Memories of the Blossom Heart

Chapter 17: All My Love

"You are all a disgrace!!" The boss's nostrils were flaring up as he crushed the smoking pipe handle in half with his one hand. His piercing gaze was heavily focused on his subordinates, who were looking down on their feet shamefully.

"We-we tried following them, but they just disappeared..." the fourth rogue stammered in fright.

"I don't care! I don't give a single damn if they did, you should've kept your eyes wide fucking open on those little punks. Now, the treasure is lost," The boss sneered.

"I told you that we should've caged them in a circle. You just exploded the rocks in the wrong places..." the first rogue remarked irritably in a hiss.

"That's not my fault, you guys were slacking off," the fourth rogue defended himself.

"How? We were mostly prepared in our positions and trying to find the perfect angle. We would have captured them, If it wasn't your recklessness," the second rogue pointed a finger accusingly.

"Ugh. I'm starting to question about what the hell I'm doing here," the third rogue muttered under his breath as he slapped himself with a groan.

"Shut up! The three of you! It doesn't matter whose fault it is. Blame it on your stupidity!" The boss shouted hotly, throwing the smoking pipe on the ground.

They all flinched at his outburst and staggered back, then bowed down. "Sorry, boss..."

"You better be. Otherwise, you will be the one to get macerated with my jutsu," he apprised slowly in a dark tone of his voice.

"Yes, boss..." they replied in unison and saluted.

"Off you go and find them," he ordered.
After the subordinates left, he was massaging his eyelids to lessen his aggravation.

"They've obviously trespassed my property. Well, let's see if they can outrun my special prowess..." He opened his eyes that uncovered his Shar-rinnegan with his sinister grin.

The outskirts of the mountain hillside were obscure where the pink-haired kunoichi opens her eyelids and zooms her head around in a daze. She fluttered them instantly, not realizing that she had cascaded through the drawn-out pit. Yet, she began to puzzle about how she still managed to lay down on the grass properly until a voice had spoken up. 

"I see you're finally awake."

"Gaara... Where are we?" Sakura asked, startling at him sitting next to her.
The red-haired Kazekage looked at the distant scenery over his right shoulder and responded. "The Waterfalls."

"Oh..." she nodded and pushed herself up, but the injury on her leg acted up, causing her to groan. "Argh!"

Gaara held her waist to steady her posture and said softly. "Easy, easy. Here, I'll help you walk."

"No, it's okay. I can heal myself-" Sakura intervened.

"How? We don't have access to use our power," Gaara said and added in. "It's also unlikely for me to teleport as well."
"Right, but I'm heavy," she murmured in embarrassment.

"You are quite the opposite," he said, smiling pleasantly at one of their moments, then slightly faltered. "I carried you when your body was in pain after fighting in those missions..." He cleared his throat and advised by saying. "Anyway, we have no choice but to walk until we meet up and rejoin our friends. We don't know the exact time. However, I think if we start moving promptly, we will get there. First, we have to head towards the east south, so you can fully recover."

Sakura took another brief look at him in awe, thinking to herself.  "What is this strange feeling? His aura is so much different from Sasuke's... It's like I felt safe..." She bit her bottom lip and tried to conceal the blush that was appearing on her cheeks.