Remembered Light (Naruto FanFic)

Chapter Ten

I took a deep breath. Be strong, be strong, be strong. I chanted it in my head, an unending mantra. Be strong. Be strong. Be strong.

I go downstairs, surprised to see everyone already awake. I must have stayed in my room longer then I'd thought. I sit down at the table, eating with the others and trying not to look at Gaara. I notice a scroll on the table.

"What's this?" I ask, pointing.

"Oh," Temari glances at it, "We just got word back from Konoha that Anbu are being sent to pick you up. We decided that you were semi recovered, and that care could be transferred back to Konoha. The Anbu should be here in about...' She glances at the clock, and yelps slightly. "Only two hours! You need to pack!"

I nod slowly, shocked by the announcement of my sudden departure. I stand, going upstairs to pack. Temari joins me, not seeming to notice how quiet I was. I smile and laugh at some of the things she says. but I'm mostly preoccupied with thinking about Gaara.

Damn Gaara.

He shouldn't be taking up all my thoughts! I shook my head quickly, packing away the last of my stuff. All I had was my pocky, clothes, ninja weapons, and song book. I played with my new fans, tossing them from hand to hand. The weight was similar to that of my twin daggers, and they would quickly replace my lost weapons.

I go downstairs, carrying my back pack. An hour has been lost with packing and talking to Temari. Despite everything I was leaving behind, I grew excited with the prospect of seeing Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, and my old friends again.

We pack some food for the journey, though I shouldn't really need it. "Oh, I'll miss you, Keira," Temari whispers while we work.

"And I'll miss you," I reply, a sad smile on my lips. She hands me the food, and I accept it, tucking it away into the bag. "I didn't expect to leave so soon," I admit.

"Yeah, well, we sent word that you were mostly recovered, and could continue recovery in Konoha. We just didn't expect them to reply so soon," She explained. I nodded my understanding.

We walked towards the front door. It was time to go wait. Gaara and Kankuro gathered with us, then we set out the door. I took a deep breath as the entrance, well, from this perspective, exit to the village grew closer. Be strong, be strong, be strong.

And then we're at the gate. "Leaving, Keira?" The gate keeper asks. I sigh.

"Yeah," I murmur.

"You aren't the same person you were the first time we saw you," The other muses. I sigh again. "You're sadder, yet happier. You've tasted life's hardhips yet lived through joyous moments,"

His partner facepalms, punching him in the arm. "DOn't get all philosophical on us," He mutters.

"What!? It's true!" The first retorts. I grin to myself, then I see it. A black speck on the horizon.

"That's them, isn't it?" I point. Temari nods, then holds her arms out into a hug. I walk forward, letting her draw me into her embrace. "Thank you, so, so much. For everything," I whisper. I knew I wasn't fully healed. But they helped me so much.

I go to Kankuro. Grinning, I hug him as well. "I expect some pocky next time I see you," I tease. He ruffles my hair affectionately.

"You know it," He replies. "Be careful out there," By now, the Anbu team was nearly at the gate. They would want to leave as soon as they arrive.

I go to Gaara and hug him, not caring if he didn't want to. But he hugged me back all the same. The first line of the song that was ringing through my head came out of my lips into his ear, and before he could respond, I pulled away and joined the Anbu team, leaving Sunagakure. "Mama never taught me how to love,"