Chapter 4: What do you think?
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters I'm just borrowing them except for OC's. They're mine!
"Well first let's get you two cleaned up," said Sakura. She looked at the two men who had traveled with her. Shenlong (By the way my computer keeps spacing the name, but the whole thing is one name) was wearing a vest covered in blood and the bottom part of his face was covered in blood. Sakura knew she didn't want to know why. Gaara had gotten blood over his shirt from cutting an enemy open from behind. The enemy was trying to get Sakura to use as a hostage, but Gaara was faster.
She was leading them to her apartment, but decided against it because she wasn't sure if she wanted Shenlong in her apartment. Just when she was contemplating taking them to an onsen, she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey Sakura," shouted the blonde ninja. He still shouted when he called to her, but he'd dropped the –chan along time ago. It almost made her feel lonely now that the boy who had once had a crush on her was now in love with someone else. "Baa-chan wants to speak with you and Gaara. You can bring Shenlong if you want."
Naruto had long since gotten in touch with the demon inside of him and was now second in command of ANBU. Kakashi was the head of ANBU do to his specialty in tactics. Sakura found it odd that Naruto was in a leadership position, but apparently the Kyuubi gave him good advice and Naruto had gotten smarter.
"Naruto, tell Tsunade-sama that I can't bring them yet," said Sakura. "Tell her that they need to clean up."
"Baa-chan has that all set up," said Naruto. "She expected that you would come back in a less than clean fashion, seeing as you have Shenlong and Gaara with you."
"Just what is that supposed to mean," asked Gaara. He didn't know whether to be insulted or feel flattered so he decided it was an insult. "I'm not some blood thirsty monster anymore."
"Your jutsus still aren't exactly clean kills either," said Naruto.
"Fine, I'll let you have that," said Gaara. "But I don't like the insinuation you have for Shenlong."
"He has a reputation for getting bloody on morning walks," said Naruto. "I mean he lives up to his reputation, more so than you."
"He's right," said Shenlong. "I do get bloody and I have killed, but I still resent the fact that in a ninja village, a person who kills is considered frightening. How many assassinations have you carried out?"
"Twenty, but my kills are cleaner than yours and besides it's not that you get bloody, but where you get bloody at," replied Naruto.
"I guess I can never escape the trail of blood," said Shenlong looking out into the sky with a smile on his face. "No matter how many times I wipe away the blood, a new trail forms. Well, I guess it's something I'm used to."
"Let's go to the Hokage's house," said Gaara as he walked off. "We can continue this chat at her house, but right now I want to wear something clean and not look like I just visited a slaughter house."
Sakura felt good at the onsen that was reserved especially for the Hokage, who used it very often with her boyfriend. She could feel her muscles relax again as she let her mind drift into thoughts about the two men she just met. Shenlong was like something out of a nightmare, but he felt oddly safe as long as Gaara was there. Gaara.He was in her mind and she didn't know why or did, but couldn't come to terms with the truth because she had already experienced pain. It was the memory of his warmth as she slept right beside him last night. That's what the onsen reminded her of, Gaara's warmth. That's why she couldn't get him out of her mind.
"Thank you for the directions," said a voice from outside the door. The door opened and in stepped Gaara, who was wearing a towel. Sakura didn't feel embarrassed that she was naked because he'd seen her naked once and for some reason, it wasn't so bad if he saw her naked.
"What are you doing here," she asked. "This is a womens onsen."
"This is where they told me to go," said Gaara.
"It was made by the Hokages who were all men so it's a unisex onsen," said a voice frombehind Sakura. As you might have guessed, it was Shenlong who had offered the comment while drinking sake.
"Oh god you're here to," said Sakura covering herself up. She still didn't trust Shenlong, even if his face was cleaned of blood. "My god it's just my luck that you're stalking me."
"Don't flatter yourself," said Shenlong draining his cup. "I think I'll go with someone who doesn't use a wonder bra."
"What does that mean," asked Sakura, her face was red with both embarrassment and rage.
"You don't have that big of a chest," said Shenlong. "You act as if you've got something to look at and you don't."
She was about to go over and try to beat the living shit out of him, but Gaara held her back.
"Sakura if you let him get to you he'll never stop," said Gaara. He then turned towards Shenlong. "Try not to antagonize people as much as you do at suna. That's an order by the way."
"Yes Gaara-sama," said Shenlong with a bow. Shenlong was a wolf, but Gaara was the leader of the pack. "But I can't help but speak the truth."
"I said to stop it," snapped Gaara. Shenlong nodded and closed his eyes as if he were going to sleep. Gaara then turned towards Sakura. "Don't listen to him. Your bodies fine as is."
"Thank you," said Sakura turning red. She didn't know if Gaara realized what he'd just said, but deep down inside, she hoped he did. "I can help you wash your back if you'd like."
"Yes I'd greatly appreciate that," said Gaara. He didn't figure that the gesture had a deeper meaning, but then again, he was still new to the whole feeling thing. He turned around and felt her warm hands on his back. It surprised him how he could distinguish the warmth of her body from the warmth of the onsen. "That feels good."
"Thanks, I don't know much about washing another person's back," said Sakura. So I use chakra to cheat.
"Well that's hard to tell," said Gaara. He didn't know how to compliment someone without it sounding like a come on. He turned his head to see Sakura blushing and was oddly satisfied. Maybe it was because it meant that she harbored feeling for him or maybe he did understand the gesture of washing someone's back for them.
"Well you two seem to be getting along just fine so I'll leave now," said Shenlong getting up. Sakura was surprised to see him not wearing a towel and tried to turn away, but instead Shenlong disappeared entirely. Sakura breathed in a sigh of relief.
"Were you expecting see something," asked Gaara.
"As much as I'm curious I still can't trust him," said Sakura. Against her better judgement, she had just told someone here inner thoughts. What power does this man have over me.Did you see Shenlong I can tell where he got the long from. There you go again with your dirty thoughts, not taking into account that the guy is close to mental instability.
"Shenlong isn't psychotic," said Gaara. "He just can't shake the effect that blood has on him. In a way he's just like I was, but he can control it."
"Then why let it out is my concern," asked Sakura.
"He lets it out when he has to," said Gaara. "That other side is his survivalism. (not really a word, but I like NIN) It comes out when he needs to kill someone, when the person just has to die for him to survive or when the smell of blood becomes too powerful."
"I would be afraid if that was me," said Sakura. "Having to constantly worry about the demon inside of you coming out to drive everyone away, it just seems like too much to bear."
"It is," said Gaara. The comment came from personal experiences of trying to keep the Shukaku under control. "But you hope that there is someone out there who can see behind that beast and see you underneath crying for someone to dig you up from under what's covering the better part of you."
Sakura looked at him with tears in her eyes that felt as warm as the onsen's waters. She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his back. She halve expected him to push her away, but instead he put his hand on her arms and turn to look at her. He looked at her and their eyes locked onto each other, breaking every barrier between them and saw into their souls.
"You feel so warm," said Gaara not knowing what he was saying, he was dominated by this feeling inside of him. "I don't know why, but for some reason, I felt like I was cold before you put your arms around."
"So do you," said Sakura. "I can relate to your childhood somewhat, but not as severe. I was always teased and picked on because I had a big forehead, but then a girl named Ino befriended me. She was my best friend and then later my rival in love, but we were both friends before rivals."
"Everyone has someone to love, but I have nothing," said Gaara, his eyes were full of sadness, but the tears had long since dried up. "That's what I wish for when I wake up in the morning."
"Your brother and sister love you," said Sakura. "And you have friend in Konoha that love you, including me. I care for you."
"Why would you care for someone like me," asked Gaara. He wondered if he'd ever be loved because of the mark he'd left in the corpses of the past.
"Because you deserve love like everyone els," said Sakura. "Everyone deserves to be loved."
Then Gaara did something that was unexpected. He touched her lips with his own, pushing his warmth into her lips. To his surprise, she didn't turn away, but she returned the kiss.