I found this story in one of my old folders. Alone and forgotten. So I have decided to turn it into a Gaasaku fan fiction for you lovely people. Things are going to be different here compared to the actual anime. For instance, Gaara is the older one out of him and Kankuro. But Temari will still be the eldest.
She had known from the start that running away from the highest source of power (not) known to the world would end badly. But taking advantage of an opportunity was always something she had been good at, even when the timing was a little off. The timing was way off, actually. The sun was so bright but the air coming from behind the door to her freedom was icy. She hadn't bet on it being winter already. Being in a place with no windows would defiantly askew ones judgment of time. But she didn't dread on the small details. It was better to be frozen to death than to be put through the endless torture that was her current life. Glancing over her outfit before departing into the harsh environment was something she did not need to do. The petite girl had been wearing the same clothes throughout her entire stay. A faded and worn black jean jacket, a pair of torn skinny jeans, no shoes, and a very old pair of socks, holes and all. It was better than nothing.
She didn't spare it a second thought as she opened the back metal door slowly and slipped out soundlessly. As soon as her feet had adjusted to the sudden drop of temperature below them, she bolted into the forest. The sun would set soon and it would be her head if they caught her. They wouldn't kill her, oh no. She was much too important to their race to die. Her existence was too special to them. Her blood, that is.
Running barefoot in the snow, she realized, was a lot easier that running with heavy wet socks. She had long took them off her feet and threw them in a random direction away from her fleeing path. She paced herself, even though more terrified with every passing second. The sun was setting quickly and she was only about three miles into the woods. Not very far at all. Her feet had long gone numb but that didn't stop her from continuing. She was getting sleepy but knew if she fell under the spell of winter, death would fallow. At least when she kept a fast pace, her body temperature wouldn't be quite so low. That was what she had told herself anyway. But soon she couldn't run any more. Slowing down her pace, she carefully looked about her surroundings. The thought had stuck her that she had only gotten this far because of high adrenaline from fear of being caught, and excitement from actually escaping. Now her buzz was dying down quickly. The will to survive being the only thing keeping her going.
The 18 year old girl had only made it another mile and a half when the sun was barley a light source anymore. A few more minutes and it would be gone beyond the horizon of the surrounding mountains. A few more minutes until her keepers woke up from their day time slumber only to realize their feeble healing source had fled. And It would not take them long to reach her. Considering their inhuman speed and tracking abilities. She would not let them take her again. She couldn't.
Her time estimate was right. But she didn't think they would find her so quickly. It had only been close to fifteen minutes past the sunset and already she could sense them getting closer. They knew exactly where she was. Now they were in it for the sport of the hunt. Toying with her. She couldn't physically hear their laughter, but she knew they were laughing at her. Calling her weak and pathetic for even trying such a task. She would cry if she wasn't afraid of the wet liquid freezing to her face. The temperature had dropped harshly with the setting of the sun.
She stopped abruptly when she heard rustling in front of her. And again behind her. She sprinted in a random direction and breathed heavily. Tripping over a large stone, she fell out of the tree line and onto a frozen pond. Not hesitating, she got up and ran across it, hoping it would hold, and into the field of ice. It was open and for that she felt slightly at ease. Her captors couldn't hide in the shadow of the trees now. Her fate had been inevitable. The girl just didn't want to prolong their toying. Hitting a slippery part of the pond somewhere near the middle, she went down on her hands and knees. Her hand and eye coordination had always lacked. Having been cooped up in a small room and drained of some blood occasionally would also add to her clumsy state. Not to mention her frozen limbs. The laughter from behind her halted any attempt of her getting up.
Heavy boot thuds led their way to her, only stopping right beside her. She didn't look up, already knowing who it was by the sound of the menacing laughter. He landed a fast and painful kick to her side, causing her to whimper and fall on her back. She was now staring up at the night sky and let her tears, surprised she could produce any, fall freely down her face. They were oddly warm against her frozen skin.
"You are truly pathetic." She did not look at the man hovering over her. He leaned down and grabbed her by her hair, forcing her to stand.
"Poor little Sakura. So weak." He stroked her cheek lightly, as if he was a lover, and then gripping her chin dangerously rough. Said girl was surprised to see that he was the only one that had chased after her. She would of expected at least one more. Or maybe it was because she was begging for any one but him to be the one to bring her back.
"When are you going to learn that you are my property." His monotone voice gave the impression of a statement, but she answered anyway.
"When you learn people aren't possessions, Sasori." She narrowed her eyes at the man holding her. He just grinned. His grin would of made her skin ice if it wasn't already frozen.
"You are only half human, mutt." She didn't look away from his face, even when he looked away from her and lost his smirk. He dropped her to the ground like a wooden doll and faced the tree line with distaste. Her glance followed his and she saw why he held such hate on his face. There was three men standing in the meadow by the trees. They held no emotion, but Sakura could tell they were not happy.
Sasori grabbed her by the wrist with haste but she struggled against it. A swift knee to her stomach and the sheer pain had made her eyes go fuzzy. He dropped her again. This time, her limbs did not obey, making her head hit the cold hard ground. The blow caused immediate darkness.
She had never felt so warm. And surprisingly the only thing that hurt was a slight headache. Her eyes stayed shut and she kept her breathing at bay. Pretending to be asleep was second nature to her. It let her asses her surroundings before being acknowledged. Sakura had noticed that her feet were bound, but it didn't seem to be very tight of a binding. She was covered up, which rarely happened, and sleeping on something soft. Unless Sasori had let her sleep in a bed, which was doubtful, then she was somewhere new. She breathed in, sniffing the air. It smelt like campfire and maple. She was defiantly not with Sasori anymore. That thought alone made the teen open her eyes.
Sakura was in fact in a bed. In a room that looked very unfamiliar and homey. The restraint around her feet was an abnormally large brown looking dog. It picked its head up and made a small cry, as if her stirring had awoken it. The dog looked friendly so she leaned forward and pat its head lightly. It licked her hand in response.
"I don't suppose you could tell me where I am." She whispered to him, or her. She wasn't entirely sure yet. The animal just laid its head back down. It was then that she realized she was in different clothes. A large masculine tank top and equally manlike pajama pants to be exact. But something else caught her eye. All the scars and bite marks that adorned her exposed body were gone. Her mouth dropped as she examined her un-scarred skin with amazement. The dog picked its head up again, slightly tilting its large head to the side. Standing from the bed she took the time to lift her pant legs and shirt up a fraction to examine the rest of her body. No sign of any injury. Previous, or recent. Shuffling was heard behind her but she ignored it in her immediate shock, lifting her shirt up another fraction.
"What are you doing? Oh gosh, Please don't get naked in front of me!" Sakura whipped her body around to see a young cheery male sitting on the bed where the dog was, his cheeks slightly flushed. His hair was a brownish color and his eyes were the darkest shade of brown. She didn't say anything, just backed up a bit.
"Well, I guess I wouldn't mind that much. I am a hormonal crazed teenager after all." He winked at her jokingly and she backed up more only making an 'oof' sound when her back hit the wall. The boy frowned and got off of the bed.
"I was just joking around." He stepped closer to her.
"Oh.." Was all the dumbfounded and shy girl could say.
"I could change back if you would like. You seemed to like me more as a dog." He chuckled a bit at his own dry humor.
"Change…Back?" He stuck his pointer finger up in the air as if finding a solution to a hard math problem. Not saying a word he backed up a bit and shook his slightly messy hair. In a few seconds the male was gone and the previous canine was in his place. Sakura stood there for a second, holding her breath. If she hadn't crossed paths with Sasori, the bloodsucking tyrant of the night, or known about her own twisted bloodline, then she would of fainted at this sight before her. But just knowing there was more than mortals, made anything possible. The boy was back and standing in front of her in seconds.
"Never seen a shifter before?" His eyebrow raised and she shook her head confirming his thoughts.
"I just thought, since you crossed paths with vampires you would know of us. Hmm." She winced and he knew as soon as he caught her reaction, he had said something wrong.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to! I know bloodsuckers can be unpleasant creatures. But you don't have to worry. They wont touch you here! And you will come to find that we are a more pleasant race of creatures." Sakura could tell that, just by the way she had woken up. Of coarse she had heard of a shifter. Sasori would complain about the "Foul Beasts" decreasing their numbers.
"So, uhh. What's your name? I'm Kankuro." He smiled at her. It had been a long time since she had seen any one smile in that manor. Compassion wasn't a part of her life anymore. It would take her a while to get used to.
"Sakura." She half smiled back the best she could. The girl rather enjoyed his company. They talked for a while, about unimportant things mostly. Until there was a knock at the door. Kankuro sat up straight on the bed they were sitting on and faced the now opened door. A tall man who looked to be in his early twenties stood in the doorway. Hus hair color made Sakura hold her breath. It was the same shade as her previous captors: Blood red. His eyes, however, were the most captivating shade of green. I better turn out for Sasori's grayish ones. Or in a state of feeding, red.
"Gaara. You're back early. This is Sakura. Sakura, this is Gaara. My older brother." The girl had a hard tome believing the two were related. The man standing in the doorway was less cheery than his sixteen year old brother. His face held no smile, and he looked terribly uncomfortable.
"Breakfast is getting cold. Go eat." His voice was emotionless but held authority. It made Sakura want to obey as well. The brown haired boy got off the bed and walked past the man in the doorway, giving him a bright smile and a playful jab to the ribs before heading down a hallway. Sakura looked at the man but quickly averted her eyes to the floor. She was taught not to look anyone in the face. So it startled her when she heard the door close and the man named Gaara walk closer to the bed.
"What are you?" The distaste in his voice made her eyes grow big and she looked up at him, only to look down again. This man made her uneasy. The resemblance to Sasori was uncanny. The only differences being the kanji tattoo for love on his forehead and his green eyes. She fumbled over her response, not comprehending his words fully.
"I-I don't know what-" She stopped talking when one of his hands grabbed her upper arm and flung her back on the bed. He hovered over her, pinning down her arms with his knees. The speed of his actions surprised her. His other hand grasped under her chin, pinching her cheeks and opening her mouth slightly. He took two fingers from his free hand and opened her mouth wider, examining. The man sighed, not seeming to find what he was looking for.
"Where are your fangs?!" He demanded, making the girl whimper with horror. He released her mouth slightly so she could form words.
"I'm not a vampire!" She stated a bit louder than normal. He knelt down, making his face hover inches above her own.
"You wreak of them. Your blood smells like one. I'm not letting you up until you tell me why." He spat. The girl under him began to form tears. This man scared her even more. She had to choose her words carefully. Otherwise she would end up in a similar position to the one she had recently got away from.
"I was created to serve them. I am their healing source. My blood makes them more powerful. I don't drink blood, or kill. I sit in a cell all day and get snacked on and beaten!" Her voice had gotten louder and louder and the wetness in her eyes was now freely leaking onto Gaara's hand that was holding her face still. His eyes widened a fraction and he let go of the girl, jumping off the bed and turning from her. Sakura just laid there, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
"Are you satisfied?" A dull whisper that seemed to echo the entire room.
"I apologize." He didn't say anything else. Instead he walked out and headed down stairs. Kankuro was already half finished with eating.
"What was all the yelling about?" He asked cautiously. His brother had a bit of a temper when riled up. He barley raised his voice, so when he had, it was best to steer clear for a while.
"Interrogation." Was his emotionless reply. The younger brother sighed.
"You could have been a little less rough." Gaara growled and grabbed his coat.
"Don't be late for your training today." He said as he walked out the door. Kankuro just shook his head, grabbed a plate full of food and walked upstairs to the bedroom. He knocked on the door but there was no reply. He entered anyway, to find the petite girl laying on the bed gazing up at the ceiling, feet dangling over the edge.
"I brought you some food." He placed the plate heaping with breakfast goodies on a dresser.
"Look, I'm sorry about Gaara. He's such a hard head. He wasn't there when we chased that other vampire away. If he saw the way that guy was treating you, he wouldn't of been so hard on you. There's no way your like him." Sakura glanced at the boy.
"Other vampire? So is it true?…Do I smell like they do?" The boy had been caught off guard. He rubbed the back of his head in thought.
"You're not a vampire?"
"I am not. But I suppose your response answered my question." The girl looked away from him again and back up at the ceiling. Kankuro felt a bit of awkwardness hang in the room at the end of her declaration. It took him a minute to regain his thought process.
"I'm going to be out for a while. Eat. You look so thin. Feel free to roam the house and do whatever. There are clothes in this trunk for you that I borrowed from my sister. She's about your size. Well, the size you would be if you ate a bit more. Oh and the bathroom is through that door. I'm sure you would like to shower or something." She nodded quickly and he left. The aroma of food hit her then and her stomach growled with the comply. Walking slowly to the plate, she examined everything individually. Never had she seen so much food at one time. The girl wasted no time devouring it.
After the pleasant meal she decided to bathe. Looking at the items in the trunk Kankuro had referred to, she went with a simple black long sleeved shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. Everything here was such a luxury to her. Heading to the bathroom, she looked at her reflection in the decent sized mirror. Her hair was a lighter shade of pink than she remembered and it had grown wild and long, almost to her mid back. She couldn't wait to take a hot shower. But after she did so, the petite girl didn't know what she would do. Stay with this new breed of beast, or run far away from everything she had come to know.