Author's Note: Forgive me, O Great Ones! I have made thee wait thirteen days for chapter 34! ...I'm hopeless, I know. -.-" Sorry guys! Had a rough week and a terrible writer's block. Isn't there an official cure for those? They're seriously lethal! I had to bang my head a couple of times against a brick wall before I got the right idea for this chapter.

Anyway, go on and read. But I must warn you...Major GaaraxKatana fluff ahead! It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die! . XD

Enjoy and Review!

Destiny of the Cursed

Chapter 34: Disturbed Slumber

"…Where am I?"

Grey eyes stared at the open field, scanning everything, searching for somebody familiar. Grass bent down obediently whenever the wind passed by, her hair flying along with the direction of the cool breeze. In the center of the vast grassland stood three wooden posts, rope dangling loosely around the middle one.

"Training ground three…" Katana found herself whispering, nostalgia rushing over to her.

This was where Team 7 was first formed, where Team 7 had their first mission together. Her feet moving in its own accord, she sauntered towards the wooden posts and reached out hesitantly. Slender fingers ran down the chipped pole, tracing every dent, kunai mark and flaw it earned from the years of serving as a training device.

Her hand collided with the rough texture of the rope wrapped around it and her gaze softened involuntarily, remembering the hyperactive blonde that once got tied to it. She remembered the nonstop bickering they had, their surprising moments of teamwork and the comfort they gave each other during hard times. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, recalling the blonde's idiotic grin, the usual smirk plastered on the Uchiha's face and the gentle smile their pink-haired teammate always wore. They used to be a team…the best of friends…a happy family of their own…

"Katana…"

Her orbs snapped open at the familiar voice, feeling dread enter her system. What was he doing here? Suddenly, the wooden posts were gone; the open expanse, the trees and sunlight streaming through the leaves nowhere to be found. Darkness took over her line of vision, everything being covered by the murky clouds. Shadows bound her down with their death grips, claws scraping painfully against her skin.

"You are weak…so very, very weak…" It was his voice again, ringing inside her ears, taunting her…mocking her.

Anger flared inside her and she fought against her restrictions pigheadedly, straining her eyes to see through the fog. "Sasuke...you bastard." She hissed, her fists quaking from the overwhelming emotions. Rage, confusion, hurt, pain and sadness stirred restlessly inside her, shaking her to the very core. Why? Why was he here again? "Show yourself, Sasuke! Show yourself and fight me!" She screamed, her shouts bouncing off in the darkness, echoing over and over again. "You're nothing but a fraud! A liar and a murderer! A coward!"

A sharp slap to her face made her head jerk to the side roughly. A metallic taste was left in her mouth, making her retch, and she spat, coughing out the crimson liquid. She choking—no, drowning, with her own blood and yet there was nothing else she could do except to clench her teeth together. "Shut up." It hissed, seizing her neck roughly.

It hurt; everything hurt. She felt as if she was burning alive, the scorching heat of agony coursing through her veins. Every breath she took was painful; every movement she made in an attempt to get away sent agonizing jabs in her flesh, stabbing her everywhere. She could feel her heart thundering rapidly against her ribcage, threatening to burst open.

"B-Bastard…" she croaked out weakly, the strong voice she was used to hearing now raspy and strained from the hand that choked her. She could feel sharp nails puncturing her skin, drawing little beads of blood to trail down the length of her neck.

"Pathetic, that's what you are, Katana…" He sneered coldly, the grip on her throat tightening further. '

Katana's mouth fell open in a choked gasp and she thrashed about, fighting the invisible bonds that restrained her. "You can't stop me…You are powerless to stop me...You couldn't even prevent me from killing Naruto and Sakura…You couldn't stop me from killing Kakashi." Katana struggled desperately, feeling fear consume her slowly, torturously until she was trapped inside this hellish nightmare forever. He's lying, he's lying, she told herself, but it did little to ease the pain she felt inside.

"S-Sa-Sasuke…"

He was killing her, in the very same way he probably killed the rest of their old team; she could feel it and she knew that it wasn't long now before death would swallow her completely and devour her alive…into nothingness. With a last attempt to breath, she drew a small gasp and spat again, hopefully aiming for his hidden face.

"R-rot in…h-hell…"

Air left her as soon as his hand fisted around her neck, crushing her throat mercilessly. Red burst before her eyes and the last thing she saw was his face, his glinting onyx orbs, his blood-smeared lips curled upwards in the usual smug smirk…"So long, Katana."

"SASUKE!"

The brunette shot up in bed, sheets tangled on her limbs, sweat covering her ghostly pale face like a second layer. Bloodshot grey eyes were wide with fear and anxiety, her frame racked by unconscious shudders. Immediately, warm hands were on her arms, rubbing and stroking her skin gently, unlike the way the claws grazed her. "It's okay, it's okay…" The voice whispering in her ear was different too; deep, smooth and laced with worry, not hissing with iciness.

Her stature collided softly against a larger, warmer body, which she could only associate with Kakashi's. With an exhausted sigh, she slumped down on him, her shoulder sagging in relief. The jounin's arms went around her body, providing her warmth and comfort. She took a shaky breath and swallowed back the heavy lump in her throat, shuddering when she remembered the hand around it. "S-Sasuke, he…" she trailed off, unable to bring herself to continue the thought.

"Shh, it's alright. Sasuke's not going to hurt you."

"Sasuke killed me, Tou-san." She bit out harshly, a wave of nausea hitting her. She jerked inside his hold and Kakashi squeezed gently, calming her agitated nerves. "He killed me. Just like he killed Naruto and Sakura…h-he killed you too." She shook against him, her breath catching. Her eyes shut close and she sighed, thumping her head lightly against his chest. She could feel moisture seeping through her lashes, tears of frustration running down her face before she could stop them. "And I couldn't even do anything…"

"It was a dream, Katana. What could you have done?" Said Kakashi, brushing the wetness away from her face with his gloved hand. "It's just a dream. Sasuke didn't kill you…or anyone for that matter. We're all fine. Naruto's alive, Sakura's alive…I'm alive too." He said, running his hand up and down the length of her back.

A few quiet minutes passed by them, allowing Katana to calm herself from the earlier visions. Looking around, she found herself inside boring cream-colored walls and sitting on a bed that smelled way too clean to be considered natural. Her eyes narrowed in confusion, her eyebrows following the downward movement and drawing together as well.

As if sensing her discomfort and unspoken question, Kakashi loosened his hug, resting his chin on top of her head. "I found you out cold inside the apartment." He began, his fingers reaching up to comb through her hair. "You were sweating and very pale and burning with fever. Your chakra was so faint, I almost didn't sense it." His voice cracked slightly, an indicator of just how really worried he had been. "I brought you to the hospital as fast as I could. You were unconscious for the past three days."

"Sorry, Tou-san…" Apologized Katana hoarsely as she brought her hands up to hold onto his vest-clad back, burrowing her face in his shoulder. Now that he said it, she could vaguely recall going home to take a shower and then being attacked by a sudden coughing fit and a pang of dizziness when she left the bathroom, fainting just as she reached their living room. "You really have to learn to stop collapsing out of nowhere, Kat-chan." Kakashi half-heartedly joked, hoping it would ease the tension of the girl he was embracing.

Katana drew back and sent him a mild glare, dark circles underneath her eyes clashing with her sickly pale complexion, making her look ghoulish. "Let's see you sprint across the Land of Iron again without wearing anything warmer than a sweater." She deadpanned, crossing her arms in a challenging manner. "I bet you'd faint too, after that." With soft chuckle, the silver-haired man threw his hands up in mock surrender, ruffling his already messy locks and splaying them over his forehead. He shifted in his place just a bit so that he sat on the edge of her bed. "You okay now?"

"I'm still a little shaken", she admitted feebly, her hand rubbing one arm up and down to warm herself, "but I'll be fine." The jounin nodded in understanding, relief washing over him when he heard her famous line. Standing up, he walked over to the door and said with a sigh, "I'll go get Tsunade-sama to check on you."

Eyes widening in disbelief, Katana repeated hastily, "Tsunade-sama…She's awake?" The silver-haired man turned the knob, his hand pulling the door open. He turned to face her again, this time smiling faintly. "Yes. She woke up three days ago, right after I brought you here. She'd just arrived from the meeting in Kumo, I think." Pausing, Kakashi added softly, "Your friends were worried too, you know. Especially Sakura and that girl, Tenten. She made sure to visit you every day."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Katana frowned in bewilderment, not quite understanding why the bun-haired girl would be so concerned. "Can you call them in, Tou-san? I want to talk to them." Nodding subtly, he offered a comforting wink that she was familiar with and went out the door, closing it behind his back. Not even minutes after Kakashi left the room, the door came bursting wide open again, several people entering. Startled, Katana jumped in her place slightly, eyebrows shooting up in surprise at her newly arrived company.

A blur tackled her down on the bed, arms and hands wrapping around her body tightly. She winced, feeling her sore muscles protest at the harsh treatment. "Katanaahh~!" wailed Tenten in her ear, the bun-haired girl unusually clingy and emotional. The girl sobbed against her shoulder, her voice muffled by the fabric of Katana's shirt. "I—I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…", the kunoichi apologized between hiccups, her tears wetting the brunette's clothes, "I was just—just carried away. I don't know what took over me. I—I'm so sorry."

Hastily patting the girl's back consolingly, Katana turned to the others in question, her expression thoroughly perplexed. All gazed at her with the same shame written on their faces, some looking away in embarrassment.

"Ne…Katana-chan", coughed Kiba awkwardly from the side, his eyes fixed on her bed instead of her face, "About those things we said…we didn't mean to—" A sharp nudge from Sakura cut off the boy halfway in his statement and he scowled indignantly, his face flushing red, "I-I mean, I didn't mean to say t-those things to you…I've let my temper get the best of me again. I'm sorry, Katana-chan."

"It was unfair of us to question the actions you made, especially when we didn't personally witness the whole thing. You were only trying to help solve the problem after all." Said Neji next, his monotone voice mellow and sorry for once.

Beside the Hyuuga, Shikamaru sighed, muttering something incoherently under his breath. With a painful elbow jab from Ino, he straightened up and looked at Katana with a small remorseful grimace. "I'm sorry too. We should have trusted you and Naruto." He said, then glared at Katana worriedly, "The thing is, you troublesome woman", he began, crossing his arms over his chest, "don't do that again, will you? You frightened the hell out of all of us when we found out that you were unconscious here in the hospital. We thought you'd never—"

"Hey." Interrupted Katana gently, making the everyone look up at her. Grey eyes were soft and understanding as they glanced at the group, a small frown forming in her face. "Is that what this is about? You guys thought I was upset over that?"

At this, all of them lowered their gazes simultaneously, guilt evident on their expressions. She snorted ruefully, slowly shaking her head. "Well, as much as I appreciate your concerns, I'm not upset and there's nothing to be sorry about, Tenten. It's okay." She reassured them, rubbing the back of the girl who still latched on to her. "Let's all just forget about that and get ready for war. The right time will come along eventually; we'll make our decision then."

Tenten pulled back from the hug—her brown eyes puffy and red—and sniffed. "B-But…it was our fault you fainted after all—" she trailed off, looking down. "It's not." The brunette cut off, smiling lightly despite the exhaustion present in her features. "And I'm really glad you guys are here. It makes the stay in the hospital less horrifying." Katana quipped, earning a small laugh from Tenten and snickers from the rest. Everyone was aware of how much the girl hated going to the hospital, much less staying there for days. Grinning weakly, the weapons mistress sat up and wiped her tears using the back of her hand. "Thanks, Katana."

Before the latter can reply, the door of the room swung open with a loud bang, making everybody turn their attention to it. "What the hell are you all doing in here?" Tsunade exploded incredulously from the doorway together with Kakashi by her side, her arms locked across her enormous chest. Her eyebrows knitted deeply, golden orbs blazing with annoyance and red lips turned down in a disapproving grimace. "This is a hospital, for goodness sakes, not a party! Out now, all of you, out! You're keeping Katana from her rest!" she demanded, hands doing rapid shooing motions. With crestfallen groans, Katana watched with amusement as her friends kicked themselves out of the door and into the hallways once more.

"Sakura, you stay here." Said Tsunade before her apprentice could do so much as take her exit and with a hopeful smile, Sakura closed the open door, nodding obediently. "Katana." The Hokage greeted casually, her fingers immediately holding on to the girl's wrist and checking her pulse. Sakura took the other arm, placing her fingers the same way Tsunade did.

Seeing Tsunade working on her, very much conscious just as Kakashi had said, Katana felt a giant surge of almost-hysterical relief crash into her. She inhaled sharply, an awed smile breaking across her face when she saw the master medic's young face again, smooth and firm, free of any wrinkles or blemishes. Her locks were restrained by the usual twin pigtails, shiny golden in color without any shade of gray mixing with them. "Tsunade-sama…" she drawled out breathlessly, unable to keep her smile from getting wider. "You're okay."

Although Katana had said it as a statement, it held so much shock and disbelief that one would hear from a question that Tsunade decided to answer her. "Yes, yes." Replied the Sannin, her gaze breaking from Katana's wounds temporarily to glance up at her face. "You, however, need rest. Your body rebelliously shut down from over fatigue." She said sternly, placing her hand on top of Katana's bandaged arm.

The bright glow of chakra sparked from her palms and instantly, the dull ache of her injuries faded away. While Sakura busied herself with doing the same thing with her other arm, Katana curiously ripped off the bandages wrapped around her right arm with the help of her mouth, her eyes widening when smooth, scar-free skin stared back at her.

"What—"

"I already healed the cut on your stomach when you were still sleeping. That one is a little unfortunate. It was an ugly wound, so even when I tried adding extra chakra, all that did was to make the scar fade a bit." Tsunade stated, looking at her. "You're welcome, by the way."

"T-Thank you…" stuttered out Katana, blinking dazedly at her arm. "And the scar won't bother me. I've had worse anyway." She told the older woman, her eyes shifting towards the blonde. She bit back a sigh, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "Um, Tsunade-sama?" Though not facing her, Tsunade raised an inquiring eyebrow to show that she was listening. "Just how…how many days am I required to stay here exactly?" Katana asked, half-dreading the answer she'll get.

Grinning at the aghast tone of her patient, Tsunade let the chakra die away from her hands and turned to glance at Sakura. Her young assistant stifled a laugh and looked up at her expectantly before turning her attention back down on Katana's arm.

"Just one more day." The Hokage said with an amused smile, her white teeth showing. "Take a whole day of rest—and by rest, I mean no training, no sneaking out and absolutely no strenuous activities—and after that, you're good to go."

The Sannin gave off a good-natured snort at Katana's awfully relieved sigh, knowing all too well just how much the girl loathed being cooped up, which wasn't very different from Kakashi's attitude towards rest as well. She always swore that the two were the worst workaholics she'd ever known.

"Katana", Said Sakura from her left as she finished, earning the attention of the brunette, "is something bothering you?" Hearing the question, Katana's expression turned blank and unusually composed, the same way it did whenever she tries to mask her thoughts. Cocking a raised eyebrow at the pink-haired girl, Katana asked, "Why would something be bothering me, Sakura?"

Shrugging, the medic placed her hands on her lap, her fingers fumbling with the fabric of her skirt. "It was just a hunch actually…You seemed distracted, so I figured something must be upsetting you in some way." Jade green eyes flickered at her face, searching for an explanation. "Katana?" Though she lying had never appealed to her, Katana plastered an easy smile and shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, Sakura. Trust me." She knew she couldn't tell the girl about her nightmare, no matter how much Sakura pried. She was just too fragile, too innocent for her own good. With war breaking out on them, surely telling Sakura this would send her toppling over to the edge.

Three knocks on the door cut short their conversation and Tsunade turned to it, one eyebrow rising in question. "Come in." She said, wondering inwardly who it was. The doorknob twisted slowly and opened, a tuft of red hair peeking inside tentatively. A knowing smirk appeared on Tsunade's face, realizing that he'd finally arrived. "Ah, there you are!"

From behind the other side of the door, the young Kazekage slid inside the room, his aquamarine orbs giving the three other people a quick glance before focusing on the girl in the middle.

"Hello, Katana."

Grey eyes widening, the brunette felt air rush out of her lung and she blinked rapidly as if trying to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. He was here. He was actually here. Crimson locks, dark-ringed, sea foam eyes, red vest, gourd and all. "G-Gaara…" she breathed out, inwardly hoping that she didn't sound as if she took a blow in the gut. Shock was still scribbled all over her expression and she brushed away the strands of hair that tumbled down her face, allowing her to have a better view of him. "W-What are you doing here?"

"He came with us back here when I told him of your condition." Answered Tsunade before the redhead can, her smirk widening when he threw her a warning look. "The brat couldn't even focus properly during the meeting; he was too busy worrying about you." At the sight of Gaara glaring menacingly at her, Tsunade laughed in hilarity. "Calm down, Kazekage." She said easily, standing up and pulling Kakashi with her. "I was just messing with you, punk." She said, giving him a casual pat in the shoulder. "Take care of Katana for me. Come on, Hatake. Let's give the love birds some time alone."

Reddening at Tsunade's label for them, Katana watched as they by-passed Gaara, Kakashi and Sakura shooting her a teasing masked grin and a wink before closing the door shut. Gaze darting from the closed door to the still-standing boy, Katana mustered up a smile and gestured to the chair on her bedside. "Hey. You planning on standing there all day?" The redhead blinked twice at her, shaking his head once as if to lose a daze. "No." He answered, making Katana's grin spread even more. "Come on, then." She encouraged, jerking her head to the direction of the chair. Wordlessly, Gaara strode towards it, sitting himself down.

Aquamarine eyes scanned her up and down, fixing themselves at her face. "How are you feeling?" He asked, his hand reaching out to cover hers. Eyes softening at the familiar action, Katana turned her palm facing up, entwining their fingers together. "I'm fine. Just tired, that's all." She said reassuringly, pleased when his anxiety visibly decreased. "Tsunade-sama said I'll be released from the hospital tomorrow." Gaara let out an inaudible sigh, the corners of his mouth tugging up in a gentle beam. "That's good then."

"Yeah." Said Katana, nodding in agreement. A thought crossed her mind and her eyebrows furrowed slightly, grey eyes turning to him. "By the way, you didn't get to answer my question…why are you here?" Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow at her unrelenting inquiry, his smile turning into a faint smirk of amusement. "So you don't believe the Hokage's earlier explanation about how I went here because of you?" He asked her back, silently chuckling at the way she blushed madly.

Throwing the boy a dirty glare, Katana forced back the heat that managed to creep up her face. "W-Well, I—It's not exactly that I don't believe her…It just that I know you better than to think you'd leave your village for a personal reason. You can be incredibly selfless after all."

Shrugging off the last remark, Gaara nodded once. "I came here to make further preparations for war. There's going to be a meeting held here in Konoha in two days. Since Suna is the village closest to Konoha, it's not surprising that my group arrived here first. We're expecting the Tsuchikage to arrive this afternoon." He explained nonchalantly, never taking his gaze off her.

"But…", he trailed off, his voice faltering with a sudden awkwardness. He looked down and for once, the redhead seemed embarrassingly clueless, as if all the words left him at the moment. Much to Katana's surprise and delight, there was a faint shade of pink dusting the stoic Kazekage's cheeks.

"But what?" asked the girl curiously, expectantly looking at him. She fought out the mocking grin that threatened to take over her face, trying to at least make it easier for him to speak. "Gaara?" He glanced up at her, the blush on his face darkening. His mouth parted but what he said didn't reach her ears at all; it was like trying to comprehend silent gibberish. Sighing, Katana scooted the edge of the bed, leaning closer over to him. In reflex, Gaara quickly withdrew, retreating until his back hit the chair. "Care to repeat that, Gaara?"

"I said…" began the redhead once more, this time with a clearer voice, "that Tsunade's statement wasn't all wrong." Not quite understanding the point he was trying to make, Katana settled back down on her pillows, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, and so…?"

"The—" His voice dropped down to a meek whisper again, causing Katana to roll her eyes in frustration. "The part where I was too distracted to pay attention to the meeting…that was true." When Katana's annoyed expression melted into one of surprise, Gaara averted his gaze back on the bed sheets again. Unconsciously, he fidgeted, the hand that was holding hers turning clammy.

"I found myself thinking about…how you were at that time and with Tsunade informing me that you were staying in the hospital—well, it didn't help. To get my attention, Tsuchikage had to actually throw a ball of crumpled paper at my head. Twice."

The sound of quiet snickers cut him off and he glared at the brunette, his eyes narrowing in embarrassment. Although not oblivious of the glower sent in her way, Katana couldn't bring herself to stop laughing. "T-Twice, eh?" she managed to say between snorts, grinning when the redhead's face became a violent shade of red, rivaling his hair.

"My god, Gaara, I didn't know you were so lovesick. Did you really—"

"Shut up."

"—miss me that much? Come here then! Let Katana-chan give you a big hug!"

She said mockingly, pushing the covers off her body and swinging her feet to the floor. She stood up and Gaara did the same, his body tense. "Do not." He warned her, alarm bells ringing inside his head. The grin on her face only extended frighteningly and the Kazekage swallowed hard, his eyes searching for a quick escape route. Without a warning, she advanced with her arms outstretched, clasping together behind his neck before he could even try to dodge.

"K-Katana, don't…! We'll—" His statement was never given the chance to be finished because the minute she wrapped her arms around him, her weak knees buckled with his struggling and with their combined weights, both fell down on the bed.

Thanking the reflex speed he had built over the years, Gaara used his hands to brace his fall, catching himself just in time before his body crushed Katana's smaller frame. "Are you insane?" he hissed out in incredulity, the red tint in his face still present. His initial reaction was quickly wiped out, however, when Katana burst into laughter. Not one of those forced or tense chuckles she gave off when she was in pain or hurting inside, but real, genuine laughter. With her hands still gripping the back of his neck, her grey eyes shining with mirth and her head thrown back as laughter racked her form, Gaara found himself unable to look away from her face, too mesmerized by her eased expression.

"Sorry." He faintly heard her say when her laughter died down, a smile breaking across her face. "I didn't mean to go that far. I—" Before he could realize what he was doing, Gaara leaned down, cutting her off midway with a gentle press of his lips against hers. Her eyes widened in shock for a second before her eyelids lowered halfway, Katana responding into the kiss eagerly as she felt her heart hammering frantically inside her chest.

He broke away after what seemed like eternity for them, when the need for air became too annoying to ignore. Both took breathless gasps, from the kiss or the lack of oxygen, they didn't know. Mouth spreading out in an uncharacteristically wide smile, Gaara rested his forehead against hers, feeling warmth flare up inside his chest when she smiled back.

"I love you."

Invisible eyebrows shooting up in surprise, he stared into her grey orbs for a whole minute, searching for any signs of mockery or deceit. He found none of those, seeing only sincerity and endless trust in her eyes. Mentally berating himself for even thinking that she'd lie to him, he closed his dark-ringed orbs and sighed, his warm fingers gently caressing her face. "I love you too…" He whispered, his velvety voice sending chills down her spine. With her heart thumping erratically, she tugged him closer, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She inhaled deeply, taking in his addictive scent of cinnamon and sand. Funny, she didn't think sand had a distinct smell.

Holding him like this made her forget all her worries; made her fears and nightmares fade away. As said nightmares were mentioned, the girl's contented smile fell apart, her eyes lowering slightly. Nightmares weren't foreign to any shinobi. In fact, they were acquaintances, nightly visitors that bother a shinobi's already brief slumber. They were a part of life, an obstacle every shinobi must go through. But do they have to be so damn realistic…? Katana asked mentally, tightening her hold on Gaara absentmindedly. She had always been weak against the ruthless visions, secretly dreading the possibility of never waking up once she closed her eyes.

"Katana…"

"Hm?" Replied the girl distractedly, her mind occupied by something else. Gaara pulled away then, much to her displeasure, and helped her sit up as well. His eyes fixed themselves on her, studying her face. "What's wrong?" He asked all of a sudden, taking her aback; it never ceased to surprise her how he can read her like an open book while even she had a hard time understanding herself. Trying to look confused, she furrowed her eyebrows at him and asked, "What do you mean?" He gave her a blank stare, his aquamarine orbs meeting hers head-on. "I think you know."

"I—" Katana halted and looked away, her eyes narrowing and body tensing up. Sea foam eyes softened their gaze at her and with a sigh, Gaara tentatively reached out for her hand. He clasped it with his larger one, thumb stroking the back of her hand soothingly. "Tell me." Shaking her head sharply, Katana forced out a tight smile. "It's nothing, really—"

"Tell me…Please."

She doubtingly glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, her mouth set in a thin line. Aquamarine eyes were pleading, shining with determination. Sighing, the girl shifted her gaze down on the floor, reigning control on her voice. "Do you remember what you said… that day when we met up with Naruto in the Land of Iron?" She asked him, staring blankly at the white tiles of the room. "About how Sasuke has stopped looking for us? That he seeks darkness willingly…"

"Yes…" Gaara answered cautiously, uncertain of the point the kunoichi was trying to make. Imaginary eyebrows furrowed deeply in worry and he frowned, scrutinizing the girl's empty expression. "A little while after you guys left us…we confronted Sasuke. He tried to kill Sakura." Whispered Katana as she leaned her body to the side, her head softly colliding with his shoulder. In pure instinct, Gaara shifted and wrapped his arm around her frame, hand brushing away the locks that fell on her forehead.

"He and Naruto fought and was interrupted by Madara dropping by. Before Sasuke went away, Naruto said—", Katana hesitated, her body stiffening and mouth falling down in a grimace, "He said that it was his duty to bring back Sasuke, that no one except him can fight Sasuke…"

She looked up at the redhead, her eyebrows knitting in obvious worry and pain. "But what if he's wrong, Gaara? What if Naruto couldn't defeat Sasuke?" Her eyes lowered back on the floor and she glowered at it, her hands fisting the material of her hospital gown. "What if the time comes that they fight…and Sasuke kills him?" The last part came out as a hiss and grey eyes narrowed, remembering her dream, remembering what Sasuke had said about killing the rest of Team 7. Her fists clenched tightly, knuckles turning white from the pressure she was applying to it.

"You sound angry now…" muttered Gaara from beside her, trying to switch topics quickly to prevent the kunoichi from seething any further. "But whenever your other friends say something against the Uchiha, you're quick to defend him." He turned to look at her, wishing his tone didn't sound as jealous as he thought it was. Focusing his attention on her, he noticed that her rage had died down, a melancholic frown left on her face.

Silence dawned onto them for a moment, neither of them having thought of anything to say. Finally, Katana's mouth parted and out came a silent sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. "…He's still a friend. Nothing can change the fact that we're all still secretly hoping he'll change his mind and come back home to us." She answered dejectedly, letting out a tired sigh once more.

At her statement, Gaara responded with a wordless nod, understanding what she meant. "Then just trust Naruto. He'll be alright." He pulled her closer, burying his face on her mop of brown hair. "…Your reason doesn't make me like the Uchiha any better though." He murmured against her locks quietly and Katana smirked lightly, hearing the underlying protectiveness and jealousy hidden in his monotone voice.

"How come?" She asked him innocently, suppressing her smile as she turned to face him. Gaara gave a nonchalant shrug but the look on his eyes betrayed his unperturbed façade. "He almost killed you back at the Kage meeting. Are you saying I should trust him even after that?"

"No."

"Plus…" The Kazekage added, this time in a lower, more grudging tone, "…you keep talking about him in the same way Naruto does." The brunette gave a laugh, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're jealous, Gaara." The redhead clamped his mouth shut at the accusation, causing Katana's grin to broaden. "Well, are you?" She asked him again and received a small cough as a reply, Gaara mumbling something about 'annihilating the Uchiha' under his breath.

With a smile, Katana patted his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry; you're the only one I'm interested in." She said with a small hum then shot him a narrow-eyed stare. "The feeling's mutual right…?" She asked him in mock doubt and nudged him gently, fighting back a teasing grin.

Snorting, Gaara glanced at her, his stare unwavering. "Of course."

"Really? Even with lots of other women out there who are more beautiful than I am?"

"…Well, if you put it that way—"

She elbowed him then and scowled playfully, scooting out of his reach when he made a grab for her. "Go away." She told him when he chuckled, jerking away from his embrace. Finally, Gaara locked his arms around her, preventing her from escaping him. "I was joking." He said, smirking at the sight of her glaring and pouting childishly. Katana turned away from him, scoffing. "Jerk. Since when did you joke?" She asked him, glowering from the corner of her eyes.

His smirk molded into an amused smile and he rested his chin on top of her head, trapping her inside his hug. "Since I heard how beautiful your laugh was…" Although he couldn't see her face, he knew her well enough to know that she was blushing hotly again.

Silence stretched on between the couple, with Katana desperately trying to calm her racing heart and Gaara content with nuzzling her hair. "You're being so quiet, Katana…" whispered Gaara in a low voice, sending goose bumps down the kunoichi's arm. "Why's that?" Katana swallowed hard, forcing the nervous lump in her throat down. She glared at the harmless floor tiles, cursing both the butterflies in her stomach and herself for blushing like a school girl. Taking a deep breath, she fought the heat radiating off her face and opened her mouth, fully intending to retort.

"Oi, Gaara!"

The silver knob turned swiftly and before the movement can register into the teens' minds, the door swung open revealing a fuming Temari and a bored-looking Kankuro. Both expressions were quickly wiped away, however, when they caught sight of Katana and Gaara locked in a hug, their eyes then turning wide with undeniable shock.

"K-Katana…" stuttered out the older blonde, her dark green eyes large as she looked back and forth between the two. Behind her, Kankuro got over his shock quicker than the rest of them and promptly snickered. "Well, well. What do have here?" he remarked with an impish grin, crossing his arms over his chest. Turning as red as a tomato, Katana instinctively shoved away the redhead off her back, scrambling to get on her feet. Hurriedly, she stood a safe distance away from the bed, flushing in embarrassment while the young Kazekage was still sprawled on it dazedly.

The puppeteer on the doorway guffawed, clutching his aching sides as Gaara shot him a deadly glare before proceeding to stand up with whatever dignity he had left. Smoothing out his clothes and ruffling his crimson locks, he mustered up a calm demeanor before turning to his siblings. "Temari." He called out, earning the attention of the awed kunoichi. "Was there something you needed from me?" With a few blinks, the blonde cleared her throat and put up a serious expression, "The Tsuchikage's arrived, Gaara. Tsunade-sama's already at the front gate. You better go and welcome him as well." Nodding curtly, Gaara muttered an 'Of course' and started to walk out the door but stopped, turning back to face Katana hesitantly.

Still blushing faintly, Katana quirked her lips up in an awkward smile. "Go. I'll be fine."

The redhead stared at her with a mild frown, glancing back momentarily at his siblings. He sighed inaudibly, defeat clear in his expression. Gaara strode forward, stopping in front of her. "I'll be back." He promised, trying to make it up to her. Katana nodded, beaming at him reassuringly. "I know. I'll just…rest while you're gone. Don't worry."

"Alright…"

Katana stared at Gaara's retreating back, biting her lip slightly. "Gaara." She said hastily, rushing to catch his sleeve. She yanked him to a stop and whirled him around, meeting his perplexed orbs once he was facing her.

"Katana. What—"

She cut off his question with a kiss, sealing her lips with his. Aquamarine eyes widened in surprise, Gaara's pale face rapidly heating up. The brunette smirked deviously against his mouth, pulling back from the kiss to bask in her victory. Even with her gaze fixed on his ridiculously red face, she knew Temari and Kankuro were gawking at them, stunned.

Gaara paid no attention to the two intruders on the open door, still blinking at the girl in a confused manner. Katana grinned even wider, her teeth showing in her smile. "Oi. You're gonna be late, Kazekage-sama." She mocked, jerking him round and pushing him to the doorway.

"Temari, Kankuro", she regarded the two older shinobi with a bright smile, thrusting Gaara towards them. "Take care of him for me, will you? He's still kinda dizzy. Make sure he's not gonna collide head-on with a post." She said, much to the amusement of the duo. With a mock salute from Kankuro and a foxy grin from Temari, the Sand siblings waved their goodbye, making their way through the hallways of the hospital.

Beaming lopsidedly, Katana gently closed the door, making her way back towards her bed. She slid under the bed sheets, pulling the covers all the way up to her face. Inhaling deeply, she sighed, the scent of the hospital filling her senses. One of her eyebrows shot up when they caught something different; a faint scent of cinnamon and sand lingering in the bedspread, making her smile under the covers. It still…smells like him….Lips curled up in a beam, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over her without hesitation, knowing that this time…nightmares wouldn't bother her for a change.

End Chapter

Review, review, REVIEW! Come on, guys. You know you wanna~ :DD

P.S. Um, I'd like to thank "Clazinha" for pointing out my mistake. Yeah, the meeting part kinda got messed up. Hehe, sorry! Thank you, Clazinha! XD