There is no real excuse as to why I seemingly abandoned this story. I didn't...i just ...lost my muse, got writer's block, for this one and Cirque and red moon

Sorry, you guys deserve better. especially since i started up on portal and all that DX it renewed my writing, but on the upside, at least I felt bad about leaving this one! I finished the chapter and hopefully i can start updatig semi-regularly now.

I am participating in NaNo this year, so...yeah lol XD

The Road Home

Chapter Four: The Medic

Ultra-Violet, the hangout/fight club. It reminded me of that one movie. I shook my head. It was too crazy that things like this actually existed. Hidan was bouncing beside me happy about his recent fight. Deidara grinned happily when some guy entered the ring, rearing to get his fight. The blonde slipped his shirt off, "My turn, un…"

Before I could say a word, he jumped into the ring to face the silver haired boy. This boy had short silvery blue hair hanging in his face. Lavender eyes sparkled with anticipation. With this sparkle came a smile, a very sharp toothed smile. I gasped lightly. They were just like the bouncer's.

He gripped a water bottle at his side and took a long drink before turning back to Deidara. Said blonde grinned, before throwing the first punch. The boy dodged it and sent one to Deidara's gut. The artist moved back and lifted his knee to meet the lavender eyed boy's chin. Blood trickled from the lip that was bitten. He jumped away from Dei and wiped the red liquid from his swelling bitten lip. I couldn't help but snicker because it wouldn't have been so bad had his teeth not been so sharp.

He rushed forward and threw a punch into Deidara's face. I gasped, but the dumb blonde laughed and the fight escalated. Hidan grabbed my shoulder, startling me from the fight. I looked at him and he was laughing, despite the multiple bruises covering his face.

"That's Suigetsu," he pointed to the opponent Deidara was currently facing, "He comes here all the time to fight. Deidara is usually the one to face him because they are like…polar opposites. Suigetsu is fluid in his fighting and dumb shit is explosive, directly attacking the people he fights…"

I stared at him, "Not only was that the smartest thing I've heard you say…that's the longest you've gone without cursing, well…minus the shit thing,, but still…"

He glared, "Bitch."

I giggled and turned to see Suigetsu throw the final punch. Deidara stumbled back into the crowd wall and looked up slightly dazed. He stood upright just as the other teen walked up to him and extended his hand. It amazed me that after such brutal fighting, those two would come together like old friends.

The artist walked over to us with a huge smile on his face, "Hey, un." his cheek was red and swollen and blood and sweat covered him. It was disgusting, but he had a glow about him.

"He's getting better, hmm. I need t train a little more to keep up!" He leaned against the railing. I stood inn utter disbelief. How could fighting, on purpose, really make a man be this happy…especially since he lost?

There was already another pair fighting in the makeshift ring. I turned my attention from them back to my housemates. Hidan groaned, "how can he be losing like that? Fuck, last week he was kicking ass!"

Deidara laughed, "I think Sasori-danna is going to fight today…"

"Hey, Dei," I whispered, "how is this supposed to be fun? I can't even watch without cringing…" the blonde turned towards me and smirked.

"It's just a release, I guess, hmm." he wiped some blood off of his fist, "When we get too tense, this is the perfect way to unwind, un." he cheered for the new fighters. I shook my head, still not really understanding Deidara's reasoning.

Soon, I grew bored. The two boys standing beside me were having a blast, but watching people pound on each other, not only hurt them, but hurt me to watch. My eyes rolled and I walked around behind the boys. Sasori, who had disappeared quite a bit ago, was still no where to be found. I sighed and turned back just in time to see cold black eyes that I thought I would never see again.

Behind the owner of those eyes, was a set of blue ones framed by shaggy blonde hair. I choked on my tears. It was my best friends from the orphanage, "Sasuke? Naruto?"

The blue eyes met mine and lit up with light, "Sakura-Chan?" he walked across the now empty ring to the railing I was standing behind. I soon found Naruto leaping over the rails to pull me into a tight hug, "I never thought I'd see you again!" he laughed. I felt the life being squeezed from me, but happiness filled me.

"How have you been?" he pulled away, studying my face, "Wow…I haven't seen you in forever! Ever since that pervy old man adopted me and Sasuke was taken by his uncle." I nodded, happy, but sad that Naruto had grown so much. My eyes drifted to Sasuke. He stood in the ring preparing for his fight. He, too, had changed a lot. His hair had grown out along his face and his muscles were well defined. A weird tattoo rested on his left shoulder.

Naruto grinned, "That's Sasuke for ya, he's a show off." I watched the raven prepare for his fight. Sasori stepped in, too. This made me gasp. Naruto began cheering along with the crowd. I just watched as the two danced around each other. Suddenly, I found myself entranced in the way they moved. Both were so natural. Sasori was easily able to pull himself away from Sasuke's punches just in time. He was almost a puppet under the control of another, with the way he was able to stay completely calm.

Sasuke, on the other hand, struck like lightening. His fists were quick and never seemed to strike the same way. The Uchiha seemed to be testing the ground for weakness. I guessed that these two had never fought before, but had obviously watched the other in previous battles. Neither were willing to rush in, but were itching to begin the real fighting. As I watched, it seemed the roaring crowd, who chanted their names, faded and blurred. Sasori's cold chocolate eyes met mine for a split second before he made his first real move. He swung his fist sharply into Sasuke's face.

The raven haired man growled, having not expected it, and retaliated with a strike to the other man's chest. Sasori stumbled back and I heard Deidara yell profanity at Sasuke. My housemate stood strait again, yet a fire blazed in his eyes. I had never seen this before in him. I gasped lightly as he came at Sasuke with a barrage of punches.

My old friend managed to keep up and block most of the hits, but a few did hit, leaving him stumbling back.

I became entranced in the way the red head moved. It was strange to see him loosen from the stiff teen he usually was. His foot slowly slid around clockwise and he pushed forward with his fist, striking. Then Sasori quickly retreated, waiting for Sasuke to lose his temper and face the poised scorpion again.

The fight slowed to a crawl, at the for me it did. According to Deidara, it didn't last long enough. Sasori had won, and Sasuke was not only bruised himself, but his ego had probably taken a pretty heavy beating as well.

"Hey, Sakura-Chan, what are you doin' here anyway…in a place like this?" Naruto turned to me. I blinked and most likely looked silly with my mouth gaping open like a fish. How was I to explain to me old best friend that I was rooming with several boys that also came here.

Well, I didn't have to say a word. Soon I had Hidan hanging off one shoulder and Deidara on the other. Both boys were grinning like Cheshire cats.

"She'd our little playtoy." Deidara spoke.

Hidan laughed, "Yeah, bitch lives with us." they leaned in and kissed my cheeks at the same time. I growled and hit Dei's arm and then slapped Hidan's chest.

"It's not like that!" I ground out, crossing my arms over my chest, "I…" my face dropped.

"Sakura." my eyes raised to become face to face with Sasuke's. The cold eyes bore deep into hers, making her squirm uncomfortably beneath the gaze.

"Hey, teme…you lost the fight," Naruto laughed nudging the raven haired boy in the side, "Losing your touch already?"

The younger Uchiha glared at him and walked away. I felt a pain in my heart. How could I have been so stupid to think that after all this time I would be over Sasuke? It hurt to see him walk away like that, especially since we'd been friends so long ago.

"Eh? Oh well, so Sakura, you live around here or something?" blue eyes searched hers for the answer she felt too heartbroken to give.

Hidan rolled his eyes at my behavior and stepped up in front of me, "Yeah, the bitch lives with us over in that one area you're too chicken-shit to visit."

Naruto glared, obviously not taking a liking to the way Hidan spoke to him or about me. Not that it mattered to me. I just wanted to go home.

"Dei…can we go please…I just want to get out of here…" The blonde nodded, sympathetically and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Ass hole… tell Sasori I'm taking Sakura home, un."

The silvery haired boy looked at him and scowled, but nodded all the same.

"Sakura-Chan?" I heard the weakened voice behind me. I couldn't look back, though. Sasuke's rejection of me…

The sound of screaming brought me out of my self induced misery as a crowd began to form around someone.

Deidara left my side to see what was going on, so naturally, I followed. My stomach twisted when I saw the blood.

"That guy!" some one in the distance shouted.

Other cries joined in of, "Get him!", "He brought a knife!", and "Help him!"

My heart skipped a beat when I saw red head, but it was only a second when I realized it wasn't my housemate. I may not have liked Sasori much, but seeing him injured or dying was not how I pictured him ending.

This man looked sick in more ways than one. There was a kanji tattoo for love on his forehead, as well as thick dark circles around his eyes. I scanned over his naked torso and found the gash that was along his side.

I'd taken up first aide class a few years back, but had never done anything with it, but at least I knew how to stop the bleeding and clean the wound until real help got here. I felt into action by pushing people out of the way and kneeling down.

"Get me a clean rag and some warm water and alcohol, if there is any." I moved to check the wound, "Cleaning alcohol!" I yelled, hoping the people who went to help heard.

The wound honestly wasn't as bad as the crowd made it seem. There seemed to me no fatal injuries, nor was anything but skin and muscle cut.

"You'll be fine…" I whispered to the red head, who growled in pain. His teal eyes flared with intense anger and rage.

His voice roared out, frightening me a little. A blonde woman dropped to the ground beside us.

"Gaara! You should've known better than to take him on after last week!" he tried to turn away, but the sight of his blood made him growl and turn back to face the woman. I looked her over and saw her eyes matched his.

"Sister?" I guessed. She noticed me for the first time and her eyes narrowed.

"What's it to you?"

I shook my head and sighed in relief as the things I'd asked for were handed to me. I dipped the rag in the water and began cleaning the blood away from the wound. He hissed and writhed but a few men held him down.

"Sorry 'bout this," the blonde muttered, realizing I was no threat to her or her brother, "He…he's not very squeamish until it comes to his own blood. He hates bleeding…"

Nodding, I continued to clean. When the mass of the blood was cleaned away, I picked up the bottle of cleaning alcohol, "This is going to hurt like hell…"

Gaara nodded, but closed his eyes.

I dipped the other end of the rag into the bottle and took a deep breath before dabbing it at the gash. He roared out in pain and fury and thrashed. If it hadn't been for the guys holding him down, I'm sure I would've been hit, along with the rest of the immediately crowd.

I noticed someone had brought an actual first aide kit, something I honestly didn't expect, but was thankful for anyway. Inside, there was some gauze and medical tape that I could use to bandage the wound.

It was done. My hands were covered in blood, but I was happy with my work. My eyes met the sister's.

"I'm not going to lie to you… it wasn't bad, but I'm not very trained in this kind of thing… take him to the hospital ASAP." I bit my lip, "It's not bad, but it may need stitches or something like that…"

The woman nodded, "Come one Gaara, we should-"'

"I'm fine." he growled lowly, turning to meet my eyes. The intense gaze caused me to blush. The man scrutinized me and slowly pushed himself up off the floor.

"Thanks…" he turned and walked away, limping lightly, as the muscles in his side contracted, probably causing him a lot of pain.

My hands were still bloody, but at least he hadn't died or anything…not that he would have, but still. I felt arms left me up, but not just to my feet, I was being carried bridal style out of the crowd that began whispering and talking about how I saved the 'Desert King' (who I assumed was Gaara).

I looked up and frowned, seeing it was Sasori who had picked me up. Struggling I shouted for him to put me down, but he refused.

I hit his chest, leaving a bloody mark on his chest. A wave of nausea took over as I realized for the first time it was real blood on my hands and not my own. I had actually just played around with another persons blood. I had been covered in it. And I had to get it off right now.

Jumping out of Sasori's arms, I made a break for the small bathroom we were standing in front of. The warm water of the sink washed away the blood, but couldn't wash away the sickness I felt from having it on me in the first place. My stomach lost it.

My nose burned and my face was red. I should have felt happy that I'd helped someone, but I guess I was a little squeamish…

The faucet stopped running and I slid to the floor, cradling my head between my knees until the feeling passed. Soon, the good feeling returned. If I hadn't done what I did, wouldn't they have called an ambulance. Police would have shown up and a lot of people would have been taken to jail, Sasori and Sasuke included.

I grinned. Something told me, deep down inside, that I needed to do more medical studies… If not, just for this club.

The ride back home was a quiet one. Hidan was dozing beside me, while Deidara was staring out the window angrily for reasons I couldn't understand. Sasori, of course, was Sasori and said nothing to no one.

It was unnerving to say the least. I walked to me room and collapsed on the bed, closing my eyes and wishing that I didn't know it was me they were mad at. I didn't understand why. Was it honestly because I helped that Gaara person?

I didn't have much time to think about it before sleep over took me.

Saturday morning was nothing special, the same old, same old. Itachi was once again missing. It was annoying not knowing…maybe I would ask him when he got back.

Deidara was working, so I didn't have to baby-sit him and Hidan, however messy food and clothing were still everywhere, but cleaning I could handle.

Sasori's behavior seemed to change overnight. Instead of the usual snide comments I usually received, he was completely silent, watching me out of the corner of his eyes. What had I done to make them so angry?

Was it really because I helped someone in need? I couldn't fathom why that would piss them off, I mean, Deidara wasn't that heartless. It was confusing, but the risk of asking Sasori was greater than the feeling it got from not knowing.

"Okay," I walked up to him, "What the hell did I do to piss all of you off?" his cold chocolate eyes met mine.

"It's not so much what you did, more what you didn't do." he spoke calmly. I growled, hating every minute of his cryptic and riddled talking.

"And what didn't I do? Because I swear if this is because I helped Gaara, who needed me, I'm goi-"

He cut me off by standing up and glaring, "You should have left him. Not only will you have gained unwanted attention, him and that blonde you hold so dearly are part of a fighting group. They call themselves the Demonic Nine, and you would have done well to leave them alone." he shook his head, turning away, "Not only, did you do that, but now everyone in the club thinks we're hiding a medic from the rest of the group.

"They will probably be angry if you don't show up, but swarm you and us if you do. All they are going to want is for you to patch them back together again."

My eyes hardened, "And? What if I want to be a nurse for the UV. What if that's what that club needs? Hell, I wouldn't mind letting off steam in the arena, knowing I'd be able to heal the injuries sustained afterwards."

He looked at me slightly, surprised before glaring once more and storming off to his room. What the hell was his problem anyway? And why was he so worried about the 'Demonic nine'?

I grumbled, walking over to the little crappy computer in the corner. I was going to show him! I was going to become a medic, just so I could help more people at the UV.

I really do love my readers / reviewers, i just hope i haven't lost you all DX

~lady Pyrien