Kiss Me Goodnight

Chapter 7: Jealousy is a Passion...

The Kazekage had sent them off personally from the village gates that very morning. Temari had stood beside him, scrutinizing their behavior towards each other, but her expression didn't look like she had found anything out of the normal. Kankuro was there, too, raising an eyebrow at his sister's attitude. After exchanging a glance with his younger brother, he just shrugged, and made a mental note to ask her later. Kakashi waited a few feet away as Sakura gave a last wave of parting for their friends, then turned to move away from the Hidden Village. It was still early in the morning, the sun not even completely above the horizon, seeing as neither of them wanted to travel through the desert during the hottest hours, and with some luck, they'd be out of the sandy enviroment by midday. They travelled fast, and in silence.

Sakura was still too embarrassed about this morning to say anything without causing a major blush to appear on her face.

And Kakashi was only too happy to just read his book.

Hours passed, before either of them spoke a word. They hadn't made a break, but now the sun was burning down on them, though not as bad as if it were already noon. Still, Kakashi heavily contemplated to change direction, and move towards a group of rocks no to far away from their position, and wait there until night came over the desert. It was unspeakably hot, and he could see how it was affecting his young friend. She was covered in sweat, and panting, her chest only rising with difficulty. She needed a break, and the Copy Nin couldn't deny that he himself felt quite exhausted.

He signaled her to change direction and move west.

Sakura nodded, gratefully. Kakashi knew that this heat wasn't normal, even for a desert. Plus, the air was dry as parchment, which made everything twice as bad. They moved swiftly towards the shadow-giving rocks, but then the silver-haired man stopped dead in his tracks.

"Wait," he whispered, just loud enough for Sakura to hear.

The pink-haired medic halted immediately, and then she noticed it as well. There was something dark on the sand near the rocks. A pile of ashes. Actually, more than one. Here and there, the two jounin could make out the remnants of what had been a camp not to long ago. The people that had been here, seemed to have left in quite a hurry, too. Kakashi sniffed the air, but there was no scent beside sweat and camels. If this were a caravan there would have been oils, spices or other goods as well.

And then it hit him.

'The bandits Tsunade told me about,' Kakashi thought, before motioning for Sakura to back away, but it was too late. Not a second after he waved with his hand to get her away from the rocks, they were surrounded by almost two dozen of those low-lifes. The Copy Nin inwardly cursed. They weren't in any condition to fight right now, but he guessed, for a bunch of thugs it would be enough.

"Look, look, look. What do we have here?" One of the men, apparently the leader of the pack, stepped forward.

Both jounin kept their expression schooled.

"Two Leaf Shinobi," the man continued, "and so very far away from home."

"If you know that we are shinobi, than you know that we don't bring any money with us. We have nothing worth robbing," Sakura snapped at the man, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Is that so?"

"She's right. What little money we have with us, is not worth fighting over. Especially with the losses you'd make," Kakashi stated calmly.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find an arrangement." A wicked smile formed on the brute's face.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed dangerously. The man's gaze was fixed on his pink-haired ex-student, and he really didn't like the implication of the bandit's words. His man snickered at the kunoichi, who stood uncomfortable in the middle of their attention. Still, Sakura radiated anger off her, biting her lower lip forcefully enough to draw blood. Her closed eyes twitched in irritation, her hands were balled up to fists at her side. She was already taking out her gloves.