They collected the flowers from the Yamanaka's, the family loaning them a second wagon for all of the beautiful blooms. Ino was sad to see her go, as she always was, but glad that she had come at all. They stayed a little while, helping load supplies and talking to the family as they did so. After the wagons had been loaded, the couple finally said their goodbyes and then made their way to the gates where Sakura and Naruto stood.
"Good morning!" Sakura chirped up and Momoko offered her a bright smile, "Took you two long enough!"
She didn't comment on the way both of their hair was still a little wet, or the glow that they had, but she didn't need to. Sakura gave Momoko a knowing smile, and the girl could only blush with a little grin of her own.
"Next time, you two are gonna stay longer!" Naruto said, putting a hand on Gaara's shoulder as the redhead offered him a small smile.
"It's been nearly two weeks," Gaara commented, and Naruto just grinned.
"A month, then!" He replied, and Momoko couldn't help but giggle.
"I hate to say it, but I agree!" Sakura added beside him, "Two weeks isn't nearly enough!"
"No time will ever be enough for you two!" Momoko laughed, "It's been a lot of fun, but I think we're both ready to go home."
Beside her Gaara nodded and she turned her smile to him. The wagons were loaded and their bags were over their shoulders, all that they really needed now was to say goodbye. Sakura stepped forward and hugged her just as tightly as she always did when they parted, and Momoko didn't hesitate to do the same.
"Please be safe out there," Sakura said into her shoulder, "And send us a message as soon as you've gotten home."
A little startled by the suddenly serious words, Momoko pulled away to give her a quizzical look. Just before she could ask, Naruto spoke up.
"There's been some trouble on the road between here and Suna," He said with a frown.
"What kind of trouble?" Gaara asked, and Momoko could tell from the slight shift of his tone how he tensed.
"Just a couple of rogue shinobi," Naurto replied, "They never hurt anyone, but they've been spotted by travelers these past couple days. It's nothing you can't handle, though. Those guys will probably take one look at you and go running!"
Despite how confident Naruto was in his ability, Gaara didn't relax in the slightest. He knew he could handle whatever was out there, it was exposing Momoko to battle that he didn't care for. If anything went wrong, if anything happened to her, Gaara wasn't sure what he would do.
"Still, it's important that you stay safe, both of you." Sakura added, and Momoko nodded in return.
"Don't worry, we will." Momoko reassured her, despite the nervousness this news brought. She had never really seen combat before, just glimpses of training and a couple hand signs.
"You better!" She replied, before turning her attention to Gaara, "If anything happens to her, I'm coming after you, mister!"
Momoko giggled as Gaara nodded mutely, a little wide-eyed from the sudden scolding. Beside her, Naruto nodded in agreement. It made her smile; even after all this time and the distance between them, Team 7 was as protective of her now as they always were. It almost made her wish they could stay a little longer, but she knew Suna needed him and the flowers needed her.
"We should probably get going," She said, and peeked back into the wagons, "The wedding is in four days and it takes three to get there; the sooner we can get home, the better."
Once again, Sakura hugged her tightly and Naruto took all three of them into his arms. Its made the girls laugh and Gaara even cracked a small smile at being in the embrace of friends. The most important people in her life were right here, holding her close and smiling all the while. She really was lucky to have such a wonderful life.
"I'm gonna miss you guys," She said as they pulled away, "You know you're allowed to come to Suna, right?"
"You're welcome any time." Gaara added.
"Yeah, maybe!" Naruto said and beside him Sakura nodded.
They said their goodbyes, the girls shedding their tears just as they always did when it came time to depart. The two leaf shinobi stayed at the gates, and Momoko kept glancing back until both them and the gates were out of sight. Once it was just her and Gaara again, he placed a hand on the small of her back.
"Stay close to me," He said, and Momoko could tell he was more on edge this time around than usual.
"I will!" She nodded, already shifting to walk just a little closer at his side, "Who do you think these guys are?"
"Usually missing-nin are criminals, or traitors to their villages."
Momoko frowned, her eyes trailing from him to the ground in front of them as they walked. It was strange to think that anyone who was raised in the shinobi lifestyle would come to resent their village in any way. Shinobi were usually some of the most patriotic people she knew, she couldn't imagine what it must have taken for them to turn their backs on their home. Despite possibly being criminals, Momoko couldn't help but pity those shinobi. They probably traveled a lot, no definite place to call home anymore and likely no one they loved anymore. Even if they were 'bad guys', they were still people.
She had never understood that part of shinobi: the lack of regard for life. They killed with little thought and hardly any justice, like it was nothing more than squishing a bug under their shoes. The enemy wasn't a person to them, they were just an obstacle. Momoko couldn't imagine taking someone's life and still being able to live her own.
"Gaara?" She asked, and he looked at her, "If someone does attack us, what will you do?"
He seemed a little confused at her words, his brow furrowing just slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"Would you...Would you kill them?"
"If they try to hurt you, I would."
He didn't understand the way she frowned and looked away again.
"Does that displease you?" He asked, and watched how she began to fiddle with the straps of her backpack. She nodded without a word, "Why?"
Momoko fell quiet, her eyes still down and her fingers fumbling away. They walked in silence for a moment until she finally found the words.
"I know it's silly, especially with how the world is, but...I don't think anyone deserves to die." She said quietly.
"Not even someone who's trying to kill you?" Gaara asked with a frown which only deepened as she shook her head.
"I just don't think it's right. No matter what that person has done or what they're doing now, I don't think any crime could be worth such a punishment."
It was Gaara's turn to fall quiet, and he seemed to mull over her words. Though he wasn't entirely surprised about her logic, given that she was not a shinobi herself and naturally such a gentle soul, it was still a little strange to hear anyone value life as much as she seemed to. He himself had killed before, for worse reasons than just defense. That was part of the job, part of his responsibilities. Of course he valued life, but even he had his conditions.
"I know it's probably unreasonable, but if anyone does try to hurt me...please, don't kill them."
The words pulled Gaara out of his thoughts and he stopped walking. Momoko did too, looking back at him with a little frown.
"That is unreasonable." He confirmed, his own frown giving way to something more stern.
"Gaara-"
"I try not to deny you anything, but I must deny you this." Gaara said, more firm than the last time he talked, "If someone hurts you, Momoko, I won't hold back. Any shinobi cruel enough to attack a civilian doesn't deserve kindness."
"Everyone deserves kindness!" She replied, her voice raising a little as she did so, "It doesn't matter what they've done, nobody deserves to die!"
"Some people do." He argued, "It's easy for you to think the best of people when you haven't seen the worst. There are monsters in this world, no matter how much you wish it isn't so."
"Are you a monster, then?" She asked, and the words startled him.
"Excuse me?"
"You've killed people before, and you say you'll kill people again." Momoko argued, "What makes you any different from the criminals and the traitors?"
"Because I've changed-"
"Exactly!" She cut him off, her words more passionate now, "You changed, and they can too! Love changed you, Gaara, why wouldn't it change them too?"
Though he could see her point, he still didn't agree with it.
"Not everyone is redeemable," He stated, and she shook her head at his words, "Especially not if they hurt you."
The words didn't please her at all, instead she almost looked angry.
She didn't know why she was getting so upset over this conversation, she just was. It was strange of Gaara to be cruel like this, even stranger for her to consider him so. Surely he had some value for life, didn't he? Having been someone who was redeemed himself, she didn't like that he was so quick do determined that others couldn't do the same. There was no such thing as a bad person, she believed that through and through.
His deciding factor in this argument seemed to be whether they posed a threat to her or not, and it didn't sit well with her. So what if she was hurt or someone disliked her? She would rather endure any pain or beatings if it meant someone's life would be spared. Nothing anyone could ever do to her would justify their death, especially when she so adamantly argued against it. Everyone deserved to live in her eyes, even the people that hurt her. It wasn't her place to decide who lived or died, and it certainly wasn't his.
"If you kill for me, Gaara, I'll never forgive you."
He stared at the way her brows had furrowed and her hands clenched so tight at the straps of her bag that her knuckles turned white. She had only spoken like this to him once or twice before, but never with this much intensity. He could tell she was upset, maybe even genuinely mad, but he wasn't going to back down from his point.
Though he wanted to honor her point, maybe even agree with it, Gaara couldn't bring himself to do so. He knew how cruel people could be, had seen it with his own eyes and witnessed it himself. The idea of Momoko being subjected to any of it made his stomach turn; he'd be damned if anyone got close enough to hurt her. The very thought of anything happening to her had his blood running a little cooler- there was no way he could come face to face with some one that had hurt her and not do something about it.
This would just have to be something they disagree on.
"I would rather you be angry then dead." He said simply.
Momoko turned on her heel and kept walking, and Gaara followed without another word.
When night fell she still hadn't regained her cool, and it would be a lie to say Gaara wasn't a little cross with her as well. They had never gotten into an argument like that before, where she had raised her voice and Gaara had been tempted to do the same. He wasn't mad at her, per say, but he was a little flustered that she was being so stubborn on the point. It wasn't even an important topic; Gaara would nlet anything happen to her and Momoko would never see him in combat.
She just didn't understand the world the way he did. Gaara had seen horrors beyond words and enough blood to fill oceans, Momoko had only ever seen her flowers. It was the first time since they met that they could feel this divide between them. She had never really paid much attention to how different their beliefs or lifestyles were, and though it didn't change her love for him at all, it was still hard to come to terms with. As gentle and kind as Gaara was to her, it was hard to believe that he could be so cruel about the topic, even argue with her about it. She didn't think valuing human life was even something to be debated.
Momoko lay in her sleeping bag just as she had all those nights ago when they were first coming to Konoha, and Gaara was right at her side. They didn't speak, hardly acknowledged each other beyond quick glances and small hand gestures. It wasn't exactly tense between the two of them anymore, more so now just a mutual understanding that they needed some time to collect themselves again before talking. Being angry with each other would only lead to hurt feelings, and a bruised ego was better than that any day. So they settled for silence, empty and stale, and made do with that.
She only spoke when she turned her back to him to fall asleep, muttering a stubborn, "Goodnight. I love you."
When she had finally fallen asleep, Gaara let himself lean a little more against the tree behind him. He was more tired than usual, from both their romping the night before and in the shower this morning. Though it wasn't entirely distracting, he knew that he couldn't risk not sleeping tonight and being less alert in the morning. Once he was sure that she was completely asleep, Gaara let his sand seep out of his gourd and form a protective shell around her sleeping form. He waited a moment in case it woke her, but when no movement came Gaara crossed his arms across his chest and closed his eyes- only to open them a moment later at the sound of something rustling in the forest around them.
He was to his feet in a flash, his eyes scanning the thick brush. There was no light, no more movement, but he could vaguely sense a nearby chakra source. Gaara looked back at the shell and when he felt tendrils of sand brush against him on their own, he spoke.
"Protect her."
The sand darted out and swirled around the shell, circling it in a protective barrier. Gaara turned his attention back to the forest before taking off after the chakra signal.
It wasn't moving or very active, but he could still feel it as he jumped through the trees. He strained his ears to try and hear anything, any breath or shifting that signaled the presence of another person, but the forest was silent. Still, he wouldn't risk it. Animals didn't leave chakra signals, so it must have been a person- and whoever it was, they had gotten far too close for his liking.
A sudden rustling caught his attention, and Gaara stopped on a branch to listen again. The chakra signal he had been following had vanished, but there was still shifting that didn't sound like any harmless animal, especially not when a new chakra met his senses as well. He debated for a moment between going after where the chakra had been or towards the new one. It was odd, for the trail to just vanish and a different one to pop up, but he didn't dwell on it too much longer before he changed direction and headed towards the source of the new one.
He must have covered half of the forest with how quickly he was moving. If they went much further Gaara would have to turn back. The sooner he could take care of this burden, the sooner he could get back to Momoko. Luckily, he didn't have to run too much longer before he came to a stop in front of a small clearing. Gaara jumped from the branch and to the ground, his eyes scanning the area. There was no one, no traces of chakra or any more noises. It was odd, and he didn't care for it in the slightest. Whoever it was was long gone by now, leaving no trace of chakra or clues behind. Gaara only stayed there for a few moments longer, just in case he felt them again or anything else caught his attention, but the world had fallen silent. A little reluctantly, but ready to get back to Momoko, he turned on his heel and made his way back.
When he got closer to where she and the wagons were, Gaara jumped from the trees to the ground again. He made his way through the forest, still alert and ready for any shift of the wind, but the sight that met him when he got to the campsite made his freeze in his tracks. The shell around her was untouched and she was sleeping soundly inside, and the sand was still circling in its protective barrier. But the disturbance wasn't near Momoko, instead beside her.
Right where he had been sitting under the tree, a sprig of lavender lay burning.