Approaching Sun

Chapter 33: Interrogations

Watching her friends exit through the doorway of the Kazekage's office, Sakura couldn't help but feel relieved as the rest of Team 7 and Shikamaru trailed behind Sasuke and Kankuro to the Sand Village Prison. Sakura's cheeks were still a little red, taken by surprise at Sasuke's unexpected appearance just now. Sakura mentally berated herself for the flushed reaction, especially after rehearsing in her head all morning how she would come off much more composed during their reunion after the whole kissing thing last night. She had matured a lot from her Genin days, and was usually very collected around her peers now (except Naruto, maybe, who sometimes brough out her temper), but seeing Sasuke assessing her own reaction with a certain white-haired sensei's watchful, knowing eye had Sakura acting like her schoolgirl self again. She cringed at her own embarrassed behavior.

Suddenly, the Kazekage's voice brought her back to the matter at hand. "Even though it is not ideal, there's some logic behind Shikamaru's suggestion."

Sakura nodded, remembering her friend's proposition regarding the anti-peace group targeting Sakura for her mental health-centered endeavors. Shikamaru had offered a solution to their dilemma on finding the rest of the group's members, but it involved using Sakura as a lure for her enemies. It's not that Sakura was opposed to the idea; she wasn't worried in the slightest, actually. She was just annoyed with the problem at hand. She was making progress here in the Sand with the mental health clinic and she was reluctant to put that on hold while she dealt with these war-focused sociopaths. At least, she told herself that if she were to draw them out, she wouldn't have to go looking for them in Tanigakure, but she had another concern regarding that.

She voiced this concern to Gaara, saying, "Drawing such a crowd into your village might pose a risk to the citizens here." He shook his head thoughtfully at that, and Sakura wondered why Gaara might be willing to take such a risk all in the name of her safety. If anything, it would be more appropriate for Konoha to take such an action since she was a Leaf Shinobi, after all. Or was it really her safety that inspired Gaara to do so?

"They were able to infiltrate here through the clinic which I take personal responsibility for. It's not in my nature to overlook such an offense so easily and I believe I owe this to you as an apology for failing to keep you safe." Gaara's rasping voice faded away as he assessed her reaction and Sakura saw a faint ember of emotion in his typical stoic eyes that accompanied the apology. She found herself blushing for the second time as she reassured him that everything was fine and that it was her fault for leading them here from Tanigakure in the first place.

When she brought up Tanigakure, Gaara interjected, "If we settle the matter within my country, we would be sparing Tanikagure from getting involved more than they already have. They have not taken too kindly to our investigative presence the last twenty-four hours. I thought that involving Konoha would make it seem more diplomatic, but Shikamaru's suggestion might be best. We don't want another situation on our hands where a small country is caught between two nations."

Sakura nodded again at the Kazekage's rationale, acknowledging the truth and importance of his words. "I'm willing to do anything I can to help," she finally declared, already wondering how she would manage to entice them here.

"Let's think it over more carefully and discuss it more tomorrow," he said, relaxing into the chair behind his desk. "We have discovered a couple of leads that we need to explore and thinking of a plan will take some time. Meanwhile, I'd like to ask your opinion on something."

"Okay," Sakura responded, making to sit in the chair Gaara indicated with his hand across from the desk. A part of her wanted to grill the Kazekage for more details about the group in Tanigakure, so she could know the ins and outs about those who wanted to target her, but Sakura also believed that the shadow-being she had gone up against was most likely the scariest of them all to face, so she wasn't too worried about the details. And if Gaara didn't offer her more information than that, then he was probably holding back for official related reasons. So, she let it go.