The stay in Suna turned out to be longer than Itachi had anticipated, extending to four days instead of the two he had originally planned. During that time, he used his Sharingan to manipulate the memory of the Kazekage and his guards, completely erasing any recollection of his presence with Sakura at the moment he attempted to attack his own son. He made them believe that it was Gaara's own power that prevented the attack, and even ordered that no one approached the boy during those days. This way, he protected both Gaara and Sakura, allowing them to play and train together without the risk of being discovered, as Sakura's distinctive hair color had not been seen elsewhere, and he could easily change his facial appearance without the need for genjutsu, since his face was registered in the bingo book of all countries.

Itachi didn't leave them for a second, especially to study the child who was the Jinchuriki of Shukaku. On the first day and night he spent with them, Gaara seemed to be a wary child, while Sakura, unlike her shyness with Itachi, acted like a mother hen protecting her chick, perhaps due to her own past experiences. He quickly noticed that Sakura was the one who talked the most, while Gaara was a good listener. He learned that Sakura told Gaara that she could see spirits, something that caught his attention, as few people possessed that ability, and most of those who did believed it to be an invention. However, Gaara seemed to believe everything Sakura said, to the point that Itachi thought if Sakura told him that the sky was green, Gaara would fervently believe it.

During those three days, the two became very close, to the point that they even slept together, with Gaara hugging Sakura as if she were his favorite stuffed animal. Itachi noticed that the Bijuu's sand did not react to Sakura from the moment she accepted him as he was, and that Gaara placed his trust in her from the second day, after Sakura revealed to him that he was her brother Itachi and that he should be kind to him, as he had saved her in Konoha.

On the fourth day, Itachi made sure to use his genjutsu on the Kazekage once again, but this time he manipulated him to designate someone to take care of Gaara, as a favor to Sakura, who seemed concerned about her new friend. In the end, he chose Yashamaru, Gaara's mother's brother, as the most suitable protector, as he showed a great interest in taking care of his nephew.

On the day of farewell, they met at the village gate, with Yashamaru at a prudent distance and Gaara ready to say goodbye to Sakura. Yashamaru watched Itachi with some interest, unaware that beneath the disguise he wore was a dangerous criminal. However, his interest was primarily in the pink-haired girl, whom his nephew had grown fond of due to her sincerity.

Gaara stood a few steps behind the village gate, as he was not allowed to leave. His face showed seriousness, and he seemed indifferent to Sakura's departure, if not for the slight blush on his cheeks as he received her final goodbye hug.

"We'll meet again, I promise. You'll always be my friend, I'll never forget you," said Sakura. Although she felt bad for leaving Gaara alone with his unpleasant father, she knew she had to go to start her new life with Itachi. She didn't want Gaara to think their friendship was fleeting, so she looked for something to seal that bond. After a moment of reflection, she untied the red ribbon that Ino had given her as a symbol of their friendship. Carefully, she tied the ribbon around Gaara's arm.

"This ribbon means a lot to me. It was a gift from my first friend. Now I want you to keep it, so you'll remember that even though we're far apart, we'll always be friends," explained Sakura.

Gaara looked at the red ribbon on his arm and touched it with his other hand. He appreciated the gesture in silence.

The time they shared was so brief that neither of them wanted to part. Especially Gaara, who knew that no one in Suna cared for him. However, now he had hope that he wasn't the monster he thought he was, thanks to Sakura. Although a small part of him felt relieved by her departure, the looks of surprise, disbelief, and even hatred they received from the villagers as they walked through the streets and the market were evident. Sakura noticed this and hugged Gaara to give him strength, telling him to ignore those who looked at them badly, as she and Itachi were his friends. Although he trusted her, Gaara couldn't help but feel afraid that the villagers would try to drive Sakura away or hurt her for being with him.

They played, trained, and even explored part of Suna with Itachi as their bodyguard. Gaara had never had so much fun. Even at night, before sleeping, Sakura and Gaara shared their lives: the interesting, the sad, and the most unfortunate. There was laughter, tears, and anger that they both shared.

Sakura, who had worn a big smile on her face since morning, finally began to falter. Her eyes became glassy, and finally, tears began to flow uncontrollably down her cheeks as Gaara looked at her without showing any emotion on his face.

"I'll miss you," Sakura blurted out, putting a hand on Gaara's shoulder. "Don't feel bad, I wish I could stay longer too, but it's not possible."

Itachi glanced at Gaara, who didn't seem distressed despite Sakura's words.

"Please, don't make that sad face," Sakura insisted.

Gaara remained serious.

"When you feel lonely, you can look at the ribbon and think of me. I'll always be with you, no matter where I am. Keep it until we meet again."

Gaara blinked several times at the ribbon, as if it were the most curious thing in the world.

"That's it! I like it better when you're happy. This isn't the end, remember it won't be the last time we see each other. Next time, you'll be a great shinobi and I'll be a beautiful kunoichi, leaving you speechless with my strength," she hugged Gaara tightly. "It's a promise."

Gaara remained serious in the embrace, under the gaze of Itachi and Yashamaru.

When Sakura pulled away from Gaara, she gave him one last smile before turning to Itachi.

"Itachi-nii, I'm ready," Sakura said to Itachi, trying to hold back her tears and wiping them from her eyes. She began to walk alongside Itachi until she stopped, turned back to where Yashamaru and Gaara were, and then ran toward her friend, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"See you until next time, Gaa-kun."

Itachi watched Gaara, whose face, though serious, flushed intensely and his ears turned a deep shade of red. Satisfied, Sakura returned to Itachi's side and took his hand. Together, they walked into the vast desert. Unbeknownst to any of them, neither Itachi, Sakura, nor Yashamaru, Gaara finally managed to crack a small smile.

Under the relentless desert sun, Sakura and Itachi advanced calmly toward their next destination: Amegakure, the new home for both of them.

"Itachi-nii," Sakura sensed that Itachi was listening when she noticed the slight nod of the dark-haired man's head, "I'll strive to make you proud and to make Gaa-kun happy. I'll be the strongest kunoichi in history."

Itachi smiled faintly.

"We'll see."

The only obstacle for the moment was whether Akatsuki would accept her or she would perish in the attempt.

Kakashi and Soku's mission had ended in failure. Upon returning to Konoha, they had to report everything to Sarutobi, who felt the burden of being Hokage at his age becoming heavier. Ever since Soku realized he had lost track of his sister, a sense of sadness enveloped him. He distanced himself once they left the Hokage's office.

"I'll catch up with you later. I need some time alone," Soku said with a heavy heart.

Kakashi didn't say a word. He knew what it was like to want to be alone, and it wasn't in his nature to meddle in others' affairs. He simply bid farewell and headed straight to one of his two activities in Konoha: Uchiha Sasuke.

Unseen, he wandered until he found Sasuke walking aimlessly. Kakashi had known the boy when he worked as an ANBU with Itachi. Back then, Sasuke was cheerful and happy, but darkness had corrupted him, and now he was always immersed in sadness, filled with anger, and refused to speak with adults. If he wasn't walking the streets of the Uchiha district, he was training.

Kakashi decided he would resign from the ANBU rank. He was exhausted. He looked to the sky to orient himself and decided it was time to leave; apparently, Sasuke was okay, all things considered.

"...I swear on my life, Itachi," Sasuke murmured, catching Kakashi's attention with his venom-filled voice, "I will kill you and then rebuild my clan."

Kakashi, from a rooftop, cast an empty glance to the sky before leaping to other buildings. For today, he had finished monitoring Sasuke, as he had been tasked, until he was "stable," which he didn't expect to happen anytime soon. Now he had to attend to his other assignment.

Kakashi leaped from one rooftop to another until landing on a tree branch. From there, at a safe distance to remain undetected, he observed a boy with tousled blond hair and cerulean blue eyes. His cheeks were soaked with tears, his face covered in dirt and scratches.

Narrowing his eyes, Kakashi recognized the telltale sign that the boy had been beaten again.

"Oji-san," the boy murmured, directing his gaze toward the Hokage Tower, where he was headed now.

"It's infuriating, isn't it?" remarked Soku, appearing beside Kakashi, who showed no surprise at his presence. Apparently, Soku was calmer now. "They shouldn't treat the child like this for something that wasn't his fault."

Recently, the Hokage had decided for Naruto to move from the orphanage to his own home. Since then, Kakashi and Soku took turns to ensure that nothing serious happened to him. However, sometimes, like now, they couldn't prevent the villagers from bothering him. They couldn't be with him 24/7.

"And your family? How are they dealing with the Sakura situation?" Kakashi inquired, indicating he wasn't going to respond to Soku's comment.

Soku sighed, affected by the sensitive topic of his younger sister.

"As expected, they didn't care much," he briefly glanced at the sky before refocusing on Naruto. "They've always treated her poorly, just because of the family rules: a servant and only from the branch family. Whenever she was home, I tried to prevent anything from happening to her, but... It's my fault for being absent for a year and allowing this to happen."

Kakashi remained silent. He didn't like talking about guilt, and Soku knew that. Both turned their gazes back to Naruto, who kept staring at the sky, with a blank expression and his mouth tensed in a straight line. He was alone, empty. Suddenly, he frowned and clenched his hands into fists.

"Hey, I'll become a shinobi and I'll be Hokage so everyone can see me and recognize me, for real!" he shouted, raising his fist as he flashed a radiant smile.

Naruto was regaining his vitality.

Soku and Kakashi watched him closely. Soku smiled with satisfaction, while Kakashi remained impassive.

"Well, what surprises will this boy give us?" Soku commented, pleased to see that the child was determined to move forward despite how he was treated.

A girl who runs away from home and embarks on the path to become the greatest kunoichi in history.

A boy seeking to overcome and avenge his brother, with the intention of later rebuilding his clan.

A boy determined to become Hokage and put an end to the villagers' hatred towards him, aspiring to be respected.

One step closer to the future, one step closer for these lonely souls to cross their destinies.

What will destiny hold for them?