Truth: She cared about him that deeply.

Kiyomi, Miyako, and Sayuri slept innocently in their beds, oblivious to the Sound-nin in the village, to Sasuke's defection, oblivious to anything except their dreams.

Sayuri twisted in her sheets, a frown on her face.

Kimimaro smiled slightly at her through the bars… He'd never smiled at her before.

She clenched her pillow tightly.

"What kind of flower is this?" he asked in awe.

"It's called a lily."

"It's beautiful…"

Her lips tilted up slightly.

He reached through the bars and stroked her hands. "How come they're cut so much?"

"My knife slips when I'm carving sometimes."

"Making the carvings… hurts you?"

"Sometimes."

"Then why make them if they hurt?"

"Well, they don't always… And besides, you like them."

Sayuri rolled back over, face unconsciously tilting towards the window where the flowers were displayed. "Kimimaro…"

Sayuri spent the next morning leisurely. Ayano had canceled training for today – apparently she wanted them well-rested for a mission they were to go on in a few days. She was promising another C-rank since the last one went well, despite the unexpected attacks. Instead of working herself to the bone Sayuri was for once following Ayano's advice and doing a bit of straightening before sitting down with a steaming cup of tea to relax for a while.

She was making vague plans of perhaps doing some carving or spending some extra time and preparing something special for dinner, when something made her sit up sharply. Something was tickling at the edge of her mind, like a half-forgotten task. It was odd, flitting around the edges. She couldn't quite place it, like getting a whiff of perfume in a crowd and being unable to tell who wore it. A face drifted into view. Grey hair, red markings.

Kimimaro…?

Sayuri rose and set her cup on the table, drifting towards her room. She went to the window and trailed her fingers over one of the carved flowers there. The lily, she knew from the curve of the petals. A faint bit of chakra lingered in it, the remembrance of the one who loved it so much once.

Sayuri's head snapped up and she gasped as she realized what it was she was sensing. Kimimaro, far away, but coming closer, closer, closer… He was miles out, and it was only her familiarity with him and her longing for him that made her able to sense him from so far away, but it was definitely him.

"He's alive," she choked out, tears rising to her eyes.

Kimimaro.

Alive.

Here.

Sayuri turned on her heel and seized her kunai holster and hip pouch from the table by her bed, attaching them with fingers that were suddenly much less nimble than they usually were. She felt the presence of strong shinobi in that direction and she wouldn't let them stop her if they tried to attack. She clumsily knotted her hitai-ate over her eyes as she ran to the door, cramming her feet into her sandals before shooting outside. She ignored the roads, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, legs stretching to their limits as she crossed wide gaps.

Kimimaro…

Kimimaro…

Kimimaro...

Her feet and heart pounded in time with the word running through her mind. He was nearby, and nothing and nobody would stop her from going to him, from seeing if her dream was actually a reality, if he really was alive.

"You look like her," Gaara murmured, staring at his opponent. The sea-green eyes, red markings below and above, the structure of his face, the grey hair, even down to the way it was cut, reminded him of the girl that he called friend and his demon called prey.

In his drunken state before, Lee hadn't noticed, but now his recovering brain made the connection between their appearance and their shared use of bones to attack.

"Sayuri," he whispered. "You are correct."

The name brought to mind a story that Sayuri had once told him, back when he tried to kill the very man now standing at his side while he was nearly comatose in a hospital bed…

As the two groups faced down, Sayuri sprinted through the trees. She forced herself to ignore the fights she sensed, to give them a wide berth no matter what she felt happen, or who it happened to. She had one priority. Kimimaro, she had to get to him.

With every footfall she drew closer and her heart hammered harder, her anticipation only rising. She would see him, finally see him, after three years of believing him dead at the hands of Kirigakure shinobi, her first and best friend.

The only thing that made her stutter was when she felt him begin to fight. She knew his opponent, and it concerned her. First it was Naruto, with chakra rolling off of him in a way that made her sure he was utterly furious. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what Kimimaro might have done to make him so angry.

But then Sasuke inexplicably took off, his chakra feeling slightly off, and Naruto followed him, leaving Lee behind to fight in his place. Now she worried not only for Kimimaro, but for Lee. She knew he'd only recently come out of surgery; it had been widely anticipated by the shinobi of Konoha to see if he would pull through. He was in no shape to fight someone like Kimimaro now.

And then Gaara of all people appeared, taking up a place opposite of Kimimaro with Lee at his side, facing off. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what the sand ninja was doing there, particularly when she felt his siblings in the surrounding woods as well.

But that ceased to matter – everything ceased to matter – when she began to draw agonizingly close, just a few yards away. The trees thinned around her, opening into a clearing, and she could hear voices. They guided her. Lee's curious avoidance of contractions, Gaara's rasp, and a low, smooth tone that sent shivers of vague recognition down her spine.

"She's coming," Gaara said, turning to face the tree line as he felt the chakra signature coming closer. Perhaps she could explain this man to them, since they were so similar.

Lee turned in that direction, and so did Kimimaro, an odd expression on his face, almost as if he were struggling to recall something from long ago.

A figure appeared on the edge of the trees, face flushed with exertion. Sayuri was sweating and trembling, eyes searching the meadow sightlessly before locking onto Kimimaro, undoubtedly sensing him just as easily as the others she was familiar with.

Sayuri's heart had stopped when she arrived at the edge of the clearing. She'd felt him turn towards her, felt his head tilt, felt the others look at her… She didn't care what they thought, no matter whether they saw Kimimaro as the enemy. He was here and he was alive and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to go to him!

Sayuri ran towards him, tears streaming down her face. She stopped just short of the bones protruding from his chest, panting and vibrating with emotion. For a moment, Kimimaro seemed to observe her. For a heart-stopping instant she feared he didn't recognize her. Then…

"You…" he said softly. His voice washed over her for the first time in years and she shuddered at the sound of it. "You're alive."

She heard the soft squishing sound as the bones retracted and Sayuri leapt at him, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing.

Kimimaro couldn't believe it. The girl he'd only glimpsed without bars separating them, the person who'd cared about him, who told him stories and sat with him and touched him and spoke to him as if he wasn't something disgusting… She was here, here in Konoha, here in his arms. He'd always dreamed of holding her as a child. She'd told him once that a hug from someone you loved was supposed to be the securest you could ever feel, and he'd yearned for that.

"You're alive, you're alive, you're alive," she murmured over and over into his neck. Slowly, his arms came up behind her back, holding her lightly, and Sayuri shamelessly luxuriated in the touch as he did the same, both just reveling in finally being able to hold their dearest friend close. This was the first time they had ever been able to be like this without the bars of his cell in the way.

Sayuri pulled back and began eagerly running her fingers over his face, feeling all the differences and painting a new picture of the older Kimimaro in her mind. She easily ripped off her clumsily-tied hitai-ate, exposing her eyes and markings. It made no difference to her, but Sayuri wanted him to see her.

Gaara and Rock Lee had been surprised by her sudden charge at their enemy. When she embraced him, and he her, that had further stunned them speechless for a moment. Now that was going away.

"Sayuri, get away from him!" Lee called fearfully. "He is with Orochimaru! We need to take him out!"

Sayuri whirled, a snarl carved on her face. Both Gaara and Lee were shocked to see so much harsh emotion on her face, and directed at them.

"Touch him and I'll kill you," she hissed viciously, bones sliding from her skin in warning.

Kimimaro's eyes narrowed in rage when he saw the bones. Betrayal glittered there. He gripped the bone in her hand tightly. Sayuri paled as she realized what she'd done, what she may have just ruined, and in that moment she hated herself. "You have it. You have it and you kept it secret so you wouldn't end up in a cage like me," he hissed.

Sayuri froze at the anger in his voice. She could have sobbed, this time in regret. This was her greatest fear, realized. "I should have told you, I know, but I couldn't stand the idea of you hating me for my freedom. You were all I had, the first person I ever loved. I couldn't tell the others. I already had no sight, I couldn't face losing anything else. The feel of the breeze and the grass… Things you had never felt and things I couldn't bear to give up! Please don't hate me. I couldn't bear it if you did." She was shamelessly pleading with him, begging him not to hate her, not to turn away from her.

Kimimaro was silent, staring down at her, but the anger was gone. He found he couldn't hate her. They'd each been trapped in their own way as children. She'd only done what she had to prevent her chains from becoming tighter. He couldn't blame her for that. He would have done the same thing.

It had been so long... The joy of seeing her washed away any old hurts.

Sayuri looked at him. She frowned slightly, cupping his cheeks again. It felt so right, so perfect, to hold his face in between her palms again, but something about the dimensions… His cheeks were too sunken, his face skeletal in a way it hadn't been even when he was starved.

"Something's wrong with you," she said softly, stroking his cheeks. "Are you sick? Are you ill? Kimimaro, tell me, let me fix it."

Kimimaro looked down at her. "I am dying," he said simply. "My lungs will not work properly. I should be dead now, but I am not. My purpose is to serve Lord Orochimaru, however I can with this broken body," Kimimaro explained. "That is all that keeps me alive."

"He sent you here to die-!" Sayuri began furiously, eyes narrowing in rage.

"He did not!" he hissed with more vehemence than she knew he was capable of. The simmering anger had mellowed over the years, but it was still there, buried deep.

"Please," she begged. "All of the time the Kaguyas stole from us with their battle lust, we can take back. Please, I'm begging you, stay here and find a new purpose with me! Here you can have family and friends and be loved instead of being a tool. I would be perfectly content if my purpose from now until the day I die was making you happy and showing you all the wonderful things I've found here. God knows you deserve it."

"My loyalty is to Lord Orochimaru," Kimimaro said, although he sounded somewhat hesitant. Sayuri didn't need to see to know he was looking into her eyes and searching her expression.

"Kill me then, because I won't let you go back to him," she said. She reached up and shrugged the top of her shirt away, baring her throat and chest for a quick, easy kill strike. "Go ahead, I won't try and stop you. But I won't knowingly see you go back to him."

"And what is the alternative?" he demanded, gripping her upper arms tightly. "Do you think you can bring me back to Konoha and we could live together and talk like we once did? Are you truly so naïve? They would never accept me in your village."

"They might. But if they didn't, then I would leave," Sayuri said, voice ringing with confidence. She was not bluffing. She was dead serious, the look in her eye totally determined and at peace with the decision. If he didn't come with her, then she would give up everything and go with him. She honestly cared about him that deeply.

He had never been more shocked in his life. She would give up her position, the respect of her friends, a life with loved ones, all for him, a distant relative she hadn't seen in years?

"You really would, wouldn't you?" he asked softly.

"In a heartbeat. But I would rather just share my life with you."

His breath caught. "Nigate…"

Lee heard the name and bristled. "Hey, do not call her that! Sayuri has fought to become-"

"Shut up, Lee," Sayuri snapped. "He can call me what he likes. Besides, for a time, it was my acknowledged name." She looked back at Kimimaro. "Please-" she began again.

"My life is Lord Orochimaru's," Kimimaro swore. Sayuri's heart broke.

"Then I'll go to him," she whispered. "I-I could take your place!" she offered in a desperate attempt. "Kimimaro, so much of your life was spent in a cage, and now the bars are gone, but you're still chained. If I could take your position I would, if it meant you were free to live your life as you wanted."

"I want to be with Lord Orochimaru," Kimimaro insisted. "He gave me my purpose. I will do anything I can do make his dream come true."

"What about my dream, Kimimaro?" Sayuri asked softly, recalling a long, long time ago when they were on opposite sides of a barred door.

"I wish we could be together forever. That's my greatest dream."

"So long as it's in my power, I'll make that happen. I promise."

"You've given him everything but your life," Sayuri begged. "Please, give me your company if nothing else. I'm begging you Kimimaro! Now that I know you're alive, I… I can't lose you again!" she sobbed, burying her face in his chest. She clutched him to her tightly. "You were the first person I ever cared about, and the most amazing thing was that you cared about me too! If you don't come back to the hospital with me, you will die! I'm begging you… Kimimaro please! Come with me! Don't leave me alone again! I can't do it, not again!" she shrieked.

Kimimaro's eyes were wide as Sayuri clung to him and screamed, her tears dripping onto his chest. He'd never seen her like this before. In the years he'd known her, she was so restrained. She couldn't have changed so much that this was normal for her. This was important to her, the most important thing. She needed him more than anything else.

He was needed.

The thought made him feel warm inside for the first time in a long time. Orochinaru had only ever wanted him, never needed him. He'd known, as soon as he'd fallen ill, that Orochimaru no longer wanted him. He wasn't of any use to the man anymore beyond what he'd done. If he went to Konoha with her, he could be healed. He could return to Orochimaru as a healthy servant and take his place at the sannin's side again.

But he'd missed her, god he'd missed her! He remembered every moment vividly, how her smiles brought light to his cell, how she tried so hard to let him know what was beyond the cavern where he was imprisoned. He remembered the long hours she'd spent simply trying to explain the sensation of the sun on your skin. Most of all, he remembered the flowers she brought him, the real ones perfuming the cave, the wooden ones tucked away and preserving the memories.

Could he have that again? That feeling of being needed? It was never quite the same with Orochimaru. Sure, there he'd been wanted, but he hadn't been needed. Look how easily he was replaced, and, if Kabuto's tone was anything to go by, Orochimaru wanted this new vessel more than he'd ever wanted Kimimaro. But Nigate was here, clutching him, needing him… and it felt wonderful.

Loyalty to Orohimaru was all that was keeping Kimimaro standing, and the moment that wavered, his strength began to fade. He fell like a puppet with its strings cut, pitching forwards into her arms.

Her heart froze, her breath caught.

"Kimimaro, Kimimaro!" Sayuri screamed in fear as she caught him, struggling under his weight. She pressed her fingers to his throat and was relieved to feel a pulse there, but it was weak and thready. She whirled, casting around in Lee and Gaara's direction.

"Help me!" she begged them. "Help me get him to Tsunade! Help me please! He can't die, he can't! He can't!" she sobbed brokenly. "Please!" she screamed.

For a moment neither man moved, too shocked by what they'd witnessed. They'd realized very quickly that Sayuri and this Kimimaro had to be related, but they hadn't realized how close they were, close enough to have Sayuri nearing an emotional meltdown at the idea of losing him.

It was Gaara who moved first, taking a step forwards, and then Lee. The sand in his gourd rustled and drifted across the field towards her. She understood his plan and shifted Kimimaro's weight, lowering him gently onto the sand. He lay there, still, breath coming in horrible rattling gasps.

"We have to get him to the hospital," she said softly. "Lady Tsunade, she'll fix him, she has to."

"Sayuri?" Lee asked, crossing the field and placing a hand on her shoulder. The touch made her flinch and suddenly her eyes snapped up, pinning him.

"Let's move," she said, gesturing for them to follow her. "I don't know how bad he is or how long he has left. I will not be responsible for his death, not again."

With that enigmatic statement, Sayuri turned and started running, leaving Lee and Gaara no choice but to follow her, Kimimaro drifting along behind them on a bed of shifting sand.

Sayuri was more afraid than she'd ever been. Kimimaro… there was something very wrong with him. He'd just collapsed, seemingly mid-thought, with no visible prompting. She was no med-nin, had no idea what was wrong with him or how to fix him. She had to get him to the hospital, to people who could fix him.

She'd softened him, kept him from killing the Kaguya the moment he was released from his cage, and she had thought it ended in his death. Apparently it ended in the death of everyone except him, but she'd still blamed herself. If he died now, while she was with him, helpless, then his blood really would be on her hands, no doubt about it. She couldn't handle that.

Still, she couldn't force herself to avoid the downed comrades she felt along the way. She guided Gaara and Lee through the forest. The first person they hit was Neji, a huge, bloody wound in his side. Lee had exclaimed in horror upon seeing his teammate before rushing to pick him up and place him on the sand stretcher next to Kimimaro.

"If only Miyako were here," Sayuri cursed, eying the blood that dripped from Neji's wound and was absorbed into Gaara's sand.

Next was Choji, who seemed alarmingly much thinner than usual, his clothes hanging off of him loosely. It had been a simple matter for Lee to lift him and lay him out beside the other two. Gaara trusted his siblings to take care of the other two, so that was the last stop, and then they were running again.

They charged past Izumo and Kotetsu at the gate and raced through Konoha, drawing shouts of protest and annoyance as they rushed past civilians and shinobi alike in a mad dash for the hospital.

Tsunade was burning off steam in the hospital. For her, tending minor wounds was a mindless way to burn off excess energy. A defection, sending Shikamaru off with a team like that… God knew what was going on out there right now.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade looked up from her patient's bedside in shock as a nurse burst in, wide-eyed and panting.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Tsunade demanded.

"You've got to come see this, my lady," the nurse gasped, pointing down the hallway. "Your help is needed immediately!"

Tsunade rushed past the nurse, low heels clacking on the tiled floors as the swept down the hallway in the direction the nurse had pointed. She turned the corner and blinked. Rock Lee, Gaara of the Sand, and Sayuri Kaguya stood beside a huge roiling mass of sand, three people balanced on it. Her stomach dropped slightly as she saw two of the members of the team sent to retrieve Sasuke, Neji Hyuga and Choji Akimichi.

"Lady Tsunade, we have injured that need immediate attention!" Lee announced.

"You should be in bed. Go. Now," Tsunade said shortly, gesturing viciously in the direction of his hospital room. Lee paled and immediately skittered in that direction.

Tsuande looked at the unfamiliar third occupant. Her eyes locked on the distinctive purple rope bow around the man's waist. One of Orochimaru's, and going by his features, one Sayuri was probably related to, which explained her frantic expression.

"Take him to the Torture and Interrogation Force," Tsuande ordered one of the nurses.

"Get back!" Sayuri roared at the nurses that moved forwards, bones sliding from her hands. She turned to Tsuande, eyes pleading. "He's sick, I don't know what's wrong with him, he said there was something wrong with his lungs, that he was going to die. You have to heal him Lady Tsunade, please!"

"We have bigger problems than your injured cousin, or whatever he is to you!" Tsunade shouted, attempting to cow Sayuri, but she would not be swayed. "Get those two to the OR and alert the best surgeons we have to get themselves ready," she added to a pair of nurses.

"What else has happened?" Sayuri demanded as two nurses bustled forwards, giving both her and Gaara a wide berth as they retrieved Choji and Neji.

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sasuke Uchiha has defected to Orochimaru," she grunted.

Sayuri blinked, momentarily stunned. Sasuke… defected… to Orochimaru? While the news was startling, she didn't care with Kimimaro possibly dying right next to her.

"Treat him, or Konoha loses two shinobi instead of one today." Sayuri said dangerously. "If he dies here, I will leave and do everything in my power to tear Konoha down brick by brick and make this village pay for his death."

Tsunade blinked. This kid was serious, and she had guts.

So from a political standpoint, it had merit. One of Orochimaru's men could be interrogated, already had a tie to the village, one he was clearly close to, that they could use to get him to open up. They needed to know where Orochimaru was. He absolutely could not get his hands on the sharingan. That would make him even more impossibly difficult to defeat if and when they tracked him down.

"We'll get to him," Tsunade finally said, and gestured to the nurses to retrieve Kimimaro from the sand. She glanced at Gaara. "The others?"

"Temari and Kankuro will take care of them," Gaara replied with certainty.

"Good," Tsuande said, shaking her head helplessly. "We can't afford to lose any more shinobi today."