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Sand in the Leaves	By : ahmenet Category: Naruto > General Views: 1273 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I make any money from this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Finally got this up. Don't own it.
Don't make any money. Mores the pity.

Sakura sat cleaning her stubby nails
with a kunai when Nejis snort caught her attention.

“Looks like the princess has
decided to rejoin the lowly vassals.”

Sakura rolled her eyes and stood as Gai
came trooping down the hill followed by Gaara. There was something
different about the former Kazekage but she just couldn't seem to put
her finger on it. He was wearing a heavier long sleeve shirt than
usual but the weather was a bit cool today. He looked as though he'd
lost weight yet that wasn't what was niggling at her either.

“Shut it, Neji. He's having a
hard enough time without you making it worse.”

“I thought we were suppose to
help toughen him up?”

Sakura simply ignored him. Neji had
always been cool to snide with her, and she'd understood. He'd not
wanted his teammates replaced. For Neji there were no replacements
for TenTen and Lee. But he failed to realize they weren't being
replaced. You couldn't have a team with only two members and the
Hokage's decision stood. She'd had it bad enough but with Lee still
there it hadn't been overly so. But Gaara ... No one replaced Lee.
Not in Nejis eyes.

“And how are my exuberant and
energetic teammates this fine morning!” Gai called in his
usual greeting.

“Good morning Gai sensei.”
Sakura stood and bowed. “Gaara.”

“Good morning, Gai.” Neji
replied from his resting place against one of the taller trees. He
smiled cruelly as he turned his eyes to Gaara. “Good morning,
princess. Nice of you to join us today.”

Gaara ignored him.

“I thought Shizune told you to
stay off the ankle for three days. It's only been two.”
Sakura cut in.

Gaara shrugged negligently, “I
can put full weight on it. It's fine.”

“Just because you can walk on it
doesn't mean it's fine. Take it easy.” She didn't flinch when
he turned to glare at her. His bright hair making the blue-green of
his narrowed eyes stand out all the more.

Wait. His hair! THAT'S what was
different about him today. Sakura looked at the vibrant red as the
sun played on in. Normally it was more of a rust color with hints of
red mixed with brown and burgundy. But today it was cherry red. No,
redder than that. She'd seen Ino where shades of red that couldn't
compare to this.

“Alright my bright and youthful
companions! It's time for training! Youth and vitality run through
your veins! Let it burn in your souls as well! Free the strength of
your mind and allow your body to grow!”

Sakura smiled with a sigh as they moved
toward the center of the field and began warm-ups. She'd ask Gaara
about his hair later. It was a nice color on him, though he looked
like he needed a hair cut. She hummed quietly and bent to stretch
her legs. She'd ask him if he wanted her to do it later otherwise
she'd have to find some ties for him before training tomorrow.

0.0.0.0.0.0.0

The sea of ninja in the halls of Hokage
tower parted as Tsunade walked toward her office, a thin file in hand
and a frown on her face. Shizune stood as her long time companion
came to a stop in front of her.

“Call Gaara. I need him in my
office tomorrow morning. Feel free to explain anything you feel he
should know.”

She turned and opened the doors,
closing them with a bang. Then walked straight to her desk, picked
up the heaviest object on it and threw it through the wall. Ibiki,
in the hallway outside, ducked then looked through the head sized
hole in the wall before dropping his reports in Shizunes hands and
smiling.

“Good luck.” He called
before turning and walking back the way he'd come.

In her office, Tsunade fumed. How dare
they do this now! The boy wasn't ready and if he refused to agree to
this...

“What the hell am I going to do
now?”

A timid knock came at the door and
Shizune stepped in without waiting for a reply.

“They wouldn't even listen.”
Tsunade began. “All they want is to make absolutely sure we
have him 'under control'.”

Shizunes face crumpled a little and she
looked down at the floor.

“The worst part of it is, he'll
probably agree. He'll sign that paper saying he's become
disenchanted with his country and exile himself from his home just to
keep the peace. And then when he gets a chance he'll go missing nin,
go back to Suna for a brother who may no longer be alive and get
himself killed because he didn't trust us to help.”

Silence fell as Tsunade hung her head
and attempted to grab the reins of what little control she had over
her temper. Shizune moved to the desk and picked up the folder. At
Tsunades nod she began to read through the small document.

“Is this the final draft?”
The younger medic asked as she finished her perusal.

Tsunade looked resigned as she nodded.

“Gaara is a very intelligent
man.” Shizune stated.

Tsunade looked up and eyed her
assistant. “He'd have to be to run a village like Suna at
fifteen, even if they were simply trying to control him.”

Shizune walked around the Hokages desk
and placed the open folder in front of her.

“Have you read this?”

The blond looked down at the neat thin
writing with a sneer. “No.”

“You should.” Shizune
smiled and pointed out a paragraph.

Tsunade looked over the words
carefully, then read them again. It wasn't until the third time
through that she looked up with a small smile.

“I'm sure one of the council
members will want to be present when he signs. It wouldn't be wise
to point this out.” The dark haired woman looked down at the
document. “I found three. Do you think he will see them too?”

Tsunade closed the folder and leaned
back in her seat. When she gained her assistance attention she
smiled slyly.

“As I said earlier, Shizune, I
need Gaara in my office tomorrow morning. Feel free to explain
anything you feel he should know.”

Shizune smiled. “Hai, Lady
Tsunade.”

0.0.0.0.0.0.0

Udon looked up as Team Gai made their
way through the dwindling crowd. Neji and Gaara seemed to be lagging
behind. Gaara with a limp. Neji with a ripped and bloody tunic.

“Wonder what happened to them?”
The bespectacled boy asked of his two teammates who were just
finishing their meals.

“Who?” Konohamaru asked
then choked on his laughter.

As the group drew nearer the three
chuunin took a closer look. Nejis clothes were indeed torn but not
bloody. And Gaaras arms through his now shredded shirt were red as
well. The two seemed to be mumbling to one another as they passed.
Their voices low but not so low that a few people couldn't hear.

“And you had NO idea they were
going to do this?” Neji shrilled in a whisper.

“I don't make a habit of
following genin around and marking their every move.”
Gaara stated with only a little heat.

“And how the hell did you miss
getting hit again?”

“I saw one of them right
before you bodily slammed me into the adjacent tree. I would have
warned you but I was too busy trying to remember how to breath.”
The heat was growing in the red heads voice and Moegi sighed as she
watched the conversation.

“She's got it bad.” Udon
said behind her back to Konohamaru. The other boy rolled his eyes.

“And as I told you earlier, I
wasn't missed. They got me last night in the bath house. I simply
managed to get most of it off before this morning.”

“Yeah, well you need to share
the secret with me because I'm not walking around looking like a
stuck pig for the rest of the evening.”
Neji took in a deep breath and seemed to center himself a little.

“You'll have to speak with my
neighbor, Watari-san. She is the one who showed me how to get this
stuff off.”

Neji stopped in the
center of the road; body very still. Gaara continued to walk as Gai
looked back and caught Nejis eye. There was a moment of silent,
strained communication between the two long time teammates, then Neji
turned without a word and walked in the opposite direction of the
group.

“Neji! Where
are you going?” Sakura called out after him as she turned to
follow. Gai gripped her shoulder.

The three remaining
teammates continued on their way to the stand at the end of the
street as Neji disappeared into into the trees that marked the path
toward Hyuuga manor.

“Wonder what
that was all about?” Udon asked.

The three payed for
their meal and started up the street in the same direction as Gais
team. When they passed the stand and the three jounin, Moegi sighed
once more.

“You know, if
you just talk to him...” Konohamaru began then felt the sharp
sting as the cherry checked girl slapped her hand hastily over his
mouth.

“No.”

Udon scratched the
back of his head and wisely kept him mouth shut. Moegi removed her
hand and looked back in the direction of her crush then came to a
dead stop. He was looking right at her.

“You might
want to breath Moegi. Otherwise you're going to pass out and won't
that be embarrassing?” Konohamaru consoled.

The girl squeaked.
She'd been staring for far too long than was proper now and it hadn't
gone unnoticed. Sakura was smiling behind her napkin and Gai was
averting his eyes as best he could. Gaara simply continued to stare
at her.

“That's it.”
The self proclaimed leader of their team gave the girl a hard push
and sent her flying in the direction of the table her eyes were fixed
on.

When they reached
the table he put a hand on each of her shoulders to steady her.

“Moegi, this
is Gaara Sabaku. Gaara this is Moegi, my teammate.”

Neither spoke.
Sakura huffed.

“Hello,
Konohamaru how are you?” Sakura smiled brightly at the boy.

“Hello,
Sakura sensei. Just wanted to introduce my teammate since she's
being so rude.”

“Not at all.
It seems our teammate is being just as rude.” She gave Gaara a
telling look that he completely missed for watching the girl in front
of him.

Silence stretched
as everyone waited for the two to say something. Gaara stared
owlishly as Moegi turned several more shades of red.

“Well, if
you're all done here, I think I'm going home.” Udon turned to
leave and everyone waved a goodbye but the two engrossed ninja.

“So,
Konohamaru, what brings you two out?” Gai tried to start up
some form of conversation.

“Oh, we were
just getting dinner. We'd been out at the training grounds late to
watch you guys but when you disappeared into the woods we made Moegi
leave so we could eat. She's done nothing but ask to watch you guys
practice for the last week.” The boy groused. “By the
way, why did you disappeared?”

“Oh, seems
one of the genin teams has marked Gaara and the pranks have begun.
Today was Pokeweed dye. Only they missed and hit Neji instead. Now
Neji blames Gaara.” Sakura explained.

“Huh, doesn't
look like it all missed him.” The boy stated, noting the color
of Gaaras hair was far brighter than usual. In fact, the visible arm
was red as well.

“No, they got
him yesterday. It was in his soap. Most of him is red under his
clothes, at least what I saw when I was healing him. But he says he
has something that will take it off.” Her expression turned
solemn for a moment then she put the smile back on her face.

Just then Moegi
lifted a hand slowly in Gaaras direction. The red head smiled at her
and took the offered hand.

“Don't you
hate it when they talk about you like you aren't even there?”
He said.

Moegis ears nearly
steamed as she giggled.

0.0.0.0.0.0.0

Neji dropped into
the bed in his small house and buried his face in the pillow.
Thoughts of a time when he'd been very happy ran through his mind and
he tried to banish them. They wouldn't go. He hated the now. He
hated this future and this fate. He wanted his world back the way it
had been. He wanted his team back. He wanted his friends back.

“How am I
suppose to accept this? Why do I have to accept this?”

There was no answer
from the small photo by his bed. Try as he might he could not get
the pictures faces to talk back to him as they once had in life.

“I miss you.”

The photos faces
merely smiled back at him and with a muffled cry he slapped the
picture face down and buried his screams in the pillow until at last
he fell asleep.

This chapter always felt a little
awkward but I can't seem to fix it so enjoy.
- 4
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- 6
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Sand in the Leaves