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Sand in the Leaves	By : ahmenet Category: Naruto > General Views: 1274 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I make any money from this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
“Does she actually call that
dancing?” Shikamaru asked as he lifted his cup and watched Ino
twirl in the crowd.

“I'd say that's a yes.”
Choji replied while lifting his dango stick.

The winter festival had begun that
morning and was well under way by afternoon. There had been music
and vending as well as colorful costumes and any number of amazing
sites all throughout the day. By evening the lights had colored the
streets in bright blues and greens and sparklers were waving in the
hands of nearly every passerby. The dancing had started then and
even shinobi still on duty couldn't help but be pulled, just for a
moment or two, into the crowds before coming out smiling.

“At least her husbands enjoying
it.” Choji continued.

Ino was dancing through the crowd with
arms flailing and hips swishing. Fudo had kept a close watch on her
for the first part of the evening but as the light faded into night
she'd managed to pull him into the crowd as more than just a
chaperon.

“He really needs to lighten up.”
Shikamaru yawed. “If she was going to leave him she'd be long
gone by now and Ino's not one to cheat.”

Choji gave him a rather droll look.
“Why are you explaining this to me? I already know.”

“I wasn't.” Shikamaru
thumbed over his shoulder. “I was telling him.”

Choji turned with the dango stick in
his mouth to smile up at Gaara. The former sand shinobi was standing
with his legs braced apart and his arms crossed just below his chest.
It was an habitual stance and made Choji shake his head as he
swallowed the dango whole.

“Now I see why people always
thought you were scary.” He grinned when Gaara gave him a
puzzled look. “From this angle you look intimidating.”

Gaara raised a brow and Choji stood
while wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He now looked down at the
frowning man and grinned even harder.

“And from this angle?”
Gaara asked with not a little sarcasm.

“You look short.”

Gaara snorted and a small group of
genin behind them chuckled very very quietly. Shikamaru simply shook
his head and yanked Gaara down into Choji seat before he could round
on the idiot genin.

“See you later, Shikamaru.
Gaara.” The large ninja called as he made his way into the
crowded streets.

Gaara ordered tea as he watched the
villagers wave sparklers over their heads and dance in and out of
shops and carts. He remembered the festivals in Suna that started as
the sun was rising and didn't end until the next sunrise. For a long
time he'd spent those days and nights locked tightly away where
nothing but the faint sounds of music and laughter could be heard and
the smell of food could make one nauseous instead of hungry. In
later years he joined in on those celebrations. Trying desperately
to understand what made them so unique and enjoyable to each person.
And as he watched his brother and sister smile and laugh over sake
and rice cakes with their sensei, he'd finally started to realize
that though this was something he may never truly understand, he
desperately wanted to protect it. And as Kazekage he had. For a
while at least.

“Home sick?” Shikamaru
asked and glance over before turning to give Gaara the full weight of
his eyes.

Gaara looked over the crowd for just a
while longer. A week ago he might have said yes. His one night with
Sakura had done nothing to alleviate the empty feeling deep inside
his chest, but a strangers simple demand had. Izanami Uchiha's words
echoed in his mind for hours after he'd left her and her two grieving
sons in the cemetery. He'd spent those hours roaming the streets of
Konoha in an attempt understand what she knew and what it meant for
and to him. By late afternoon he'd found himself in front of the
gates. The guards in the station stood to attention at the site of
him but he'd barely noticed. Would it really be running if he left
to find his brother? Would he really be betraying a people who knew
so little about him and probably cared even less? It was his job to
protect them but if he couldn't protect his own village...

His thoughts had been broken when
Shikamaru called him. He'd taken one last look at the gates that
pointed toward his home and turned to speak with his friend. That's
when he'd learned about the mission to Suna. The mission that was
pulling people out of the village and relocating them to boarder
cities as far way from the Wind country as they could get them. The
mission that had started only a couple of weeks after he'd been found
and brought back to the village. It had been commissioned by a
founding family leader and kept quiet from the council so as not to
draw suspicion to the village. None of the refugees stayed more than
a week. No one could trace them back to the village. And according
to the records and the papers he'd signed, he was here of his
own free will.

If there had been any lingering doubts
in his mind about the price he owed these people, it had died with
that conversation.

“A little. But I think it will
pass.”

Shikamaru nodded and turned back to the
festivities. Then smiled and lazily pointed toward an opening in the
crowd.

“Here comes Sakura.”

Gaara simply nodded his acknowledgment
and turned toward his harried teammate as she dragged a giggling
toddler behind her.

Since that night a week ago his friends
had been giving him hell. Shikamaru, being the most subtle, had
simply found pleasure in the way he cringed or blushed over passing
comments. Choji had been relatively kind in backing him up, no
matter how embarrassing that turned out to be. But Neji had taken
great pleasure in bringing it up every time they were in friendly
company and especially in Gai's presence. It was a wonder the poor
man didn't pass out from all the blood rushing to his face. However,
no one said a word when Sakura was around which gave him a small
reprieve during training and short missions. After the first broken
and bloodied ninja had gone to the hospital all others had found it
wise not to mention the incident in front of her. Moegi had gone a
long way to help keep the incident down to minor gossip. He was
thankful for that and was trying very hard to find a way to express
that thanks in an acceptable way.

“Oi! Shikamaru! Gaara!”
Sakura waved an arm as she lugged the small girl through the open
front and toward their table. “Gotta favor to ask.” She
dropped into the seat across from them and dragged little Tsunade
into her lap.

“Whatever it is, it's too
troublesome.” Shikamaru sighed and dropped his elbow on the
table to rest his chin in his hand.

“Yah, yah, whatever. Look. I
need you to watch Tsunade for me until Sasuke's wife comes to pick
her up.” She didn't sound thrilled with the idea.

“Sakura, if you have a problem
with them watching your kid then don't send her over there.”
The shadow nin complained.

Sakura glared at him. “I don't
have a problem with it. She loves playing with the boys and
Konohamaru is watching them tonight so I'm sure it will be fine.”

Both Gaara and Shikamaru gave her wide
eyes. “Just Konohamaru?” They asked in unison.

“I think Udon is helping him out.
I wouldn't be surprised if they got Moegi as well, though I heard
she was dealing with some issues for the exams that have come up.”
She frowned in thought then reached out to stop Tsunade from
crawling under the table, missing the sidelong glance Shikamaru gave
Gaara who, in turn, glared at him.

“But it doesn't matter. The kids
are well behaved and Konohamaru loves to watch them. Kurenai's boy
will be there too so...”

“Hokage help them.”
Shikamaru muttered and finished off the last of his cup before
standing.

“I'll see you tomorrow morning
for breakfast?” Gaara said and watched him walk around the
table and ruffle Tsunade's hair.

“Sure. Try and get some sleep
tonight.” Shikamaru smiled glancing down at Sakura's pink hair
with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Sand shifted from Gaara's gourd and
snaked over the table. “You know. I've been working on my
sand coffin. It won't kill you, but it hurts... a lot.”

Shikamaru raised both hands in
surrender and walked away before Sakura turned on him as well.

“I'll watch her if you like.”
Gaara offered watching Sakura sag in relief and Tsunade try to catch
the now retreating sand.

“Thanks. I have to be at the
hospital in ten minutes. Tsunade-sama is still mad at me and...”
She swallowed and looked down, settling the wiggling toddler more
fully in her lap before meeting his eye. “I've not had a
chance to apologize to you for that night. I know there's no excuse
but...”

Gaara shook his head. “There is
nothing to apologize for. Nothing happened I couldn't have stopped
if I'd wanted to.”

She took a deep breath intending to
explain that she wasn't apologizing for the act but for what she'd
said, when she felt the air shift behind her and saw the odd look in
Gaara's eyes.

“I'm sorry. Izanami was coming
to get her but she's dealing with a difficult issue at home for me.”

Sakura turned to face the owner of that
smooth silky voice. Sasuke didn't smile when he saw her, but then
she hadn't expected him to. She'd not given him a reason to smile at
her for more than a year.

“Sasuke.” Gaara nodded but
didn't break eye contact. It was only the second time he'd seen the
man since coming to the village and the last time had been at a
distance.

Sasuke didn't answer but continued to
stare at the red head. Sakura got the impression the two of them
were having a silent conversation when neither spoke for several
minutes. She looked at the clock and cursed. Which Tsunade
immediately repeated. She could have sworn she heard Sasuke chuckle.

“I have to go. I'm late and the
Hokage hasn't been feeling very generous with me lately.”

Sasuke cleared his throat but said
nothing more.

“We will meet you for training
tomorrow morning?” Gaara asked.

“After breakfast. I'll see you
then.” With a last kiss to Tsunade she tossed her pack over
her shoulder and muscled her way through the crowd.

Sasuke reached down and picked up the
bouncing toddler.

“Fox!” Tsunade squealed
and patted his cheeks with her tiny hands.

“Why are you the fox?”

Sasuke looked down at Gaara. The red
head looked quizzically back at him. The same way he seemed to
looked at almost anything he didn't really understand. It only took
a moment to realize he was asking about the children's story he'd
been telling the boys at bedtime for several years now. Nearly
everyone in Konoha knew the story and he supposed some parts of it
would be odd to the former demon vessel.

“What have you been told?”
Sasuke asked cryptically.

Gaara's expression didn't change but
his eyes narrowed just a little leaving tiny creases above his nose.

“I've been told it was anything
from lack of creativity to ego.”

Sasuke didn't have to guess too much to
find out who thought it was ego. He bounced Tsunade on his hip a few
times to keep her happy as she twisted his hair between her fingers.

“Naruto may have held the fox
demon but he wasn't a fox. He was never sly and though he was a
prankster he was never very sneaky about it. He wasn't vicious and
he didn't hide from anything. He was loyal and strong and fought
with as much honor as a ninja can. That's why he's the Tose Inu.”

Gaara's eyes widened and the wrinkles
transferred to his forehead. Sasuke clamped down on the bubble of
humor and kept his face even. He'd heard about the drunken party
they'd had only a week ago. He had a little trouble reconciling the
man in front of him with the one he'd heard hid under a table to
fight off an Akamichi and a Hyuuga.

“Japanese Mastiff? I would never
have considered Naruto prudent, well-tempered or docile.”
Gaara's lips quirked.

Sasuke nodded then winced with Tsunade
bit his shoulder and pulled his hair.

“No. But courageous, that fit
him well.”

Both men watched one another. The
genin at the table behind him stood and Gaara gave them a passing
glance as they left. He watched them eye Sasuke with thinly veiled
suspicion before they walked into the crowd. Sasuke's face didn't
change but something in his eyes said he'd seen it and he was putting
it away to examine later.

“It's a lot of money to spend on
people you don't really care one way or the other for.” Gaara
tossed out.

Sasuke visibly jumped. He eyed Gaara
for a moment in surprise before sighing.

“Who told you?”

Gaara thought about that a moment.
Tsunade had asked Shikamaru not to tell him until it would be
pointless for him to take off and join the fight. Shikamaru had
pointed out to her that Gaara was capable of understanding the need
for discretion and wouldn't be foolish enough to let feelings cloud
rationale in this instance. Then he'd taken a chance and told him
about the mission and exactly what was requested.

“Shikamaru showed off his
impressive photographic memory.”

Sasuke actually groaned.

“So, why?” Gaara watched
thoughts run through the Uchiha's eyes.

“He was your friend and brother.”
Sasuke stated. Gaara simply nodded in acknowledgment of his
relationship with Naruto. “He was my brother, too.” He
paused and swallowed. “We've lost enough family.”

Gaara opened his mouth and tried to
find a voice around the wall blocking his throat when little Tsunade
turned her head and squealed. “Nato! Hio!”

Gaara's mouth snapped shut as he looked
around and Sasuke turned toward Naruto and Hiro coming out of the
crowd, hand in hand. Naruto was grinning from ear to ear, Hiro was
smiling a bit more subdued.

“DADDY!! Hamaru's waiting for
us! Hurry up!” Naruto yelled as he dragged Hiro up with him.

“Aren't you suppose to be with
Konohamaru?” Sasuke raised a brow down at his children.

Naruto's cheeks flushed but he held his
ground and stepped a little in front of his brother. Hiro whispered
a quiet, “I told you so” as he stared at his twisting
foot.

“Tadao wouldn't come with us so
we came to get you and since you said we can't leave him alone and I
can't tie him to the benches Hamaru had to stay with him so he did
and we had to come by ourselves but we're big now and everyone knows
who we are and they won't mess with us cause I'll fry 'em just like
you taught me.” Naruto grinned again. “Right Daddy?”

Sasuke shook his head, took in a deep
breath... then sighed it out and looked back at Gaara. “I'm
sure I'll see you again?” he asked without inflection.

Gaara tore his eyes away from the
picture of two young boys standing hand in hand in front of their
father and the memories that it tried to pry from his mind.

“I'm sure you will.” He
glance one last time at the boys. “Thank you.”

Sasuke said nothing. Simply placed his
free hand on Naruto's shoulder and turned them toward the crowd.
Before they disappeared the boys looked back at him, both smiling and
waving.

0.0.0.0.0.0

Neji lounged on one hip and elbow.
His free hand holding a cup of sake and his eyes fixed on the woman
sitting on her knees across from him. When he'd realized years ago
that Gai had a lover it had thrown him. Gai had never seemed the
type to keep someone for the simple purpose of sex and not marry
them. But as the years went by and no marriage came, he had to
wonder if there were things about his sensei he didn't know. When
he'd finally met her, he realized there were a great many things
about Gai he didn't know or understand. But he'd been right about
one thing. Gai didn't keep a lover for simple pleasures.

“I don't know why you keep
telling him no. He's not going to give up.”

The statement startled Chiharu out of
her thoughts and turned her attention from the lights and sounds of
the village toward him.

“It's not that simply, Neji.”
She replied leaning to her own hip and smoothing her kimono.

“Yes it is. Say yes, get
married, have a couple of mini Gais...” He paused to consider
what he'd just said and shuddered a little. “Okay. Just one
mini Gai. But all in all I can see this being a happy ending for
both of you.”

She smiled almost wistfully at the moon
above them. The small garden at this house was a quiet sanctuary for
herself and Gai. When Lee had been alive she'd spent many an evening
sitting out under the stars speaking with him or simply letting him
talk most of the time. Sometime after TenTen's death he'd started
bringing Neji with him. The Hyuuga had been much quieter but with a
little prodding on Lee and Gai's part he'd opened up to their small
group. She'd been grateful when he'd continued his visits after Lees
passing.

“It seems that way but there will
always be whispers behind his back that he lowered himself for a
whore...”

Neji sat up. “You are not
a whore!”

She smiled just a little at his
vehement denial. “I thank you for your confidence but what I
once was will follow me to my grave not matter what I have become. I
will not allow that stigma to follow Gai as well.”

“You won't even consider that it
doesn't matter to him what you were doing to survive during a
war. He doesn't care what others think. Nor do the rest of us.”
He settled back down on his elbow with a deep frown.

She couldn't help the smile that broke
free. “You're a good friend, Neji, and I know you all mean
well, but I can't in good conscience marry Gai with my background.”
She held up a hand to forestall his next argument. “You
didn't come here to fight with me over Gai's well being. I will not
discuss this farther.”

She could tell by the set of his jaw he
was far from finished with this conversation, but he fell into his
silent calm and simply reached out a hand to run fingers over the
small pool next to him. The tock of bamboo hitting stone
smoothed her ruffled edges and she felt the tension in her shoulders
ease.

“So...” She looked back at
Neji as he rolled to his back and clasped his hands behind his head
with a mischievous smile. “Did you hear the genin managed to
get into Gaara's apartment and nailed all of his sandals to the
floor?”

She put her hand over her mouth to hold
in the snickering. “I assume he didn't take that well.”

“You assume correctly.”
Neji sighed. The wind picked up the sound and carried it off along
with the other sounds from the festival. “When he saw them
that afternoon he buried then in a sand wave. I think the guard
would have taken him into custody if Anko hadn't been laughing at her
students so hard she could barely berating them for getting caught.”

Chiharu gave up on covering her
laughter. When she was able, she coughed a few times to loosen her
throat. “Were they hurt?” Neji shook his head. “Well.
I'm sure they'll think twice before pranking him again.”

“Ha!” She turned to look
at the dark haired man and saw his complete enjoyment of his friends
predicament. “They were seen gathering the components of
itching powder yesterday at the hospital.”

“Oh dear.” She fell into a
fit of laughter again.

Finally the two were able to settle
once again. They listened to the sound of music, laughter and water
running over stones. The tock from the shishi-odoshi echoing
over the other sounds. Neji sighed into the quiet and rolled to his
side before sitting up.

“Are you ready?” Chiharu
asked as she too pulled herself back to her knees.

“As ready as I'll ever be.”
He replied and leaned over to crawl to her.

“You don't have to, you know.”
She reached into the folds of her kimono.

“I know.” He mournfully
replied. “But I think I need to.”

0.0.0.0.0.0

Setsu Gogatsu bent down to give her son
one last kiss.

“Do you remember everything I
have told you?” She asked.

Five year old Taro nodded and stood
tall. Swiping at the tears rolling down his cheeks as if they were
ants.

“I will come for you if I can.
Find your uncle. He will take care of you for as long as that may
take.”

“Yes, mama.”

“You are a brave boy. Strong and
kind. Some day you will be a great shinobi. Never forget that I
love you and am very proud of you.” She brushed a lock of dark
brown hair from his eyes.

“Yes, mama.” He swallowed
then jumped into the arms she opened for him.

Setsu looked toward the door that
opened into the darkened room. She nodded acknowledgment of the dark
haired, masked man standing in the dim light. Pulling back from her
son, she placed her hands on his cheeks and held his gaze.

“You will go with this man. He
will take you some place safe. Do not argue with him and follow his
instructions exactly.” She caressed his cheekbones with her
thumbs and fought down the urge to cry.

“What will you do, mama?”
Taro sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

“I'm going to try and help a
friend who's very very sick.”

The ANBU at the door looked out as a
sound traveled down the halls. Setsu quickly gathered her sons pack
and strapped it over his shoulders. She stood and rushed him to the
doors as footsteps began to pound down the opposite hallway.

“Be safe.” She whispered
on a choked sob.

“I love you, mama.”

The ANBU took Taro's hand and they
disappeared in a swirl of inky mist. Setsu turned from the doorway
and rushed to the window as voices began sounding from the walls in
the hallways. She gave one last look at the surrounding room and the
street below. The door crashed in a moment after she'd jumped, the
men now searching inside never seeing her chakra walk to the
buildings edge and down into the darkened alley below.

0.0.0.0.0.0

Yugao brushed the antiseptic wipe over
Kankuro's red and swollen face. He was shaking with chills and
burning with fever. They were running out of time.

“Kankuro? Can you hear me?”

His breath rattled. “Yes.”

She lay a hand on his chest and felt
the vibration of fluid with each breath he took. There was no time
for delays. She wasn't even sure he would make it through the week.

“This will be the last time I
come for healing.” His eyes opened a little and she focused on
them. “I'm going to use the last of the sealed healing on you
now. It should help you through the week.”

He nodded then coughed several times.
When the tremors that followed slowed and his eyes were slightly less
clouded with pain, she continued.

“When I return, you will be
leaving this place. You don't need to know the details but you will
have to trust me. The guard must think you're dead so to them you
will be.”

His eyes opened again and she saw the
suspicion in them. After enduring countless hours of pain and
torture simply because they couldn't hurt the one they really wanted
to, he was entitled to suspicion.

“It's a small but effective
jutsu. Don't fight it, just let it put you to sleep. We'll take
care of everything else. When you wake you'll be with our ANBU.
They wear masks. You remember them?”

He gave a small nodded but didn't
cough. She lay her left hand on his chest and looked down at the
faded dragon tattoo. In only a week the seal would be completely
gone. The guard at the doors had laughingly suggested she get it
touched up. She'd have to talk to Kakashi about pigments to darken
the colors for a little longer. One person noticing was one too
many.

“I fulfilled your request. They
leave tonight.”

His smiled looked painful but no less
genuine. She ran a wet cloth over his forehead and behind his neck
before releasing the seal and beginning the last of the healing she
could accomplish. As she watched his eyes drift closed again and his
harsh breathing even out just a little, she prayed he'd make it
through the week and the medic being sent to tend him made it to the
boarder.

0.0.0.0.0.0

Izanami walked through the house toward
the front door.

“I'll be right back, Takako! I
think Konohamaru is back with the boys!”

She ignored the complaints that
followed. The younger woman had been nothing but a pain all night.
Constantly wanting someone to wait on her hand and foot. Actually,
she'd wanted Sasuke to do the waiting, but he had even less patience
for the woman's whining then she did.

She saw the nurse maid standing in the
doorway and smiled. “The twins are in the nursery. I'm sorry
to call you out tonight but...”

She dodged just in time. The woman
flew past her. The kunai in her hand slicing Izanami's cheek. The
old nurse maids body fell to the floor behind her.

“Stupid old woman, just had to
see me.” The ninja stood. No forehead protector was visible,
but her long black hair may have been covering it. “And now
you.”

Izanami didn't waste time. She turned
on her heels and ran for the nursery, slamming the door shut behind
her. She could hear Takako screaming from the other end of the hall
and ignored her. Taking up a position in front of the cradles, she
activated her chakra scalpel and placed her free hand over her
slightly distended belly. The boys were due home any moment. Until
then she'd protect those she could and pray for those she couldn't.
- 17
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- 19
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Sand in the Leaves