Chapter 4: Cold

Sakura had just helped a weak and tired Sasuke up into a sitting position, when Deidara came running down the stairs, "Sakura! Your sister just collapsed!"

"What? Why?!" she exclaimed.

"I don't know! She came upstairs complaining about her neck hurting and sat down. I didn't think much about it, but Sasori came in and started flipping out. Then, he ran off to his room ranting about Orochimaru and stuff, and the next thing I know, Anoreen's out cold!" he replied in a panicked voice.

"That doesn't sound good." She said darkly, "...Come on. I need to go figure out what happened."

"Right. I'll just take him off your hands." The blonde agreed slyly.

The younger Shemutah narrowed her eyes, and tightened her grip on Sasuke's waist protectively. "I know what you're thinking, Deidara, and don't you dare do it!" she warned.

"Oh fine!" he mumbled disappointedly, "Man Sakura, I don't know where you got your taste for men but it sucks."

"Come again!?" the pink growled.

Deidara froze, "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?" he asked with a false tone of ignorance.

"That's better. She said stiffly as she pulled Sasuke towards the stairs.

The blonde sighed in relief, and followed behind. He watched as she took a detour towards a rack of iron chakra-depleting collars and stopped. "You're not seriously taking him up there are you?" Deidara groaned.

"It's not like you have any better ideas." She answered bluntly, "Now come over here and give me a hand." Sakura added as she picked up a collar that was about the right size for the Uchiha.

The blonde shinobi walked over and forced a now desperately struggling teen into submission. "Just hold still." He muttered, "You'll learn very quickly, that a little collar is nothing compared to a Shemutah's wrath."

Sasuke stopped struggling but was still unable to hold in a whimper as he felt the cold metal surround his neck, and heard the lock click shut. He opened his eyes when he felt the blonde-haired man release him, but refused to look up out of embarrassment. The kunoichi may have just been doing her job, but all the same, she had hurt his pride as a formidable shinobi.

"Oh, Sasuke..." she said sympathetically as she clipped a chain onto the collar, and leaned closer. The pink waited for him to take her bait and attempt to look pitiful, then she made her move. "Suck-it-up." She added harshly, sounding out every syllable. A nasty smile slid across her face, then, she slapped him across the face and continued on.

The boy grunted and unhappily let her lead him to the stairs. 'I can't believe she got me to fall for that dumb fake-pity act.' He thought to himself, 'she's got potential to be even more cold and heartless than Anoreen!'