Gone [Naruto fanfic]

#26

We were at Lady Tsunade's office five minutes later. Sakura and Naruto arrived shortly and Lady Tsunade proceeded to brief us on the situation. After she finished with her explanation of the attack on the Sand village, the four of us scattered to get our supplies, and planned to meet at the gate.

I raced back home, almost flying over the rooftops in my rush. Not bothering to jump down and enter the building through the actual entrance, I scaled down the wall to one of my apartment windows. Pulling the glass pane open, I jumped inside and grabbed my already prepared pack. I Raced back out, and shut the window. Climbing back up to the roof, I made my way to the gates of Konoha, a thunderstorm of thoughts hurling through my mind.

Ten minutes later, everyone stood at the gate and double-checked everything quickly.

"Alright, let's go!"

Naruto and I launched ourselves into the lead, climbing the nearest trees and beginning our journey.

There was only one thought on my mind as we traveled...

...Gaara.

                     *******

Because I had only been training for a few months, my physical fitness level was still low in comparison to everyone else's. After just a few hours, I started to grow tired and my legs burned with the exertion. But I refused to give up. I refused to become a reason for slowing down; Gaara's life was at stake, my legs could take a beating if it meant that he would live.

Eventually we caught up to Temari. After a hasty explanation(which gave my legs enough time to recuperate somewhat) we were off again. Temari's face wore a troubled expression the whole way.

I couldn't imagine what she was going through. I only knew Gaara because of watching the anime, but Temari knew him because he was family. She lived with him, had grown up with him, watched him turn from the monster the village knew him to be, into the most powerful Kazekage the Sand had ever known. She had been there for him even when she was scared of him.

I can never claim as much.

We had been moving through the trees for hours in tense silence when the edge of the forest finally came into view. The tree line abruptly ended, and a yellow sea of sand stretched out beyond. The change in climate was instantaneous. As we moved from the cool shade from the canopy of trees to the desert, we were hit with a blast of scalding hot air and burning sun.

Good thing I had brought sunscreen; My pale skin would have turned beet red and hurt like hell if I hadn't. 

Wordlessly, Temari took the lead, moving as if she had stepped in the exact same places a thousand times before. Her face went from troubled to determined to furious as she led us through the dunes of her homeland. Coming from a slightly middle eastern background myself, I don't really mind heat that much, as long as it wasn't the humid kind. I pulled the hood of my shirt farther forward to help protect my skin, which also made it double as a sun visor and allowed me to see better.

This was going to be a long trip.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

"Temari! Wait a second!"

She looked back at me with an annoyed look on her face, but slowed down.

"What is it Amira?" Kakashi asked.

"Give me a sec..."

I immediately reached for my sketchbook and pencils, then started drawing furiously. 

A couple minutes later I was finished and satisfied with my work. Forming the appropriate hand-signs, I brought my drawing to life.

POOF!