(Peaks out around corner cautiously.) Uh … hi guys. I'm back.
(Ducks out of the way of projectile rotten fruit and vegetables.) I'm sorry. I know I said I would update sooner. But this chapter just didn't want to end and neither did my exams. Considering the fact that originally this chapter was going to take a while to finish and be 10 000 / 12 000 words long (waaaaaay over my usual 2000- 4000 word chapter and the last bit of the second half isn't edited yet), I have decided to split it into two parts. Yes it is going to finish abruptly and not properly I know, but that way you guys get a chapter (ish) and I get to update. YAY! Promise I'll post the second part as soon as I have it ready.
So with that out of the way, I want to thank vero1092, Nameless Lurker, yami-no-kijo, SasuSakuKawaii, Guest and AllyRose13 for reviewing. And special thanks to yami-no-kijo for that information on wolves. I already had Sasuke being overprotective and possessive but that just allowed me to cement it. I put the information into the story so I hope you don't mind, I reference it here as yours.
Sorry guys, but I'm not really good with multiple points of views. So I'll just be sticking with just Sakura's for this story at least. Might try multiple views in another story. Thankyou all so much. Enjoy and please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
…SilverMoon…
Chapter 6
The next time she woke up Sasuke was still there at her bedside, except this time he was awake and peeling green apples.
"Morning." she croaked. Her throat was dry.
Obsidian eyes flicked up and emotions passed through so quickly that she would have missed them had she not been paying attention. Surprise then relief then back to blank bottomless depths. "Good morning."
Wordlessly, he raised a cup of water to her mouth.
Sakura took sip. The cool water eased down her parched throat.
"Thankyou."
He took the cup back and placed it on the table beside her bed next to the apples. Sasuke looked like he wanted to say something but the door was thrown open. It crashed into the wall with a bang and left a dent where the door handle was.
"Sakura-chan, you're awake!"
Then the blur of blonde and orange launched himself at her. However, a black shadow jumped across her bed, intercepting him.
Vicious growls filled the room.
Sasuke had tackled Naruto to the ground and both were clawing and snarling at each other. It wasn't like one of their play fights this time it looked like they wanted to do some serious damage to one another. But that was considered normal for her kind. Much like wolves, if one member of the pack became seriously injured, the closest wolf to the injured one would become extremely overprotective. This wolf was usually the injured's mate or sibling. It the "protective" wolf usually became so possessive and viscous that none of the other wolves in the pack could get close without being attacked or forced away. However, unlike wolves there was one exception to that rule in a werewolf pack. The pack's healers or those werewolves that had healer magic were allowed close since they could help the injured wolf. But only long enough for them to heal them before them would be forced away again by the protective wolf in extreme cases. Sakura, like Naruto and Sasuke, had no blood related family left, meant when one of the three were injured the other two would become viscously protective and fight each other to see who got to be the "protector" while the other became the side kick, who was allowed closer than other packmate's but not close enough to touch the injured wolf. It was usually one of the boys who got hurt anyway, with their fights and daring competitions. However, since Sakura was a healer wolf and could get close without irritating it nullified the need for a sidekick position when one of the boys was hurt. But when Sakura got hurt … well, one could imagine what would happen. Sometimes Naruto got the protector position and sometimes Sasuke did.
But that didn't mean that Sakura would sit back a watch the pair of them destroy the medical room.
"Sasuke and Naruto. If you two don't stop fighting, I'll come do there and beat you up, myself." Sakura yelled menacingly at the pair of them, but both of the blockheads ignored her, focused on their battle of 'who will protect Sakura'.
Naruto clawed at Sasuke, but the dark-haired male jumped back and onto a bed, his feet creating dirty footprints on the clean white bed. Sasuke gave him a mocking too-slow-baka smirk. A snarling Naruto launched himself at Sasuke. The pair of them fell backwards, somehow managing to flip the bed in the process. If this continued there wasn't going to be a medical room left. Sakura's forehead ticked in irritation. She only just got back and they were already causing trouble. How the heck did our pack's cave remain intact while I was gone?
She yelled at them again but the pair continued their battle. So she did the only thing she could think of to make them stop.
Sakura whimpered in pain.
The effect was instant. Both males froze as the quiet sound registered in their sensitive ears. Sasuke had Naruto pinned to the ground, but Naruto had Sasuke arm in his mouth and looked ready to bite. It was as if she had put time on pause. Then time restarted and they were on either side of her bed, fight forgotten. Their hands brushed her body. Checking her for injuries.
"Sakura -"
"What's wrong -"
" - Are you hurt? -"
" - Sakura-chan?"
" - Are you in pain?"
Their faces are panicked and full of worry. Or rather Naruto's was. Sasuke's obsidian eyes were the only thing that betrayed his emotions. She felt guilty for doing that to them but it was the only way to get them to stop. Sakura grasped a hand of each of their in one of hers and held tight.
"Bakas." She sighed and shook her head, half amused and half affectionate. "I'm alright, but I can't say the same about the room. Tsunade is really going to kill you guys this time."
Next thing she knew she was in Naruto's arms, holding her as if she was made of glass. Instinctively, Sakura wrapped her arms around him. Naruto had always been a serial-hugger, mostly when he was asleep, but still his scent and his actions were normal … familiar to her and her wolf. Safe. Was what the hug felt like to her. But it was different from how Sasuke's hugs felt. When Naruto hugged her, it was always brotherly, a show of affection and more frequent. But with Sasuke, it was always her initiating the contact, while he just stood or sat there awkwardly. It was as if he wasn't sure what to do. Well, it had always been that way until she came back.
Sasuke growled viscously, but Sakura hushed him.
Surprisingly, he quietened.
"I'm so glad you're back, Sakura-chan." Naruto murmured into her ear.
Sakura nodded. "Me too", she whispered, her green eyes stung with tears.
Naruto sniffed at her hair as if to make sure it was really her. Sasuke growled to her right. Her attention turned to him forgetting her tears. Sasuke looked at Naruto with a murderous light in his eyes. His hands had changed to claws and were grasping at thin air, squeezing as if they were around Naruto's neck. He looked ready to rip Naruto off Sakura and commit murder. It seemed he had decided that Naruto was going to be the sidekick this time.
"Sasuke." Sakura said warningly. Her gaze unwavering, willing him to look at her.
You had your turn to protect me yesterday. Now I have to reassure Naruto.
His glaring obsidian eyes shifted to hers.
"Behave."
Sasuke glared back at her trying to bully her into letting him rip Naruto off her and into pieces. But Sakura held firm. It lasted a few seconds before surprisingly he gave in, looking ever the sulking child who had his favourite toy taken away from him. If Sasuke could have pouted he would have.
Naruto snickered.
"Naruto." Sakura used the same tone as she had with Sasuke, except it had a more desired effect.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan." Naruto apologised.
She sighed, patted his blond head and relaxed into his arms.
The comfortable silence only lasted for a second before Sasuke was growling threateningly again. If she didn't know any better, she would say Naruto was antagonising Sasuke and making faces at him over her shoulder. But then again …
It would be just like those two.
Her suspicions were confirmed when Naruto snuggled into her neck a little more and Sasuke snarled.
Sakura pulled back out of Naruto's arms.
Trying to keep the peace.
But as soon as she was out, strong arms wrapped around her. Sasuke quickly but gently picked her up of the bed.
"Sasuke-kun!?" she gasped in shock and clutched at him as he carried her over and sat down on the bed next to hers. Seating her so she was pressed up against his side, his strong arm wrapped around her waist. This new position obscured her from Naruto's view and the door.
"Leave dobe." Sasuke growled out menacingly over his shoulder.
Sakura was bright red at the close proximity.
"Sasuke-kun?" She stuttered unsure and embarrassed. Yet a part of her was a bit hesitant and hurt.
Aren't you going to be Karin's mate? You can't do this kind of thing!, Sakura thought becoming more hurt and to be honest a little angry as she thought about it. He just keeps sending me mixed signals.
As if he sensed her mood change, Sasuke just pulled her possessively closer to him. Wherever her body touched his she could feel all his muscles were tensed. The action calmed her somewhat, but confused her more.
Bloody confusing males., Her wolf agreed, but soaked up the attention that she was being given. She glanced up at him.
His dark eyes focused on the perceived threat. A sub-vocal growl was issued threateningly from his chest.
The perceived threat just ignored all the warning signs and walked around to the other side to grab Sakura's smaller left hand in his.
Sakura dug her nails into the muscled arm that was holding her captive to keep Sasuke from attacking.
And then Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke.
Sasuke snarled and barred his teeth at Naruto, who just returned the action. Ready to go at it again.
Taking a risk Sakura scratched Sasuke's arm with her claws hard enough to leave a red mark on his pale skin. At the same time, she pinched Naruto's hand that held hers.
Intense obsidian and searching sky blue lock on green.
Understandably her wolf melted, drowning willingly in the black depths of a certain pair of eyes.
But Sakura managed to hold firm. She sighed in exasperated affection to not betray her internal struggle. "What am I going to do with you two?"
The pinkette snuggled closer into Sasuke, pressing her nose against his neck and squeezed Naruto's hand. The actions seemed to pacify the pair for the time being and both of them somewhat relaxed. As relaxed as they could be while continuing death glaring the other over her head.
Sakura sighed content, willing the moment to last a little longer. She knew she still had to apologise to Naruto. But … it felt like it used to be. Just the three of them against the world.
And then their sensei/father figure sauntered into the room.
Both of her friends turned their venomous glares to their sensei. Watching him like a hawk.
Yep. Knew that "peace" and quiet wasn't going to last long.
"Sakura" Kakashi nodded in greeting and moved towards her bed. He barely even batted an eyelash as he took stock of the position of her squished against Sasuke's chest or her hand in Naruto's or even the looks that if were lethal would send him to his grave. Just when he was at the end of her bed, a metre away from her, the two males on either side of her let loose vicious snarls of warning to back off. Both froze for a second and looked at one another. Some understanding passed silently between them, before the both turned their glares back to Kakashi. It took only a matter of seconds to occur.
Fantastic. Sakura rolled her eyes at her "adopted" father.
Apparently, they had finally decided who was going to fill which role.
"Hi Kakashi" Sakura returned. "Don't mind them."
She waved at him to come closer. And her two guard dogs growled in retort.
Their sensei shook his head and smiled under his mask. "No, I think I'll stay here and take my chances. Wouldn't want to test out your two protectors."
Sakura opened her mouth in protest, but Sasuke quickly bent down and nipped her ear gently to silence her. She turned bright red in embarrassment.
"Sasuke," Kakashi admonished teasingly, yet his gaze was firm. "Go easy on her. She's recovering."
"Tch."
Out of the corner of her eye she caught Sasuke looking away.
Huh?
"How are you feeling, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, looking her over.
Sakura turned her attention back to her sensei. "Alright. A little bit weak, a few of my injuries still have to heal and " – she checked her wolf magic. Her wolf helped flex it obligingly but there wasn't much – "my magic is a bit low. But apart from that everything seems to be functioning normally."
"I'm glad to hear it. It's good to have you back, Sakura." He lips tilted upwards affectionately under his mask.
"Thanks Kakashi-sensei." She smiled at him waterily from Sasuke's arms.
"Yeah it sure is." Sai had arrived. "Dickless and Emo-kun were the worst company ever while you were gone. They moped everywhere. Dickless didn't respond to any of my carefully thought out insults. Emo-kun somehow managed to become even more emo and depressed if that were even possible. And Kakashi wasn't as giggly with his orange book either." He said as he walked over to stand by Kakashi.
"Oh shut up Sai. You weren't much better. You brought flowers every day because that was what you read that was what you were supposed to do when somebody you cared about was in hospital." Naruto yelled back in embarrassed outrage.
Sakura couldn't help but wonder if that was the case then where were the flowers. Then she looked at Sasuke. Scratch that, she knew.
Her boys continued their argument with Sasuke joining in and Kakashi looking on them with an exasperated look.
Sakura giggled softly at their familiar antics. The tinkling bell like sound of it pierced through the loud ruckus.
All the males in the room paused and looked at her. That was when Sakura realised that was the first time in at least a month that she had laughed.
"Thanks Sai." She managed a small smile.
The whole room seemed to relax.
Sasuke cuddled her closer and Naruto gave her a bright smile, though his eyes still held no small amount of worry for her hidden in their depths, just like the rest of her boys.
"No problem, Ugly." His smile was his signature fake, but his words were sincere.
Sakura was too at ease to reprimand him over his nickname for her. So she let it go.
"What's this I hear?" An imperious voice from the doorway spoke.
The pack's medical room had become Grand Central Station. Four more people crowded into the room.
Tsunade along with Ino, Hinata and an unfamiliar male with long brown hair, but pair eyes exactly like Hinata's walked into the medical room as well. Sakura guessed he was a relative of her purple eyed friend and the one that was being overprotective of her, like her two guard dogs, since he positioned himself between her and everyone else in the room.
Kakashi whipped out his battered orange book pretending ignorance, Sai looked back blankly, Naruto looked mildly sheepish and Sasuke just stared back with an air of arrogant superiority.
"I thought I told you people not to overwhelm or crowd my patient when she wakes up. And what do I find? You're all doing exactly that!" Tsunade growled at the lot of them.
Sakura winced internally, feeling sorry for her boys. They had worked her mentor into a murderous rage, which was never a good idea. Her temper was infamous.
"But you're adding to the problem Ba-chan." Naruto timidly pointed out the obvious.
Tsunade turned her heated glare towards him and he cowered behind Sakura. However the action made him press up against the angsty Sasuke who was already tense at all the people in the room that were too close to Sakura, for his likings.
"Back off dobe." He snarled and pulled Sakura away from him and into his lap.
Sakura made a small "eep" sound. Her cheeks turned the same colour as Sasuke's favourite food in self-consciousness.
Glaring at the lot of them, he wrapped his possessively arms around Sakura. His body language radiated piss-off-or-I'll-kill-you vibes.
Glancing wildly around the room, Sakura's green eyes connected with Ino's mischievous and knowing blue ones. They seemed to say told you so. Sakura shot back a look that said shut up. Ino laughed unrepentant as she leaned against a bed next to Sai.
"Well then, since you're all intent on wreaking havoc with my patient health then you will all do it quickly and leave." Tsunade said in irritation, a note of resignation in her voice.
"But Ba-chan –"
Tsunade cut Naruto with a look. And he tried to make himself as small as possible to avoid her wrath.
Slowly she turned her eyes back to Sakura. Tsunade ran her gaze over her assessing her injuries, her mentor's healer magic probed her from the distance. Before it drew away, when she was satisfied. Her mentor's gaze and tone was serious. "Sakura if you are up to it I would like to discuss the circumstance of your capture and disappearance. If you are feeling up to it."
Sakura nodded and Sasuke's arms tightened around her.
"What do you remember before you were taken by the hunters?" Tsunade asked without a fleck of emotion. Though her eyes flashed in anger and vengeance at the mention of the hunters.
Some of the others weren't so constrained and they openly growled, including Sasuke whose growl vibrated against her back.
"I was walking in the forest trying to cool off after …"
"After your fight with Naruto, Sasuke and Karin. Go on." Tsunade urged.
So they all knew about the fight. Sakura wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Yes. And then they …. I don't know they appeared out of know where. I didn't hear or even smell them until they were to close."
"Can you explain that?" Kakashi asked.
"Admittedly, I wasn't concentrating all that much to my surroundings, because I was angry. So that probably didn't help." - Naruto and Sasuke tensed beside her – "But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The forest didn't go quiet like it usually does when predators get close to it. But … there was a strange click over, I think. Mechanical, like a changing of track on a music player. It made me pause. They had some sort of sound device that mimicked the sounds of the forest, so they could hide their sounds as they approached. As for the smell… it was." Sakura turned to Hinata for help.
Her purple eyed friend seemed almost fully recovered minus the bandages that covered her bullet wound and wrist and ankles. "They masked their smell by smearing an odorous plant all over their bodies." Hinata supplied quietly. "I remember seeing them do it before they left camp one time. And when they came back –"
"They came back with more girls." Sakura finished darkly. Her eyes stared unseeingly into the past, gone from the medical room.
A sub-vocal growl at her back. Sasuke's hand brushed against hers and brought her back to the present.
Glancing over at Hinata she saw the unfamiliar male anchoring her with touch as well. A squeeze of her shoulder and patted her hand in his. Brotherly actions.
He's Hinata's close family in her pack then.
Sasuke squeezed her hand again and this time she returned it to reassure him.
Taking a deep quivering breath, she released it. Sakura looked at Tsunade. "I'm afraid that's all I remember. Sorry."
"No." Tsunade assured. "You have given us more than enough to go by. But there is one thing I would like to ask you."
"Yes?" Sakura looked back at her mentor who was watching her with a very serious and foreboding expression.
"Did you leave a note before you went into the forest?"
"No." Sakura frowned in confusion. "Why would I? I was only going out there for a run like a lot of the pack do. I would have been back after an hour or two."
"Hm." Tsunade gestured to Kakashi.
"We found this in your room after your disappearance. It's the reason why we took so long to find you." Kakashi handed her a folded slip of pink paper. It read;
To whoever finds this note,
I am leaving the pack and won't be returning for a while, because I can't put up with any of you losers for a second longer. That's you Naruto and Sasuke. I will be gone for some time and I don't know when I'll be back. So don't follow me or else.
Sakura Haruno
"It's not mine. I went to the forest to calm down, not to leave permanently." She handed the note back to Tsunade. There was a faint smell of her own perfume that she used on special occasions which probably lead them to believe it was hers. "That's not even my hand writing."
"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked again.
"Positive."
"I told you stupid idiots that." Tsunade said, irritation lacing in her voice. "It takes more than a fight with you two dumbasses to make her leave. Look at her. She had two weeks of silver poisoning that should have killed even the strongest werewolf and she's still going. Mind she was out for almost a week." Tsunade added thought.
"I was out for week!" Sakura exclaimed in shock. Incredulous she looked around for confirmation. With a wolf healer like Tsunade and Shizune helping, she should have been unconscious for two days three days max. … But a week!
Hinata nodded. "Yes. I was out only four days shorter thanks to your healer magic. It was probably what exhausted you and made you stay under longer."
Sakura nodded slowly but she was still bewildered.
A week!? It didn't feel like that long.
"Back to the point. If you didn't write that note, then who did?" Ino asked.
"Somebody who didn't want Sakura around. Who may have sold her out to the hunters or lead them to her." Kakashi stated grimly.
The words sent an ominous feeling down Sakura's spin. Someone in the pack had betrayed her. Her wolf whimpered in pain, No one should do that to their family. Their pack. It was not possible.
But she was proof alone that it was.
"Whaaaa!" Naruto's hands were flailing as he tried to get his point across. "But who would want to do that to Sakura-chan. She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I mean sure, she might beat the crap out of you every now and again but it's usually for your own good or there's nothing cruel in it."
Thanks Naruto. Sakura's heart swelled.
"Hn" Sasuke agreed.
"Regardless, we should make sure she is never left alone with anyone not from this room. We can make a timetable. If we find who betrayed her to the hunters, we find the hunters. Then we kill those bastards and save those of ours still alive." Tsunade stated, speaking as the voice of the pack. Considering she was mate to the pack's alpha Jiraiya, she would know. The pack wanted vengeance.
"So to be clear", Sakura clarified, holding up her hand. "I'm bait?"
Sasuke snarled and pulled her closer to him. "No."
"Uchiha, I am sick of your temper tantrums. And even though I do not like it either, we have little choice in the matter. So you can shove it with the other stick that is permanently lodged up there." Tsunade ordered intimidatingly.
It seems Sasuke-kun has been grating on Shishou's nerves while I was gone.
But Sasuke wasn't the least intimidated. He just death glared at her mentor from his vantage point over Sakura's pink haired head.
"Think about it Sasuke," Kakashi reasoned sensibly. "If they came after her once they are going to do it again. At least this time we can prepare for it and set a trap to catch them."
"No." It was final.
"Sasuke-kun." Sakura turned in his arms and face him. Her green eyes were insistent. "If we get to the bottom of this we can make sure it never happens again. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. You guys will be protecting me. I promise I'll listen to what you all say and do it."
That hurt her independent wolf and her, but she was weak and she had to rely on them at the moment. Not that she didn't trust them.
He black fathomless eyes boor into hers. His face a mere inches away from hers, had a blush steadily rising across her neck and face. But she steeled herself and focused. Determined.
However, Sasuke was not swayed in the least.
Of course not, his protective instincts are running haywire and have complete control of his senses. Not that it doesn't make me all flustered in side. Crap. Focus Sakura.
"Please." She beseeched him.
He watched her for one more second, before his eyes fluttered closed and he dropped his forehead to hers. Sasuke sighed in defeat.
"Fine." He grudgingly agreed. His eyes flashed open and Sakura was trapped in them. Something in them had a part of her yelling at her to run for the hills, while the other part had her tensing in anticipation. Her wolf on the other hand was a different matter entirely, that she was ignoring for that very reason. It involved things that she had buried in that box inside her.
"But I don't like it." His tone was ominous for her at least as his dark eyes blazed with that unknown emotion. It was protective and possessive at the same time.
Oh, boy.
And that was it. Her white wolf had stretched itself out in her mind as if showing itself off and basking in his arms and presence. Her human half was halfway to acting like her wolf.
Get a grip you Baka! It's just his protective instincts that has him acting this way. JUST. HIS. PROTECTIVE. INSTINCTS!, Sakura tried to desperately reason, while his obsidian eyes wreaked havoc on her mind. Not that her wolf was helping at all. Completely a goner.
"Good." Tsunade said, answering for her.
Sakura jumped at her voice having forgotten there were others in the room. The distraction allowed Sakura to break from whatever spell Sasuke had cast on her.
Sakura turned back around in his arms, flushed pretty pink in embarrassment.
While apparently unhappy with the situation she has put her student into, Tsunade seemed reluctantly pleased. Ino and Naruto had matching Cheshire cat grins, which could only mean no good and Sai was sporting that creepy fake smile of his. Kakashi had whipped out his well-worn orange book, but there was undoubtedly a smirk on his face under that mask of his.
"However, there are some precautions we shall be taking. First of all someone must remain with Sakura at all times."
"Including the times she is showering?" Ino asked slyly wriggling her eyebrows suggestively like some criminal.
"INO!" Sakura cried. But her embarrassed outrage quickly changed its course from one of her blonde haired friend to the other.
Naruto stared at her with a shocked look in his eyes.
He was not!
A blush steadily started rising on his cheeks.
Oh he was alright.
"Na-Ru-To!" Sakura snarled out his name and she picked up the closest thing that was in her reach which happened to be the metal plate that had the pieces of apples that Sasuke was cutting on it, and hurled it at Naurto's face. The metal plate slammed comically into his face and Naruto fell ungracefully off the bed and onto the ground.
Sakura glared at the spot where he had disappeared. (AN: Little did Sakura know that he wasn't the only male in the room blushing.)
"Owie", he moaned from his place on the ground. Hinata rushed over to see if he was ok, but her male friend held her back from getting to close to Naruto.
Tsunade just sighed and shook her head in exasperation. She continued when Naruto righted himself while rubbing his bloody nose which was quickly healing, "So, any volunteers?"
The door banged open again.
All eyes turned.
And a woman with flame coloured hair graced its entrance. A red dress caressed her curvy form and accented her assets perfectly. No doubt man of her male packmates had drooled over her appearance today. They had all been drawn in by her looks and her good girl act, when she had come to the pack five years ago. Naruto more so because she was his cousin, which meant he had to look after her because she was family. The only living blood relative he had left. And Sasuke, because of Karin's femininely wiles and charms. Only Sakura and a few other unfortunate girls got to see the cruel side of the manipulative red-head.
Karin sure knows how to make an entrance.
She sneered at Sakura with enough hate to light all the fires in hell when she saw that she was sitting in Sasuke's lap. The redhead cat-walked straight over to Sasuke. The click-click of her tall, black heels the only sound in the room.
But as soon as she neared, he growled viscously at her.
Karin paused only for a second before she kept walking. Sakura felt Sasuke's muscles tensed in warning at her back as he prepared to jump at the unwitting female claws and fangs barred.
At least, I've got one of them on my side., Sakura thought hopefully.
Karin had pulled out all the stops before she had been captured and manipulated Naruto and Sasuke into thinking Sakura was bullying her and not the other way around. It had also helped that Sakura had been absent for a few months before she was captured. She had gone to help out another pack's healers and teach them some of her own medical skills. It had given Karin time to sink her conniving claws into her cousin Naruto and Sasuke the one she obviously desired for as her mate. There was little wondered as to why the three had fought. But it appeared, or at least Sakura hoped, Karin's underhanded schemes wouldn't work this time on Sasuke. Given that his protective instincts were active.
Karin was nearly within clawing distance and was still striding forward confidently. Her determined and yet seductive gaze fixed on Sasuke.
Fortunately, Kakashi intervened and pulled Karin back a few steps. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Karin just shook off Kakashi's arm distastefully, but stayed were she was. "Well look at what the cat dragged in. Sakura I'm so glad to see you're still alive and well." She said in a falsely polite tone. "I thought for sure you were gone to other side of the world."
"No Karin, I was captured by hunters." Sakura explained cautiously waiting for the viper to strike.
"Strange." The other female appeared genuinely confused. But Sakura knew it was all an act. "Didn't you leave a note?"
"No, it wasn't mine."
"Hm. How odd." She tapped her lip thoughtfully. "Well, you don't seem to be that damaged so it can't have been that terrible of an experience."
Sakura flinched, Karin's words provoking memories silver and screams to arise.
Sasuke's claws pricked her skin but didn't draw blood. His muscled tensed even further and his arms became tighter.
Are the claws because of Karin's words or because he wants Karin in his arms and not me?, Sakura and her wolf prayed for the first one.
"Shut up Karin." Ino and surprisingly Naruto returned automatically. He had seated himself back beside Sakura and Sasuke.
Shock was evident on Karin and Sakura's face.
But isn't he supposed to take Karin's side!, Sakura's mind whirled in confusion.
However, Naruto wasn't finished, "Can't you show a little understanding for the situation. Sakura has just been through a traumatising experience."
"Why because she was stupid and weak enough to get dragged of by some weakling humans?" Karin retorted whilst rolling her eyes behind her black rimmed glasses.
Even Sai winced at her tactlessness.
"They shot her with silver and a tranquilizer." Naruto explained to his cousin, but she just scoffed in disgust. And Naruto snapped for a second, "Not even you could get away from that. And that Sakura did, makes you the weak one."
Karin's red gaze turned to her cousin's in outrage, but she controlled it. Her mask slipped back in place. "You are right." The viper said to appease her cousin. "I was terribly rude of me to say such a thing." – she turned to Sakura apologetic – "I am sorry." A pretty angel giving an apology to an injured animal.
But Sakura wasn't deceived.
I bet those words taste like vinegar in you mouth, two faced bitch. Sakura thought maliciously.
However, she wasn't so sure about Naruto or Sasuke who didn't seem as tense beside her as they had before. They had accepted the apology.
It's happening all over again. Dismay welled in her chest.
Tsunade cleared her throat, she was unreadable. "Back what I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. Who would like to look after Sakura?"
Karin fumed behind that mask and her eyes flashed at Sakura in contempt while the rest of the room wasn't looking. But remained silent.
Bidding her time, obviously. I'm going to pay for this later.
Sakura unconsciously snuggled back into Sasuke's tense chest for comfort from the approaching storm. His arms squeezed protectively and Karin's eyes zeroed in on the movement. Loathing burned deep within her gaze. She looked like she would go closer to Sakura to rip her away from Sasuke and take her place, except Sai chuckled.
"Stupid bitch", he said with no subtlety whatsoever. His fake smile stretched out on his face, tauntingly.
Sai knew!, Sakura thought with joy and relief. And so did Ino by the hatred that she was directing at the redhead.
Won't be alone this time.
Karin's eye's flashed and she opened mouth to retort.
"I'll do it." Sasuke said.
"What!" Karin yelled in disbelief. As did a few others. Jaws were hanging and somewhere pigs flew.
Sakura's green eyes were wide with disbelief.
Did he just?
Sasuke just rested his head on top of Sakura's. His hands ran up and down her bandaged arms possessively.
"I will look after Sakura." He repeated as if he were speaking to dull-brained idiots.
Then again they probably all were a bit slow after that shocking statement., Sakura's mind was whirling.
And the he took it one step further.
He bent down and nuzzled Sakura's neck. Sakura turned bright red, the same colour as Sasuke's favourite food.
Sakura was pretty sure she was hallucinating and had imagined the whole thing, except she could still feel Sasuke's warm breath against her neck.
While they were all shocked before, they were all certainly dumfounded now.
Kakashi broke the stunned silence. "You owe me one hundred dollars." He smugly directed at Tsunade, who growled in irritation and grudgingly slapped the money into his waiting hand.
Ino's face slowly morphed into a knowing smile and Sai's fake smile had returned except it had grown marginally wider. Naruto eyes were bugging out of his skull in incredulity. But who can blame him, his emotionally stunted friend offered to do something that actually required him to have feelings and act on them.
Well that made two of them.
Karin's face had gone from red to purple in a frothing rage. She spluttered, her mask was gone.
Tsunade smirked unexpectedly, seeming to have recovered quickly from her gambling loss. To what they were beating on, Sakura had no clue. Her mentor clapped her hands together. "Excellent! Well that settles it."
"NO!" Karin yelled. Then she composed herself with a deep breath. The mask was back. "Sasuke you don't mean that. You wouldn't want to baby sit this pink haired freak." She walked closer to Sasuke ignoring his warning growls as she inched closer. Karin batted her eye lashes enticingly. "Come on you promised we would spend the night together."
Betrayal and shock burst inside Sakura's chest, ripping her from the inside out. Even though she knew she had no right to. Even though she knew this would happen and had tried to prepare herself … It still hurt. Her heart broke again. Sakura tried to move away, out of Sasuke's arms. But Sasuke locked her tighter in his embrace and refused to let go when she tried even harder to pull away. She turned and looked at him.
"Sasuke. Let go." Sakura almost didn't recognise her voice. It was so tired and defeated.
She saw a conniving smile flash across Karin's beautiful face out of the corner of her eye.
I never stood a chance.
Sasuke ignored her and kept his arms tight around her. His attention however, was locked on Karin.
Sakura watch him as Sasuke stared blankly at Karin. She inched even closer. Almost in reaching distance.
"You don't mean that." Karin tried again, her voice quieter and calmer. "Come with me." She whispered the words alluringly and held out a hand. Her wrist unmarred by scars, unlike the ones that decorated Sakura's wrists and her body in some sick jigsaw puzzle. The redhead female was the epitome feminine seduction and what a woman should look like. Sakura felt like a pale, dirty girl in comparison. She resigned herself to the inevitable. Sasuke was going to take her hand and go with her, like he had every other time before. Leaving her alone, once again. What man would want a poor, injured girl when he could have a confident woman full of fire? Even if she was manipulative.
Loosening one arm from around Sakura, he stretched it out towards Karin's. Sakura's eyes blurred with tears, but still she watched. Somehow unable to look away from the scene that would undoubtedly break her heart and render it unrepairable.
Karin smirked openly in triumph.
Karin had won.
But then Sasuke's hand paused above hers.
"I've never said that or agreed to anything like that in the past. And I will never do that in the future either." Sasuke snarled. He slashed his hand down against Karin's open one.
A trail of red marred the other woman's perfect skin.
Karin stumbled back in shock, clutching her arm to stem the blood flowing out of her wound.
Sasuke retracted his claws and wrapped the arm back tightly around a stunned Sakura. Entwining the bloody hand with one of Sakura's hand that was bandaged at the wrist. Claiming it possessively. Irrevocably staining the pure white with red. "I will kill you the next time you get too close." Sasuke threatened darkly. His obsidian eyes flashed red as they did whenever he felt a deep emotion. This time it was anger on an insurmountable scale.
The redhead recovered quickly and glared at their entwined hands with pure contempt. "Well, when you get bored of playing in kindergarten, you'll know where to find me. Which won't be long considering you're incredibly smart." - Karin said confidently, before turning her red gaze to Sakura – "She is completely boring and useless anyway. I really don't see anything about her that is remotely attractive."
Her snide comments hit all of Sakura's insecurities as if they were pinned to a target.
"Just a weak, useless, little girl. As if Sasuke would choose you for a mate. He needs a strong woman by his si-"
"Karin" Sasuke growled venomously. "Shut up."
Karin shut her mouth so fast it looked like she almost swallowed her tongue. But she continued glaring at Sakura.
And then Sai laughed.
Somehow finding the situation hilarious.
The whole room looked at him as if he had gone mad.
"You don't seriously believe that do you? Anyone with a pea size brain, like Dickless's, wouldn't think that." Sai said insultingly to Karin.
"Hey!" Naruto yelled in the background.
Karin blinked blankly, before her face altered into a cruel sneer, daring him to continue.
Sai ignored it or was completely cluesless. He studied her critically, his gaze travelling up and down her womanly form. "Huh, I see now. The books were right about this."
"Please clue us in Sai." For some reason, Tsunade had a grin playing about the corner of her mouth, verging on a smug smirk.
This should be interesting.
"It's because you're not ugly enough to be Ugly." Sai said as if it explained everything.
Well, that wasn't insulting., Sakura thought sarcastically. But it hurt to have those things confirmed.
"Uh. Sai?" Somebody questioned cautiously.
But Sai persisted oblivious, "In fact you're nothing like Ugly and her ugliness, so much that you don't even have a spec of it." – he nodded to himself in agreement – "Yes, there is none of Ugly's ugliness in you. Because of that Emo-kun won't like you. Because of your lack of ugliness. Well that and you're not Ugly."
"That sounded like you just insulted her." Karin scoffed with a laugh.
"No it was you I was insulting. I was complimenting Ugly, you stupid whore. Maybe I should be more direct like the books said. Hmm. Go jump off a cliff," Sai made a shooing motion.
Naruto muffled a snicker as did a number of other in the room. Sasuke's quiet chuckle in her ear sent shivers down her spine.
There really was no one like Sai., Sakura thought.
Karin huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes. "Pathetic. You're not worth even my time. Remember what I said Sasuke-kun." And surprisingly she left, sauntering out of the room like she owned it.
The whole room seemed to relax with her gone.
The viper had been defeated and it had gone off to lick it wounds. But when it came back. Sakura shivered.
Ino coughed after Karin was gone. "Hey Sai, you're doing wrong."
Sai looks incredibly confused. "What do you mean?"
"You're doing your complimenting wrong." Ino explained.
"No I'm not, Beautiful" He was even more confused now. Ino blushed at her nickname.
"Come on, I'll explain." Ino walked to the door having learnt from Karin that no one was getting close to Sakura anytime soon, except maybe Naruto. "I'm glad you're feeling better Sakura." Ino called from the door dragging a compliant Sai behind her. "Good luck, Forehead. You're going to need it." She flashed Sakura a Cheshire grin, before the pair disappeared around the corner.
Why that sneaky Pig. What does she know that I don't?, Sakura did not like the feelings that her friends Cheshire cat grin had left her. She is up to no good, that's for sure.
"Now then. Your health", Tsunade drew Sakura's attention back to her. Her voice had taken on her doctor tone. Her mentor moved closer to the bed and Sasuke grudgingly relinquished Sakura so Tsunade could check her. "Your body has taken care of itself by forcing you into a healing sleep so it had the chance to rid itself of the silver poisoning and all the other injuries you managed to accumulate. I just helped it along while you were unconscious but it is all out now. You're healing ability and physical strength are both still low and weak. So, it is four days of bed rest and no strenuous activity, Sakura." Her voice became firm and Tsunade but looked at Sasuke for the last part.
Sakura glanced confusedly at Sasuke. The meaningful look sent between her mentor and the male holding her over her head. Completely oblivious.
"Tch." He looked away. Sasuke's back of his neck was suspiciously bright red. Sakura dismissed it, thinking he must be a bit hot from the body heat they were sharing.
"But otherwise you are on the road to recovery and you should be able to leave and stay a Sasuke's rooms if he wants you too. Since he shall be watching over you." After seeing Sakura stunned expression, Tsunade adds, "You won't be going back to your rooms because of obvious reasons we just discussed. So, instead of sleeping here I thought it would be good for the pair of you to get a good sleep in a bed. Sasuke probably needs it just as much as you, since he hasn't left this room except to shower and get food since you got back."
"Really?" Sakura turned her curious green eyes to him.
Sasuke shrugged indifferently and avoided her inquisitive gaze.
Kakashi became quite smug, while Naruto looked between his to friends. Slowly, a cheeky grin broke across his face, which Sakura missed because she was too busy watching Sasuke for an answer.
After one more look of consideration, Sakura focused back on Tsunade. She leant forward to hug her but Sasuke yanked her back into his arms, growling darkly.
Apparently his protective instincts had had enough. And were telling him that everyone should piss off so he could have me.
Sakura settled for a tiny, grateful smile and said "Thanks Shishou." She knew that while her mentor had a tough exterior, she was all mush on the inside if she let you close. Which meant that she had caused Tsunade a great deal of worry.
Sasuke growled at Tsunade to back off behind Sakura. His arms tightened possessively around her.
Tsunade nodded and sniffed loudly as if to stop tears. "Good … Well I'll see you at your check-up and as soon as you are better I expect you back in here helping out." Her mentor was always one for tough love.
Sakura nodded with a small smile, the best she could manage at the moment. "You bet."
Tsunade left hurriedly, but Sakura wasn't concerned Shizune would look after her.
As soon as Tsunade had let her go, Sasuke had pulled her back into his arms.
She turned her attention back the remaining people in the room.
Kakashi fondly smiled at her. "See you soon." And he followed after Tsunade.
…SilverMoon…
I warned you it would be abrupt. But hey it was just over 7500 words long.
Hope you liked the chapter. Please Review.