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A Leaf in the Wind Country	By : Figaliz Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1007 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Part Three: With Friends
Like These�

The next three days were hectic.
Kankuro left on his mission the first day, leaving Sasuke to watch Gaara make
arrangements for a special ranking trial, from Genin to Chuunin to Jounin. When
Sasuke wasn�t with Gaara under the pretext of being watched, he was allowed to
wander the streets of Suna under the guard of two senior Jounin, and the unseen
Anbu. Usually he preferred to stay with Gaara, to observe how those around
Gaara reacted to their Kazekage, partly to learn more about the man he would be
working with, partly to catch any hint of guilt or dislike that might indicate
a traitor. It was more fascinating then he�d thought it would be. Gaara�s
people treated him with a mix of deep respect, even genuine liking, and fear.
All of the Kazekage�s shinobi staff avoided unnecessary verbal jockeying, no
extra pleasantries or flattery, and most of the civilian staff was the same.
There were a few obsequious individuals, but even they kept the brown nosing
short. There was absolutely no one who treated the Kazekage with the sort of
informal, friendly familiarity he had grown up with in Konoha, nor the
worshipful fear he�d witnessed with Orochimaru. Sasuke wasn�t sure why he was
surprised, he knew Konoha was considered especially lax and idealistic for a
ninja village, if not downright eccentric, and Orochimaru had been insane in
his own unique way, but seeing the difference first hand was still
enlightening. Despite the formal way Gaara�s staff handled him, Sasuke noted
that a majority of them showed no resentment to their curt Kazekage; they
seemed more adverse to disturbing him, then angering him, those that weren�t
obviously a bit terrified of him at least.
As for Gaara, he treated everyone
the same. He was equally crisp and to the point with the counsel as he was with
genin who brought him his lunch. He oversaw the assignment of missions with a
face as cold as stone, and he was sharp and demanding with anyone he thought
might not be prepared for a task. The shinobi took this in stride and answered
his questions smartly, and it didn�t take Sasuke�s sharingan to figure out that
Gaara�s sharpness stemmed from worry. Altogether it was an enlightening three
days.
The third day Gaara was going
through the usual reports and missives on his desk, when he handed one to
Sasuke. It had the Hokage�s seal and it smelled rather strongly of sake.
Sasuke skimmed the contents of the
letter, the slightest of frowns forming on his lips. Tsunade addressed Gaara
formally enough, but then proceeded to call into question the Kazekage�s
sanity, ancestry, and possible substance abuses. As an official documents went
it was not very diplomatic. After the insults Tsunade demanded a better explanation
for Gaara�s actions, stating in final that Sakura and Naruto would be on their
way to retrieve those explanations personally. Sasuke caught himself scowling
by the end of the letter, and looked up quickly to find Gaara watching him.
�What will you do about this?�
Sasuke asked, setting the letter back on Gaara�s desk, carefully rearranging
his own expression to neutral. He had enough practice not giving even a twitch
of muscle away to reveal his feelings.
�Assuming she sent this when she
sent her agents, they�ll be here tomorrow late, or early the day after.� Gaara
neatly rolled the letter scroll, smoothing it with precise fingers. �Temari
left for Konoha this morning, she might meet them on the way. Regardless, I
will tell them nothing.� There was something in Gaara�s expression like grim
determination. �Did you wish to speak to them? They were your team.� Gaara was
looking at Sasuke again, expressionless, but from the way his fingers had
stilled, poised over the Hokage�s missive, Sasuke read anticipation in every
line of him.
�If they arrive in two days I
should already be in my trials.� Sasuke pointed out. �If you�re unable to
convince them to leave me alone, however, I will see them for ten minutes, no
longer. They will have to be content with that.�
Gaara nodded, abruptly setting the
Hokage�s letter aside. Sasuke couldn�t read him, he had no idea what Gaara was
thinking at that moment or if he�d gotten what he anticipated. It was, in a
small way, intriguing to be unable to read every movement or mood of Gaara,
just by watching him. Certainly he was more open then he had been at the
Chuunin exams, but just watching the Kazekage gave Sasuke only the smallest
flashes of insight. Three days would have been more then enough for Sasuke to
read anyone else so well that he could predict their moves in his sleep.
But not Gaara. The Kazekage barely
came up to his chest, had so much dark around his eyes most people assumed it
was makeup, not the effects of a lifelong inability to sleep, and was the most
dangerous man in Sunagakure.
As refreshing as it was not to be
completely sure of the Kazekage�s thoughts and intentions, it was also less
then reassuring. Gaara was not an ally he trusted; never mind that they�d tried
to kill each other once, that wasn�t the problem. Sasuke didn�t know enough
about Gaara to trust him. The Kazekage was guarded, quiet, and notoriously
paranoid. His past was bloody and as unpredictable as a sandstorm. By all
reports and observations Gaara had settled down after becoming Kazekage; but
was that careful control over himself, or the silence before the eruption? Most
of Suna seemed to believe it was the former, Sasuke was reserving judgment.

Naruto and Sakura arrived in the
middle of Sasuke�s second ranking trial. Sasuke noticed them being shown to the
booth where the Kazekage and other judges watched the proceedings. He�d been
going easy on Gaara�s forces, and he was still winning without trying. The
truly talented Jounin were either on missions or too valuable to risk injury in
a simple ranking test. Even with Sasuke attempting not to hurt his opponents,
serious injury was always a risk.
It wasn�t as if he were attempting
to go easy on his opponents because they were allies either. It was just the
way he was. It was more then just a habit left over from being raised in
Konoha, it was his deliberate choice not to take another life unnecessarily.
That extended to bloodshed. So far he had defeated all his challenges without
drawing an opponent�s blood, he was confident he could finish the rest of the
challenges with the same boast. With the weight of his former teammate�s eyes
on him he finished the second trial quickly and left the training ring they
were using as the trial grounds. He entered the building he was allowed to use
as a sort of preparation room and helped himself to a cup of water. He already
knew Sakura and Naruto wouldn�t listen even if Gaara tried to dissuade them
from visiting him, which he doubted the Kazekage would do in the first place,
though he wasn�t sure.
He could have set a clock by the
thirty seconds it took before he heard that loud voice outside the door.
�SAAASSUUKKEEE!!!!� the door flew
open and a stormy eyed blond ninja in black and orange raged into the room,
followed by a much quieter�and that in itself was probably dangerous�pink
haired girl in the outfit of a medi-nin, who closed the door discreetly. Sasuke
set his glass of water down and watched the two from his seat on the bench.
They looked mostly the same as the last time he�d seen them, before he killed
Orochimaru. He didn�t see their new teammate, his replacement, but he supposed he
wouldn�t; he hadn�t noticed the other during his match, and Tsunade�s letter
had only mentioned these two.
�Sasuke!� Naruto stomped forward
glowering. �What the hell are you doing here? Why didn�t you come back to
Konoha if you wanted to join a village so bad?!� Uzumaki grabbed the front of
Sasuke�s shirt in his fist, growling into Sasuke�s face. �What the hell you
bastard? We�ve been trying to get you back all this time and WHY ARE YOU
HERE!?� Sasuke let Naruto rant in his face a little longer, before disengaging
the blonde�s clutch on his shirt. He caught the punch Naruto aimed at his face
without blinking, staring Naruto down over their combined fists. He could see
Sakura out of the corner of his eyes, watching. He already knew who she�d help
if it came to a fight, it almost made him want to smile. It wouldn�t be his
back she defended. As grown up as these two got, as much as they changed, he
still knew what they�d do. It was, in a way, comforting.
Naruto was snarling still, teeth bared
in his feral expression, but he didn�t pull back from Sasuke�s fingers around
his fist, not until Sasuke let go on his own. Then he stood there, fists
clenched and teeth grinding as if the force of his glare could knock Sasuke
cold where a punch couldn�t, just so they could drag him home to Konoha.
�Answer damn you!� he finally
yelled, frustrated by Sasuke�s silence and calm. Flustered by the situation.
Sasuke let himself smile then,
watching the effect it had on them. Sakura looked suspicious, and guardedly
hopeful, Naruto looked confused, then even more pissed off.

�Did you come to fight me, scaredy-cat?� He murmured, tone light, almost
playful. �I�m afraid I�m otherwise occupied at the moment, but we could make an
appointment if it means that much to you.�
�If you wanna fight I�ll beat you
to a pulp and drag you back in a gunny sack, Sasuke-bastard!� Naruto declared
at the top of his lungs. For a moment it felt like Sasuke had never left team
seven.
But he had. There were four years
of separation and pain between the three of them now; he hadn�t forgotten it,
neither had they.
Sasuke stood, forcing Naruto to
step back and look up at him. He was a good head taller then Naruto and Sakura,
and looking down at Naruto he slipped back into the familiar neutral mask.
�Why would I return to Konoha?� He
asked coldly. He met Naruto�s eyes, then Sakura�s. �There�s nothing for me
there. You�re annoying, coming here.� Naruto did punch him then, Sasuke let
him. Sakura grabbed Naruto�s arms before he could try and get another punch in,
though Sasuke could see the tears�rage or pain?�in her eyes before she looked
away. She dragged Naruto to the door, using her considerable strength to subdue
him before he caused any real damage, and then stopped.
�We�ll still be waiting in Konoha
when you�re ready to come back.� Her voice was cold and emotionless, but she
didn�t turn around to meet his eyes either. The next minute the door slammed
behind her and Naruto, shaking the building enough that dust and sand dislodged
from the roof, dusting Sasuke with a fine coat of golden grains.
Sasuke tested his cheek and lips
with practiced fingers. Teeth had scraped up the inside of his mouth, and his
lip was split. His own blood added its bitter taste to the meeting, but his
teeth were fine and with his new increased healing the bruise wouldn�t last a
week.
So much for beating the Sand
Shinobi trials without bloodshed. The thought made Sasuke smile ruefully,
ignoring the pain the expression elicited from his bleeding lips.
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A Leaf in the Wind Country