The rest of the journey seemed uneventful. Aside from the first night and speaking with Sasuke, Sakiya had mostly kept to herself allowing only Hanabi and Naruto to speak with her at any length. After another two days they arrived in a dessert and were met by a man with short red hair and bright blue eyes which held dark circles around them. She wondered briefly if it was makeup or if he was a chronic insomniac, either way she gained the same sensation from this man that she received from Naruto. However this man's power was not as intense as Naruto's and she found him a bit strange, albeit the main reason being that he had the kanji for 'love' tattooed on his forehead. What weirdo does that?
She had changed out of her usual leggings into a pair of loose fitting shorts that came up to her mid thigh. She had never liked excessive heat, but she knew that Kiyoshi thrived in it. It was Naruto who first greeted this man with a simple smile and the man's name, "Gaara."
"Naruto, I'm glad you made it," the man replied. He looked to Sakiya, and then directly at Kiyoshi who was currently being carried by Sasuke.
"So this is the man we're guarding, whom you say is older than anyone we've ever known," Gaara stated, nodding in indication of Kiyoshi.
Sakiya rolled her eyes and glared at Naruto who held up his hands in a gesture of non hostility as he explained, "Gaara is the Kazekage, and a friend. He's seen as much as I have and he's here to help ensure that things go well."
"Hmm," was all the raven haired girl replied with as observed Kakashi and Hanabi helping Sasuke to lay Kiyoshi down. Sakiya then knelt in the sand next to him and stated, "I'd need both you and to use your healing skills on him while the sun helps to restore his power."
Naruto noticed that she had taken off her sandals and was currently barefoot. Gaara noticed this as well and inquired, "the sand can become very hot, it may be best to keep your sandals on."
"Thank you for the concern, it isn't needed," Sakiya acknowledged as she removed the barrier. Sasuke immediately began using mystical palm on Kiyoshi, Sakiya looked to Naruto pleadingly.
"If we're not careful we could cause him to be damaged from the inside out," Naruto reasoned.
"That's true for humans, our species aren't so fragile," Sakiya stated as she stood up her hand hovering near the sword she had been carrying with her.
"This is why I agreed to be here, Naruto. Focus on helping Sasuke heal that man, and I'll help the others with guarding the perimeter. I'll watch her as I would Shinki or Shikadai," Gaara pressed.
"Thanks for the offer but I don't need a babysitter," Sakiya retorted. She glared at Gaara before revealing, "in fact for the last twelve years, I've been raising a child on my own. I'm the same as the man we're trying to heal. So I'd appreciate it if you'd try to regard me as an equal and not someone in need of protecting. I'm not the one unconscious."
Gaara gave a small nod of his head as he responded, "my apologies, it's simply you look to be about the same age as my son."
"I get that a lot. We age slower than humans, and that's the main reason. It's annoying when the truth is, I probably could've played with your great-grandparents when they were little," she explained.
At this Gaara's eyes widened considerably at the possibility. By that admission this girl had to be at least over a hundred years old, yet she looked to be about fourteen or sixteen by his estimate. Naruto entered his tailed beast mode and had begun using his own healing technique on Kiyoshi. Sakiya glanced around at the others and stated, "alright. Let's work on keeping the perimeter clear. Hanabi, because you have the Byakugan and gentle fist technique, you'll be the last line of defense for Naruto and Sasuke. Once his reiatsu has been replenished to a certain point his natural abilities will pick up as long as he's exposed to the sun. You'll know if you cease using your healing techniques and still feel him gaining strength. I'll keep close enough that I can assist the others quickly if need be. They may be able to slow the defectors, but it would be exceptionally rare for a human to defeat them. I'll do all I can to prevent a human casualty."
The others scattered out and around to create a perimeter around Sasuke, Naruto and Kiyoshi. True to her word, Sakiya remained central but moved up onto a nearby rock formation, her bare feet resting on the solid earth.
Gaara and Shikamaru both took note of this although they stayed at their posts and camoflagued their presence.
After a few moments however the sensation surrounded her, as if a dozen blades were piercing her flesh. She spun on her rocky perch and the clang of metal against metal rang out through the desert as her grey eyes locked on a pair of indigo blue amid a long oval face framed by black hair. The opponent had a sharp jawline and pointed nose. She hardened her gaze at the man she recognized within an instant.
"So you brought some other toys to play with once I'm done with you," he sneered. Noticing a faint hint of blue from the edge of his field of sight he vanished from in front of her, the blast of blue kido energy harmlessly hitting a rock formation and obliterating it.
Her composure remained as she allowed her vulnerable back to be visible to him while she inquired, "you really believe I'd do such a thing? Oh no. I'm here to ensure they have every chance of survival. Every. Last. One."
"That would be a first for you, Princess. So far you haven't been able to save anyone. You may have been a surprise fourth person on this mission, but all you've proven yourself to be is a burden. First your Aunt's youngest cousin sacrifices herself so you don't get caught in a blast. Then your poor mother sacrifices herself for the same reason. Lastly, your one still conscious family member uses a self-sacrificing kido to save your worthless life, it really is pathetic," he taunted, emphasizing 'princess' which he knew she had hated when they last encountered each other.
He barely managed to dodge a blast of white that was fired at him, but recognized what it was with ease. Hado number four, Byakurai. The young woman turned to face him, revealing the blast had come from a single finger she had directed towards him under the cover of her button up shirt. She plainly stated, "You're wrong, Seinosuke. The fact is you know only what he has told you. Which isn't very much or you'd understand only one of those accusations is true."
At this the man, who stood a few inches taller than her gained a crooked grin as he continued trying to provoke her, "Why not enlighten me, Princess Sakiya?"
"Here's a little starter tip: I'm not defined by my blood," she responded.
