悲嘆
Grief; sorrow; anguish.

There were many gathering around in Suna's center courtyard. The sky was gloomy with a cool overcast, but no rain would fall as not a single drop could survive in Suna's dry, desert climate. Naruto, with fists clenched at his sides and a tear-stricken face, bowed his head. A framed picture of Gaara rested on the altar along with Lady Chiyo's. Suna's citizens and the many others visiting on behalf of their village's Kage stood in somber silence. A line formed, flowers of all kinds crowding the ground in front of the altar.

Temari and Kankuro, with their sensei Baki, spoke about Gaara's unwavering dedication to his people. Their voices were strained and Temari paused often to compose herself.

"Gaara changed many peoples' lives, including my own. He made Sunagakure a better place, a safer country than it has been in decades. Let us all dedicate our own lives to follow his path and make the shinobi world a peaceful one."

The crowd continued to grow as many of the Kage's ambassadors walked up to speak in their leader's place.

Kakashi walked towards the table, a framed picture of his own he carried back from Konoha. As he moved to lay it with the others for the remembrance vigil, Naruto's hand moved to stop him.

"Don't, sensei," Naruto whispered, his voice hoarse.

Kakashi's eyes softened as he pulled the picture close to his chest. "Naruto."

The teenage boy wiped his face with his sleeve, gritting his teeth. It wasn't supposed to end this way – everything should have been fine. They had the Akatsuki reeling, but the one-tailed beast had already been extracted from Gaara's body. They couldn't save him. Granny Chiyo's body was found back at the cavern. And Sakura…

"She could still be alive," Naruto said.

Kakashi eyes dropped to the picture in his hands. Sakura's smiling face, eyes brimming with pride for her shinobi portrait. He remembered the day fondly as she and Naruto finally passed the bell test. He was so proud, knowing she grew into her own - a strong and capable kunoichi.

"You're right." His voice was hollow, however, and far less confident than his student's.

Naruto heard the uncertainty in his sensei's voice but brushed it off. He just knew.

They didn't find her body and Sasori was missing too. Kankuro had said that this particular Akatsuki member wasn't too keen on keeping people alive for long – his poison just spread too that were true, Sakura would have been left for dead with Granny Chiyo. So, even with the smallest hope, Naruto believed that his beloved teammate could be out there in need of his help.

"I'm going to believe she's still alive," he choked out, "She has to be!"

孤絶

To become isolated.

Her eyes fluttered open to a sick, unnatural darkness. A set of chains locked both her wrists and her feet to the concrete underneath her, making her unable to stand or stretch her limbs. Trying to turn and twist was impossible. Looking back she smacked her head against the wall, sending her into a fit of curses.

Where was she? What had happened? The memories she tried to piece together just didn't quite fit. The color red projected itself prominently in her mind, but everything was so terribly fuzzy.

"Damn it," she muttered.

How long had she been unconscious?

A light buzzed to life above her, flickering erratically until it finally sparked with light. She winced, squinting her eyes as they adjusted to its brightness. The room around her appeared to be an old holding cell. Cracks traveled along the walls and floor like the random trails of a map. A door with flaking paint and rusted metal caught her attention quickly. It was her only exit point. But she would need chakra to break free from her binds.

Still disoriented, Sakura focused all of her chakra to the chains around her wrists. She flexed and squeezed, but it wasn't enough. She needed some food in her to do the job.

Her head jerked up as the click of a lock echoed behind the door. Its hinges creaked and moaned as it slowly cracked open. Metal scraped against the concrete floor as Sakura waited in anticipation. Her arms flexed and she geared herself up to fight against her captor.

A derisive, nasty voice in her mind mocked her. You're trapped like a little animal. What do you expect to do? There's no way that you'll be able to fight back.

It's better than doing nothing, she argued.

The voice, which seemed too cheerful for Sakura's current situation, laughed heartily. Whatever you say. You're just as useless as you were back then.

Sakura grit her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to silence that voice permanently with a skull-crushing punch, but it was impossible. No matter how confident she was, no matter her achievements, that voice still resided inside of her. Telling her she just wasn't good enough.

Stop it, she thought. This wasn't the time to lose herself in self-doubt.

The door banged against the wall, exposing a hooded figure wearing a worn, plain-black cloak.

"You're awake. With how long you've been asleep, I nearly expected you to die." This voice. Its smooth, dullness reached her ears, causing all the collective hairs on her head to stand on end.

Sasori.

He stood, very much alive, in the open doorway of her cell with a tray of food and a cup of water. Sakura's repressed memories exploded as he threw off his hood, revealing the messy mop of red hair underneath.

The fight, Chiyo protecting Sakura using her own body as a shield, the poisonous gas that surrounded them. It played over and over like a reel of film. She had watched helplessly as he finished Lady Chiyo off. Her blood sank into the cracks and pits in the rocky ground and spread close enough for Sakura to smell the tinge of iron. She heard him mumble something under his breath, but was too far away to hear. Fleeing was impossible – her legs just wouldn't budge. The gas had paralyzed her and she quickly lost consciousness.

Sasori scrutinized the shaken, fearful look etched into Sakura's features, but he remained unfazed as he set the tray in front of her. "It's time to eat," he announced, voice as toneless as before.

She stared, bewildered at his calm guise. "Why am I here?"

"Eat first," he said, gesturing to the meal.

"What do you want with me? Why didn't you just kill me like Lady Chiyo?!"

He narrowed his eyes, scooting the tray to her knees with his foot. "Eat."

She eyed the unseasoned meat and scavenged greens warily. There wasn't enough to even satisfy her hunger and she wouldn't find it remotely surprising if something was poisoned.

As though reading her mind, Sasori spoke up, "You wouldn't be here now if I wanted to kill you."

"Then tell me what you're planning," she ordered.

He raised a brow, a glint of irritation tugging at his curled lip. "I've already told you three times. Don't make me say it again."

She huffed, marking each echoed step as he walked back to the door. "You didn't give me chopsticks."

"I'm not an idiot, Sakura. Use your hands. You can reach it." And with that, the door closed and Sakura was alone again.

The meat was tough and the greens were bitter on her tongue, but she had to endure it if she wanted to build up her chakra and escape. Cold air seeped through small cracks and she shivered. Without a window, she couldn't decipher their location – she couldn't even tell what time of day it was. Worry clouded her mind as her teeth tore through another bite of her less-than-delicious meal.

If Lady Chiyo was killed then what happened to the others? What happened to Naruto, Gaara, Kakashi-sensei, and the rest? Were they looking for her now?

Of course they are, she assured herself. They wouldn't leave her behind without searching.

The other voice piped up on the verge of hysterics. Sure they are. It's not like they have more important things to do, right? Fighting the Akatsuki can wait because Sakura needs to be found!

She bit her lip, quieting her mind as she forced down the rest of her food. Her stomach growled for more, but he gave her so little. After eating she reached for the cup of water and drank it down. Peering down at the crumbless tray and cup, she tried to muster up a plan for Sasori's return. He had to have some sort of key to unlock the chains, but he wouldn't carry it around.

'I'm not an idiot, Sakura,' he had said.

"Pfft, you're stupid to me," she muttered.

With her mind buzzing, stomach growling, and still so very exhausted, she had trouble focusing properly. Frustrated, Sakura bounced her head repeatedly against the wall.

Focus, focus, she recited.

Storing chakra was the only plausible thing to do now. She'd store it just as Tsunade trained her. That was enough. Now, she'd just have to wait. But waiting was torture. What if he suddenly attacked her? She knew what he was capable of doing to others. What he made them.

She shuddered, Stop thinking. Play nice, so you don't get yourself killed. That's just what you'll have to do.

Play nice.

A rat squeezed through one of the large, broken pieces of stone, scrounging for any food. Its little hands scratched at the tray then rubbed its face. It brushed against Sakura's thigh causing her to recoil back in disgust.

Play.

Nice.

She jerked awake at the sound of the door's sharp, ear-splitting squeal as it opened. For however long she was asleep, it wasn't enough. Her body was wearing down and with the combination of fear and hunger, she just couldn't stop shaking. And her legs. They were tingling, slowly going numb. She jerked on the chain as hard as she could, but without her chakra-infused strength, nothing could be done.

"Forgive me," Sasori started, "I skipped your breakfast to let you sleep a little longer. Here's your lunch."

Play nice. Play nice. Play nice. Play nice.

"Thank you." The revulsion stung at her tongue and bled through her words.

He examined her closely, brow furrowed.

She tried again, "It's nice of you to take the time to cook for me." Much better.

Sasori stared down at her, heightening her discomfort. The silence sank into her like a knife as she wanted nothing more than to hear, 'Wonderful manners. You're such a kind girl and I'm letting you go free of charge!' and return to Konoha to tell everyone how being poisoned and kidnapped wasn't nearly as bad as she thought. Instead, Sasori suffocated her with his silence. She shifted awkwardly, her captured hands settling in her lap. All of this was so unbearably painful – her cramped posing, the growl of her stomach, the detached glint of his prolonged gaze.

She bowed her head as he finally placed the tray on the floor. The same, bland cut of meat and tattered leaves of forest herbs. Her eyes followed him as he returned to the door.

"Can you at least tell me how long I've been here? How many days?" she asked.

His hand slid down the stone, giving off an eerily unsettling noise from his wooden palm. "You've been here for almost a month."

Her heart jumped into her throat, completely lost for words.

Oblivious to her crumbling expression, Sasori explained further, "The poisonous gas you were exposed to practically killed you back at the Akatsuki's hideout. I was able to keep you alive, but your body was too weak to stand on its own. You fell into a natural coma, so I took care of you."

"That's… I can't believe it," she muttered.

Hearing her breathing hitch, Sasori turned back around to face her. "Does it bother you? Being here with me?"

She inhaled sharply, frustrated and full of shock. "What happened to my friends? Why are you keeping me alive?"

For a moment, his cool-headed exterior faltered and he blinked several times – enough for Sakura to notice and bury her eyes with concern. God, why couldn't she control her temper? Just hearing that she'd been missing from Konoha for a month. That she hadn't been found.

It scared her.

Sasori walked slowly, carefully. He stopped short of a few inches from her and bent down low enough for their eyes to meet. So glassy. So inhuman. Sakura couldn't bear to look any longer than she had already.

"Do you want to die?" he asked.

Sakura stopped breathing, eyes trailing back to his. She spotted no danger in his looks, but his words clawed their way into her mind and she couldn't stop thinking about all the ways he could kill her. She could just vanish and then…

His hand rested atop her head. "Answer me," he ordered.

"No," she snarled, failing to control her anger.

He nodded, parting his lips as he slid his wooden fingers along her scalp. Standing up, he headed to the door. "To answer your question: I don't know why you're here," he revealed, "I haven't really decided yet."

Days had passed. Sakura still didn't have enough chakra. Sasori would come often to bring her food and, although rarely, sit and watch her eat. And she hated it. Seeing those eyes, unblinking and with such a burning focus, stare at her made every movement she made so incredibly cautious. She made sure she ate fast and chewed quietly. She didn't complain about the mundane assortment and kept every act of conversation as mild as possible. For all the days, her mind wondered to what plan he could be piecing together.

Was he going to kill her? Keep her as some sort of bargaining chip? Maybe a trap?

She wanted to know, but controlling her temper was hard. Cursing and hitting and threatening were all she wanted to do, but she had to keep it smart. 'Play nice' had become her mantra while imprisoned.

And Sasori. He chattered on endlessly and didn't seem to care about her responses at all. He talked about art and Suna and the Akatsuki. He would wait for her responses then move on to the next subject. It left her mentally exhausted. He just wouldn't shut up.

If you just wanted to talk, pick a wall or one of your puppets, she would think. And after he'd finish, he'd take up her tray and leave her alone again. Perhaps his form of torture was just that and the isolation was her break in-between.

It was during their most recent chat that he focused his attention on her. "You aren't at all like you were back at the hideout," he noted lightly.

Sakura perked up, her brows lifted and looking uncertain. "Am I?" she asked.

He tilted his head, "You said something that really attracted my attention. Do you remember?" Shaking her head as a response, Sasori continued on with a smirk. "You said that even if I blow off your arms and legs or take in my poison and paralyze you, you're going to get me."

Sakura shifted, the circulation in her legs nonexistent, making them entirely numb. His hand tipped up her chin and she hid the grimace easing onto her face.

"Come get me now, Sakura," he whispered.

She swallowed hard, ducking her head low to avoid the chilling touch of his hand. Disgusting man. She heard him snickering, making it difficult for her to stay mute.

He covered his mouth, making a poor attempt to mask his amusement. "You were so haughty in your attempt to defeat me, but look what's happened now. The old hag is dead and I'm sure the rest of them are too. And you're here… with me. All alone."

Her front teeth pierced through her quivering lip. Sasori watched unperturbed as Sakura slumped against the wall with the heat of shame on her face and blood dripping down her chin.

They couldn't be dead. Naruto was going to become Hokage and they were going to save Sasuke. Naruto wouldn't fail the mission even if Sakura was taken! They would save Gaara and defeat Akatsuki!

Even without you? the voice queried.

Sakura tensed up, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. It didn't matter if she was there as long as they were able to save everyone. After it was all finished, they'd come find her and bring her back home. Sasori was just messing with her head – trying to break her. It wasn't going to work. One of the first things any captor would do is break their hostage's spirit. But Sakura wouldn't allow it.

"My friends aren't dead. They're coming to save me!" she shouted, "And let me tell you, Sasori… By the time they come here, you'll just be a pile of splinters! My words are still true! I. Will. Get. You!"

His palm swiped across her face in a firm, hard slap. She winced, her teeth aching. Wood hurt much worse than just normal flesh and bone.

Sasori knelt down with one arm resting on his bent knee. "That's better. Keep that fire in your eyes. I'd hate to see you beaten so easily."

She spat on him. "Fuck you."

"Not interested, thank you," he quipped, wiping his face. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he smacked his forehead against hers. "I'll tell you a secret, though… so you don't wind up killing yourself."

"What?" She sucked air through her teeth as he pulled harder on her scalp.

"These chains are not as ordinary as you think. I made them myself and imbued them with special seals that absorb chakra. I know by now that the tremendous strength you have is rather dangerous, so any effort you put into breaking free will be in vain." He turned her wrist over, exposing the seals marked along the metal links. "It's impossible to escape. For every possibility you may have, I've already conquered it."

Sakura's sight dropped to the chains around her wrists. It all made sense now. Like he said, it would be a waste for her to even try. She barely had enough chakra to last her anyway, so even if she could break it, she'd be too fatigued to fight back.

"So you've made all of these detailed plans just to keep me from escaping? Why try so hard? Why do you want me here so badly?"

He scoffed, springing to his feet. Sasori hated repeating himself. "I've already told you-"

"A lie, obviously. You're hiding something. Is it because you're trying to lure Konoha's jinchuuriki here for Akatsuki? It won't work!" She ignored the blatant glare due to her interruption. Sakura wanted answers.

He frowned. "Please," he drawled, rolling his eyes, "I left Akatsuki. Their goal doesn't interest me anymore."

Defecting from Akatsuki? She'd never believed someone could do that without getting killed. Of course, Orochimaru had done something similar, but nobody seemed bothered by his abandonment. Still, Sasori was a member of the elite group and Sakura was positive that they would want to know what happened to him if no corpse was left behind.

"Then what's the real reason? You can't just be doing this because you want to," she accused.

He cocked his head, a creaking sound echoing from his artificial joints. "And you must know what I want, right?"

"I..." She was cut short as she heard him snort, followed by soft, muffled chuckling.

He pointed at her. "You know, the way you're sitting. You almost look like a doll." His eyes narrowed, lips curving into a smile. "A pretty, pretty doll."

She froze. Yes, seiza style always reminded her of the decorative dolls her mother laid out on Children's Day back when she was younger. The dolls sat properly with their legs underneath them and their hands folded over their laps. She never liked them. Their eyes seemed to follow her whichever way she passed through the house.

His hand reached for her, causing her to flinch. Sakura closed her eyes as his fingers combed through her tangled hair. A nervous sweat trickled down her neck and her heart beat faster in her chest.

You idiot. Did you forget he turns people into puppets? she thought, feeling sick.

"You're a mess," he muttered, bringing his hand back. "We'll have to clean you up."

"You still haven't answered me," she pointed out.

He took her half-eaten food and turned on his heels. "Goodbye."

The door slammed shut and Sakura fell to her side, stretching her legs as far she could. Pain erupted in her calf and slowly migrated to up her thigh. A cramp. Perfect.

"What a bastard," she breathed. She bent as far forward as she could, but her hands couldn't reach the tender muscle to massage it.

Slowly, circulation returned to her cramped legs and Sakura found it easier to relax. Perhaps she could lay down for the rest of her stay? It was far better than sitting up every time Sasori decided to drop in. And what possible plan could she make with these chakra-absorbing chains? She had jerked and yanked and banged the cuffs against the wall enough times to know they weren't going anywhere.

She was screwed. The only blessing she could have was if Sasori magically had some change of heart and removed the chains. So, again, she was screwed – no, fucked. That was a better word for it all because without someone finding her location she'd stay here until Sasori was bored enough by her dull existence and decided to do some tinkering.

サソリ
Sasori

He shut his door and sighed. Various puppet parts strewn over the floor were kicked out of his way as he lumbered back to his bed. Sleep wasn't necessary for him, but it was important for him to have just one place that was clear of work-related items and piles of paper. A place just to think. Laying down on his back, he rested his hand gingerly on the core implanted in his chest. The steady pump of his heart drummed against its protective shell. He flicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, synchronizing with its beat.

His head was a lot like his heart, pumping thoughts and memories and ideas through him. He could never stop thinking: About the Akatsuki, his ex-teammates, his collection, even…

Haruno Sakura.

It had been a long and grueling month of nurturing her back to health. She would lie alone in that cold cell and he'd be there every hour to bring water and food. She barely held anything down while comatose and forcing food down her throat was a task within itself. Now that she was awake, she seemed entirely ungrateful for all of the things he provided her. He cooked her enough food without boosting up her chakra levels, gave her clean water to drink, and allowed her enough privacy most convicts couldn't even imagine.

And she asked too many questions. Even the Third Kazekage didn't interrogate him like this, but she needed to know everything. Cutting out her tongue was always an option, but then he'd never hear her talk again.

His hand knocked suddenly against his head until a small crack formed, denting the center of his forehead. He felt none of it and only stopped when he heard the sharp sound of his wooden exterior separating.

"I did it again," he muttered.

Yes, he thought of her voice and how she spit fire like a raging dragon in the old tales his mother used to read. Her eyes flickered dangerously like the dying coals of a village brought down by his old partner's bombs. And her beauty, just as brilliant and overwhelming even while covered in dirt and blood.

He jerked up, pacing and wide-eyed. Every thought, every memory, every idea always ended with some sort of image of her. A curse. He focused so hard and so long on her that he'd forget about time and miss a meal for her. Those were the worst days. If he wasn't inside speaking with her, he'd be nestled inside his cramped room thinking about her.

Worrying thoughts. Hungry thoughts. Thoughts that made him shake or stop mid-step.

He remembered seeing her at the end of his sword. Her knees were wobbly, her eyes glazed-over and half-closed. Once she had dropped to her knees, the old hag Chiyo had attempted to defend her, but Sasori was done playing her tiring game. He unleashed the compartment of gas constructed in the medial chamber, just to the right of his core.

A purple haze occupied the entire cavern. Sakura's body fell back, sliding off his blade and dropped onto her side. Chiyo had crawled pathetically to the young girl and brought her hand up to use her chakra one last time. But Sasori's speed couldn't be matched as the two of them grew weaker by the second. In an instant, he stabbed her and let his eyes take in the last wheezing breaths of his grandmother.

"Good riddance," he said.

His attention was turned to the kunoichi clutching at her open wound. She looked so pathetic, like a writhing animal close to death. But he didn't stop the impulse to grab her, anchor her in his hold. He didn't stop himself from leaping out of the cavern. He didn't stop himself from absconding the Akatsuki and severing all ties with its members. To him, it was nothing to fret over. Sasori wasn't afraid of its leader or the rest of the group finding and killing him. He had locations that he kept from everyone – not a soul would know where they were. He made sure of it.

It took almost a month, but he was finally seeing the fruits of his labor. Sakura would realize that being here with him was a blessing. She just needed more time.

And, for this especially, Sasori could wait.