Step 1:

"Step 1: Make a plan.

Step 2: Initiate contact.

Step 3: …."

The tip of Rin's pencil broke on the paper; bits of black lead spraying about like a mini-explosion.

She couldn't think of a more perfect metaphor for her life.

Leaning back in her chair, she tried to come up with a possible solution for how to get close enough to induce Haru.

The wound on her arm was a stark reminder that he'd kill her if she entered the cage and she couldn't cast from outside it.

The idea to round up some guards and forcefully pin him down appealed, but that wouldn't get her anywhere, his subconscious would reject her instantly.

She doubted she'd make it past the first level and that kind of casting could really hurt her, as well as his mental health.

"Who knows if there even is a mind to induce? This is a waste of time." Her inner-voice chided.

Rin's fingers came to her temples, rubbing them in a circle. "Great, even my own thoughts don't believe in me. This is going to be a piece of cake."

Her gaze lifted out the window, at the setting sun.

It painted the clouds with orange fire, the kind that made her think of the last time she'd watched the sky like this; it's beautiful hues of pink, purple and blue, the warm desert breeze, Gaara wrapped sweetly around her...

She rested her chin in her hand. "I wonder what he's doing right now? Is he going to be able to sleep without me? Will I lose all the progress I made because I put my friend's life over his revenge?"

When she said it like that, it sounded more and more ridiculous.

It wasn't likely she'd get Haru back the way she remembered him.

This was about finding the culprits, protecting the Sand and by extension, Gaara, from whatever trouble she'd unknowingly brought.

"And a small part of your own revenge scheme. Funny how you have any right to criticize him, when you're no better. Hypocrite."

She pushed the chair back from the desk and stood, wedging her broken pencil in her knotted hair.

Her steps went from one side of the room, to the other, pacing in a circle. "Enough brain! Stop beating me up! Focus our energy on more important things."

Not how Gaara's room was only a hallway down from hers or how badly she wanted to make things right with him.

"How many people called you a monster?"

The memory of her words stung in her mouth.

Rin wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a chill that came on from nothing more than her own guilt.

What she said was necessary, she didn't regret that aspect of it, but the look on his face, the way his gaze steeled, that stayed with her.

She settled on her bed and closed her eyes. "I just want to say I'm sorry."

Her hands rested on her lap, the now constant sting of her injured arm bringing her out of her sorrow.

Rin took a deep breath and gathered her resolve. "I don't have any time to lose. The week's countdown has begun. I have to figure out how to help Haru."

She stood, grabbed her bag off the chair and left her room, so another barrage of guilt wouldn't take her.

The guards, forever posted outside her door, leapt to her side, walking a few steps behind her.

Rin sighed. "Again? Is this really necessary?"

"Ma'am, we've been ordered by Captain Temari to accompany you any time you aren't escorted by one of the commanding officers or the Kazekage himself."

"For how long?"

"Until you leave the village."

Rin scoffed. "And what if I never leave? What if I suddenly relish the thought of sand between my toes and lizards and heat and all that? Will you escort me until I'm old and shriveled?"

The guards looked at each other and the shorter one answered. "We will escort you until other orders are given, ma'am. That's the gist of it."

She hmphed and waited for them to open the door for her, hitching her bag further up on her shoulder. "Well, if I'm going to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, I ought to at least know your names."

They didn't answer.

Rin turned and placed her hands on her hips. "Come on, now. We can be friends. I promise I'm not that scary."

"Fear has nothing to do with it, ma'am. It's just not proto..."

"If you say 'protocol' to me, I'm smacking you both."

The taller one smirked at her spunk. "It's just not done in the Sand, ma'am."

Rin extended her hand to them. "Well, I'm not from the Sand, so I don't have to play by all its archaic rules. Let's start this right. My name is Rin, and you are?"

They looked at each other, clearly trying to decide whether or not to follow down whatever crazy road she was taking them.

Her hand wavered. "Not to be rude, but I am recovering from an arm wound, over here."

The shorter guard made the decision and took her hand in his. "My name is Ikki."

She shook it and looked to the other man, who didn't seem as apt to share.

She blinked demurely in the rising moonlight. "Don't tell me a big, strong man like you, is afraid of a little kunoichi like me?"

He rolled his eyes at her baiting and put his hand out, shaking once. "Kazue."

"Splendid. All right, now that we know each other, let's continue."

Ikki opened the door to the prison and waited for her to cross.

She nodded her thanks to him, but didn't miss how Kazue grunted. "Might as well lay out rose petals while you're at it."

"Shut it."

"Boys." She chastised, taking a torch from the top of the stairs and making her descent.

The echoing of her footfalls in the damp facility, filled her stomach with knots.

It smelt stuffy and moist, colder the further down she went.

She'd hoped this meant it stayed cool during the unforgiving days, but she doubted hospitable conditions were on the Sand's priority when they built it.

There were only three cells in the entire building and Haru's was at the end.

Rin suspected this was because the Sand wasn't known for taking prisoners, before Gaara's reign.

They were more kill-on-sight kind of people.

Four guards waited outside the cells, as per Gaara's request and Rin felt all their eyes on her at once.

She stepped forward, clearing her throat. "Good evening, gentleman."

They nodded in response.

"I assume rumors have already spread in your platoon about what I'm trying to do here and my timeline to complete it?"

Another nod.

"Great, we're all very chatty." She mumbled to herself.

Rin set down her bag and approached the first pair of guards. "I know your orders are to keep me from being alone with the prisoner and I don't intend to violate that. How close will you let me get?"

"As close as you can, while not being within his reach, ma'am. The Kazekage's express orders are to give you space, but keep an eye on you."

A small part of her warmed at the thought of him saying just that.

Even though he was hurt with her words, he didn't doubt her methods or her resolve.

"Very well. How is he tonight?"

One of the younger guards glanced backwards. "Quieted down about two hours ago. Pitched a fit when you left. I thought he'd never stop screaming."

That made her chest hurt. "I see. Well, I think we'll be in for a lot of screaming, tonight. Here we go."

Rin approached the cell and noticed the line that had been drawn in the dirt. She assumed this was her limit for how far he could reach.

She peered into the cell and couldn't see anything at first.

Raising her torch up a bit, she braced herself for what she knew would come. "Haru."

There was a scuffling from the back of the room and the sound of quick steps, as he flung himself against the cage, reaching for her.

Rin took a step back, swallowing down the yelp that threatened to escape.

Her eyes turned down to the line, making sure she wasn't crossing it.

Haru snarled and growled, his grubby fingers begging to get a hold of her. He looked at her as if she were a fine meal and he'd been starving for months.

By the curves of his protruding bones, she didn't doubt he had.

"Okay, Haru. Shhh. It's okay."

She placed the torch in its holder on the wall, the light casting shadows on them both.

After she was sure there was no way for him to reach her, Rin took a moment to fully study him, not with surprise or fear, as she had in the past, but to really get a good look.

He was a shell of the man she knew.

If her math was correct, it was around ten years since she believed him dead.

The time aged him, but only slightly. If she had to place him, she'd estimate in his late twenties, only three years above her, hence their original numbers of 15 and 18.

She crouched, so that she was holding onto her knees and watched him bend down with her; reaching, always reaching.

What was the expression on his face telling her?

She knew, for whatever reason, he was sent to kill her.

He didn't react so violently to anyone else and, as far as she could tell, she was the only one he'd physically harmed since his arrival.

"Why are you trying to kill me?" Her voice wavered.

Rin sat her back against the wall, waiting for him to tire himself out.

She had no intention of being the one to give up first and an exhausted body was much easier to reach than a riled one.

Her hands folded on her lap; her face expressionless, as she made ready to last the night.

It took a long time for him to settle, the bars wore the skin away under his arms and his body bruised from the amount of times he tried to ram himself at the door.

He'd tried everything to get out. Slipping through the bars, digging at the floor, ramming himself against the walls, each one making her wince.

It took everything inside her not to try and stop him. She hated watching him hold his arm after it hurt or wondering if he broke something.

After what felt like hours, he finally stopped thrashing and laid down, exhausted from his efforts.

She let out a breath, her voice taking on the familiar soothing tone, she was famous for. "Haru. I know you can hear me. I know you're tired. Even if you can't understand me, I'm going to keep talking. My hope is to remove whatever trigger is associated with hearing my voice."

He didn't say anything, but moaned and placed his hands over his ears.

She was right.

Whoever did this to Haru, was specifically training him to be repelled by her.

The sound of her speaking softly, seemed agony to him. He tried everything to block out her voice, going so far, as to work his ear into the dirt, but it didn't help any.

"All right. I see where I have to start now. We're going to practice sensory exposure until whatever you've been brought to believe about my presence has passed."

Rin rose from her perch, dusting off her legs. "Thank you Haru. I'll come back tomorrow."

She grabbed the torch and turned to leave, but then felt the whoosh of air, as he lunged at the bars once more, screaming at her. "Aneeeen! Aneeeen!"

Rin closed her eyes, trying not to let him see how much he'd frightened her.

She turned slowly and addressed him. "I'll be back tomorrow."

He rattled the cell door, banging his head against it and tearing at his already ripped clothes.

Rin returned the torch to one of the guards and nodded her goodbye.

Ikki and Kazue were waiting on the stair and by the late hour, she could see they were ready to head home as well. "You know, I'm going to be here until late every night. You don't have to stay with me, if you have families to go home to."

They stood and stretched. "No can do, ma'am. You're stuck with us."

"Goodie."

The walk back through the deserted streets of the Sand was lonely. Rin curled her arms around herself and sighed.

She didn't know if she was any closer to helping Haru, but at least, she'd figured out one small piece to his madness puzzle.

Tomorrow, she'd try a different tactic to reach him and write down her results.

She'd almost made it back to the mansion, when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. "Somebody's watching me."

Rin twisted around, glancing up and down the empty alleys.

Ikki was the first to speak. "Something wrong?"

She scanned the darkness, trying to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from.

After a moment, she shook her head. "No, I think I'm just tired. Let's go."

"Roger that."

But, as all good ninja learn, it's wise to trust your instincts.

The figure in the darkness watched her go inside and turned towards the prison, the image of her face locked in his mind.

"So, that's the famous Sleepwalker Ninja? We'll see what she's capable of."