Absolved.

Homecoming In The Sand!

[Song: Legends Never Die - TJ Brown]

We wrapped lady Chiyo's body, and put up a rough stone monument where she had passed. We would send out a masonry team to give her a proper memorial when we got back to the village.

I looked around at the resting shinobi who had spent the day battling to save my brother, I didn't have the words to thank them but I did my best. Naruto was sitting next to where Gaara lay in a bed roll, telling him all about his journey with the Toad Sage. I didn't want to disturb them so I turned my attention to Kakashi.

The Copy Ninja was weak, he barely had the strength to hold himself up now. I went to him and sat down, pulling his hand into mine and beginning to share my chakra the way he had once done for me.

"You kept your promise." I smiled at him, gently pulling his headband down to cover his sharingan.

"It wasn't me.." He rasped, nodding to the memorial and then to Naruto.

I sighed softly, bringing his hand up to press my cheek against it. "You don't get like this by sitting back and watching."

We hadn't slept for long, just a few hours when Kankuro announced we needed to get home in case someone came looking for us. He and Naruto got Gaara on his feet, both of them supporting his weight and helping him to walk. When Gai came to get Kakashi, we did the same.

I couldn't harbor any spite for this strange man, not when I saw how careful he was with Kakashi. "Thank you, Mr. Eyebrows."

Gai looked at me, surprised but then gave me a toothy grin and nodded. "Gotta keep my rival at his best, Lady Kairi."

We walked back, it was slow but we made it just as the sun was coming up behind us. In the sliver of light I could see figures lining the walls of the village.

"It's everyone.." Temari was shocked.

A few others commented about the crowd and I saw the smile rise on Gaara's face. He was now beloved.

Baki ran out with some others to meet us, he wasn't fully able to mask how happy he was to see Gaara alive.

The villagers spread aside, forming a path to the village for the hero's walk. Gaara shook his head and said something to Kankuro and they moved aside, into the crowd. I looked at where he was staring, Lady Chiyo's body being carried back. I smiled, proud of him. Gai and I maneuvered Kakashi out of the way as the others did the same, allowing her body to be carried down the hero's walk where she received a moment of silence from the entire village.

--

Gaara sat at his desk as we entered the room, Baki was on his left and our siblings his right. He looked so strong behind the Kazekage desk that I bit back a smile as Gai and I steadied Kakashi in front of him. I bowed from under his arm and took my place next to my siblings as the Konoha teams announced their departure.

I raised my eyebrows, it had only been a few hours and they had barely rested. Kakashi didn't look like he would make the journey.

"What? You're leaving already? You can stay a little longer c'mon!"

"Kankuro is right, at least a day or two." Temari added. "You need time to rest."

I gazed at Gai and Kakashi as the discussion broke out, narrowing my brows as I tried to understand why they would want to leave us already.

He was worried about the Akatsuki now, how close they were getting to Konohagakure. Gai said he would get him home safely but it didn't sit right in my stomach.

I went to protest but Temari grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze and shaking her head slightly. She was right, this wasn't my place to intervene it was Gaara's office.

We said our goodbyes at the gates of the village, sand shinobi and leaf shinobi with a new bond between them. Watched as Gaara forced Naruto to shake his hand and smiled to myself, I'd never gotten to tell the brat he was precious to my brother but now I believed he knew that.

I said an awkward goodbye to Kakashi in front of everyone, he was still weak from the fight and I wanted him to stay.. But he gave me that half smile that had me smiling back and promised me he would be okay.

--

"Would you get off of me?" Gaara growled as I hugged him for the hundredth time since we got back to the village.

"I am just so happy." I gave him an apologetic smile once I had let him go and sat back down at the table.

"We all are but you don't have to smother him." Temari groaned and I glared at her.

"Yes Kairi, you have other things to worry about." Baki chimed in and I saw a smirk rise on Kankuro's face that made me suspicious.

"Right, another mission." I tried, nodding.

"No." Baki growled. "You have been avoiding me for two days since you got back.. We are going to see Elder Hanami."

I groaned, face planting the table so hard that it rocked my skull.

"I am sorry Baki, that will have to wait." The Kazekage commanded and Baki and I both stared at him. "I do have a mission for my sister."

"Oh?" We said in unison, sharing our surprise.

Gaara nodded, with a secret smile. "Lady Kairi is ambassador to Lady Hokage.. After everything that has happened, I feel that it would be best to send her back to Konohagakure to report in."

My jaw dropped, Temari reached over and pushed my mouth shut.

Gaara gave me a sidelong glance, raising an eyebrow. "Unless you don't want to go back?"

I stared at his smugly amused face, my head racing. Go back to Konohagakure? Part of me was jumping up and down dancing and the other was pouting. I'd been smothering him as Temari had said, and now he was sending me away to get some space.. But I could see Kakashi again.. We could clear things up, maybe even start over.

"I guess she doesn't wanna go." Kankuro gave a lazy sigh, watching my face for a reaction.

I ignored his bait, turning my attention to Gaara. "I just lost you.. There was nothing I could do, I can not let that happen again."

"I am no longer a jinchuuriki." He reminded me, his face a stone so I couldn't tell how he felt about that. "The akatsuki are after Naruto now and I would feel better having you close to him."

I went to object again but Gaara held his hand up to silence me, and then squared his eyes on my own as they softened a little. "Kairi.. If we have learned anything from this.. It should be that life is short and often unfair.. Those who are precious to you could be taken away in an instant."

I nodded with a small smile, understanding what he was trying to tell me. "Thank you, Kazekage."

"I love you, Kai." He'd said it so few times before, it still brought tears to my eyes.