Chapter FOURTEEN

Once Sakura's week of Training with Tsunade was over, Sasori led their team back to Suna.

Gaara had witnessed Sasori and Itachi sharing a few words before their departure, but he didn't say anything. It would be nice to have allies in Konoha, for what he planned...no needed to achieve.

He himself shared a few words with Narutp, who grinned and welcomed him to Konoha whenever. Kankuro and Temari stood slightly awkwardly to the side, but they had smiles on their faces.

Gaara glanced around, and after a few moments of focusing, noticed Sakura's chakra lingering on a rooftop a few feet away.

"Sakura?"

Said pinkette appeared in front of him, looking confused. "Yes, Gaara-sama?"

Gaara glanced down at his feet. Why was the ground so interesting? "Travel... with us." He murmured. "Travel with me."

Sakura looked confused as ever, but she nodded.

Neither noticed the knowing looks aimed at them by everyone present.

Gaara fretted-as much as Sabaku no Gaara could fret-over Sakura's injuries, which she kept insisting was fine. It probably was. Still, Gaara refused to raise their pace over a certain level, and though no one knew he wasn't exactly aware, he was being pretty obvious about it.

And his eyes.

They lingered on Sakura during the majority of their journey. Again, everyone knew that both of them weren't aware.

And so, when Gaara decided that they needed to take a rest twenty minutes from their last one, at a huge rock structure overlooking the setting sun, they decided to take the hint Gaara was unknowingly giving them, and found excuses to vanish for a while.

Which really went along the lines of:

"I think I dropped one of my mini fans somewhere. I think I'll go find it." Temari ran off back the way they came.

"I'm going to go find some...fire wood, yes. Fire wood." And Kankuro leaped away into the treeless desert.

"I shall go see if I can find any parts to use for my puppet." And Sasori was gone too.

Sakura lingered behind Gaara, keeping an respectful distance between them.

"You've changed." Gaara murmured. "I...don't know...I..."

Sakura didn't look up. "Sorry."

Gaara quickly glanced up."No!" Sakura jumped, surprised. Gaara inwardly flinched, not having meant for that to come out with such a harsh tone. "I mean...you...you can't apologize for feeling..."

"I'm sor-"

Gaara was in front of her in an instant, grabbed her wrist and cutting her off. "No." He whispered. "I...I should be the one apologizing..." He let go of Sakura's wrist. Why was he stuttering so much? "I..."

"You've changed as well, Gaara-sama."

Sakura blinked, and they met each other's gaze. Sakura looked surprised, like she hadn't realized that she had said the words out loud. "I'm sor-"

Gaara interrupted her. "I'll become better. I promise."

And Sakura just started at him like she didn't recognize the words coming form his mouth. She probably didn't having never received them.

"'I will work hard, because I want to become acknowledged by others'. That's what I thought when I look at Namikaze Naruto. Recognition and bonds...Up until now, I only knew hate and murderous intent. But I wonder, what is that recognition he longs for? Now I understand, even only a little. Pain, sadness…and joy. These feelings allow you to understand others."

"I want these feelings to help me understand you." He turned around and held out his hand, willing Sakura to take it.

After a second of hesitation, she did. Gaara held up their linked hand.

"This is where it all starts for me. Starting with this small bond. I too want to become someone who is needed, instead of a weapon that is feared. I promise, so stand by me, okay?"

And for speaking his heart, Gaara was rewarded with what he thought was the biggest smile he had ever seen on Sakura.

They arrived back at Suna later that night. The guards let them in and Gaara didn't' pause, taking the lead back to the Kazekage's compound. It was still theirs, regardless of the fact that Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, was already dead.

Temari offered to go buy them dinner. She shot Sasori a look, then dragged Kankuro along with her.

"Sakura, why don't you head up first?" Gaara asked, unknowingly doing Sasori a favor. He was unknowingly doing things often these days. Sakura nodded, and vanished upstairs, into Gaara's room.

Sasori noted that Gaara had something to say to him as well, but Gaara gestured for him to go first.

Sasori took the offer. "You've changed." He got straight to the point.

Gaara narrowed his eyes, but didn't release any Killing Intent, which he would have done had someone said something like that to him before the Chunin Exams.

"Sakura said the same thing to me."

Sasori raised and eyebrow. "Oh?"

Gaara nodded. "I don't plan to stop now."

Sasori didn't say anything, giving Gaara the chance to gather his thoughts and elaborate. He did, after a while.

"I'm going to change. For the better." He said, though it sounded much more deeper than that. "I promised."

Sasori smirked. So that was what it was about! He didn't press, though.

"For the better?"

Gaara nodded, and something glinted in his eyes. Something not bloody or psychopathic. Something much warmer, and blazing with feeling. Something that had grown, and will keep on growing.

"All these feelings Naruto taught me, I want to use them to understand those around me. I want to be able to use them so that I can turn this cursed power of mine into something which I can use to protect everyone important to me. I want to use them so that people will see me and recognize me and acknowledged me for not the monster within me, but who I am."

A look crossed over Gaara's face, and it reminded Sasori of a lovesick puppy who wasn't quite aware of his feelings yet. "I want to use them to protect my precious people."

Aaaaaand there we go. Sasori smiled.

Gaara, slightly unsure of the sudden smile on Sasori's face (Truth be told, he thought it looked very out of place. This was Sasori, so...yeah). Still, he smiled back, then turned his gaze serious. "And in order to do that, I need your help."

WOZ RUSHED WARNING.

Oooooooo. Loved Sasori there.

One, or maybe two more chapters left! :)/:(

(STILL LOOKING FOR THAT FANFIC)

Raven: When Darque sent me the first file, I nearly tossed my laptop out the window.

Darque:...

Raven: Right after 'Sasori noted that Gaara had something to say to him as well', there was this whole different part that what was written here. It was about how Gaara actually had a hidden crush on Sasori, and Gaara confessed them to Sasori and everything.

Darque: That is what Fanfiction is about! HIDDEN FANTASIES!

Raven: Your 'I LOVE SASORI AND GAARA!' thing isn't really 'hidden'.

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