What we will do for our villages ...

CHAPTER 2

Onward to the Sand Village


Sakura raced to the Kohona Gate. ’God it’s already Friday.’ she thought as she turned a corner. ‘AHHH I’m late!’ her mind screamed as she thought about the distance she still had to go.

“Can I help you Sakura?” came Lee’s voice as he easily caught up with her.

“Only if you know how to get to the main gate in under ten minutes.” she watched as he stopped and quickly removed his weights. ‘Oh no!’ her mind cried. But it was too late. Lee had already stood, picked her up and ran. Sakura couldn’t even scream. The air in her lungs refused to move and it felt as if she couldn’t inhale. The world was a blur of colours and muted sounds. Suddenly everything stopped, and she felt as if she was about to vomit.

“Sakura?” Lee asked gently when she didn’t move once they had stopped. He shifted his arms a little that cradled her body to him and felt it’s rigid ness. He looked to where her hands clutched his clothes, and the delicate hands were so tense that the tendon cords stood out clearly on the now ghost white skin. “Sakura?” he tried again as he knelt, placing her on the ground, so he could use his hands to unlock hers from his clothing.

“Eeep.” was all Sakura could muster once Lee had dislodged her from him. She strained what felt like every muscle in her body to look at him. It still felt as if the world was catching up to her, especially since colour was now returning to her.

“I’m sorry Sakura.” Lee tried as he straightened her hair. He winced as she reacted to his touch a full thirty seconds after he had removed his hand. ’Note to self. Don’t do that again.’ he thought as an apologetic smile crossed his face.

“Hey. What’s wrong with Sakura?” came a smooth male voice.

“Heh.” Lee stood and looked at Sasuke. “I kinda over did it.” he knew that they were going to be going to sand, and that he most likely didn’t help in insuring that the journey started off on the right foot. “I’m sorry.” he hung his head. Feeling like a monster. ’Ah, Sakura will never love me now.’ he thought sadly.

“Sakura?” Sasuke asked gently as he stroked her shoulder. “It’s okay now.” another pause. “What did you do?” he asked as he stood quickly, looking harshly at the older boy.

“I ran her here without my weights.” Lee said quietly. “I guess it was a shock to her system.”

Sasuke thought about the stories he had heard about Lee’s speed without his weights on. ’Even I wouldn’t have been able to handle that well’ he thought as he cast a look at her. “Did she even know what was happening?”

“She saw me remove my weights, then …I,” another pause. “I picked her up and ran her here.”

‘Unprepared for such movement. No wonder she’s in this state.’ a small smile. ’She really has gotten stronger, she’s still conscious even after all that.’

Suddenly Sakura stood and looked right at Lee. In his moment of shock he got smacked in the face. “YOU!” Sakura cried as she punched Lee lightly in the shoulder. “WARN PEOPLE BEFORE YOU DO THAT!!!” another punch but this one didn’t connect due to Lee catching it.

“I’m sorry Sakura.”

“Yes well.” observing where they are. “Thank you okay. Just don’t do that again without giving me a warning.” Sakura weakly hugged Lee then backed off not wanting him to get any idea’s from the momentary contact. “So,” looking at Sasuke for the first time, but not looking surprised in the least at his being there. “Where’s Naruto?”

“HERE! I’m not LATE!” Naruto cried as he raced over to them.

“Your two minutes late.” Sasuke said, playfully as he approached the gate.

“You four, what are you doing?” came Tsunade’s voice. “Lee, don’t you have a morning class to watch over?”

“Uhh, yes. YES I DO!” Lee waved bye to everybody and ran off.

Sigh. ’If that boy …’ she didn’t finish the thought. “You three are all on time.” she said looking at Sasuke. “I’m glad you took the assignment I’ve given you. Please do your best, and I hope you all the well. Also you know that you can always write.” smiles at Naruto. “I know how much some of you like to do that.”

“I’ll write Granny Tsunade.” Naruto smiled and he scratched the back of his head. He had been expecting her to grimace or to try to hit him, but she didn’t. She just smiled pleasantly.

“Don’t worry about not seeing Kakashi here now. You’ll see him later.” she said as she walked past them to stand directly under the Kohona gate archway. “Be safe.” she regarded each of them. They had grown up so much. “And have fun.”

With that said the group of three headed out. As they left, the sun finished rising. Tsunade watched the three figures walk a short distance out of the village before speeding off. ’They’ll do fine.’ She told herself.

* * *

The house was perfect. Everything was where it was suppose to be. The Down-stairs was finished, as was the up-stairs. The house was clean, and looked relatively new. Temari did a slow circle, looking and relishing in the product their hard work had earned them.

“Looks really nice.” Kankuro said as he surveyed the area.

“Yeah, it sure does.” Temari finished as she stopped her gentle spin. “Where’s Gaara?”

“He’s in his room resting.” Kankuro said with a bit of a sad face. ’Even though I call it resting, he can only achieve a meditative state.’

“Oh.” Temari said, the same thought crossing her own mind. “I’ll make a special dinner for him then, to show him thanks for all the hard work he did today.”

“Hey, how come he is the one that gets the special meal, what about me?” Kankuro shot back.

“If you stop now, I wont make you come shopping with me.”

“Yes ma’am.” he said as he turned and sat on the couch.

“Good.” Temari said as she grabbed her purse. “So what are you going to do while I’m gone?” ’Do I even want to know?’ her mind asked.

“Just going to listen to some music down here.” he said as he grabbed the remote for the stereo.

“Okay, see you in a bit!” with that she turned and started walking out of the house. She smiled as she recognized the opening music. ’He’s going to only listen to his favourite song until I get back.’ a small pause just outside the closed door to listen to the opening lines.

‘Lately things wont go my way,
lately everything is grey,
it feels like something,
it feels like nothing…’

“Ah, he’s such a sucker for that band.” she said as she headed out.

A little bit later she came back, sure enough he was still listening to the song. She smirked to herself but knew better than to tease him. They’d had it out about him doing that once before and it quickly went into an area she hadn’t meant for it to. Kankuro hadn’t talked to her for a week after so she wasn’t to do that now.

“Hey your back.” he observed as he let his song finish up before turning off the stereo. “Let me help with that.”

She looked side long at her brother as he took the bags she had been carrying. Something had really happened to the three of them over the past few days. They had been joking and laughing, and getting along. She liked how this felt. It really did feel like they were a family. ’And all it took was the word that three people would be coming to stay.’ she thought. ’No, that’s not all.’ Had this been back then, all of them would have protested to their last breaths. Back when they were still strained, and they really didn’t know Gaara. But now, the invitation seemed exciting, and was an event that they were looking forward to.

“Hey! You bought beef.” Kankuro said as he pulled out the cuts.

“Yeah well, I thought that while I was out picking up food for Gaara’s special dinner, that I might as well pick up the food for yours as well.” Temari said offhandedly. Even though inwardly she was really happy that he liked what she picked out.

“Special dinner?” came an almost drowsy voice from behind them.

“Gaara.” Temari said, holding in the startle. “I thought you were resting.”

“I finished.” he stated simply.

“Yes well I can see that can’t I?” She said as she washed her hands thoroughly. “Why don’t you two help me? It’ll be done faster.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Kankuro said, getting himself prepared for helping. “Hey squirt, did you want to help out to?”

Gaara allowed himself a rare smile. He really did like it when his brother called him that. ’Except when we’re out in public …’ eyes narrowing noticeably. ’Then I have to make an example of him.’ A shrug. And with that, he washed up for dinner.

* * *

It was already evening, but by the map that they we’re going by they had made good time. If they managed to get another day like today, they could easily take half a day off their trip.

Sakura had busied herself with getting their joint tent up. She couldn’t remember quite when they had decided to all sleep together. ‘Long after my crush on Sasuke had left me.’ she thought with a smile.

It happened once on an accident when something happened to Sasuke’s and Naruto’s tents, so they had to stay in hers for the rest of the mission. After that, none of them felt right with sleeping alone. So they had gotten a larger tent, not wanting a repeat of the awkwardness that had happened the first time. Once it was all set up she sat back and looked at it.

“Naruto.” she called. “You can set up the inside.”

She watched as he went in, careful to not tread any dirt inside, and started setting up the sleeping bags and blankets.

“Hey Sakura want to help me with our food?” Sasuke asked from where he knelt by the fire.

“Yeah sure Sasuke.” she said as she went over and started cleaning the mushrooms and roots he had gathered with Naruto. “Sasuke...” she began.

“Yeah?” he asked as he looked up at her.

She smiled largely. “You look cute when you set up the fire.”

He favoured her with a lopsided smile. “Hush.” he was rewarded with a giggle on her part. ‘I like this.’ he thought as he looked over to where Naruto was coming out of the tent. ‘It feels so familiar, so much like family.’ his smile reached his eyes as he continued to watch the fire.

A few minutes passed, with them doing assorted disjointed small talk, mostly because of Naruto. But now their vegetable stew was ready. Each of them took a ladle and a half, leaving no leftovers. Together they sat, and ate. Smiles on their faces as they talked about the most amusing moments they could remember. They had progressed far together. Even if something was said that was a sore point, they were able to skip over it and continue; allowing them to quickly forget that anything wrong had even been said.

Each was happy that this is how it was. Especially Sasuke and Naruto, this was now their family. Even if their “Guardian” wasn’t around this time. The three of them, Sasuke and Naruto like brothers, Sakura their sister, and them to her they were “her boys”. It was perfect, and all vowed that nothing would change the feelings they had for each other. Even if something where to happen again, that would split them up. The feelings that they have NOW, would be the ones that would keep them together.

“To happy tomorrows, and happy memories.” Naruto said as he raised his cup.

“To happy tomorrows and happy memories.” Sasuke and Sakura said in unison.

“And to no perverted adults.” Sasuke allowed himself.

Naruto and Sakura both blinked at him then burst into laughter. “I’ll drink to that.” they both said through their giggles. “YAY!” all three of them full out cheered, which made them all laugh harder.

‘This is going to be good for us to.’ Sasuke thought as he smiled at his family. ’This is going to be great.’

* * *

“Oh no.” Temari said as she just started to slide open her bedroom door.

“What?” Kankuro asked as he paused.

“Aw.” was the only sound that Temari made.

“Hm?” sounded Gaara looking across at his sister.

“Where.” Temari started, looking to Kankuro then to Gaara. “Are they going to sleep?”

The three siblings looked at each other. It was only a three bedroom house. And they couldn’t expect them to all sleep on the couch for six months.

Sigh. “We’ll worry about it tomorrow.” Temari said tiredly. “I’m going to bed. Good night.” and with that she entered her room and shut the door. She could hear her brothers say goodnight to her, then to each other as they entered their respective rooms. ‘At least the house is clean.’ she thought.

‘At least that is good.’ a rueful thought. ‘Oh wow Temari! Your house is SO clean, I swear! It’s SOOO clean that we could just float and sleep in the air!! SQUEEE!!! God Temari … you’re an idiot.’ it was bad enough that she had Sakura and Naruto pictured while she thought that. She also put Sasuke there. Shudder. “Sleep now…” she sighed quietly as she finished changing and curled up on the bed. ‘It’ll all look better tomorrow.’

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So that was chapter 2!! Hope you all are liking it.
I would also like to thank the following people!

Ectweak2004 - for agreeing to be my beta :p now none of you will ever see my horrid horrible writing again!!
Anon - for reviewing first !!
Yurikai Kurosaki - We’ll here’s chapy 2, hope that was fast enough for ya. ^^
Jadej.j. - I hope it leads to a place that you and everybody likes.
Akuma_river - Thanks for the encouragement!
Mehla Seraphim - I have written more. Honestly I haven’t read any with an exchange program before, but I highly doubted that mine was the first. Thanks alot, I’m trying really hard to keep them in character. I think we’re all interested in who will be with who *wink*

Thanks EVERYBODY!! For your words of encouragement!