Warning: just to be safe, there is a 'disturbing' or 'gross' part in here. It's not even as graphic as in Chapter 2, but again, just to be safe!

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Chapter 4: Sarah's story

Sarah and Rayu were walking in the backyard, given some privacy by Rayu's 'Parents'. Rayu's parents had objected to him trying to walk since he had just cut up his feet, but Rayu said that it was not as bad as it looked. Rayu had slipped on his sandal/boots and walked outside with Sarah.

They walked in silence until they reached Sarah's supposed 'grave'. This put a sober mood on the situation, and they stood in front of the headstone, silent. Rayu knew this had to be difficult for her, so he kept his tongue in his mouth, and did not rush her. He was calm, patient, and fully prepared to wait however long it took to hear her side of the story.

Eventually, Sarah half-whispered, "Rayu…you don't remember anything…do you?"

Rayu shook his head and replied, "No. I cannot remember anything before...well I'm not sure how far back my memory goes. I only know that my first memory is of my father teaching me how to first swing a hoe. It's a small memory, but it's still the first one I have."

Sarah nodded and said, "I can't tell you everything yet…I'll tell you as much as possible, but not everything. Some things are just too hard and dangerous to tell you about."

Rayu accepted this and said, "I'll take whatever you can give me."

She smiled and said, "Okay…the part I can't tell you yet…is where we came from. It's just too emotional for me. So…this may create more questions than it answers."

Rayu nodded again. She turned to him, a sad look in her eyes. "Would you sit on this side of the headstone? I don't think I could say some of these things to your face."

Rayu sat down on the side of the tombstone facing the house, and Sarah sat on the other side of the tombstone. She must have gone through some terrible situations. He thought.

Her voice was soft and sad as she began the story.

"There was an…event that happened 9 and a half years ago. An event that destroyed a lot of families, yours and mine included. Now, while I can't tell you a whole lot about our families, I can tell you that you were the son of a very important man, and I was the daughter of his closest friend.

"We were promised to each other after you were born. At that time, I was a year old. I didn't fully understand it even when I was seven years old. When the horrible event happened, it was nighttime, and it was very silent. So quiet, that I woke up, feeling like something bad was going to happen. I don't know why, but I ran across the street to your house after I woke my parents up. I woke up your father telling him that something was wrong…and he took me so seriously. He told our mothers to take us and run into the woods, and run for safety. Apparently, he had a bad feeling too.

"Then…while we were deep in the woods, the event happened. The earth was shaking, we heard cries and screams…but we kept running. Our mothers told us to stay where we were, and they handed me a compass. They said that if they didn't come back…then we were supposed to run directly south until we ran into a village and that it was my duty to protect you.

"Our mothers ran back to see what was happening, and after hours and hours of waiting, they never came back. So, you and I ran south. We cried for almost an entire day while we ran as fast as our legs could carry us. I had been trained in wilderness survival, just as you were, so we knew what to do.

"We traveled for months and months, eating hardly anything. We slept whenever we could find a safe place, and we constantly had to be on the watch for wild animals. I had often tried mainly to save myself, thinking that you could look out for yourself…but something happened that changed my view.

"One night, about a month before the end of our trip, we stumbled on an old empty shack. We slept there and stayed there for a while, because there had been food stored there. It wasn't much, but it kept us from starving.

"Now…one night, I woke up bound and gagged next to you, in front of an old man. He was maybe forty or so, and he was angry with us for eating his food and staying in his house. He planned to hurt us and punish us. He tried to hurt me first. He tried to…to have his way with me." Sarah suddenly stopped, and Rayu understood why she didn't want to face him when she was telling him her story. Sarah was crying softly, but managed to continue.

"I don't know how you managed it…but right as he was about to hurt me, you seemed to wake up. He had said that he had drugged you so that you wouldn't wake up, but you did wake up. You somehow managed to wiggle free of the ropes, rip off your gag, and attack the old man. You had taken a loose board that hadn't been that far from you, and you beat the old man senseless." She half giggled, and Rayu let out a chuckle. He could imagine a six year old him going crazy, whacking a 40-year-old man over the head with a floorboard until the old man cried and begged for forgiveness.

"My clothes had been ruined, and so you gave me yours. You grabbed some old clothes that the man had and you ripped them up enough that they fit you. The old man woke up again, and managed to ask, 'What'd you do that for?' before you beat him senseless again. You turned to me, looking so brave and serious and said to me, 'Nobody will ever hurt you when I'm around. Nobody hurts my future wife.'"

Rayu blushed a deep red and, even though he couldn't see her face, he guessed she was too. She managed to continue, after awkwardly clearing her throat. "So…that's when my whole outlook changed. I realized that in the past months, it hadn't been me looking after myself; it had been you always looking out for me. You had always cut back your portions of food so I could have some, you always made sure that ways were safe, you always got me into trees or safe places first whenever there was a dangerous animal around, and you always made sure that I was never cold. I realized that if you were willing to risk so much for me, then I should be willing to do the same."

"So…after that, we both looked out for each other, keeping each other safe, warm, clothed, and fed. The day before I left you with your new 'parents', you stepped on a glass shard, because you were going shoe-less while I had sandals, and cut your foot really bad. We did the best we could to bandage it up and I let you wear my sandals. We took turns with whoever wore the sandals, and the day that your 'parents' found you, it was your turn.

"I thought I couldn't stay with you, because I thought that I would burden the farmers too much, and at the same time, I wanted to just go away and die. I felt like I was sick…so sick that any moment my strength would leave me and I would collapse. So I left you with my sandals to let you have something to remember me by, and I left you there, not wanting you to see me die. I traveled for maybe an hour or two before I collapsed and passed out."

"I was found by a couple who lived in the city, who wanted a kid but couldn't have one. They found me, helped me get better, and let me be their child. I always wondered what happened to you, even after I was enrolled at the Ninja Academy. I never found out what happened to you, even though I looked for any mention of you. So finally, two months ago, after the attack by the Sand and Sound villages I went to find you. I was desperate to find whether you had become a farmer or a ninja. Whether you were safe, or if you were dead. So I found my way back here, and I told your parents everything.

"They told me what became of you, telling me you were on a mission. They let me stay here, in your room, until you came back. And then that night that you came back…we were eating dinner, and I was saying that if you did not come back by the next day, I would just go back to the city. Then, you knocked on the screen door, and we put you back in your room to try to take care of you. When your father, mother, and I saw the scars…I…" Sarah cried once more, taking a full five minutes before being able to contain herself.

"I thought that you were dying. The next day, my mother came to see me, and we went into the city until I came back earlier today to see if you were okay. I was up in the trees, nervously trying to decide what to say, when I heard you come here. Then…then I heard you crying. I heard you telling me, in a sense, what happened to you on that mission. All the horrible things that happened to you…and that is when I started to cry. And then…you heard me.

"But one thing that you said kept coming back to me…and that's why I was crying."

She paused, and Rayu thought he knew what she was talking about.

(Flashback)

Sarah listened, heartbroken, as she heard Rayu spilling his heart to an empty grave. She heard of his best friends, his leader, and that fateful ambush. As he was describing what the horrible Sand Ninja did to his Leader and his Friends, he screamed out, "WHERE WERE YOU? WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME? WHY…WHY WEREN'T YOU THERE FOR ME?"

At the sound of his voice raised to it's loudest level, a shiver was sent down her spine. The utter despair and pain in his voice hurt her more than any physical or psychological pain she had ever experienced before. She heard the boy that she had been there for when he was so young, cry out that she had abandoned him. It was the truth. She had abandoned him, and now…now he was suffering because of it.

He let out a scream, torn from his belly, which sent birds flying and made her blood run cold. She cried into her knees, trying to muffle the sounds she made. The boy she had thought about at night, during her studies, dreamed about, was in pain and there was nothing she could do about it. The boy who had meant so much to her that she turned down every boy who professed his love for her, was in complete despair.

Finally, he ended in a hoarse voice. She could not hear it all, but she caught, "I wanted to thank you. Even though it seemed you abandoned me, you didn't…" she heard softer words, and then in a whisper that sent her heart soaring, he said, "You have become beautiful".

Her heart raced as she thought, he saw me? He really saw me and he thinks I'm beautiful?

Then she realized…he thinks he's talking to a sister…not the real her. That realization hit her hard, and she started to sob again.

(End Flashback)

Rayu took a deep breath, and said, "I am glad that you left that night…really. Even if it caused a couple of minor problems, at least you're happy with your family."

Sarah realized that she had given away a bit more than she intended to…revealing the fact that they had been promised to each other. She felt her skin heat up in embarrassment, thinking of a way to address that problem.

She didn't expect him to hold to his father's promise…especially since it had been made in a time that he couldn't remember. But…especially since he didn't remember her. She was so intent on trying to think of a way to diffuse that situation, she didn't realize that he stood up and walked around to her side of the gravestone.

He coughed, and she looked up sheepishly. "Sorry. I got lost in thought there…" She was about to say more when she noticed that he looked uncomfortable and like he was about to say something.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He cleared his throat in frustration and managed to speak. "Sarah…let me get this out in the open here before I chicken out."

She nodded, felt the heat rise to her face, and was acutely aware of how loud her heartbeat seemed. She felt weak and giddy as she heard the first part of what he said. "I…I may have looked at you like you were my sister, but just through the last two hours, starting when I gave you a hug…I looked at you and saw a beautiful young woman. A beautiful young woman who I owe my life to and who I would gladly stick to the promised marriage with, because while you were telling me your story, pieces of my past fell into place."

"I…I can remember a few more things now. The incident at the old shack, I can remember that your favorite color is blue, that you used to love nothing more than beef and broccoli, and you used to hum a song in my ear, that you hate overconfident people and most of all…that night at the shack. I remember something that you either overlooked or didn't want to tell me."

Sarah gulped, looking up into his eyes. She knew what he was referring to, and it excited her that he remembered. She stood, shakily, and grabbed his hands. While she could only feel the skin of his fingers, she could tell he was sweaty and nervous. She directly into his ice-blue eyes, since they were the same height, and took shallow breaths. As she stared into his eyes, she felt like she was lost in their depth.

He didn't move his eyes away from hers as he spoke again. "You told me that you loved me. You told me that you wanted to grow up with me and love me…and marry me. You said in these exact words, 'You will always have my heart and soul. They are for no one else but you.'"

She held her breath…waiting for his next words. She was sure that whatever they were, good or bad, she would accept them readily. "I'm really confused right now…memories and emotions that I never had for 9 years are in my head and heart. I feel something for you; just allow me to figure out what it is. While I cannot remember everything that you can, I can remember a few things that need time to sort through. So I ask you: will you wait for me to figure this out before I make any decisions and before you move on?"

She leaned in, holding his hands, and was aware that her lips were maybe an inch or two from his. She spoke softly, in a whisper. "Of course I'll wait for you. I'll wait until you're ready."

She leaned in a bit more, half-unaware of her actions. She yearned for a kiss, and her body was responding. Her lips were close enough to his that she could feel their warmth, and she felt like her blood was on fire. It was hot, racing, pulsing, and it made her come within a millimeter of his lips. Her blue eyes met his and they stayed like that, gazing in each other's eyes. She felt like the universe slowed, and all she could hear was each other's breathing.

Suddenly, he pulled away, turning his back. She suddenly realized that her promise of waiting didn't mean just on him but on her actions towards him. She berated herself silently for her actions, but only half-heartedly. She had enjoyed it, and she knew he had too.

He turned back towards her and said, "I'm sorry. I…I think I should go inside." He walked past her, headed towards the house.

She grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her. "No…I'm sorry. I will wait. I will."

He nodded, understanding that she now knew what she was really saying. He smiled and said, "I know…thank you."

She let go of his arm, and smiled. No matter how long…she would wait. She would be here for him this time. She would not abandon him this time. He smiled and walked towards the house, and she returned his smile and followed him. She would never leave him to stand alone again.

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That is the end of Chapter 4. Chapter 5 will take place a few days after this; next chapter will be Rayu's new assignment from Tsunade. Read and Review please! Thanks!

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