Takara could have ignored Temari and continued on his way, could have blinked and disappeared in a blur without saying a word, but he didn't.
In broad strokes, Temari was the closest thing to a friend he had, even with the distance he always deliberately put between himself and others of his same graduating class, to avoid getting close to people whose mortality rate exceeded 80%. The blonde kunoichi would occasionally cross his path and exchange words with him.
Especially since Maki's death, it could be said that she was the only person he spoke to normally, mostly at the cemetery when once again, they coincided.
Sometimes he wondered if the template of Nox not only came with its powers and knowledge, but also inherited some trait of his personality that influenced his behavior without him being aware of it.
The possibility was as high as flipping a coin.
And since his time on the moon, Takara decisively left Sunagakure behind.
He had no regrets, no attachments, he took the only important thing from there and perhaps, just perhaps, deep down, the only reason why the Shukaku was still not in his hands, was not to avoid the alert of Akatsuki and Black Zetsu.
Maybe, it had something to do with her.
The dissolution of the Shukaku would not kill Gaara, not at all. But unlike what happened to Fu from Takigakure, Temari's little brother would need to practice again to regain his abilities, since after the loss of the tailed beast, the sand manipulation he was so dependent on would weaken significantly and his chakra reserves would drop to the levels of a normal person.
He would no longer have the "perfect" protection of the sand, nor could he manipulate gigantic dunes with a hand movement.
Although he could finally sleep like an ordinary person.
"What's up with you?!" Temari left the team of genin she led behind as she approached Takara with heavy steps and stopped just half a meter away from him. Looking him up and down, perhaps examining his new appearance or checking if he was in one piece.
Who knew what she was thinking?
Although he was a little surprised that Temari was now the leader of a team, he thought she would be constantly coming and going from Konoha.
Was there any important detour because she took Naruto for her purposes?
She also began to change her style of dress.
"Granny Chiyo only knew about Konoha's attack on Otogakure months ago, when you sent the message that you were going into hiding. I thought they had caught you or something worse!"
It's curious, Takara didn't remember ever being the target of Temari's shouts, he always watched from the perspective of an observer when she lectured her teammates.
"You look different, you feel different!" Temari frowned, unable to find the right words.
Hey, a woman's instinct is scary.
"A lot has happened."
Temari stopped, stopped looking around and focused her eyes on the mask.
"What happened to you?" she asked with a hint of doubt in her voice. "We had confirmation that your mission in the Land of Water was a success, then the thing with Otogakure happened and... then nothing more. As if you had vanished from the face of the earth."
She wasn't far off with the statement.
Takara didn't immediately respond, leaning slightly forward to look at the genin behind Temari, who had approached not so subtly, to listen to the conversation with thinly veiled interest.
Some additional resources for Edo Tensei were never a bad idea.
Perhaps sensing the "rebuke" in Takara's gaze, the genin rubbed the back of their heads apologetically and stepped back again as cold sweat ran down their foreheads.
Their instincts screamed at them to run as far away from that man as possible!
They just gained some confidence seeing that their sensei got along with him, especially after hearing that they were actually from the same village.
The danger turned into the aura of brilliance that a strong person has!
And after hearing that he appeared in that important fight...
Is that why he was covered in bandages?
Was he gravely injured until now?
"These idiots," Temari put a hand to her forehead exasperatedly. "I'm sorry, they've rarely been this far from the village and they're still brats."
Takara wanted to point out that there wasn't that much of an age difference between her and them, but wisely kept his opinion to himself.
"On a mission?"
"Returning from one to be exact," Temari clarified without going into details about the content of said mission, as protocol dictated. "Do you want to come back with us? I want to know what you've been up to these months."
He had no reason to go back.
"No, I still have things to do," Takara replied as he pulled out a scroll. "But this might be of interest and I would appreciate it if you could take it back to the village."
Temari took the scroll without hesitation and with a raised eyebrow, tacitly asked if she could see the content, opening the scroll and reading it after seeing Takara nod and making sure the genin couldn't see anything.
The scroll was a resource he prepared in case he encountered Suna jonin during his movements, being able to make a factual evasion without the need to waste time fighting.
He didn't expect to have to use it to divert Temari's attention.
Its content detailed the death of the renegade jinchuriki of the Six Tails from Kirigakure a month ago, along with the obvious fact that the biju would reform in the coming months somewhere in the world, traces of the Nine Tails jinchuriki in the Land of Snow at the hands of a ninja named Nadare Roga, some information about the most dangerous abilities of Akatsuki's Hidan and Deidara, as well as the possible death of Hanzo, the Salamander.
There was a whole line of traces suggesting that Amegakure was being controlled by someone else, it was as simple to check as sending someone and not having them return to corroborate it.
A mixture of truths and lies convincing enough to demonstrate his "hard work" in his absence, information that would undoubtedly end up in the hands of Konoha for a high price, divert their attention elsewhere and Akatsuki would be on alert for when the Six Tails began to reform.
Everyone will be chasing shadows, while Takara swallows the light.