[27]

Several things seemed to happen all at once.

The first to happen was Shikamaru Nara and Sakura Haruno discovering the large, creepy looking cathedral moving along the forest. Shikamaru investigated it and found two female knights doing some shady business down below. He'd nearly been spotted, and escaped just in time. After leaving the area he came upon a beautiful female by the name of Nikko Utsuri.

Naruto set off to find Nikko but was instead drug to the cathedral. There Temujin introduced him to Master Haido, who both perplexed him and pissed him off. By claiming to build a war free utopia, he was killing people--sometimes innocents, to do so. It rankled Naruto in a way that he couldn't explain, except a feeling that Master Haido wasn't all goody goody.

Upon hearing the news that the wind village had defeated their platoon of warriors, Temujin fled to check on them. Naruto followed in pursuit, hoping to find Nikko along the way. Instead of Nikko he was shocked by the carnage of what Temujin called "noble sacrifices for the greater good"--all dead among the wreckage. Kankuro was present, and Naruto didn't get to properly chat with him for two female warriors by the name of Ranke and Kamina stepping in and asking for a fight. Naruto stayed behind and refused to leave without making Temujin pay up for all his wrong doings, good cause or not.

Gaara left Nikko and went back to Kankuro, arriving a little late but managing to take on one of the female soldiers by the name of Ranke, finally defeating her when he grew tired of her parlor tricks. She met a painful end by her own power, thoroughly buried beneath the sand of the beach. After the battle he left to search for Nikko once more, not satisfied to leave things as they were.

Nikko went with Shikamaru and met up with Naruto, who had captured Temujin while Sakura saved the elderly nomad....

"Naruto!"

Nikko dashed across the sand and watched as Kankuro and Naruto waded through the water and out to shore. Shikamaru cursed, seeing Temujin and the old man Kahiko gone. "They're gone."

"We'll find them," Sakura stated. She turned to Nikko, "Are you alright? You're...shaking."

Nikko bit her lip and nodded. She didn't want to admit how scared she'd been, having to face another [bad end] so soon. Seeing her friend Temujin be so brain washed was heart breaking, as he wasn't a bad person. But that wasn't exactly why she was shaking, really. It had more to do with thinking on how Naruto could have been hurt.

"I'm fine." She replied.

Naruto ran over all out of breath and rested his hands on his thighs. "Nikko! You're...okay! I'm so glad!"

Kankuro eyed them all distantly, his gaze lingering on Nikko Utsuri. She caught his eye and he smirked, "Looks like you're not fit for combat."

She looked away from him in shame. It was true. Despite the training she'd received from Governess Gale and Yashamaru, along with Sasuke, she didn't have the heart to be a true 'shinobi'---she didn't want to kill anyone. Naruto grabbed her to him and clapped her back. "Don't run off anymore. I can't watch over you if you do that, ya know?"

"I'm sorry. I just...needed some time to think."

His lip pulled down. "I don't really get it, but okay. We gotta follow Temujin and put a stop to this!"

Nikko and others agreed. Kankuro sighed and walked over to her, shoving his hands into his pants. "Hey." He jerked his thumb and she followed him away from earshot.

"Eh?"

"Gaara....thinks a lot about you." His eyes veered off to someplace distant, "...One day, he'll be Kazekage. Get ready."

"Gaara-san...will be the Kazekage?"

"Yeah. The whole reason he's doing all this is for you, you know. That guy does everything with you in mind."

Guilt filled her chest. Nikko bit her lip, recalling her words of not wanting to see him. With great remorse she said, "I...hurt him. Kankuro-san, can you please tell Gaara-san that I...I'm sorry."

He 'hmped' and replied, "You can tell him yourself. C'mon. He shouldn't be too far off now."

Nikko looked over to Naruto and company who were all waiting for her, and nodded. "Yeah. Okay. I'll just let Naruto know where I'm going."

"Make it quick."

She walked over to Naruto and took his hand in hers. "Naruto...I..need to speak with Gaara-san."

His blue eyes widened. "He's here? I thought it was just Kankuro-san." Then, Naruto sighed. "...Not like I can stop you. But we can't wait for you to do that. Temujin-san is getting farther away."

"Meet me after. I'll be here, waiting, okay?"

Naruto took her hand still holding his and raised it to his whiskered cheek. "..You better be."

"Mhm."

***

Kankuro led her towards the sandy path leading to the nearest Wind Village. There they searched for Gaara, who eventuallyy returned in the sky. "There!" Kankuro shouted.

Nikko watched as he landed down from sand like a force of nature. When he saw Nikko, Gaara froze. "You're here."

She wasted no time in crossing the distance and bowed to him. "...Gaara-san?"

"Why do you lower yourself?" He pet the top of her hair, "Raise your face to me."

Their eyes locked. A feeling that crossed through time washed through them both, and Nikko grabbed the edge of his shawl in her hands and wrung it, dipping her head. "I'm sorry. For what I said. I...didn't mean it. The truth is that...Gaara-san left me and...I...have been through so much."

"..."

"So, so I'm saying that...I'm different now. And--" she looked up at him pleadingly, "--I've never forgotten you. Not once! But...I'm not the same." Her voice cracked, "I wish I was."

"Utsuri Nikko..." Gaara swiftly grabbed her wrist on his shawl and pulled her to his chest, firmly holding her there. "I am changing too."

"You are?"

"...It's only natural. We have much to learn from one another." His turquoise eyes seared her as he added, "...If you desire it."

Naruto would be hurt. Nikko couldn't betray him, not now, not when she needed him to be by her side and he had saved her from herself---but her chest burned with longing. The red string of fate could not be denied. "...I do...G-Gaara-san..." Tears dripped down her face. He calmly swiped them off with his finger.

"Then the day will come. Sunagakure isn't safe, yet. Stay with Uzumaki Naruto until I come back for you."

It sounded like an order, and Nikko searched his expression for any sign of emotion. Finally, she sighed. "...It's the same. You're leaving again, and I'll....miss you ..."

Nikko was under guard by the Hidden Village of Leaves, but she was bound by her family's past to Sunagakure. The Sand Village was her true home, and the only reason she was safe was due to Gaara's orders. He knew what was best for her. It didn't make it any better to bear.

They gazed at one another until Gaara carefully began unwinding his shawl. He extended it towards her. "This isn't a suitable gift. But I give it to you, as a promise of my return."

She wrapped it around her neck awkwardly. It smelled of dust, the forest, and dried blood. Nikko inhaled it and knew she would be wearing it a long time.

I should give him something, too, Nikko thought.

The red hair fork in her head was pulled out. She placed it into his palm. "...This is my answer."

Wind blew across the shore, and together they stood in a silent goodbye.

 **********

A/n: more smut, drama, and new faces coming soon!

*Not my pic