Authors Note: This is a oneshot. Believe me you do not want me writing a chapter story. Look at my track record, not a single story finished. If I write another chapter, then that will be the last chapter. And so forth. Oh, and I don't own Naruto or the characters.

"I want to see you dance." He said as he pulled the strings attached to his fingers. The lifeless form of Sakura moved to his every whim and thought, and yet, there was something missing. Something was strangely absent from the beautiful girls dance. Every pirouette, ever twist and turn and leap was all wrong. Her arm moving above her head as she bowed like a beautiful ballerina was a hideous, horrible thing

"NO! THAT'S NOT RIGHT!" Sasori said as he hit Sakura hard across the cheek. The force of the blow knocked her back and she crumpled to the ground. He bent his body over her lithe form and ran his fingers over her cheek. His Akatsuki cloak covered them both like a dark cloud of protection. Shallow breathing escaped her lips, like a baby in its sleep.

'The bruise that mars her skin does not digress from her beauty', he thought to himself as he ran his fingers through her silky hair and savored their feel. He slid his hand behind her head and tilted Sakura up to look at him, and he could see tears that spilled from her eyes. His first instinct was to throw her down in anger. But the salty smell of her tears invaded his senses. Bringing her face closer to his, he darted out his tongue and licked her salty tears, relishing the taste. Yes, this was what was missing. In her dance her taste was gone.

He had many beautiful puppets. He had strong and powerful puppets capable of maneuvering any task that he so desired. And yet as he fought this girl with his grandmother, all he could think about was how much he wanted her. He wanted her to dance for him, to be his and nobody else's. He researched her, her background, her ancestry, her daily habits. He had carefully planned and formulated the right way to approach the Akatsuki about his new expirement. The only one that saw through him was Itachi.

'The containers harbor feelings for her, and she for my foolish little brother. There would not be a wiser choice than her.' The Uchiha said at the last meeting.

Like a good puppetmaster, the others danced and agreed with his idea. That was all it was, a simple genjutsu, special gas, and a short trip and then she belonged to the Akatsuki. She belonged to him.

Now that he had obtained the girl from her home in the night, he was free to do with her as he so wished.

And yet why was she making it so difficult?

Sasori knew the answer. Her tears told him. The reason for his want was in the sensations he felt as he licked away every single teardrop. From there he pressed his lips upon hers, and circled his arms around her body. It was odd, that even though he could control her every movement, he could feel her heart beating, her lips quivering, the sobs forming in the back of her throat. She was not a dead puppet, but one of life. One of…emotion.

That was what he craved. His parents never gave it to him, everyone was devoid of this simple thing, everyone but her. And now that he had her, it was the one thing she would not give him. The one thing missing from her dance. How could he be so blind? So many years ago, his own grandmother told him that that was the greatest challenge any puppetmaster must face…bringing life and emotion to your puppets.

"Where is your life, konichi?" he whispered into her ear. He could smell her strawberry shampoo, even though he had been playing with her for a day, it still lingered. Her smell, her feel, her taste, it was all life.

"Would you give it to me, Sakura?" he asked into her ear, leaking the shell. He pressed her body closer to him, and moved her arms around his neck. "Would you give me what you have shown me? What I have seen in your eyes?"

He could feel something catching in her throat, her heart beat speeding up, the tightening of her muscles. He buried his head into the crook of her neck and kept a firm grip around her waist.

"I release you…" he said as he cancelled the puppet jutsu. He felt his chakra leaving her body, and her own life filled her once again. Her body struggled against his, and her hands pushed against his chest in an attempt to break free. Sasori smiled with a maniacal glee. This, this is what he craved. This was her life.

"You will be my puppet without strings." Sasori whispered into her ear. Sakura turned to face him, with the beautiful fire in her eyes, a distinctive frown upon her bruised lips,.

"I hate you…" she said, gathering chakra into her hand flipping him over onto the floor of the small little room in Akatsuki headquarters. In a reversal of roles, Sasori was on the ground at Sakuras feet. He relished the pain that his stringless puppet had given him.

"Beautiful." He said, as Sakura kicked him in the side. He looked up at Sakura with adoration in his eyes. She was finally dancing the way that he wanted.

The only reason.

His look shocked Sakura, and she took a few step back and brought out her kunai.

"Little flower, your strength and life is so beautiful." He said to her, not moving to attack. He slowly moved to get up, but at the shift in Sakuras stance hse contented to sitting on the ground with his legs tucked under him.

"You're a sick freak!" Sakura said as she wiped her lips from the back of her hand.

"Geniuses are often midunderstood, my dear." The puppetmaster said shrugging his shoulders.

"A puppet all to my own, I don't need strings to make you dance. We shall play again, Sakura, my little puppet of life." He said before giving her a graceful bow and dissapearing in a smoke ball. Sakura coughed and shielded her eyes from the stinging smoke. When it had cleared, the puppet was left alone.