Authors note: once again I can't guarantee that I can finish this. I think I will. I hate short stories. To me, no story truly has an ending. Maybe that's why I can't finish a story. And I don't own Naruto, but I do want Sasori for Christmas.

Oho. Worrying about others even with an injury like this? What a girl – Sasori, Chapter 274 page 3

"Why are you binding my hands like this, eh?" Sakura asked with a cynical smirk on her face. "And here I thought I was supposed to be stringless."

"You are bound, koinichi.." Sasori said as he finished the binding jutsu on her wrists, which remained locked together in front of her. "So that you can not escape and do harm."

Sakura tested the ropes experimentally. She had seen these in Tsunades office. They were special ropes designed to drain chakra and were virtually unbreakable and impossible to slip out of. The only person who could release them was the captor. Normally Sakura would have fought tooth and nail for her freedom, but she didn't for several reasons. The first was that she was weak from hunger, the second was that if she fought she would likely be knocked out and vulnerable, and the third reason was that she somehow believed that Sasori would not hurt her this time.

"And I thought I couldn't harm you, with that puppet body of yours." She told him gesturing towards his synthetic arms and legs.

"I never said it was myself I was protecting." The puppetmaster replied with a wry smile. "I thought you would like your hands bound rather than controlled. Or would you have it another way?"

Sakura remained silent.

"Is it so bad to be controlled?" Sasori asked as he tilted her chin to face him. Her back was propped up against the wall with her legs sprawled out in front of her.

'I don't care. GIVE ME FOOD!' Inner Sakura raged. Time had went by so slowly. Sakura stubbornly turned her head to the side away from him and a few strands of hair fell over her eyes. Sasori moved them away and tucked them behind her ears, making her profile more visible to him. He noted that her cheeks were slightly tinted pink, somewhat complimenting her hair. Or did her hair compliment her cheeks?

"There is no fear, is it? Being controlled…When my grandmother controlled you, the way you moved was…"

"Her doing." Sakura snapped. "I didn't fear anything, because she was fighting for the right side. She wasn't evil, like you. She was fighting for someone other than herself."

"And you Leaf fight, to protect, don't you? That holds you back, even more. There is only power in the end." Sasori said, stroking her warm cheeks with the back of his hand. Sakura turned her head the other way, avoiding looking at him in the eyes. Annoyed by her silence, Sasori continued.

"That seems to be the trend now, even the Kazekage…"

"His name is Gaara." Sakura interrupted. "He's not a container, he's not a weapon, he's not a demon! He's just GAARA! He's not a thing. PEOPLE are not things."

"And myself?" Sasori asked, sliding off his Akatsuki cloak as he stood to full height. His cloak fell to the ground like dark water, to reveal his masterpiece, his puppet body. Sakura took a few moments to analyze it from her spot on the floor, since her time was limited the last time. His hands and face seemed to be real, his feet as well. She did not want to guess at how far he had gone with his puppet conversion below his waist. There was a cavity and a long hollow cable wound around his abdomen, and she could just barely see the human part of his chest.

"MY flesh is gone. I am the perfect puppet. People are flawless. Things are perfect." Sasori boasted, somewhat appreciating the feel of her eyes on him.

"But you still have flesh. You still have a soul, you sick freak. You're not a thing. Things don't know 'art' like you claim to do." Sakura shot back.

"Good and evil are based on perspective. And so is my soul. I have 299 puppets. Have you not noticed that my first puppets were my parents? I can kill you in a second. If this thing you called a soul were to exist, then I would have lost mine long ago."

Sakura couldn't help but think back to what Naruto said in what seemed like such a long time ago. "A person not recognized as a human is not a human."

No. That wasn't right. It wasn't Naruto. Naruto had told her that someone said it. The person who said it was…

"Gaara." She said quietly to herself. Sasoris eyes widened. Just hearing that name on her lips angered him, and blood rushed to his ears, filling him with such emotions that he had not felt in years.

"NO!" he said, holding his hand up to strike her. Sakura did not flinch. Sasori stopped and drew in a breath.

"Why does his name anger you so?" Sakura asked, tilting her head. All fear was gone from her eyes. A small cockiness seemed to emanate from her. Never in his life did Sasori feel so powerless, especially against a slip of a girl such as this.

"Never speak his name in such a way." Sasori hissed. He leaned over and placed his hands on each side of her face and drew them closer to his. Don't say ANYBODYS name like that. Only mine. ONLY MINE!" he said, almost shouting at her.

"Sasori." She spat out coldly, as though his name was a vile thing inside her mouth. This seemed to break something into the vast reaches of his mind. He let go of her and let himself fall into a sitting position opposite from her. The glazed look in his eyes made Sakura wonder if she had inadvertently used some genjutsu on him. But this was impossible.

Sasori seemed to go back in time to when he was a child.

The cold manner in which his name was spoken.

They talked of him as though he was a thing. His foolish parents only loved him when they were things.

Things can only love things.

"Sakura..my Sakura" Sasori cooed as he seemed to regain her composure. He moved over her like a horrific angel of death. "Do you want to be my last puppet? My ultimate work of art, admired, revered, loved and respected by everyone?"

"Things aren't respected. Not the way humans are." Sakura said plainly.

"Art is beautiful."

"That's all it is. But a good person who saves lives and helps other people at the expense of their own, who fights for other peoples…They will be much more respected than any useless piece of art."

Sasori shook his head no.

"If I were to follow your logic then, Sakura. That would make you more respected than my art. But you're not. People have heard of the legendary Sasori of the Red Sand, who slaughtered villages with these worthless pieces of art. I am feared, I am respected. Sakura, nobody has heard of a brat like you, even though you risk your worthless life for people that you barely know, for old women whose life would have ended in a few years anyway."

"There's nothing wrong with…"

"Not even your old sensei Hatake Kakashi respected you, did he?" Sasori said, silencing Sakura. "Who would see potential in a worthless little pink headed girl?" he rambled on noticing the small hurt in Sakuras eyes. As he spoke he drifted closer and closer to her.

"No, the strength of the container and the Uchiha have overshadowed the little flower, giving it no light to grow and blossom into something beautiful. Only when the container and the Uchiha leave did you finally flourish as Tsunades little lackey."

"SHUT UP!" Sakura yelled as she pulled her legs up and kicked Saskori up from the underside of his chin. She jumped up on her own two feet and kicked him in the human part of his chest and pushed him to the floor. Once again Sasori did not move to retaliate. The cable in his abdomen whirled and lifted him up, a gruesome sigfht for most people, but not Sakura. Exhaustion, hunger, and anger had taken its toll on her.

"The truth often angers those people. No matter."

Sakura found herself pressed against the wall, her bound hands held above her by one of Sasoris. His toe to hers, his chest to hers, his face inches away.

"Do you feel it beating? This one part of me that I loathe and want to get rid of? I loathe it even moreso right now. Do you know why, Sakura?" he asked, swiftly moving his fingers through her hair and down to her cheek.

"I don't care." She snapped. "You're just some twisted little boy, scared and alone who is another victim of Sunagures emotionless climate."

"Is that how you see me, my dear?" he asked running his fingers over her lips. Sakura ignored the sensations the puppetmaster was giving her. She ignored his piercing gaze and returned one of her own. The cable in his abdomen whirred and wrapped around her waist, crushing her form against his.

"Do you not see the advantage of having puppet body? You won't get hurt, you won't feel anything, no pain, just beauty for all eternity. That is true art."

"There's more to life than beauty, I had to learn that by myself. Beauty doesn't get you respect. Power does."

"AND YET NOBODY SEES THIS!" Sasori yelled, excited at what she said. He released her bound hands but the cable around her waist kept her held to him. He whirled around with her as though they were dancing to a joyous tune. His arms were wrapped around her as well, lifting her off the ground while her legs remained kicking and kicking to get free.

"I see your power, your strength, the perfect combination of strength and beauty, THAT is why you're the perfect addition!" he all but sang. He leaned Sakura down for a dip, and kissed her on her lips, running his tongue along behind him. Sakura could not respond, she was too horrified by the madness the seemed to burst from him. He kissed her each cheek, her neck, her collarbone. He savored the feel of her skin, a thing he knew he could never duplicate in any of his puppets.

"Beautiful, lovely, beautiful!" he raved at the stunned Sakura. The cable unwound and twirled Sakura around and brought her back like a demented human yoyo. He did it again and this time he caught Sakura and brought her hands to his chest.

"And mine. That is your greatest feature, do you not agree, Sakura?"

"You're insane!" Sakura sputtered.

"And you're mine. Everything you want is here, do you not see, Sakura? I can give you power, beauty, recognition, even acknowledgement from those who you want. Join me Sakura! What more do you want?"

"HUMANS NEED MORE THAN THAT!" Sakura said, trying to find a proper argument. "I have people I care about, that need me, I won't betray my friends and family!" she said.

"Like your Sasuke did?" Sasori asked slyly, he placed a finger on her collarbone. "We often live by example then. You still want to find him? Did I not tell you that I have subordinates of Orochimaru. Become my stringless puppet, Sakura, and I can tell you of the worthless Uchiha."

"I won't betray them." Sakura said, standing firm. Sasori laughed.

"What's to betray? What actions would you be taking against your precious Leaf? Has Konoha been so protective of its citizens that they proclaim leaving a betrayal? Laughable!"

"You'll use me against my friends, my family, my home. That's betrayal."

"What's so wrong about that then? They're just pieces of meat."

"Gaara said that. Then Naruto beat him up. Maybe that's what you need." Sakura thew back at him. Sasori laughed again.

"Did I not tell you to not speak their names in such a manner?" Sasori said, leaning his face closer to hers. It creeped her out, and she tried to move away but Sasori had a firm grip on her bound hands and they pinned them to his chest like glue.

"Did I not tell you, Sakura? Why aren't you being a good puppet? No, you are being perfect. A puppet with true life. But Sakura, you have strings, they are not mine, but your own."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sakura asked, sick and tired of his insane games. Sasori raised her hands and whirled her around, placing her back against his chest.

"Everyone has their own strings, and if they are pulled right then they can do whatever you tell them too."

Sakuras eyes flew open, and her hands started to tremble. Could he mean that…

"Sasuke, the containers, Gaara and Naruto, your parents, Konoha, they are your strings. To become my puppet you must remove your old strings and make them new."

"NO! STOP! YOU CAN'T…"

"Do you think of me so cruel, Sakura?" Sasori asked, his lips brushing againt her ear. "No, I wouldn't dream of doing it. I don't care about them, no, only my perfect stringless puppet. You see, I control my strings. I can sever them at will."

"Just like Chiyo-sama." Sakura said, thinking back to the old woman. An anger built up in her chest, rising and threatening to pour out of her lips like a burning vomit.

"I can pull your strings, Sakura. If I tell them that I can help you find your Sasuke, it would be helping your village, your Naruto. I could tell you that if you didn't agree I could add everyone you care about to my collection. In fact, I could use a new Kazekage with my marionettes. He'll be much happier with his predeccesors, don't you think Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head and violently thrashed against Sasori, anything to get free and kill him.

"I never said I would kill them, I said I could offer to. Do you see Sakura? I pull your strings, and you dance for me.

"My friends, the village, I won't.."

"Your strings are still there. Go back, Sakura. Sever them yourself. Tell them so they won't go looking for you. Reassure them, be their puppetmaster and keep them on their shelves. Then you will come back to me, or I will come for you. You can use your own strings to dance, or we can use my strings. Either way, you dance for me and only me. Do you understand, Sakura?" Sasori released Sakura s hands and she instantly turned away from him as far as she could go with the cable still around her waist. She held her confined hands above her in defense.

"Hm. Like a scared Rabbit. You're no fun." Sasori said, pouting. His cable slowly winded backe into his abdomen, sliding along her skin. It's tip slightly rubbed against her backside and her thigh, earning a disgusted shutter from Sakura. She lept back a good distance from him and her feet moved into a fighting stance. Sasori held his hands in front of him and performed a jutsu. Sakura flinched and prepared for the attack only to find her bindings removed from her wrist. As though anticipating the attack, he dodged and Sakuras fist flew over his head a millisecond later.

He dodged another attack, and another, and another.

'He's toying with me.' Sakura thought to herself. 'And all those artificial limbs must make him light and speedy.'

Gathering chakra in her fist again, and relishing the feel of controlling her own body once more, she slammed it into the ground and cracked the floor boards and the earth beneath it. Sasori used his abdomen cable to raise himself over the wreckage. He reached out for Sakura with that same calm look over his face. The tension was so high that Sakura didn't notice the clay object thrown in the room. It exploded and a gas began to fill the room. Recognizing the gas, Sakura held her breath and placed her hand over her mouth. Sasori was unaffected by the effects since his organs now consisted of a synthetic material and chakra devices.

"You took too long. Looks like you messed up the room too. Yea." An unfamiliar voice said out of Sakuras line of vision. Sasori was towered over her and she couldn't see the doorway.

"A pity. If only you would let me make you a piece of art, then you would not have such a weakness." Sasori said to Sakura as she fell over from lack of oxygen. He scooped her into his arms and held her close, silently enjoying her warmth and feel. He wanted to crush her to him, to feel every last bit of warmth. But now was not the time for that. He was above such sensations anyway.

'No…no puppet feels like this.' He thought to himself.

"Umm…The others were complaining about the noise." Deidara said as he leaned casually against the doorway. He looked at Sakura in Sasoris arms, mildly amused at the sight for whichever sick reason Sasori did not care to know.

"You never could understand art." Sasori replied, ignoring Deidara. His teammate looked back down at Sakura.

"Actually, I think for once we can agree on art. Yea."