A low-key filler but to add more dimension to the story.

In the far distance, Sakura could see a figure with long hair and a red blob of color that surrounded him. She opened her mouth to call out, but the only thing that came were bubbles.

She quickly realized she was back in the experimentation lab, where multiple others were also floating in their own vats, across from her. Sakura wanted to scream. To release the pressure inside her head, and break free from the tubes that were connected to her body, and just...let go.

Sakura looked down, up, left, right. There was no escape. She curled into a ball, clutching her short, damp hair and just about nearly ripping it out. She wanted to die. She didn't want to be there anymore. Why was she there? Who was she? Why was she there! Why.

Suddenly, all the pressure met its breaking point and the glass shattered. She quickly tore out the tubes in her arms and stomach, and found herself surrounded by vines that had come from inside the container.

She walked for only a minute before she saw her first human being outside of her container. He was wearing a funny animal mask, and dark clothing. He's a shinobi, Sakura knew from the start. The man turned his head slightly, just enough so she could catch a glimpse of the eyes.

Those haunting eyes.

They were truly cold and devoid of emotion.
Like the ones that had experimented on her.
Like the one that nearly raped her.
Like the man at the casino.

That was it. That was what set her off all those times. Those evil eyes.

And just like everyone with those eyes, they were dead.

:::

"It's time to end this," Tsunade muttered, crouching down next to the unconscious girl. A single finger glowed a light blue as she began bringing it closer to Sakura's forehead, causing both Sasuke and Naruto to be startled.

"Wait, Baa-chan! Please don't kill her, dattebayo! She just happened to stray off the path, ya know?" He smiled sadly down at his unconscious friend, as if he could relate. "She just felt really lost."

Tsunade stood up from her crouch and glared at Naruto. "If she causes any trouble, I'm sending my best shinobi after you. And you," she turned to Sasuke, "you can carry her the entire way back to Konoha." Of course, I'm sure the Council will have something to say about her, whether it be execution or her joining ROOT.

"So...we're going home?" Naruto inquired, peeking a look at Tsunade to gage her reaction.

"Heh." Tsunade crossed her arms. "We're going back to our home. Shizune, we'll need to stop by our hotel room to retrieve TonTon, and then we can start heading back."

"I knew you would come around," Jiraiya said with a sly look on his face, and then tried to put his arm around her like the many times before. However, his arm was slapped away by Tsunade, who flicked him off along with a string of cuss words and empty threats before walking away.

Sasuke gently jostled the girl on his back to make the weight more comfortable for him, then looked back to check on her. His eyes narrowed, recalling Kabuto's last words. 'She'll never be anything more than a traitor; keep that in mind when you say you want to keep her.' He has a point, Sasuke mused. She's betrayed both sides, so no one knows where her loyalties lie, and who knows if she's bound to do it again?

:::

Temari sighed quietly beside her older brother, Kankuro. Relations between Suna and Konoha were not going too well, seeing how their village had plotted against them. That's a given, Temari thought, then snapped back into the present. All three of the Sand Siblings had been called by the Council to discuss the assassination of their father, the last Kazekage.

She shifted uncomfortably when he looked towards Gaara. He held himself differently than before the Chūnin Exams; before them, the aura he released was filled with contempt and blood thirst. Now, he seemed...at peace with himself, as surprising as it was to Temari. He stood with perfect posture and his arms crossed against his chest, and he lacked any of the tics and twitches he would occasionally have when staying somewhere in a long period of time. Just what happened to him at the Chūnin Exams? She was in the hospital after her fight with the Konoha girl with pink hair, and Kankuro had been caught up fighting the boy with bugs. Who did Gaara fight...? The blonde idiot that gave them a bad impression from their first meeting. He was short and rash, but also passionate and loyal.

Temari crossed her arms and cocked her hips to get in a more comfortable position from standing for so long. So far, the Council has only said how much it was of a grievance that their father was dead, but in reality, they mourned the solid protection they received from him as a leader. He may have been a terrible father, but that had nothing to do with how much of a force he was to be reckoned with in battle.

"—as so, we will be choosing the next Kazekage." All three immediately looked on with more interest, their posture now perked. That showed how little they each cared about their father, that bastard. "We have narrowed the candidates down to you three young shinobi. The majority of the Council has decided that bringing a younger person into office with a new outlook will greatly benefit Sunagakure. We have determined that each of you have the same potential, so you may discuss amongst yourselves who fits the Kazekage title the most. You will have until tomorrow this time to decide. You're dismissed."

All three bowed respectfully to the Elders, then took their leave. Temari took lead, and led them all to the balcony to discuss what had happened. When they got there, it was silent. She decided to break it. "I don't think want to be Kazekage, with all due respect to the previous ones. Although I might be the best for office work, I'm not strong enough to fight enemies that may try to attack us when we're down."

Kankuro then spoke. "I think I would be better as the Hokage's advisor. Gaara, what do you think? You're the strongest out of us, so you would be able to protect the village in a crisis." He and Temari held their breath, waiting for him to lash out.

Instead, he nodded to himself and turned away from them, leaning over the balcony to look at the village in the horizon. The sun was setting, painting the desert sky an orangey-yellow color. Finally, Gaara spoke. "What makes a good leader?"

Temari and Kankuro exchanges looks: what? Since when was Gaara anything but angry? Instead, he was spouting philosophical thoughts? Eventually, Temari managed to reply, "They should be able to protect the village, interact with their people freely, and put the village as their first priority."

"Trustworthiness. Compassion. Loyalty. Is that not what you said?" Gaara turned around to look at them and leaned on the wall behind him with his arms crossed. "I know what I did before. I know I was a monster. But I'll work hard to make the people trust me. I'll use what I thought as a curse," he clutched his stomach, "to protect this village, despite their treatment towards me. And I hope I can count on you two."

Slowly, Temari found herself smiling and nodding. "Of course, Gaara." She looked in the corner of her eye to watch what Kankuro would say.

Beside her, he let out a short laugh. "When did you change so much, brother?" Kankuro grinned, remembering how fierce and irrational Gaara used to be, and now, he was suddenly so very wise?

"When I fought Naruto Uzumaki, he taught me something. He's just like me," he ignored the short gasps from his siblings, "and yet, he used the hate he received to strive to be something better than them. I believe he will become Hokage. He will do many great things for the shinobi world. And I don't want to lag behind him forever." Gaara cracked a small smile.

Suddenly, Temari lurched forward, dragging Kankuro with her, to pull Gaara into a hug. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered tearfully, "Mom would have been so proud."

I wanted to give some perspective on Suna's side, since we haven't heard from them in so long. And now, Gaara's gonna be Kazekage! Isn't that great?

Will Sasuke still trust Sakura?

What will happen to Sakura when they return?

What will happen to Author-chan's dearest SasuSaku?!