IM SORRY, IM SORRY, IM SORRY, IM SORRY, IM SORRY, IM SOOOOOORRY!!!!!!!
TTT__TTT
This is sooooooo late!!!!! Im so sorry!!!!!!! *sobs in a corner in shame*
*sniff* here you go kuro-chan TT_TT
Disclaimer: Nope nope! I do not own, you guys should know that by now!
Sakura
Nanaki
Gaara
Shukaku
….
Silence.
That's what greeted Sakura's ears as she stood, chest heaving up and down, lungs screaming for air. Her legs trembled beneath the weight of her weary muscles, white dots dancing in front of her vision.
They had agreed to spar to test her basic skills.
…
That had been her mistake.
Half an Hour Earlier
"So… What should we do first?" Sakura finally piped up after a few awkward moments of silence. They had been standing near the river he had chosen to train near for what seemed to Sakura like an endless amount of time; all the while, Gaara trying to find a way to teach the…. Pink thing…
What was her name again?
Sakura. Her name is Sakura. The demon informed him with a pleased grin.
Right... He thought, stealing a discreet glance at the girl, and her pink hair, It suits her.
Deciding to answer her question, for she was looking fairly uncomfortable, he responded simply
"Spar, now"
And with that he disappeared in a flurry of sand.
Shit! Sakura thought as she dropped into a fighting stance, right hand sliding a kunai from her pouch.
Closing her eyes and focusing on her hearing, she tried to pick up any bit of noise that could be Gaara.
Big mistake…
*Swish*
Hearing a slight noise behind her, Sakura snapped her eyes open, prepared to turn in the direction of her opponent.
CRASH!
Sakura felt her body slam into the ground, a grainy substance pining her there and removing the kunai from her grasp.
What the-… Sand?
She tried, in vain, to struggle against the sand's iron grip, but made no progress. Sighing, she let her body go slack. The second she did, the sand released its grip on her body and slithered away to her. Sitting up and brushing the remaining grains off of her, Sakura heard a sigh.
Looking in that direction, Sakura saw Gaara looking in her direction, eyes emotionless as always. Disappointed at herself for being beaten so easily, she looked at him sharply and said:
"Well?"
He just stared at her for a moment before reaching down to unbuckle some of the clasps on his gourd.
Sakura's eyes widened a fraction.
"W-what are you doing?" she asked him warily, eyes following his every move. He stopped, and lifted his head to look at her, eyes impassive.
"I've decided how I should teach you. We have three days, correct?" he said.
She nodded, and then blushed as she realized that it was a rhetorical question.
"Day One: Basic fighting skills." Seeing her about to protest, he silenced her with a glare and said
"You need it."
Pulling off the gourd completely, he stepped into the middle of the clearing and waited. Glancing back at Sakura, his eyes showed a bit of annoyance as Sakura finally grasped that he was waiting for her to join him in the middle. She scrambled to her feet and dashed over to him, a blush dusting her face. Hr rolled his eyes imperceptibly at her actions.
Sliding his hand into his kunai pouch, he shot his arm out lightning fast, sending the kunai straight into the trunk of a tree across the clearing. Not turning to face the pinkette, he instructed her.
"Aim for that kunai."
Gulping to herself quietly, she pulled another kunai from her pouch and poised her arm to strike. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated and exhaled, eyes locked on the kunai.
Gaara looked at her from the corner of his eyes, wondering why she was taking so long to throw. Then she moved, arm snapping, wrist flicking, the kunai hurdling towards its target.
The duo watched as her kunai hit his and ricocheted off with a metallic clang. Both eyes widened slightly, emerald more so then sea-foam. The clearing was silent for a moment.
"Shuriken. Now."
Sakura obliged, reaching into her other pocket and drawing out three shuriken. Two in her right hand and one in her left. Taking another breath, she flicked out her left arm, releasing the shuriken held there, and did a small spin step and turning to release the two in her right.
Three consecutive metallic clangs were heard as all three shuriken met their mark – dead on.
"At least we don't have to work on your aim." His voice spoke dryly, probably the closest thing to humor that Sakura had heard from him - ever.
Her face broke into a pleased grin and she let out a satisfied giggle.
YOU GO GIRL!!! Show him what you're made of!!! Nanaki's boisterous voice cut through her happiness, boosting her confidence a bit more.
"Don't think that just because you can aim you're a successful kunoichi. You still have a lot of work to do." His voice, once again cold, spoke as he walked a good ten feet away from her and turned around to face her. He lowered his body into a fighting stance.
"Come at me."
Sakura had a shocked look on her face. Didn't he remember what happened last time they tried this? Grudgingly she crouched in a stance. Instinctively, her slim fingers wrapped around the handle of a kunai.
She was off in a flash, charging towards him, kunai outstretched. He dodged, so fast she couldn't tell which direction he went. Before she could recover, a hand grasped her wrist from behind and twisted, forcing her to drop her kunai. Her arm was then twisted behind her and her front was pressed roughly against a nearby tree. His chest was an inch from her back, heat radiating from it, but not touching.
An electric-like shock resounded through both of their bodies as a connection between their demons was made.
They blinked and opened their eyes. A sort of joined conciousness was created between them in the form of a dim room candles providing the only source of light. Glancing at eachother for a second, they looked around with raised brows. On either side of them were tall iron bars extending to the ceiling, forming two cages, almost like cells, on opposite sides of the room. The left side was lit in a golden hue, flames lickering the color instead of its natural orange. The right side had a dark purple hue hanging in the air, and purpleish black flames on the candles. Both cells had a piece of paper stuck to them, like someone had sealed the doors shut with a single sticker.
"Where ARE we?!" Sakura asked, a bit of panic creeping into her voice. She took a few stpes foward to look around, but was jerked back suddenly, a jingling noise piercing the air. She glanced down towards her hand to find the source of the jingle.
And was thouroughly stunned.
There, attached to both of their wrists, was a pair of shackles, binding them together.
A snarling voice coming from the left cell shook the two from their stupor.
So it WAS you. Shukaku half chuckled, half growled; referring to Nanaki.
To be completely honest, I never thought I'd see YOU again. Nanaki replied from across the hall in the other cell in a mock-detached tone.
Both teens were shocked by the interaction. Shocked and extremely confused.
"What the hell is going on?!" Sakura asked, albeit loudly.
And here I thought you were bright. The voice growled sarcastically.
He's my mate. You know, the one I mentioned earlier?
"YES! I've got that part! What I don't get is why you didn't mention that GAARA was his CONTAINER!!!" Sakura screeched, thouroghly freaking out.
"And how come I haven't heard about ANY of this?" Gaara growled, much like his container.
Shut up boy!
Minor technicalities. Everyone knows now, so theres no problem. And if you don't mind... I'd like to ask a favor... from both of you.
Both teens were silent, and she took their silence as affirmation.
Would you mind... Switching consciouses? Just for a few moments? Nanaki questioned innocently.
"What do you mean switching con-" Sakura started.
"No. No way in Hell."Gaara hissed as he shot down the neko's idea. Images of the chaos caused when he was younger flashed through his head, making him wince.
And why the hell not?! the angry cat demon hissed right back at the teen.
"You're a demon, you should know why the hell not! The second I loose conciousness he'll take over and go on a fucking killing spree!" he growled right back at the neko.
I'll give you my word as a demon, he will not go on a rampage and will return your conciousness within a few minutes.
"Your word means nothing to me."
I guess we have to do this the hard way... Nanaki sang, not sounding disappointed in the prospect of whatever she was about to do.
"What are you-"
There was a bright flash, and they were back in their bodies, Gaara still pinning Sakura to the tree.
Sakura stiffened in his grip, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She yanked her arms from his hands and hissed in pain as she gripped her head. A small strangled scream of pain passed her lips before she froze again and stood upright, eyes closed.
Gaara took a step back from the girl who had started to get a purplish glow around her. Her eyes snapped open, no longer shining emerald, but a deep purple covered her entire eye, not just the iris, while a single gash of yellowish gold served as her iris.
The girl, for she wasn't really Haruno Sakura at least not at the moment, grinned a malecious sort of grin.
"Hello... Gaara-kun." she half purred. She was a cat demon after all.
"H...Haruno?" he asked, only slightly confused. He could guess what was going on, but he didn't want to believe it.
"Not... quite."
Grin still in place, she suddenly disappeared. Tense and ready for anything, Gaara summoned sand from his gourd, wrapping it around him in a defensive manner. It wasn't smart to underestimate a demon, and Gaara always was considered smart.
Snap.
In the span of a second, she launched herself at him, limbs a blur. His sand shot up and blocked her, but only for a second. A brilliant purple flame was emmited from her arms as she coated them in chakra. As if in slow motion, he watched the sand fall from her limbs as the demonic chakra nullified the effects of his sand. Time speeded back up as he closed fist bypassed his sand and embedded itself in his gut, sending him, end over end, to crash into a tree. A spike of pain shot through his ribs as he stood, remnants of the fallen tree behind him.
The pain... that foreign feeling... it set him off. He emmited a gutteral yell as he clutched his head. His eyes burned with an intense heat; blinking, he opened them, cyan iris's now black with molten gold pupil. Sand whirled around him, a veil between jiinchuriki. A strangled scream clawed it's way out of his throat as his human half tried to gain dominance.
In vain, all in vain.
Trapped, a prisoner in her own mind, Sakura watched the short scuffle and how it was rapidly escalating. She desperately searched for an escape from the blackness that surrounded her, a way out of the dark, so she could stop this. Whatever this is, this fight, this feeling, this darkness, anything. She wanted out, and she wanted to save him too.
She didn't know why, but she could see that he was suffering too, more so then she was, and being the future-medic nin she was, she wanted to stop his pain.
Or so her excuse was.
Come on Sakura, use that big forhead of yours... she mentally encouraged herself.
When we came in there were cages... And Nanaki was inside the cage so... Sakura continued her musings to herself for a moment, sensing it wasn't long before the two demons
(no no no, we're NOT.)
(her & him. Sakura & Gaara)
began their clash again. And then it came to her.
Yes.
Meanwhile, Gaara was fighting his own inner battle. Shukaku was fighting, tooth and nail, for controll over Gaara's mind; and Gaara was fighting back just as hard. He felt his teeth begin to sharpen slightly, a sign he was releasing the one-tail. He let out another frusterated scream as he tried to force his demon back into the cage where he was sealed.
Goddammit...GET OUT OF MY FRICKEN MIND!!!! he screamed at the tanuki. He felt his conciousness slipping away, slow tendrils of his sanity.
His state was broken when he felt a smalller, warm body crash into his chest and cling to him. It was as if someone had flicked an ON switch in a darkened room. His entire being filled with light as all traces of his demon's control vanished. The two of them collapsed in a heap on the ground, chests heaving from the encounter.
Gaara opened his eyes grogily; when Shukaku attacks his mind it's the closest he gets to sleeping, and it makes him tired. His vision was clouded with pink, and Gaara idly wondered if he had truely waken up. His mind kicked in and supplied him with all of the memories of what had just occured. He was stunned. A girl, a HYPERACTIVE, fangirling, pinkhaired, girl had freed him from his demon.
How the HELL did she do that?!
Her body was shaking, in fear or exaughstion or stress, she didn't know. She had done it though, she had sealed her demon inside again, and she had done the same for him too. She was barely aware that she was still lying on top of him, trying to regain her breath. Her mind flickered back to her acomplishment and she grinned a tiny proud smile. A scratchy voice from below her interupted her pride.
"How... How did you do that...?" he asked, sounding more like a little kid then he had in a while. She focused her attenton on his, and met his cyan eyes.
And noticed their... peculiar position.
With a quick blush, she rolled off him and they lay side by side in the grass, staring up at the leafy canopy that blocked their view of the sky.
"I... well..." she tried to figure out how to describe just what she did.
"...do you remember the cages?"
She got no response from the boy, but since it was a 'no' persay, she continued.
"I figured that all I had to do was get her back in the cage... but that was the hard part... She won't be bothering me for a while after that..." she didn't have to look at the boy to feel his questioning gaze.
"I used the seal on the door... Kind of... I technically didn't release her, at lease not all the way, so the seal wasn't broken. I... forced her to back into the seal... and she was... sucked in, almost. I'm rambling, sorry, but I don't really know how to put it..." she finished with a sigh, head turning so her gaze met his. It was anxious; he sat up in a rush, and she followed suit with a worried glance. All of a sudden glared at her, an edge of panic in his eyes.
"How did you make Shukaku disappear? It's quiet! His voice is never quiet!" a sudden rush of sand pinned her to the tree trunk behind her as he came in close to her face; was that pleading in his voice?
"What. Did. You. Do?" he growled, half hysterical. She was scared. She'd had no idea he would react like that.
"I-I don't know! All I did was blend some of my chakra with yours! I took it back though!" she yelped as the sand rose higher.
He growled in a low tone, glaring, the sand constricting slightly. Her eyes widened in a panic.
"I don't know what to tell you! Let me go!" she screamed at him, some tears flooding her vision, but she refused to let them fall.
He froze at her voice and he thought.
Why was he angry with her?
She had just sealed his demon away and probably saved his mission; there would be Hell to pay from the elders if he screwed this up, and he was sure they would be happy to send him there. He was acting completely irrational, just because he didn't understand what she had dont, and apparently she didn't either.
With that thought, he released her and stepped back, suddenly feeling ashamed of his actions.
Wh-what the hell is happening to me? I haven't felt these emotions in... Kami knows how long. Just thinking about his past, when he wasn't aware of his status as a 'monster' made his heart and head hurt.
"I..." he started. Then he looked at her, kneeling on the ground, clutching at her arms which were beginning to show light bruises. She was looking at him incredulously, but not with hate.
No, there was no hate in her gaze.
Shit.
"Meet me here tomorrow at sunrise if you want to continue your training." he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear it. Then he summoned his sand and disappeared in a whirlwind, leaving her staring after him.
"Hey! Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled from behind her as he ran to catch up with her on the crowded street. Said girl slowed her pace so he could catch up, then stopped completely as he caught up and regained his breath. Hands on his knees he panted for a few seconds before looking up at her with a brilliant grin.
"Do you want to come get ramen with me?"
Sakura opened her mouth, to speak the normal insult and decline his offer, as she normally did. But she stopped herself. She was changing herself right? Why not do it in more ways then one and give Naruto a chance?
A small smile graced her features as she responded.
"Sure." But still, old habbits die hard, "But you're paying!"she laughed as they started walking towards the shop.
Completely unaware of a silent crimson headed figure glaring menacingly at the blonde who was just a bit too close to the pinkette for his comfort.
FIN! at least for this second! i have IDEEEEAS!!! so im gonna write write WRITE!!! ^___^ just got ova some intense writers block, and schools ova in TWO DAYS!!!! YES!!!!! X)
plz review, ill update faster! (i promise)
