It's a hard job, but it's the most rewarding I would say, getting the chance to inspire, to change lives, and touch people just by writing. It's rewarding in it's own ways ne?
~~Kyo~~
Disclaimer: My only payment is gratitude.
Chapter four: Alive
Pain, pain is a feeling that causes physical and mental anguish. Pain is something you feel at times for what ever reason, sometimes the reason is not known. But that was not one of those times.
Sakura felt numb, she couldn't move and she couldn't speak. Her eyes could open but she could not do a thing. Her eyes locked on the figure in the corner, the figure whom she had killed, the figure had made her into a living puppet. His gray eyes locked on her jade.
" Don't worry cherry blossom, the jutsu isn't permanent. You'll be back to yourself in a few days." Sakura felt sick to her stomach. She had helped kill him. He had tried very hard to kill her, and seeing him brought all the painful memories back. She stared into empty gray eyes and wondered how he had come back to life when she had so clearly killed him.
" Did you think that I wouldn't have a backup plan in case just that happened that had happened?" Sasori of the red sand asked with a red raised brow.
" Unfortunately I needed help, and more unfortunately I am in a human body again. Which is very strange if I do say so myself." She wondered why he was even talking, he didn't talk much when she had last seen him before she killed him, so why did he feel the need to share with her now?
" You won't kill me again cherry blossom so don't even think thoughts like those." She wondered if he could read her thoughts die to the jutsu he had put her under this puppet like jutsu where she really was a living puppet, being here, but not being able to do anything. A fate worse then death she figured.
" Don't worry I won't kill you. I don't seek revenge. This is payment enough having you under my hand." He touched her cheek and she wanted to jerk away but with a twitch of his fingers she was actually leaning into him. Now she really felt sick. At least he was telling the truth about being human he was warm and his flesh was soft, though she couldn't feel her own body she could feel his.
" I've never had a puppet like you before, I restrained myself of course, and it's harder not to kill you then it would be had you been dead when I used this jutsu, it must be so painful for you. I have to say though having this body, these feelings, are not so bad when they are centered around you. I've never had a female puppet before." She was getting a bad feeling. Why were all Akatsuki perverts anyway? Repressed emotions? Who knew, she definitely wasn't going to be the whore of Akatsuki, wasn't that Hidan's job?
" It won't be so bad cherry blossom, you can stay with me for a few days can't you?" He asked with a sudden sly smile. She liked him better when he was a puppet and made out wood, now he just had wood in a different place all together. Definitely repressed emotions.
" Let's not molest the new member of the group Sasori." A voice said from the shadows of the room. Sasori wasn't surprised he looked back to see Pain who suddenly appeared. He sighed softly.
" Hidan should be the only crude one around here." Pein said with a chuckle. Sakura would like for Hidan to be the only perverted one as well. What was it about her that seemed to bring out the perverted side of emotionless guys like Sasori, and Itachi anyway? Wasn't that the question after all? Was she just their type? She found that hard to believe. Maybe she was just to disobedient for them, they not use to being talked back to after all. She would go with that.
This pain in her body, unbearable pain, she was already sick of it. She didn't so much mind that she was being controlled as a puppet, but more that she couldn't be asleep while it happened. She didn't want to see anyone from Konoha, and she certainly didn't want to see the pain in their eyes, their tears, or them hurt when she could do nothing. The Akatsuki truly were evil doing this sort of thing to them. Did they honestly think this would do anything except enrage them more? Send them further onto their trail? Sakura was beginning to believe Akatsuki were idiots after all.
She also wondered on why Pein seemed to be the one always interfering when something like this happened. Was he the father of a bunch of misbehaving children or something? Or was he just trying to protect her in some weird fatherly sort of way? Did he even care or was it simply he didn't want strife between his organizational members? Who knew with the orange haired man. Sakura felt weary again. This was going to be more so hell then it had ever been.
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The trip was made in silence to Iwa. Even Sasuke's ignorant of the situational group stayed silent, though Karin refused to not hang onto the obviously Pissed off Uchiha. Naruto sent Sasuke a look of anger that Sasuke didn't understand. Naruto so obviously was pissed that Sasuke was letting that red haired slut hang onto him, when he so obviously had cursed Sakura to her face and thrown her love back like a slap. What a dick that he had moved on and found someone else, when Sakura had not.
Sasuke however didn't understand any of this because he hated Karin more then he hated any other girl, of course the fan girl would not leave him be and was annoying as hell, he had learned just to let the slut do what she wanted when it came to calling him Sakura's ' Sasuke-kun' despite that he hated it said from anyone but Sakura's mouth, and even let her hang onto him, sometimes he allowed it or she would whine and be even more annoying, and sometimes he would not care at all and rather kill her then anything. If he didn't need her for her only skills at detection he would have killed her long ago. He wondered if she had ever been helpful.
Kakashi shook his head obvious to both his students thoughts, he was worried now about the Hyuuga. He had realized the Hyuuga had been fueled, but by what he didn't know, but it seemed Neji had gotten attached to Sakura and none of them had realized this little slip up. He wondered if Neji had feelings for the pink haired beauty, so obviously he had never gotten the chance to tell her, or perhaps he had and she had refused him like she had everyone else who came her way in that like manner. She had not waited for Sasuke as it had seemed, she was just not interested in love, obviously her faith in it had been soured by Sasuke.
Kakashi mourned the little pink haired beauty. He regretted not being there for her, not treating her the same as the other two, and he most of all regretted not really knowing her in general. He knew her, but he didn't if that made sense.
" We're close." Kakashi said for Naruto's benefit who did not know East from East, or West from West.
( No you didn't read that wrong)
Naruto's eyes were determinant if not blazing with the need for revenge, only ending in the death of another.
Everyone tensed because close meant so obviously 'there' because they felt, all of them, a surge of chakra including Itachi Uchiha's and Kisame's. They leap into the clearing just a head. The clearing held Three Akatsuki. Kisame, Itachi, and Deidara. Fury rushed through Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi. The three people most affected, but Neji looked furious as well. The male stood rigid his Byakugan activated and furious eyes directed on the older Uchiha.
" Hello little brother what a pleasant surprise." Itachi said looking as if he really was surprised. He however had been expecting Naruto and Kakashi, though not the Hyuuga, but it didn't matter anyway.
" Shut up." Sasuke hissed. Itachi raised an eye brow. That was unusual. Maybe Sasuke had liked his abandoned pink haired flower after all. It would explain how hostel he suddenly was. Though Sasuke always wanted him dead this was a rage beyond that, beyond revenge, thus went deeper. Did Sasuke love Sakura then? He frowned, but smirked. Well wouldn't this be all the much more funner then?
" Now now." Itachi said with a smirk as his eyes went to the nine tailed fox.
" Ah Naruto Uzumaki, so good of you to come willingly to us." Itachi said with a twitch of lips he was just damn amused apparently and everyone who cared, mainly the ones from Konoha, were furious about it.
" Stop talking!" Sasuke yelled and went to rush his brother but stopped when his brother held up a hand a motion to wait.
" Now little brother wouldn't want to fight just yet right? After all if we start fighting your not going to get to see what I found." All the nin from Konoha stilled. Kakashi had a sudden bad feeling they weren't going to like what he 'found' at all.
" No one cares stop being a pussy and fight!" Naruto shouted. Itachi narrowed Sharingan eyes to the blond. He raised an eyebrow at the name calling.
" Oh I'm sure you'll care a great deal..." Itachi said and turned to Deidara who whistled.
Everyone went still as Itachi smirked a sudden smirk that froze the blood in Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji's body.
Suddenly out of the sky dropped two figures. One wrapped in an Akatsuki coat, the other dressed in it, the one wrapped in it was wrapped from head to toe in the cloth and being held in the red head's arms. A thought dead red head from Sand.
" Sasori." Kakashi said shocked. The puppet master nodded his head in greeting.
Itachi waved his hand in a flourish acting very much unlike himself. He was just to amused, to excited and none of them liked it. Especially Sasuke, he feared that almost evilly amused smirk on his brother pale lips.
They all eyed the bundle in Sasori's arms. A puppet no doubt.
" Sasori has a new puppet you see, we couldn't just leave and not show you." Kakashi went perfectly still like Neji and Sasuke. Naruto was furious.
" Who cares about some damn puppet!" He yelled. Itachi clucked his tongue in disappointment.
" So impatient aren't you? Hatake did you teach him nothing?" Itachi asked. Kakashi wasn't really listening his gut was twisting in a tight ball of rage, pain, sorrow, and anguish. He had a terrible feeling he knew what that puppet was, who it had been.
Sasuke felt sick to his stomach, he knew why his brother was so amused now, the only reason because he was torturing them all right now and he was getting off on their pain. He had always wondered if his brother was a Sadist now he knew he was.
Neji stared at the bundle unmoving in the redheaded Akatsuki's arms. God it couldn't be. Only sick men would do such a thing, but he supposed he shouldn't expect any less from Akatsuki.
" Sasori if you will show them your new creation. I think then Naruto Uzumaki will shut up and appreciate your art."Sasori dipped his head and then set the figure on it's feet and with a flourish as if revealing art work the cloak was ripped off. Pink hair flew in an arch and pale skin was seen first and then lifeless jade eyes. There were several gasps and choked cries.
XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxX
Sakura could hear them all, she could feel the warmth from Sasori's hold and the cloak she was wrapped in, but she couldn't feel her own body, move it or even speak. She had no control not even over where she looked. She was as lifeless as a puppet yet she could still think, still feel even if it wasn't her own body she could feel except this intense pain. The anguish of hearing her friends speak, of hearing Naruto and Kakashi. She felt sick and when she was set on her feet held by his strings controlling her, she stood and waited knowing she was about to be revealed and knew that she would cause them pain, she wished if anything she could save them this. That she really was dead and wouldn't have to see their pain at seeing her.
She was suddenly revealed the cloak being jerked away and her eyes finally seeing something other then the black of the Akatsuki cloak. The wind was cool but she couldn't enjoy it as her eyes saw them. She was more then shocked to see Sasuke as well as Neji. She was more shocked to see Sasuke after all then Neji. But shocked by them both none the less.
The pain and shock she saw did nothing to help her through this. She could do nothing but watch their startled, shocked, painful eyes, their faces tighten in rage and grief so painful she could feel it in her own heart.
Everyone remained silent even the three of Sasuke's new team remained quiet not speaking maybe unsure they should or because they were always quiet.
No one spoke for a long, long, time they stared at her and she starred back wishing she was able to show them with her eyes she was in here, she wasn't dead but she couldn't. She couldn't even move.
Naruto stepped forward a hand outstretched. Kakashi jerked and pulled the blond male back quicker then lighting. Naruto struggled.
" SAKURA!" He yelled to her. She wished she could speak back to him. And then suddenly she was moving. Not on her own, Sasori was moving her.
XxxXxxXxxXxxX
Kakashi grabbed onto the blond and held on tight. If Naruto even got close no doubt the Akatsuki would take him. He was beyond furious that they had stolen her body and made her into a puppet, to play with, to dress up, or undress, to use like this. She wasn't even properly dressed into nothing but a shirt, a black shirt that could be anyone's but he figured it was Itachi's. She probably was naked under it.
Neji felt bile raising with his anger. What the hell were they doing with her body? She was so obviously naked under that one shirt, and what the hell where they doing with her to make her naked? Touching her body? Using her body to for their sexual desires? Neji felt the bile rise quickly and forced it down. He wouldn't throw up.
Sasuke went very pale. Was that what she looked like now? When had she changed so much? She didn't even look the same. Had it been that long since he had seen her? He felt a ache start in his chest, when had she become so beautiful. He was allowed to see her this one last time and yet here she was being control, her body being kept by his own brother. His eyes swept down her body and he went perfectly still. God...she wasn't even dressed!
"SAKURA!" Naruto screamed struggling more then ever. If they weren't in for a fight Kakashi would have knocked him out, but Naruto being unconscious wasn't a good thing right now despite how furious he was. Then she moved. They all froze even Naruto.
She was walking, being controlled as Kakashi watched by the almost unnoticeable movement of Sasori's fingers. She swayed like she normally walked, it was like she wasn't being controlled as a puppet at all, except those blank jade eyes. It wasn't Sakura, just her body, just her corpse. Yet she looked so very much alive. She had no scratch on her, nothing, she was perfect.
She stopped walking at Itachi's side and he stepped around her wrapping his arms around her waist they all tensed as Itachi wrapped those large arms around her small body resting his hands on her flat stomach softly.
" Isn't she beautiful?" Itachi asked with a twisted smirk. A mocking smirk.
" Sonofabitch." Someone said in a harsh curse. Kakashi wasn't sure if it was himself who said it or someone else. Couldn't care to think about it.
" We liked her so much that we had her made into a puppet to keep around to play with." Itachi said.
" She was feisty, I liked her." Kisame said grinning, someone else finally speaking. Deidara looked like he rather be somewhere else, Sasori looked rather bored, and Itachi was being sadistic.
" She is very fun to play with after all." Itachi said locking eyes with his little brother as he ran his fingers slowly up her body drawing his own shirt up that covered her down to her thighs. Itachi watched as his little brother watched his hands, watched the shirt slide up. Sasuke looked suddenly uncomfortable. Itachi grinned.
Kakashi cursed furiously as Naruto's eyes bled red in rage. He fought to keep the blond back unsure if he wanted to keep him back or let him go to kill them all.
Itachi's eyes turned to the blond whose eyes bled red of the Kyuubi. He finally groped her squeezing her large breast in his hands.
Kakashi watched her face for anything and there. His eyes went wide as he saw something else flash in those jade eyes, as if she was inside that corpse as if she could feel. His heart swelled with hope. God he hoped she was alive even if she was in Akatsuki's grasp. Even if she was being held here, she was maybe alive in there. He watched her eyes but nothing else could be seen. Maybe he had imaged that spark in her eyes. The irritation he had thought he saw there.
" Calm down Naruto, would you like to speak to your little pink haired angel?" Itachi asked as he released her breast and instead rushed his hands down her thighs, bare thighs.
Everyone froze again.
" Go on Sakura, speak." Itachi said as if she were an animal being commanded. And Neji figured it was like that. She wasn't alive she was a corpse and she was being told to speak on command. She couldn't control anything because she wasn't in there anymore, it was just her body not her. He had to keep reminding himself. He had almost lost it when the Uchiha groped her.
Her lips suddenly opened and they waited, frozen in silence, frozen in place.
She closed her mouth not a word uttered. Sasori cursed. Itachi sighed annoyed. Could the puppet master not control his own puppet? Or was Sakura's will too strong?
" Itachi." Sasori said quickly. Itachi glanced back. He frowned at the look the red haired male gave him, that so clearly said the jutsu was wearing off. She would be free again, be able to move again. Meaning they had to leave quickly before she moved on her own, spoke on her own. She was already strong enough to close her mouth and refuse to speak.
Kakashi knew it. He looked into those eyes and finally started seeing something past that blank wall. He saw anger. A corpse couldn't feel anger. He felt that hope bloom into joy. Kami she was alive!
Then her mouth opened again. Everyone watched her even Itachi and the Akatsuki curious to what she would say because obviously they had no clue.
" Don't." She said. Confusion rippled through the entire audience.
" Don't what?" Sasuke asked quickly.
Her fingers twitched.
" Don't..." She repeated. Her hands jerked. Itachi growled low in his throat.
They watched in fascination as her body started twitching.
" You broke her." Kisame said with a nervous chuckle. Itachi scowled at the man.
" Sasori." Itachi commanded.
Sasori nodded and his fingers twitched she jerked but didn't move. Sasori made a face of displeasure.
" I can't." Sasori said.
" Don't." Sakura said and her jaw worked gritting teeth and then all of a sudden her voice rose.
" DON'T TOUCH ME!" She yelled breaking free of Itachi's arms and kicked him square in the chest he flew back landing on his rear a few feet away and then she crumpled to the ground like a puppet with it's strings snapped and her eyes closed and she didn't move.
Everyone stared at the girl and she didn't move again. Nothing. Itachi sat froze in shock.
She had fought hard. She used up her energy not to talk to her friends but to kick him with a furious command to stop his groping. He would never understand her, but oh he was so going to punish her when they were away from these annoying pest.
He tisked and stood brushing himself off then leaping away. Deidara picked her up gently and leap to the skies onto his clay bird they hadn't noticed hovering above them. Sasori leapt as well joining him and then Kisame left with Itachi and then the Konoha nin stood in silence, shocked. Sasuke's team stood confused.
" Damn. What was that?" Suigetsu asked suddenly breaking the trance everyone seemed to be in. Naruto had calmed down and now his eyes were shocked and wide.
" That was Sakura Haruno. Someone who was supposed to have died, and now we know for sure her death was faked. She's alive." Neji said. Kakashi wanted to go after them but he had to get this information back to Tsunade.
" She's alive?" Naruto asked unsure looking back at his old sensei with watery eyes. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask.
" That's right." Naruto's grin was blinding.
" GO SAKURA-CHAN I KNEW YOU WOULDN'T LET THAT TEME KILL YOU!" He shouted to her obviously calling after her. They wouldn't go after her now, they would have to regroup knowing she was alive at all was the best thing in the word to them all.
End chapter:
For some reason this is turning out weirder then I had hoped for, and not entirely going the way I wanted who would have thought it ne? Anyway hopefully I'll be able to get some updates up for you guys and even respond to your email's and reviews ne? Darn evil internet! Lols wish me luck ne?
Any questions? Comments? WTF'S? Review ne?
~~Kyo~~