Chapter 27: Sunagakure's Future

Sakura efficiently cleared away the remnants of the delightful meal while the family lingered at the table, absorbed in a sincere and meaningful conversation. Simultaneously, she meticulously attended to her duties in the kitchen, mindful of their deep concern for her mental well-being.

The pivotal moment arrived when Kankuro felt compelled to broach a sensitive topic. He was apprehensive, saying, "Do you think she hates me for what happened to the child?"

Temari, offering reassurance, gently rubbed his shoulder and responded, "No, why would you even think that? You can't blame yourself for something beyond your control."

Gaara, displaying a stern countenance, reclined in his chair, arms crossed, and declared, "Don't coddle him, Temari. He should bear the responsibility for leaving the village unattended to face the Akatsuki. The entire incident could have been averted if Kankuro hadn't made that choice."

In a hushed tone, Kankuro admitted, "I'm sorry."

Propelled by frustration, Gaara rose from his seat and emphatically slammed his fist on the table. His voice thundered, "You took the life of my heir, Kankuro. As Kazekage, I have the authority to strip you of your title for such a reckless act."

Temari, alarmed, pleaded, "Don't, Gaara."

Upon hearing the heated argument, Sakura cautiously entered the room, her concern evident. She inquired, "What's happening? Why are you two arguing?"

Temari somberly responded, "Gaara is holding Kankuro accountable for the loss of your unborn child."

No words could adequately capture Sakura's fear, and she resisted blaming Kankuro for the tragic event. She pleaded with Gaara, "Please, don't punish him. I tried to pursue Deidara and Sasori, but Kankuro insisted I stay behind. I swear he volunteered to go in my stead, wanting to protect me."

Gaara, visibly distressed, questioned, "Why are you defending him? He's responsible for our child's death."

"It's not as you think," Sakura implored. "I left Kankuro with no choice but to go out and rescue you while the trail was still fresh. If anyone is to be held accountable, let it be me."

Kankuro swiftly stood and interjected, "No, don't. I'll take responsibility for it."

Gaara, raising an eyebrow in skepticism, asked, "Why are you both defending each other like a couple?"

"We've been best friends since childhood, Gaara. Don't you remember?" Sakura whispered.

Gaara drew a deep breath, composing himself before issuing his final directives. "If you've chosen Sakura for the puppet recovery team, ensure she returns to my office unharmed, without a single scratch."

Kankuro, with a casual demeanor, placed a hand on his hip and grinned. "I can handle that."

Gaara continued, "I'm not done. Following the mission, you'll be suspended for two weeks."

"Fine, I'm off to bed," Kankuro groaned, leaving the dining room. He stretched his arms high, letting out a yawn that resonated through the entire neighborhood. Without a word, he ascended the stairs, seeking rest for the night.

Temari, rising from her seat, approached the staircase. "I'm heading to bed too. Don't stay up too late."

Sakura, expressing gratitude, gently massaged Gaara's neck. "Thank you for always watching out for me. I love you so much."

Gaara, holding her close, playfully rubbed his nose against hers. "Before tomorrow's mission, send a report to the Hokage. I'll be waiting for you in bed, but don't take too long."

Sakura nodded and assured, "I'll be right back."

Gaara extracted a compact scroll from his pocket and entrusted it to Sakura for safekeeping until she could dispatch it by bird. After kissing him gently, she swiftly exited, clutching the scroll. Despite the tower being merely a mile away, Sakura had no intention of leisurely strolling that distance, especially in the encroaching darkness. Recognizing the need for haste, she raised her left arm, manipulating the sand to craft a small platform. With a graceful leap onto the sand, she navigated through the village's narrow streets, bypassing obstacles efficiently. Upon reaching the tower, she ascended rapidly, landing on the designated platform.

In the distance, a bird rapidly approached, carrying a new scroll tied to its back. Sakura stepped onto the wall of the bird perch, extending her arm to meet the incoming hawk. The brown hawk gracefully stretched its legs, securing a perch on her arm, emitting a satisfied squawk that elicited a smile from Sakura.

"Hey, Takamaru," she whispered, affectionately patting the magnificent bird. "I know you've only recently returned, but would you mind flying to Konoha for me? It's an urgent message."

In response to her request, the messenger hawk, Takamaru, screeched, expressing eagerness to assist the Princess of the Land of Wind. Sakura carefully retrieved the scroll from his back, replacing it with the message intended for the Hokage. She released him, bidding farewell, "Off you go, and have a safe journey, my friend."

Takamaru soared gracefully beyond the towering walls of the village. The journey from Sunagakure to Konoha would be a day's flight for this exceptional creature. Without waiting to witness his disappearance, Sakura floated back to her home, a mile away, aiming to keep her return as discreet as possible to avoid disturbing the slumber of Kankuro and Temari.

At the summit of the stairs, Gaara anxiously awaited her, his sand playfully shifting from one palm to the other. Concern etched across his features, he inquired, "We should check to ensure your wounds are healed for tomorrow."

Surprised, Sakura asked, "You waited for me?"

"I was worried about you," Gaara admitted.

Handing Gaara a new scroll from Takamaru, Sakura observed as he unraveled it with his hands, reading its contents before discarding the scroll in a nearby bin. Perplexed, she inquired, "What was that?"

Gaara's breathing intensified, and he responded with heaviness, "The Hokage informed us that more members of the Akatsuki are appearing across the lands out of nowhere. There's something unsettling happening, and it almost terrifies me. I don't want you to face what I went through."

Ascending the staircase, Sakura settled onto his lap, facing him, and embraced him tightly. She sought to provide comfort as he trembled, his face paler than usual, tears streaming down like rain. Recognizing his trauma catching up, Sakura decided to keep his mental breakdown confidential between them. Someone might try to replace him as the Kazekage if word got out.

Effortlessly, she guided Gaara to his feet, leading him to the bedroom. Together, they sank into the embrace of the bed sheets, their eyes locked as if it were their final shared gaze until the sun graced the horizon the next day.

A hawk gracefully entered their room as morning light filtered through the window. Having spent the night watching Sakura sleep, Gaara rose from the bed to retrieve the scroll attached to the bird's back. Unraveling its contents, he absorbed the message within.

Sitting up in bed, Sakura inquired, "What is it?"

"Naruto wishes to bid farewell before their departure," Gaara replied.

Surprised, Sakura gasped, "Why are they leaving so soon?"

"It doesn't specify, so we need to meet them immediately," Gaara asserted.

Promptly changing into her Jinbei, Sakura responded, "I will wake up the others." Exiting the room, she gently pushed open Kankuro's bedroom door. Kankuro was finishing tying his Jinbei, pausing to gaze at her.

Curious, Kankuro asked, "What's wrong?"

"Naruto wants to meet with the four of us to say goodbye before heading to Konoha," Sakura informed.

"They must be eager to report back to the Hokage. Let's go," Kankuro suggested. Following her, he emerged from his bedroom to find Temari standing in front of them beside her open bedroom door. With a smirk, she inquired, "What are you two up to?"

Kankuro gestured with his arms and clarified, "It's not what you're thinking."

Sakura chimed in, "Gaara received a letter from Naruto, asking if we could meet to bid farewell before he heads back to Konoha."

"Konoha's teams are identified by numbers," Temari explained.

Curious, Sakura inquired, "I had no idea; what number is Naruto's team?"

"Team seven, and Neji's team is known as Team eleven," Temari provided.

Kankuro gently nudged Sakura, passing Temari to make his way toward the stairs. He urged, "Can we leave already?"

At the bottom of the stairs, Gaara extended his hand to Sakura, clad in his black Jinbei, and assisted her. She smiled, appreciating the kind gesture. The trio carefully approached the village entrance, where Team Seven and Eleven awaited their arrival.

Amidst the bright smiles, the assurance that both teams from the other village were safely warmed everyone's hearts. As the gentle, cold wind brushed against her skin, Sakura leaned on Gaara for warmth.

Wearing a concerned expression, Kankuro voiced, "Wait, you're leaving already? You should stay a little longer."

Sakura nodded and suggested, "At least one more day until you've rested."

Temari added, "The journey back to the Hidden Leaf Village is not an easy one."

With regret in his tone, Kakashi replied, "We'd love to, but we must report to Lady Tsunade immediately."

Kankuro nodded thoughtfully, "I see. If the Akatsuki have initiated attacks on the villages, you're uneasy about taking them away. That's why you want to get back as soon as possible, right?"

Kakashi affirmed, "Yes, that's exactly right."

Concerned about Kakashi's physical condition, Sakura interjected, "Are you sure, Kakashi? In your current state."

"Not to worry," Kakashi assured, redirecting his gaze to Might Guy. "I have comrades I can rely on."

Might Guy emphatically slapped his fist on his chest and declared, "Yeah, leave it to me."

Smiling with a hint of worry, Sakura continued, "We've already sent the initial report through Takamaru, but there's no mention of whether the two Akatsuki members are dead or alive. Shouldn't you inform your village about it?"

Kakashi nodded, "I'll report that directly to the Hokage. There are other concerns on my mind as well…"

Softly, Naruto expressed, "Before we leave, we'd like to pay our respects to Granny."

Sakura smiled and replied, "She would appreciate that very much. Come with me."

Teams Seven and Eleven of Konoha joined Sakura on a quick shortcut to the Sunagakure cemetery, with the sand siblings walking beside her, savoring the pleasant weather.

Upon arrival, everyone noticed Ebizo standing by his sister's grave, seemingly rooted to the spot since yesterday. Sakura approached him and offered a comforting rub on his back.

She inquired, "We brought the Konoha Shinobi who wanted to say their goodbyes before returning to their village, if you don't mind?"

Ebizo gently touched his sister's grave and responded, "That's okay. Chiyo said she didn't want a grave, but I thought it would be better to have one. I felt that everyone needed a place to gather. Everybody, say your farewells."

The Shinobi respectfully lowered their heads, closing their eyes. Some had only known Granny Chiyo briefly, yet they were equally awestruck by her strength and resilience in overcoming any obstacles.

After silence, Kakashi asserted, "We should leave before the afternoon to make good time."

The teams nodded in silent agreement, but Naruto and Sakura chose to linger, standing directly in front of Granny Chiyo's grave. The others paused, acknowledging their deep respect and affection for Granny Chiyo. The time spent with her warranted more than a small stone by the village's wall, considering the magnitude of her sacrifice.

"Hey, Naruto, you coming?" Kakashi called out.

"Come on, let's go," Sakura urged.

Naruto nodded and followed Sakura to the group that had already started moving ahead.

The three teams returned to the village entrance, leaving Ebizo to return to his home in solitude. Before parting ways, Naruto turned to face Gaara, and a shared sense of awkwardness lingered between them.

"Well, see you later, I guess," Naruto smiled.

"Uh, yeah," Gaara replied, uncertain how to respond.

"Normally, I suppose people shake hands and say goodbye, but I'm not good with that kind of stuff, so I'll just leave it at this," Naruto admitted.

Gaara extended his hand with a gentle smile, a silent invitation for a formal farewell. Naruto, initially shocked, stared at the offered hand, momentarily unsure of how to proceed. Gaara subtly manipulated his sand to lift Naruto's right hand as the wind stirred, ensuring a subtle handshake.

Sakura chuckled, witnessing the reunion of two great friends who had safely come together again. They watched as Naruto and the others walked across the borders of Sunagakure until they disappeared in the distance.

"You three go ahead," Gaara instructed, "I'd like to spend some time with Granny Chiyo before I return to work."

Frowning with concern, Sakura voiced her worry, "Are you sure? I don't think it's a good idea for you to be by yourself right now."

Gaara gently kissed Sakura's forehead and reassured, "I'll be okay."

"Okay, we'll see you at the office. Don't take too long," Sakura replied.

Gaara smiled and reciprocated with a nod as they went their separate ways, parting when the graveyard route diverged from the main road. It was undeniably not a short walk.

Heading towards the Kazekage's office, Kankuro remarked, "Those joining our puppet recovery team will meet us at the entrance, but I'd like to be prepared in case we encounter another Akatsuki member."

"All I need is my instrument, and I'll be ready to go," Sakura affirmed.

"I'll stay in the village in case anything happens, and I will inform you if anything does," Temari added.

"Right," Kankuro agreed, "Let's go to Gaara's office so you can show us on a map what we are dealing with."

"Yeah, it's not hard to get there," Sakura replied, "But it would be helpful if we had some people who could use Earth release."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kankuro said, leading the way.

Respectful bows from many villagers adorned the family's journey. Gratitude and joy emanated from the villagers, relieved that everyone had returned safely to the village despite the loss of Granny Chiyo. A little boy with light brown hair tugged at Sakura's skirt to get her attention. She turned around, perplexed, mirroring the confusion of Temari and Kankuro.

"Hello, sweetie," Sakura greeted, gracefully kneeling on the ground before the boy. "What's wrong?"

The boy handed her an Omamari adorned in Sunagakure-tanned colors, explaining, "Here, my mommy said I couldn't help because I'm too young, so I hope the charm I made you will keep you safe. You are my favorite Shinobi, after all. Thank you for keeping me and my mommy safe from danger."

Sakura blushed, sincerely responding, "You're so sweet, thank you. I'll bring this with me on my next missions."

The boy, blushing in return, nodded before returning to his mother with the brightest smile. Sakura held the charm in her hand, gratefully adding it to her Shinobi pouch. The unexpected admiration from the villagers touched her.

Kankuro chuckled and remarked, "Cute, the kid has a crush on you. Are you going to keep that charm?"

Sakura nodded, "Of course I will. I had no idea the villagers watched us and knew who we were."

"It's crucial to have emotional connections with the community," Temari explained. "It's so that they can trust us to protect them."

Sakura nodded, appreciating the kind gesture from the child. Now that Gaara had safely returned to Sunagakure, it was time to embark on the next chapter in their lives. While the world might not be at peace, the Land of Wind was safeguarded from harm's way.