𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲||𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐃||

Chapter 7:Bonds

In hindsights, their return trip was surprisingly peaceful, considering all Naruto and co. had gone through. After the chaos ensued the town square, it was quietly decided that it would best serve the interests of both parties if Konoha signed the treaty and departed, posthaste. A tactical retreat to avoid further casualties, the Suna council had called it. The Kazekage had been less subtle; Hiro's corpse was still cooling -the ink still drying on the dotted line- and already Sasori had been chosen as the man's give successor. Now that he'd gotten what he wanted, he was all too eager to see the back of them.

Two kunoichi would be given to the Leaf as per the terms of the treaty and in return the larger village would honor its ties with Sand for all time. Kind words were spoken and promises given, but they left Naruto feeling soiled inside nonetheless. And how could they not? Orochimaru -of all people!- had been the one to talke him into formally accepting the terms, since the Kazekage refused to honor their peace in any other suit. He was loath to admit it, but the slippery snake had a point; sometimes you had to put aside what you wanted for the sake of the greater good. Jiraiya of course had been all for it, of course. Some things nevr changed...

Tsunade was oddly morose about it, though.

Pakura had been silent as the grave ever since they'd left the gates; in contrast Karura seemed almost grateful for the Sandaime's decree. Despite the fact that the man had none-too-subtly berated her for even being kidnapped in the first place, she had been called weak, worthless, and not fitting to be a kunoichi. Of course she was grateful to be gone. Not that Naruto blamed her. Gaara's mother struck him as the gentle sort, and her unease in the prescence of her own kage spoke volumes for the girl's character. She was a gentle soul; couldn't hurt a fly if she tried.

Relatively speaking...

"Itai!"

"Sorry!" Karura whispered contritely as she continued to trim his hair. "Did I get you?"

"A little, yeah...ow! Careful, girl!"

"Gomen!"

Naruto yelped as the scissors missed his hair and accidentally nipped a chunk out of his ear. His cry was met by muffled snorts of laughter from the others, mounted once more upon the mighty Manda's head, the large snake ferrying them across the desert twice in less than two days. With no sandstorm or shinobi to deter them, their odd little group was making surprising progress. Naruto, finally making the opportunity, had decided to cut his hair, the long locks have been singed during the suicide bomber's last blast. Long locks were useful for shinobi like Jiraiya, who hardened their hair into spikes and flailed it around but Naruto saw it as more of an impediment thany anything else. The last thing he wanted was someone grabbing a handful of it again as they had during the ambush. So he was getting a trim, courtesty of Karura. He was keeping them bangs and a good portion of it though, couldn't ditch the resemblance entirely...

"Peraps you should let me try, Naruto-sama?" Pakura asked, the ghost of a smile flitting across her face. Granted, it was a pale imitation of the real thing but nevertheless her very first display of outward emotion since they'd left Suna behind them. She'd clung to him like a second shadow since the explosion, though thankfully she'd hadn't been untoward in her displays of devotion since their kiss. If it could even be called such. More and more Uchiha-Uzumaki!-Naruto found himself surrounded by beautiful woman with no idea what to do with them. Oh, he knew what he could do but his chivalry held that urge firmly in check. Somewhat. Kinda. Sort of...oh, who the hell was he kidding?! He'd wanted to screw Pakura silly for at least an hour how, and it didn't help that she kept brushing up against him.

"Ahaha, maybe that would be for the best...

"Very well."

But when the older kunoichi tried to claim the scissors, Karura clutched them to her chest.