certain, however I am thankful to her for giving me the opportunity to live again. Without her sacrifice I never would have met you." He said looking at the violet haired girl. "As much as I admire her, I don't want you to be like her." He said looking into her amethyst eyes. "I don't want you to sacrifice your live to save mine, because you're existence is important to me and this world."
She blinked in surprise and then smiled. "Thank you." She said simply. Her eyes turned to the stone and she knelt before it and pressed her palms together in a motion of prayer her eyes closing. After a few moments she opened them again and trailed her fingers over the stone. "Lady Chiyo. Thank you for saving Gaara. This world would be a much more dangerous place without his strength, wisdom, and courage to protect it." She said softly. With a little difficulty she rose to her feet just as the sun dipped below the horizon. She stumbled tipping forward and Gaara reached out to steady her.
"Come. I promised Ryuu you'd be back in time to sing him a lullaby." He said sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her away from the burial ground.
An old man stepped out from where he had concealed himself near the stone monument smiling as he watched the Kazekage carry the violet haired girl away from his sister's head stone. He shuffled towards the stone and touched the fresh white rose that had been left there.
"Did you see that sis?" Ebizo said to the stone. "Lord Gaara has turned into a fine young man and that young lady with him. She's a precious one. Watch over them both though I know it's silly of me to ask because you were going to do that anyway."
Days later, Team Seven along with Onchou and Ryuu met in the large hall of elders within Suna. A monitor was set up in the middle of the room and after a few moments of adjusting, the face of The Hokage, Kakashi appeared on screen.
"Hello Lord Garra. Thank you for suggesting this method of communication. It's much easier than letters." He silver haired shinobi said.
"Time is not on our side." Gaara replied. "I figured this method would be best."
Kakashi nodded. "You're absolutely right." He agreed. "Hello there Team Seven." He said glancing at the other ninja on screen. "I trust that you've been behaving yourselves?"
Sakura chuckled even as Naruto sulked. "That hurts Kakashi Sensei." He whined. "We're not a bunch of kids anymore."
"I know that. You make even bigger messes now." He replied.
Sai and Sakura chuckled as Sasuke and Naruto frowned. "Let's get down the business." Gaara said. "Did you read the reports I sent you?"
Kakashi nodded. "I did. I'm very surprised that this Takuma person wasn't on our radar either. All of the events that were said to have happened in The Land of Fire have been confirmed though. Everything had been written off as a natural disaster, a random attack by a group of bandits, or just a one-time tragedy. We never even considered the possibility they might be linked to any organization."
Onchou nodded. "He was very good at covering his tracks." She commented. "His policy is to leave no trace behind and eliminate all possible witnesses."
"Is this the girl mentioned in your letters?" the silver haired shinobi asked.
Gaara nodded. "Yes she is. This is Onchou and this is Ryuu." He said introducing the two.
"It's nice to meet you. Well, sort of meet you anyway." The Hokage said smiling behind his mask at them. "Thanks for cooperating with everything."
Onchou nodded and Ryuu jerked his head once before moving closer to the violet haired girl. It was clear that he was a little uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"So as we were saying. Even the destruction of The Land of Pearls was orchestrated and carried out by his organization?" he asked. Gaara nodded even as Onchou tensed her fingers digging into the arm rests of her chair. "As I recall, a team from the leaf was dispatched to help investigate that one. Ah yes, team Kurani."
"Where is The Land of Pearls?" Naruto asked.
"It's an island nation similar in size to The Land of Waves located just off the coast of The Land of Wind." Kakashi replied.
"Wait! Hinata went on that mission didn't she?" he asked. "I remember her talking about it. She said the devastation was incredible. They weren't able to find a single survivor."
Kakashi nodded. "Indeed. The death toll was never confirmed because of just how mangled most of the bodies were." He replied.
"How could he do such a thing?" Sakura murmured. "To destroy the bodies until a death toll couldn't be taken. That screams evil."
"Six thousand four hundred and seventy nine." Onchou said softly.
"What?" Sasuke asked glancing over at the girl who was trembling in her chair.
"The death toll was exactly six thousand four hundred and seventy nine!" She exclaimed before rising from her chair and sprinting for the door.
"Onchou! Wait!" Ryuu exclaimed running after her.
"What's wrong with her?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know but we should wrap this up quickly before this turns into something troublesome." Sasuke replied.
Kakashi nodded. "Right. Based on the information we've received I agree that it's out best interests to team up for this. I'm sending eight of my best ninja to assist you. Finding and taking down Takuma and his organization is top priority. The scars of the Fourth Great Ninja War and the incident involving the moon a year ago are still fresh. A new threat to our hard earned peace needs to be extinguished immediately."
"Thank you for your assistance." Gaara said bowing to the Hokage.
"Thank you for your vigilance." Kakashi replied. "Feel free to contact me any time."
The monitor shut off and team seven accompanied by Gaara tracked down Ryuu who was standing in the middle of the street with a frown on his face.
"Ryuu!" Naruto called out. "Where did Onchou go?" he asked.
"I don't know. I lost sight of her." The ruby eyed child replied.
"What's wrong with her?" Sakura asked.
Ryuu shook his head. "I'm not sure. She gets like this every time The Land of Pearls is mentioned."
Sai nodded and turned to Sasuke. "Can you find her?"
He nodded and activated his eye power searching for her chakra signature. After a few moments he spoke. "She's outside the village and moving fast."
"Where in the heck is she going?" Naruto exclaimed.
"I don't know but it's not good for her to be by herself right now." Sakura said.
"Let's go." Gaara said pulling Ryuu onto his back.
They quickly sprinted across the rooftops, down the stone corridor, and across the desert. After a few moments, the Uchiha spotted her on the horizon. "I can see her." He said. "She's not moving anymore she's just standing there."
"Let's hurry up and figure out what's going on." Naruto said sprinting faster across the sand.
As they were about to come within speaking distance to her she turned towards them tears running down her face before she turned to run again.
"Oh no you don't!" Naruto exclaimed leaping the distance and tackling the violet haired girl to the ground. "What are you running from!?" he demanded as he pinned her arms down and straddled her waist. "We're your friends!" he declared glaring down at her.
"Let me go!" she yelled. "I don't deserve to be friends with any of you!"
"That's our choice to make, not yours." Sakura replied.
"You're a good person." Sai added. "We all like you."
"They just want to help Onchou." Ryuu said sliding from Gaara's back.
"You're a bunch of idiots." She replied. "Letting a monster like me into you midst."
"What are you going on about?" Sasuke demanded.
"It was me!" she screamed. "I'm the one that killed all those people in The Land of Pearls!"
Naruto's grip on her slackened as his eyes widened in shock and she managed to slip away and stand wrapping her arms around herself. "It was all me." She whimpered. "I can still hear their screams in my head."
"How is that even possible?" Sakura replied. "I read the reports. The Land of Pearls was destroyed in a single night. That's impossible for one person to do. They ruled it as a natural disaster right?"
Onchou snorted. "Yeah, just like the tailed beasts appearing and attacking ninja villages were natural disasters. Nothing is impossible when you've got the right monster at your disposal."
"Onchou, we know that you didn't do those things because you wanted to. You were forced to." Naruto said softly. "We still love you. Come back to the village with us."
She nodded and shuffled forward her eyes briefly meeting the Kazekage's before she looked away as she remembered what had happened four years go.
"Two sixty nine, we're going out." Takuma said from the doorway of her bedroom where she was tending to Ryuu who was babbling happily at the makeshift rattle she'd made from an old pair of metal spoons she'd slipped rocks in between and melted together using her fire chakra.
"Where are we going?" Onchou asked as she stood up brushing the dirt from her black and red dress.
"We're going to a pretty place." He said. "It's called The Land of Pearls."
"Will we be gone long?" she asked.
"A little more than a week." He said settling a bundle of clothes on her bed before picking up the toddler.
"Will Ryuu be ok for that long by himself?" she asked.
He nodded. "He'll just be put in the incubator. He won't even notice you're gone."
"Oh ok." She said frowning. She hated it when Takuma put Ryuu inside that awful glass tube but the last time she'd said something, he'd hit her and told her that adults knew best so she hadn't said anything about it since.
"Bring the clothes I put on your bed with you and change into your red long sleeved dress. Put on your cloak. I'll be back to get you in ten minutes." He said his blue eyes stern.
"Yes Lord Takuma." She said softly.
He closed the door behind him and she quickly changed out of the tattered dress she wore inside to the nicer rarely worn red dress she wore outside. Her travel bag that was always packed by Takuma was sitting just inside her closet and she pulled out the leather shoulder bag and slipped the new clothes inside. She didn't bother looking at them, she didn't really care what she wore. She wrapped white bandages around her thigh and ready for the weapons pouch Takuma would give her as soon as they left the hideout. He didn't trust her to have them inside though she'd already surrendered herself to the fact that she'd only be able to escape him when she was old enough to take Ryuu with her. She released her hair from its high pony tail and slipped the elastic onto her wrist.
"Are you ready to go two sixty nine?" Takuma asked appearing in her door way as she slipped the cloak around her shoulders.
"Yes Lord Takuma." She replied softly.
"Excellent." He replied. "Come with me." He said motioning for her to follow him.
She followed him down the hall way away from the laboratory and towards the part of the hideout where the general experiment subjects were held. The prisoners watched her as she passed and she kept her eyes trained on the ground as she trembled. Their soul songs had become more alarming. Before their songs had been filled with hatred, jealousy, and even pity. Lately however, some of the songs were changing, becoming tinged desire to touch and possess her. The only explanation she could find for their recent changes were the changes she was starting to notice in her own body. She'd always been a tall, lanky child but lately she'd noticed her waist nipping in and her chest beginning to swell. Research had helped her realize that she was in the beginning stages of puberty and it was frightening that some of the men in the hideout had noticed already. She knew none of them would dare touch her for fear of Takuma's wrath but their songs were still proclaiming their intentions loud and clear.
They finally reached the door of the hideout and Takuma paused. "Do you remember our story for when we're out here?" he asked.
She nodded. "I am your daughter." She replied.
"Good girl." He said handing a weapon's pouch to her. She secured it to her leg and he pushed the door open. A smile crossed her lips as the sun kissed her face and she breathed in fresh air for the first time in months.
"Come, we have a long journey ahead." He said urging her forward.
Four days later, they arrived at the island nation of The Land of Pearls.
"It's beautiful." She said softly as she walked next to Takuma down the bright cheery streets of the village.
He nodded. "It is." He agreed. "It's a small but wealthy nation with its main export being the pearls of its namesake. I have a meeting with the leader of this nation. You will wear the new clothes then." He said as they neared a large mansion on a hill.
"Yes Lord Takuma." She said.
The clothes were in a style that she didn't wear often. It consisted of a black and gold Chinese style dress and black shorts. She knelt beside Takuma as he talked with a man she didn't recognize but didn't like. His song was greedy and slimy and his eyes often went to her. After the meeting ended Takuma instructed her to stay with the man while he left to retrieve something from the room they'd rented.
"I don't want to." She protested. "His song scares me."
"Stay here." Takuma replied sharply his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "If something happens, use this." He said giving her a syringe filled with what looked like black water.
"Yes Lord Takuma." She replied softly.
As soon as the door was slid shut, her skin began to crawl as a song unlike any other she'd heard flowed past her ears. It was slimy, possessive, and made her stomach drop.
"Takuma never told me what your name was." The large man said moving closer to her. "Won't you tell me?" he asked reaching out to trail his fingers up her arm.
"Lord Takuma doesn't use my name." she replied moving out of his reach. "My grandmother called me Onchou."
"Onchou." He repeated. "I really like you Onchou." He said moving closer and grabbing her hair in his hands. He lifted it to his face and breathed in deeply. "You're so very pretty." He sighed.
"Thank you." She said. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch me though."
"I can't help but touch you. You're so beautiful. Let me show you how beautiful you are." He said reaching for her. She moved but wasn't fast enough as he wrapped his pudgy arms around her waist and pulled her back against him running his slimy tongue along her neck as his hand ripped the top from her body.
"Stop!" she screamed trying to get out of his grip. "Let go of me!"
His hand moved across her newly exposed skin as his teeth and lips latched onto her neck. "I won't stop." He replied. "I'll never stop."
His words sent a wave of fear straight into her heart turning it to ice. He wasn't lying and she knew he was going to awful things to her, things that some of the men in the lab wanted to. Takuma wasn't here to protect her so she'd have to protect herself. She suddenly remembered the syringe he'd given her and pulled it from her weapons pouch. She quickly uncapped it and plunged it into her leg and the black water entered her body. A gasp escaped her lips as something pulsed within her and she went limp in his arms.
"So you're finally giving in?" he murmured laying her on the floor. "That's a good girl." He said as he stood up and began to remove is kimono.
Instinct took over as something dark pulsed within her veins. She reached into the core of her being and grasped at the white hot electricity there pulling it to the surface of her being and focusing it into her hand. This man was not going to have his way with her. She'd already lost nearly everything, there was no way she was going to lose this part of her as well.
The man smiled and licked his lips oblivious to the power surging in her hand and lowered himself towards her crushing her with his weight. His mouth descended towards hers and she gritted her teeth. Just a few more inches and she'd be able to do what she needed to. Then when his lips were just a breath away from hers she struck, her hand shooting forward charged with electricity and plunged through the man's chest tearing through his heart and coming out the other side. He gasped his eyes wide as he looked down at her.
"This part of me will not be taken by the likes of you." She said before throwing him off of her with a blast of wind chakra. She staggered to her feet blood dripping from her arm and smeared across her bare torso. Feeling self-conscious and reeling from the shock, she took her kunai and sliced a sleeve of his kimono off using the fabric to cover herself as best she could.
"Lord Sugo!" a voice called out. She turned and watched a group of men pour into the room staring at their fallen king. "He's dead!" their gaze turned to her. "You killed him."
"I told him to stop." She said her voice shaking slightly. "He didn't stop, what was I supposed to do?"
"He is the ruler of our country. He does what he pleases." The soldier replied.
Something within in her snapped and rage began to boil in her veins. Chakra hot and angry began to swirl around her. "I hate people like you." She snarled. "A bunch of loyal dogs who would offer up their own children to this monster if he asked." Her eyes flashed dangerously and her hair began to whip as the wind swirled around her. "The world doesn't need mindless vermin like you!" she yelled. She unleased her focused chakra and lighting burst from her in an amount she'd never before commanded. The men screamed as they and the house around them vanished in a flash of light.
Onchou stood breathing heavily her hands clenching and unclenching in the middle of the crater her power had created. A group of people began to gather.
"That girl! She destroyed Lord Sugo's manor!" a man exclaimed.
"She killed Lord Sugo!" another replied. "She's a monster!"
Her blood boiled in her veins. These people were the same. She'd killed him because he'd tried to rape her and here they were calling her the monster? It was unacceptable, unforgivable. She'd only been trying to protect herself. She turned to face them her anger boiling and chakra flaring noting the fearful and angry looks the gathering crowd was giving her. Their songs were an angry buzz in her ears and only fueled the hatred inside of her. Who were they to judge her? Her home had been destroyed, her village annihilated. Her family had been ripped from her hands and she'd been forced to live with a sick twisted man who had not only murdered her family, but who performed awful experiments on her. How dare they look at her with those eyes?! Something deep inside of her snapped and she felt a flood of darkness seeping into her being. She formed hand signs, bit her thumb and slammed it to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" she exclaimed.
The crowd screamed in horror as a massive black dragon appeared with her atop his head.
"Lady Onchou. I never imagined the day would come that you would summon me." The creature rumbled.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I haven't had a need for your power until now." She replied. "It seems that for once we desire to sing the same tune."
He chuckled in response. "The song of death and destruction is a tune you've been unwilling to sing in the past. What happened?"
"The ruler of this place tried to rape me so I killed him. Now his people want to kill me." She replied.
"Foolish humans." The dragon responded. "Always following strongest dog no matter how monstrous it might be."
"What is that!?" one of the villagers demanded.
"I am Shadow, the Black Dragon of Destruction." The beast replied.
"A monster!" a man exclaimed. "That child is a monster bringing this creature here! Quick! We must request assistance from The Land of Wind!"
A flurry of arrows came flying at the girl and were reduced to ash by Shadow's crimson flames.
"Lady Onchou. Your orders." Shadow asked.
"Kill them." She replied darkly. "Kill them all. Since they're so distraught over the loss of their precious leader we'll alleviate their suffering by sending them to Hell to join him."
The dragon rumbled in response. "With pleasure my lady."
They swept across the island nation destroying every man woman and child in their path. Power darker and more potent than she'd ever felt before pulsed through her as she used her water chakra to overturn the boats trying to leave the island and then created massive whirlpools along the shore drowning all who tried to escape listening until the only songs left were her own and Shadow's. The massive beast landed on the beach that was stained red with the blood of those who had tried to escape into the ocean. He lowered his head and she stepped down unto the sand and bowed to him.
"You should probably leave." She said as she noted the first light of early morning beginning to spread across the sky. "It would be troublesome if you were spotted."
"I see that you're still wise beyond your years." The dragon replied. "Call upon me whenever you have need of me. I'll gladly destroy for you Lady Onchou. I owe you that much for saving me years ago."
She nodded and with a pop he was gone. She turned back towards the island and her eyes widened as she took in the devastation. In the dark the destruction hadn't been easy to see and she'd acted purely on the dark instinct to destroy all those who dared mock her suffering by giving their compassion to the monster that had tried to take away something nearly as precious as her life. She felt the water touch her feet as the tide rose and something brushed against it. Instinctively she looked down and saw herself looking at the body of a boy no more than three years old with silver hair his eyes closed, clearly dead. Her body began to shake as she remembered the toddler back at the hideout waiting for her. How could she ever look at him or hold him again after doing this to someone who looked so much like him? She fell to her knees as the reality of what she'd done crashed over her.
"No… this isn't what I wanted." She whimpered clutching her head as the memories of their screams entered her mind. "This isn't what I wanted!" she screamed a burst of chakra flying from her and flattening what was left of the area around her.
She heard another song nearby and nearly fell over as Takuma appeared beside her.
"What an impressive display." He murmured glancing over the island. "I wasn't expecting you to do this much damage. The Black Water was just the push you needed."
Her eyes widened. "What?" she whimpered.
"I knew you were powerful but you surpassed my expectations." He grinned. "What an excellent weapon you are."
His words cut her to the bone. He'd planned it, all of it. This was one of his sick experiments and she'd performed better than he expected. It was all too much for her and she fell forward onto the beach her body spent and her heart broken. The blonde haired man scooped her up into his arms and carried her down the beach as she began to give herself over to the darkness. "I'll be unstoppable with you at my command my Princess of Death."
Onchou stopped her hands trembling as her memory concluded. "I can't stay with you." She murmured. "Not after everything I've done."
"You're starting so sound like a stupid Uchiha." Sasuke said stopping and glaring at her. "Don't you remember how our obsession with the past nearly destroyed the future? Get over it already."
"If Takuma catches me, it's all over. Ryuu and I have to leave." She protested. "He's close, I can feel it. I can hear his song." She shuddered and fisted her hands in her hair. "His dark, twisted song."
"Hey." Naruto said coming up to her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "You can't keep running."
"What am I supposed to do then? I can't defeat him on my own." She replied.
"Let us help you." Naruto said gently. "We're your friends, we'll protect you just like you've protected Ryuu all this time."
"Yeah. There's no way we'll let that Takuma creep have you." Sakura agreed.
Gaara stepped forward and waited until her eyes met his. "Onchou, we will never let you fall into Takuma's hands again. We'll destroy him once and for all and free you from his hold."
"Why?" she whimpered. "Why would you do that for me?"
"Because you're important Onchou." Ryuu said wrapping his arms around her.
"Exactly." Sai replied.
She shook her head as tears streamed down her face. "You really are a bunch of idiots." She muttered before she lifted her face and smiled. "Thank you, my friends."
Naruto smiled and then turned to look at his comrades. "Alright everyone! Get in here! Group hug time!" he said wrapping his arms around her and Ryuu.
"I don't do group hugs." Sasuke replied.
"I don't do hugs at all." Gaara agreed.
"Common you two!" Sakura demanded grabbing them both by the arms and dragging them over the huddle that Sai had already joined. They grudgingly followed and joined the mass of arms and bodies as they formed a circle around the violet haired girl and silver haired boy.
"You're not alone anymore." Naruto said with a smile. "Now let's go and track this Takuma guy down. I have a couple of things I want to say to him. Using my fists of course."
"Ok, but can the hug be over now?" Ryuu asked. "I'm being crushed."
The shinobi laughed and moved away and together they returned to the village hidden in the sand to get ready to hunt Takuma down.
"We've spotted the leaf ninja. They're nearly here." Temari said as she entered the Hokage's office.
"Excellent. Send them in as soon as they arrive. Let team seven from the leaf know as well. They're probably anxious to see their comrades." Gaara said before turning his attention back to the map in front of him. The blonde woman nodded and then left the room. The red haired ninja looked at the violet haired girl next to him. "Are you nervous?" he asked as she opened her eyes her ears losing their gold color and returning to their normal pointed state with black tattoos.
"A little. I haven't spent very much time around new people until recently. It's a little daunting." She admitted as she made a mark with a pencil on the map of the land of wind. "Do you want me to conduct a more detailed search?" she asked as she connected the dots on the map. "I've narrowed it down to some place within this fifty mile circle."
"You can tighten it even further than this?" Kankuro asked studying the area. "I mean we can obviously exclude the ocean right?"
She nodded. "I can but it'll use up a lot more chakra. I do think you're right though. Even with a powerful earth and water style user with him, I don't think he could conjure up an entire island that could sustain his forces." She touched her chin. "If I had to guess, I'd say that he's probably in a place that already has some sort of foundation. Perhaps an abandoned village or ancient ruins." She said looking over the map. Her eyes widened as she recognized the name of one of the spots on the map. "No way." She murmured. "That's…." she started to sway on her feet and the world began to spin.
"Onchou! Are you alright?" Gaara exclaimed reaching out to catch her as she began to collapse tripping over his desk in the process.
"Hey! Everyone's here!" Naruto exclaimed barging into the room his arm wrapped around the waist of a pretty girl with long blue hair and light lavender colored eyes. Both of their eyes widened as they took in the sight in front of them.
"Are we interrupting something?" The Uzamaki asked blushing slightly.
"This is ridiculous." Kankuro replied hanging his head slightly with his hand partially covering is face.
Temari walked in behind the couple and snickered with Shikimaru at her side. "I totally approve little brother but you have to take the time and place into consideration."
Gaara couldn't speak at the moment too shocked at the predicament he found himself in. He was on the ground hovering over Onchou with one forearm braced on the floor with his other hand cradling her head the part of her he'd been trying to prevent from hitting the hard floor. He'd accomplished his goal but now their eyes were both wide locked on one another, nose to nose unable to move their cheeks blazing. Just one slight motion by either of them and their lips would touch just like before. That thought had his muscles paralyzed unable to move away as he stared into her enchanting amethyst eyes.
"What's going on? Did something happen to Onchou? I told her not to push it!" Sakura demanded walking in with Sasuke. Her eyes widened at the sight and then her gaze met Temari's and they dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Oh man if Ryuu was here…"
"What about me?" the ruby eyed boy asked pushing inside. His eyes widened at the sight and an ominous aura filled the room. His silver hair whipped upward and his ruby eyes flashed as water whips appeared twitching like the tentacles of an octopus around him.
"Oh crap!" Naruto muttered.
"RACOON EYES! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY ONCHOU!?" He roared in a voice that seemed too loud and too dark to come from his slight body.
The sound of his voice finally reached the couple and they scrambled away from one another.
"Ryuu! It's not what it looks like!" Onchou exclaimed as the Kazekage jumped to his feet and helped her up. "I was falling and when he tried to catch me he tripped and fell too."
"Like I believe that!" he growled as water whip slashed forward.
"Ryuu!" Naruto exclaimed jumping on the kid. "Calm down!" he was quickly thrown off by another water whip.
"Shikimaru." Temari said with a long suffering sigh. "That kid can't kill Gaara but he can make a big mess. Would you mind?"
The dark eyed shinobi clad in black with an army green jacket sighed and lifted his hands. "Yeah. I'm on it." He said forming hand signs. "What a drag. Shadow Paralysis Jutsu!" he exclaimed freezing the child in place.
Ryuu glared at the man and then sighed his water falling to the floor before he turned his murderous gaze on the Kazekage who was still trying to regain his composure. "I'll get you for this!" he promised.
"I am so sorry!" Onchou muttered covering her face. "This is all my fault."
"It's not your fault." Kankuro argued. "Accidents happen. This one just happened to be a super awkward."
"Moving on." Gaara said brushing off his clothes and quickly working to get his heartrate under control. "Let the rest of the Leaf ninja inside so we can get introductions out of the way and so we can get to discussing strategy."
In a matter of moments, there were twelve leaf ninja inside the room along with Temari, Kankuro, Onchou, Ryuu and Gaara.
"I guess we'll go first since there's less of us." Onchou said smiling nervously. "My name is Onchou and this is Ryuu." She said laying her hand on the ruby eyed child who was still glaring daggers at the Kazekage. "Ryuu, please pay attention to the Leaf Ninja." She said softly. "They're good friends of Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Sasuke."
The child sighed. "Fine." He muttered turning to focus on the ninja assembled in front of them.
A man with black hair and thick eyebrows wearing a green jumpsuit, orange legwarmers and an army green jacket bowed respectfully being the first in line. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rock Lee."
Onchou nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you."
The girl standing next to him with her brown hair pulled up into buns on their side of her head spoke next. "My name is TenTen." She said with an easy smile. "You can call this guy Lee if you want." She said pointing with her thumb to the man with orange leg warmers.
"Thanks for the clarification." Onchou said with a smile. She could tell from their soul songs that they were each recovering from a significant loss but that they were dependable and courageous people.
Next to TenTen was a boy with a mess of brown spikes and red marks on both of his cheeks. "My name is Kiba and this is Akamaru." He said motioning to the large white dog at his side.
"Onchou! That dog is huge!" Ryuu exclaimed excitedly.
Happy to see he was acting his age again Onchou smiled. "Yes he is." She heard loyalty and strong instincts coming from the man and a large, genuine heart. "Maybe if you ask, he'll let you touch him, but not right now ok?" The ruby eyed child nodded excitedly.
The next one to speak was a young man wearing goggles with a high necked jacket under a hooded coat in spite of the desert heat. "I am Shino." He said simply. His song was a little harder to understand being a little more complicated than most. She could tell however that he was very versatile both in mind and with his ninjutsu.
"Nice to meet you Shino." She replied with an easy smile.
Next to the goggle wearing man was a woman with light blonde hair and clear blue eyes. "I'm Ino." She said with a smile. "Sai's girlfriend."
Onchou smiled and bit back a chuckle. This girl's song was loud, bossy, and very self-centered. There was some sweetness to it as well as fierce loyalty. The violet haired girl had a feeling that they would probably never understand each other. She just didn't have that kind of confidence but they would be able to work together.
"He's a perfect gentleman. You're a lucky girl." She replied with a smile.
Next to her was a large man with long brown hair and red swirls on his face. "I'm Chouji." He said with a wide smile. "Nice to meet you." Onchou instantly smiled back. His song was light, happy, and bright. It instantly made her feel at ease.
"I'm very pleased to meet you." She replied.
Next came the man standing next to Temari. He was tall with dark hair pulled into a high pony tail and pierced ears. "I'm Shikimaru." He said. "Nice to meet you Onchou."
"I'm pleased to meet you. I've heard about you from the others." She replied. His song was laid back and slow yet it wasn't simple at all indicating that he was highly intelligent. Now that they were together, she could hear how it wanted to harmonize with Temari's song and smirked. The tension wasn't as high as it had been between Sasuke and Sakura but it was defiantly there.
The blue haired girl at Naruto's side was last to speak. "My name is Hinata. Thank you for looking after Naruto. I hope he wasn't any trouble." She said softly.
Onchou smiled at the girl. From her song it was clear the girl's heart was the size of a mountain and made of pure gold. Sweet as a rose and just as beautiful. "I've heard a lot about you." She replied. "I'm glad to meet you. I'm pretty sure I caused more trouble than Naruto."
The young woman smiled and blushed as she looked up at her blonde boyfriend making the amethyst eyed girl beam. Their harmony was beautiful and clear with a rare bond that linked them soul to soul. It made her happy to see how happy they were.
"Now that that's out of the way," Kankuro said. "Let's discuss what we have so far." He said motioning for them to gather around the map splayed out on the desk. "Using Onchou's unique abilities we've been able to narrow down Takuma's position to someplace within this circle." He said pointing to the map. "We've also been able to exclude the ocean due to the fact that there are no islands in those waters and making would be more trouble than it's worth."
"I'm pretty sure I know where he is." Onchou said.
"Where?" Gaara asked.
She pointed to a spot on the map. "Here." The group shifted to get a better view of the spot.
"Heiwa." Naruto said aloud. "Wait a second isn't that…"
Onchou nodded. "That's right. It's the village where I grew up." She replied softly.
"What makes you so sure that he's there?" Shikimaru asked.
"It has all of the basic things he needs like established roadways, water ways, and buildings. Even if most of it was destroyed, the foundation would still be there. There's also a large series of underground passage ways which would be perfect for him to hide his forces and conceal his movements. In addition, the village itself has very intricate and has powerful protections in place. Once inside it would be almost impossible for someone to disturb him without being detected." She said gritting her teeth.
Gaara nodded. "I see. It's worth looking in to."
"I don't know. If he's really after world domination, wouldn't it make sense for him to be further inland?" Kiba asked.
The violet haired teen shook her head. "I don't think so. For some reason, he's been obsessed with me and my powers going to the extent that he killed my family and kidnapped me. It was clear he knew about my clan which means he'd know the village we came from by default." She took a deep breath. "If he knew that much, there's a chance he might even know about 'that' as well."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
The amethyst eyed girl sighed and leaned forward bracing her hands on the desk. "My village was one of the first ones established in The Land of Wind." She replied. "When The Village Hidden in the Sand was created, Heiwa was one of the first villages added to its list of places to protect. There's a reason for that." She took a deep breath. "Beneath the village is something called The Guardian's Stone."
"The Guardian's Stone. What is that?" Kiba asked.
"A legendary stone that contains an unimaginable amount of chakra." Gaara replied. "It's said that there is only one person on the earth at a time that is able to access and wield that power. That person is known as The Guardian and when using the power of the stone is supposed to be able to have God like powers."
The room quieted as his words sank in. After a few moments Naruto spoke. "Well that sounds dangerous. We can't let Takuma get his hands on that kind of power." He turned to Onchou. "Who is this Guardian person?"
"The Guardian is whomever the previous Guardian chooses to give their power to. I don't know who that is." She replied.
"So if Takuma gets his hands on The Guardian, and makes them give him his power, he'll have access to it?" Shikimaru clarified.
She nodded. "It's no quite that simple, but basically yes but I don't think he'd do that."
"Why not?" Gaara asked.
Her brow furrowed slightly. "From what my grandmother told me, there's a price that has to be paid in exchange for access to that power. Takuma isn't the type to make sacrifices of any kind to get what he wants. My guess is that he'll find The Guardian and either use them directly or force them to give their power to one of his underlings and use them instead."
"How did your grandmother know about a price having to be paid?" Sai asked.
Onchou shrugged. "I'm guessing it was because my grandfather was the village headman and as his wife she was privy to that sort of thing. It wasn't something we talked about. She always got really defensive when I asked." She replied.
"Well, it's a place to start at least." Shikimaru agreed. "How do you want to do his?"
Temari touched her chin. "Onchou, that team that attacked Suna, how strong were they compared to the rest of Takuma's forces?" she asked.
The amethyst eyed girl tilted her head a little and then glanced down at Ryuu. "They were one of his best teams for sure. However in terms of power and ability they were at the bottom as far as the top agents go." She said. "Do you agree?" she asked the silver haired child.
He nodded. "Yeah. They were strong alright but they're not even close to the same level that Wraith, Blood Rain, Soul Stealer, Heart Taker, and Nightmare are working at."
"Those five are known as The Fatal Five." Onchou said. "They make what those three did seem like child's play. They're Takuma's personal guard dogs." She crossed her arms over her chest as her brow furrowed.
"That's not good." Sakura muttered. "Those three were a handful for us."
"Yeah." Onchou murmured. "Not even taking into account all of the Dolls he'll have at his disposal, we'll have one tough battle on our hands."
Gaara took a deep breath. "In that case, I suggest that everyone here except Ryuu will stay here while the rest of us go investigate Heiwa. We'll have a second group made up of sand shinobi on standby ready to send in more teams from the sand village just in case something goes wrong."
"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Temari asked. "Is it really necessary to send that many?"
Sasuke nodded. "I think so. If that really is where their main forces are located then it'll be best to take them out right away. This group is more than capable of putting a large dent in their numbers. The Dolls are troublesome but can't use chakra so the backup forces should have no trouble taking them down. We'll need everyone here to take down Takuma's more elite forces."
"What about Onchou?" Shikimaru asked. "Is she coming as well?"
Gaara nodded. "She'll make up the fourth member of my team."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" the shadow wielder asked. "If Takuma is after her, wouldn't it make more sense to leave her here where it's safe with Ryuu?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No. Onchou has unique abilities that allow her to track Takuma's location from a distance. She's also been a part of his organization and knows our enemy better than anyone."
Sakura nodded. "She's a skilled medical ninja. The more we have with us the better especially with how strong the last ones we fought were."
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, and she's a pretty good fighter too."
"We can't afford to leave her behind." Sai agreed.
Temari smirked and slung her arm around the shadow ninja. "She's a pretty kick ass woman like myself. She'll be just fine." She said winking at the violet haired girl who smiled and blushed.
"Alright. If you say so." Shikimaru agreed.
"Very well. We'll spend the rest of the day preparing and resting. We'll leave tomorrow at first light." Gaara instructed. "Onchou, Shikimaru, Temari, and Sasuke you stay with me to work out some strategy details. The rest of you are dismissed."
As the Leaf ninja began to filter out of the room Sasuke couldn't help but notice how Kiba and Lee both shifted towards Sakura quickly starting up a conversation about what had happened in the village during her absence. Irritation flowed through him as he watched Kiba lightly touch her on the arm grinning broadly while Lee told her how beautiful she'd become during her time away.
The medical ninja smiled at the two and then glanced back at him her eyes filled with longing. Sasuke was a possessive man however he was not one to openly show affection in front of people unless it was to tease the pink haired medic. Though his impulsive side wanted to pull her to him and kiss her senseless in front of the two love sick boys, his more rational side reminded him that it wasn't the time or the place. Still he wanted to do something, anything to show them that she was no longer 'on the market' not that she ever had really. He reminded himself smugly, her heart had always belonged to him.
Their eyes met and he walked forward until he was right in front of her and tapped her in the middle of her forehead. "I'll see you as soon as I'm finished here." He said.
She nodded. "Alright. I'll be looking forward to it." She said giving him a look that made him want to throw her up against the wall and kiss her until she was moaning his name. The smirk she offered him was proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and he shook his head before she left with the rest of the leaf ninja.
Temari laughed. "And I thought the tension between you two was bad before." She chuckled. "It's even worse now. I bet you wanted the throw her up against the wall didn't you Uchiha?"
Shikimaru raised a brow and then snickered as he looked at the blonde and then at Sasuke. "Well it's about damn time." He muttered. "We were seriously considering locking you two in a room. Kakashi had everything planned out. It was called 'Operation, get rid of the annoying sexual tension'."
"Shut up." Sasuke snapped. "You and Temari are just as bad."
The two shinobi's eyes widened and then blushed. "That was not an image I needed in my head." Kankuro muttered.
"Shall we get this meeting underway so we can prepare ourselves for tomorrow as well?" Gaara said softly.
They nodded and bent over the maps as they worked out the best approach of the village, and team arrangements.
"So what's going on between you and Sasuke?" Ino demanded as the pair walked out of the Kazekage's building with the rest of the Leaf ninja.
Sakura blushed and pressed her fingers to her lips. "Shh! If Naruo hears you he'll make a scene." She muttered glancing around smiling before she cleared her throat and raised her voice slightly. "Hey guys, so I actually have a vaccine that I've been developing that I need to bring with us tomorrow so I'm going to head over and grab it."
"Sounds good." Naruto said with a smile. "Want to meet at that place Gaara took us to our first day here in about an hour? They should be done with that meeting of theirs by then."
"Yeah. Sounds great." She replied.
"Do you need an escort?" Lee asked. "I'd be happy to lend my assistance."
"No, that's alright. Ino is going with me." She replied.
TenTen immediately locked eyes with the blonde who nodded. "You know, I think I'll tag along." She said. "Do you want to come Hinata? The boys can run along and play somewhere else."
The bluenette immediately got the message and nodded. "I think I will. I'll see you later Naruto." She said with a smile.
He nodded and leaned down kissing her soundly making the shy girl blush.
"Common Naruto!" Kiba whined. "In public?!"
The Uzamaki simply grinned and pulled away and whispered in Hinata's ear making the girl blush even darker. "See you later." He assured here. "Have fun."
The four girls left the boys behind and as soon as they were out of earshot, Ino turned on Sakura again. "Spill it billboard brow!" She ordered. "What's going on between you and Sasuke?"
The pink haired medic sighed and blushed. "Well, we're together now." She replied.
"Yes!" TenTen exclaimed. "It's about time!"
"I'm so happy for you." Hinata said beaming. "I was worried for a little while. I mean you did so much for me and Naruto. I was afraid you wouldn't get your chance too. I'm so glad you're together at last!"
Ino chuckled. "Well I guess it's official. I lost. The one that nabbed Sasuke Uchiha's heart was you." She wrapped her arms around her friend and held her tight. "I'm so glad it was you even if I am jealous as hell."
"Why would you be jealous?" TenTen asked. "You have Sai right?"
The blonde shrugged and flipped her hair. "Well of course, but Sasuke was my first love. The fact that I never received an ounce of affection from him is a little dent in my self-esteem." She replied.
TenTen rolled her eyes as they approached the hospital and went inside making their way down to the lab.
"How much do you want to bet that Temari and Shikimaru are totally going to hook up tonight?" Ino asked.
Sakura chuckled. "I'll bet my bottom dollar." She replied. "The other day we were talking about it and she seemed pretty determined about not waiting for him to get off his lazy ass and do something about it."
TenTen laughed. "Those two would make a seriously awesome kid together. Can you imagine someone with Shikimaru's brain and Temari's fangs? Talk about a force to be reckoned with."
Hinata and Sakura smiled and nodded. Ino however had her hand on her chin. "You know, I haven't seen Gaara much, but even so, he seems a lot different from the last time I met him. He almost seemed flustered when we walked in. What's up with that? He's always been so cool and collected. I kinda had a thing for him at one time." She murmured.
"Ino, is there a boy in the ninja world that you haven't had a thing for?" TenTen asked.
"Yes. Two actually. Shino and Rock Lee. No thank you." The blonde replied flipping her hair.
Sakura thought for a moment and then burst out laughing as she gathered up the three doses of her vaccine she'd created and put them in her medicine bag. "You didn't see what happened right before you came in." she laughed. "You saw Onchou right?"
"The girl with purple hair right?" TenTen clarified.
Sakura nodded. "Yeah. Well when I walked into the office ahead of you guys, she was lying flat on her back on the floor and guess who was on top of her? The Kazekage himself."
Ino's eyes widened. "No way!" Ino exclaimed. "Cool, collected, never looks twice at a girl Gaara!?"
Sakura nodded. "It was an accident, she was falling, he tried to catch her and ended up on top of her sort of thing but man you should've seen their faces." She laughed harder. "I swear that mark on his forehead nearly disappeared he was blushing so bad."
"Wait, are you saying that Gaara and this Onchou chick are an item?" the blonde asked.
"Not officially." Sakura replied. "But there's definitely chemistry between them. You saw it didn't you?" she asked.
Hinata nodded. "He kept looking at her during the meeting." She smiled. "Onchou is very beautiful isn't she?"
Sakura nodded. "She is, inside and out."
"I heard a little about her story during the meetings before we came here." TenTen said. "Her life sounds like it's been rough."
"Yes it has, but she's still moving forward like a champ." Sakura replied. "That's why this mission is so important. Takuma has been haunting her for most of her life. Once he's out of the way, she'll finally be free."
The girls nodded and walked back out of the laboratory making their way slowly towards he designated meeting place.
Ino sighed. "I feel like I haven't seen Sai in so long." She whined. "Does he have a thing for this Onchou chick?" she asked.
Sakura chuckled. "Of course not. They're just friends."
TenTen sighed. "Seriously girl. Not every girl wants your man."
Ino stuck her tongue out. "Hey! Do you have any idea how many girls came out of the woodwork after the war?!" she demanded. "Besides, he's so handsome, what girl wouldn't want him?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "So do you want Onchou to like him or something?"
The girl blushed. "That's not it! I'm just saying…"
The pink haired medic shook her head. "Well, he was her personal body guard for quite a few days while we were here. She was working on a top secret report so it was just the two of them locked in a little room in the library for hours on end."
"Seriously!?" Ino asked her face paling. "You don't think something happened do you?" she muttered.
Sakura glanced at TenTen and the pair of them started laughing. "You're way too easy to tease." The pink haired medic said between giggles. "But seriously, Sai only has eyes for you. You know that better than anyone right?"
TenTen sighed "Man, tonight is going to suck for me." She whined lacing her fingers together and putting them behind her head.
"Why is that?" Hinata asked as they wove their way through the streets of Suna.
"Because I'm going to end up stuck with Lee, Chouji, Kiba, and Shino while the rest of you have fun with your boys." She replied.
Sakura and Hinata blushed while Ino smirked. "Are you implying it's going to be a scorcher in Suna tonight?" The blonde asked with a wink.
"Yup." TenTen replied.
"Are you lonely TenTen?" Hinata asked. "I'm sure we could find someone suitable for you."
The brown haired girl shook her head. "No. I'm not interested in that kind of stuff." She said. Her eyes focusing on a sunflower in the window of one of Suna's only flower stands. Moisture shimmered in her brown eyes as she turned away trembling a little. "Not anymore."
"TenTen." Sakura murmured her own eyes misting with tears. She knew, she was one of the few that knew the feelings her friend held for her fallen teammate. TenTen had come to her days after his funeral on the verge of a mental breakdown begging for her help. She confessed that not only was she in love with Neji but that he had reciprocated her feelings they had been dating in secret for nearly a year up until his death. Even now, she didn't even know if Hinata knew about their relationship and wasn't about to say anything either.
Ino sighed and tapped her foot. "Their selection is awful compared to ours." She muttered oblivious to the exchange or trying to alleviate the tension the emerald eyed girl wasn't sure which as she looked at the flowers herself.
"It is a desert." Hinata said softly. "I image that cultivating flowers would be rather difficult."
The blonde shrugged and then turned as her name was called.
"What's up Shikimaru?" she replied as he, Temari, Gaara, Kankuro, Sasuke, Onchou and Ryuu walked up to them.
"Just hoping to round up the rest of the crew." He replied. "Where did the boys run off to?"
"I don't know." She replied. "We're supposed to meet them in thirty minutes at a restaurant though."
"Sounds good to me. Let's head over." He said. Temari brushed her hand against his and he smirked in response. The fan user met Sakura's eyes and winked making the medic grin.
"A scorcher in Suna indeed." She muttered as they walked to the restaurant.
P.S. Holy smokes that took a lot longer than I thought it would. Sorry about that. I also apologize for the lack of romance in this chapter. This is mostly setting things up for the climax of the story so it was information packed. Sorry, again. Anyway, the next chapter should definitely satisfy your hunger for warm fuzzies, fluff and heat from multiple pairings so look forward to it! Like I said this week is insane for me so no promises on how long it'll take and such but I promise you it will be worth it! Thanks for reading!