Here! I have already written the next chapter so I hope you won't get bored waiting. I hope you liked the things that are happening and I wanted to apologize for the lack of romance between the two lead characters just because I think it's way early and I feel like it might tell you the fic is ending… when it hasn't even started that much.

Actually, I'm trying to update as fast as I can to make it up for the two months of no update season… so here. Besides, I only had problems as to how much romance I have to put in Chapter 6 so Chapter 7 is surprisingly here… (I am surprised as well. :| I almost uploaded an unfinished chapter…)

I won't blab some more… thank you.

PS. I have submitted a beta'd version of chapter 6. I got so happy when I finished it so I published it recklessly… ignoring the mistakes I ought to correct.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO BUT I DO CLAIM MY OCs AND PLOT.

WARNINGS: HORROR, FUN, AND OBSCENITY? I'M NOT THAT SURE NOW.

Previously on The D.E.A.T.H. Club…

Someone has joined the Death Club and she has led Sakura to Gaara's physical body. The two seem to have their share of sweetness and it seems that there is something between them. Gaara is then revealed to have met Sakura 10 years ago and he has carried his infatuation all the way until they meet again. Sakura is now standing at the same beach that fateful day and she has been told of the unknown memory.

But things won't go as leisurely as it can get as Sakura starts to find answers to her doubts… what was that summer accident Gaara's brother is talking about? And… danger seems to eternally haunt KRMC.

Sakura frowns at the stranger and then Suigetsu yells as he runs to her side, "Oi, Sakura! Want to play— who's he?" She doesn't bother to answer and then the man scratches his head again, "Ah, yeah. I guess you don't really remember anything. But anyway, thank you very much. And yeah, if you're interested to know, you can find me at the cottage below the cliffside." He walks away and Suigetsu tugs Sakura's arm, "Hey, flower girl…"

"He said he's Gaara's brother." Is all that has come from her mouth. Suigetsu grows his eyes big and watches the man disappear within the crowd, "Wow… anyway, can we play beach volleyball? Kushina-san insists to play. 'Cause you see…" He looks over somewhere and Sakura is forced to look at it.

Sasuke is sitting at the sand and Kushina is pulling an arm, as if wanting him to stand up. Kiba is also trying to negotiate with the raven. Suigetsu jokes as he shrugs his shoulders, "Mr. Birthday Celebrator is missing his blond pup. And he's not going to move unless he can see him. Ever since Sasuke has 'reunited' with Naruto-san, no one wanted to leave each other's sides."

"I see." Sakura answers as she tries to brush off those thoughts in her head. Someone just walked up to her to say thank you for changing Gaara's life. She then gazes at the wide beaches and seemed-to-be eternal sea. Suigetsu then pulls her off trance and drags her towards the whining mother.

"Sasuke-chan!" Kushina whines some more and Kiba scratches his head, "Come one, dude. We all know Naruto-san wouldn't want you to be like that on your birthday." He whispers which is loud enough for Sakura and Suigetsu to hear as they approach him, "Damn. Who would have guessed your celebrating your birthday on a wrong date before."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asks and Kiba answers as he acknowledges the two, "Huh? For the last two years, he celebrates during October. I just thought it was his real birthday." The two look at each other and Suigetsu then agrees, "Uh! I remember we did celebrate it without a party last October." Kushina then grabs Sakura's hand, "Sakura-san… you'll be playing beach volleyball, right?"

"Uhm." She nods and then Minato yells to the group, "Hey! I brought some watermelons… want to eat?" Kushina waves and says, "Sure. Let's play beach volleyball first!" Sakura looks at the two as they get near and chat between themselves. Kiba then leans at Sakura's shoulder with his arm, the woman getting distracted by the act for a while. He says, "They talk like they are not divorced. And it's been a year and neither of them is married or even in love again."

"Seriously, I don't seriously believe they're somewhat divorced." Suigetsu bumps Sakura's shoulder from behind and she says with an annoyed voice, "Don't do things like I'm also a guy." The two boys pull back and she changes her tone to worried and curious, "I wonder why they got a divorce."

"Stop gossiping about Kushina-sensei and Minato-sama." Sasuke then says and the three fling at him. He walks to the area behind the volleyball net Kushina has rented a while ago. He picks up the beach ball lying around and does a serve… the ball landing directly at Kushina's head with a thomp. She flings to the challenger and grabs the ball to take revenge, "LET'S PLAY BALL NOW!" Sakura nods and runs to Kushina's side as the two boys go to Sasuke's and Minato lays the watermelons nearby and help Kushina with her little revenge.

THE D.E.A.T.H. CLUB

REI HARUNO –SAKURA NO IMOOTO

CHAPTER 7: THAT HARD RAIN

Play time ends as the skies grow dark and rain floods the sand away from the shore. Sakura is looking outside from their cottage's window and Kushina asks her, "Thinking about Gaara-san?" Sakura twitches and she looks at the red-head, "You knew about Gaara?" She happily nods and says, "Kiba-kun has told me about him. He's a patient from the Forgotten Ward, yes?" Sakura tilts her head to the side… and then nods. Maybe, Minato-sama should know… since he's staying at our Nurse Chambers.

"I'm kind of worried about him." She says and then Kushina hums a whimper, "Maybe I would be like that everyday… if Sasuke has managed to save Naruto." The pinky twitches and she gazes at Kushina's wondering face. Is it really okay for her to say it like that…? Or maybe she has finally gotten over her son's death. Then the redhead adds with a broken smile at her face, "I wonder how wild Naruto will be in here. We've never brought him to a beach…"

Sakura smiles to herself, realizing that the woman is now lost in her own loud thoughts about her deceased son. But the existence of his ghost makes Sakura feel otherwise then. She gazes out the sea and then she seems to feel something…

An urge to go out there and…

Look for something…

Someone to be exact.

"Gaara."

She abruptly stands up and runs outside, Kushina too deep in thought to notice her actions. The pinky leaves the place without anyone noticing. She goes outside the place and shoves through the intangible walls of the formidable rain. Her pink shirt shrinks to her skin, the red undergarment somehow showing. But she can care less…

No one is around and just like what she can recall…

It was raining that day. Raining much stronger than this.

She walks through the rain, the heavy droplets instantly soaking her wet. She can't help but to wonder around, trying to remember something. She ends up at the cottage below the cliffside… recalling what the man earlier has said. She gulps and walks nearer. She yells, trying to overpower the sound of the angry weather, "Sabaku-san!" She hugs herself as the coldness starts to come to her senses, "SABAKU-SAN!"

—THE D.E.A.T.H. CLUB—

Hinata whimpers as she gazes out the windows, seeing dark clouds and nothing but transparent walls of water. It is raining so hard in the whole city… the sudden rain has been unforeseen. She sighs and turns to a dog ghost sitting at the corridor, waiting for Sasuke's return. She smiles, "Sasuke will be back. Don't worry…"

The dog whimpers sadly… and then twitches as if starting to growl any minute. Karin appears behind them and speaks with her guilty eyes at the floor, "Uhm. I think I did it again." The two look at her with curiosity until Hinata gasps loudly in wonder. She looks at the direction before them, "…Another ghost is rising…"

Naruto growls and glares at Karin as he bares his teeth but the dream ghost regains her composure, "Hmph… and I found out one thing." She walks nearer and Naruto goes into a charging stance. Hinata looks at her and the water ghost speaks the words in the other female's lips, "I know. That man lusts for Sakura…"

"Arf!" Naruto manages a bark and Karin hesitantly pats the dog ghost's head, "I don't think he'll go for Sasuke or anyone else…" She then looks at Hinata and the femme know what she means by that. Naruto barks again and Hinata kneels down before him and ruffles his hair as if really ruffling a family dog's hair, "Don't worry, he won't be a threat."

"…" Naruto whimpers and then runs off to a place. Karin crosses her arms at her chest and fixes her glasses, "Hinata… that cretin can sense danger more efficient and faster than you can." The woman rises from her previous position as the redhead continues, "And someone is starting to give off a familiar scent… I have always wanted."

"Karin." Hinata smiles again, her innocent smile overshadows her dark motive, "I think we have to split." The other woman fixes her glasses yet again after staring at the water ghost for some moment, "I see. Just be careful with Sui. Do not— I repeat— do not hurt him or I will surely get back at you. I haven't settled the first one just yet."

"Don't worry, I won't ruffle your feathers again." She sighs and cutely strikes a modest pose with a wink, "Let's just have a deal. You keep away from Kiba-kun and I'll keep away from Suigetsu-san." Karin places a hand at her hip and grunts as a yes. Hinata claps once and leaves her fingertips together, "Naruto will be a lot more useful… as well as Sakura."

"I'll be going. Keep in mind we had a deal." Karin walks off towards where Naruto has gone to and Hinata prances to the other direction, "I have to get started then. I wonder what they are doing out there with this kind of rain…"

—THE D.E.A.T.H. CLUB—

"I didn't think it would rain like this." Minato sighs as Kushina giggles by his side. The rain goes on without faltering even for a bit and so they stay inside their cottage that afternoon. Then Sasuke walks in the room where some of the staff are gathered, listening to the director's constant whining about the bad weather. He looks around and finally lands his gaze at the brunet nurse who's enjoying himself watching the pendulum, "Oi, dog mutt, where's Sakura?"

Everyone looks at him and chatter among themselves, realizing that someone must have been missing. Minato stops whining for a bit and looks around like what the raven is doing, "I haven't seen her around either." Kushina twitches loudly and then she says, "Sasuke-chan, I was with her a while ago but she suddenly disappeared. It was… uhm two hours ago, I guess."

"She can't be out with this rain." Sasuke walks to Kiba and he later discovers that the dog mutt is already dizzy, watching the swinging pendulum. He rolls his eyes and turns to his former teacher, "We'll be looking for her." He cheek-pinches Kiba to consciousness and the dog mutt reacts violently, jerking abruptly and hitting the table before him… as good as toppling over like a high-rise building with a weakened foundation.

Some stifle their laughter while some raise a brow. Kiba then massages his leg that hurt the most, "Fuck, Sasuke, what?" The raven then grabs his collar and drags the brunet out the room, Kiba endlessly swearing at the raven. Kushina then laughs out lightly as the two are too far to hear them, "Sasuke does have a funny way to say 'I'm worried', doesn't he?"

At the hallway, Kiba breaks the drag and furiously scratches his head like an itched dog, "Seriously, Sasuke. What's with the battering?" Sasuke looks away and pouts a little… a peculiar and very rare scene. The princess within is showing and Kiba knows what's happening. He asks, "What's making you worried? Is Naruto-san transmitting you anything?"

"Just a little feeling. Where's Sakura?" He says and Kiba looks around, "Is it still raining outside?" The raven retorts unintentionally, "We wouldn't be here if it isn't." The brunet does a 'yeah, yeah' gesture and then Suigetsu comes to bump the two from behind, successfully and yet unwillingly making Sasuke fall forward. The two soundlessly laughs out and Sasuke stands up to glare at them. Then Kiba taps Suigetsu, stifling further laughter showing his amusement, "Yeah, man. Seen Sakura?"

"Nope." He answers shortly and then Sasuke fixes and dusts himself, "Know somewhere she could be?" Suigetsu places his hand at his chin and recalls what the man earlier has said. He then looks outside the nearby window and see how impenetrable the rain seems to be, "But she couldn't have gone there with this rain…"

—THE D.E.A.T.H. CLUB—

"Who on earth…? Oh my." A blonde woman opens the cottage door and sees an overly soaked Sakura standing before their cottage. She grabs an umbrella from the rack and fetches Sakura from where her feet are planted. She greets her with a flashing smile as if a very close friend has visited her on her birthday, "Hi, Sakura-chan. You shouldn't have gone with this rain."

Sakura gives her a tired smile, expressing her developing hypothermia, "It's fine. Standing under this kind of rain reminds me of something…" The blonde twitches and chuckles to herself, her happy voice shifts with bitterness, "Yeah. It's like that day. Come on in." She walks Sakura to the door and letting the girl go inside the cottage nearby the cliffside.

The place is neat and simple… but the collection of single-themed framed pictures at the walls catches Sakura's attention the easiest. She walks near the wall and squints at the pictures… which seem to be very familiar. The woman hangs the wet umbrella to dry and sees Sakura looking at the picture. She smiles and walks to her so she can reach the picture and give it to the pinky. Sakura makes her silent nod of thanking before recognizing the girl at the picture…

"It's me." She simply says and the blonde woman chuckles, "Of course, it's you. He never did something else but to take pictures of you!" Sakura turns to her and then she twitches and laughs at her own mistake, "R-Right. My name is Sabaku Temari. My other brother, Kankuro, spoke with you earlier." Sakura takes the hand she offers and gives her a light handshake.

"Nee-san, who are you— Sakura-chan! You came!" Kankuro laughs out his natural smug laughter. Temari grimaces at her brother's action and see Sakura forces herself to laugh a little with the guy before resuming to her previous activity. Temari makes the man get a towel for Sakura and the guy goes to do so. The pinky stares at the small framed picture at her palms then to the one hanging at the middle and the one which is the biggest.

It is the young her that is holding a stick with the sunset at the background. Her pose seems to tell that she just finished drawing those sketches at the sand nearby. Her flashing happy grin rivals the beauty of the sunset behind her, the lightings making a beautiful overshadowing illusion. Sakura feels the very feeling of innocence and bare happiness with the child's smile…

Her eyes blink and Temari places both her hands at the pinky's shoulder as the blonde stand behind her, wrapping the towel around her. She says, "Haven't you remember anything? Can't you recall that day that Gaara has taken those pictures?" Sakura closes her eyes… and some memories hidden somewhere in her heart start to flow in…

—THE D.E.A.T.H. CLUB—

Gaara POV

I have managed to get out of the Nurse Chambers and stay at an empty hallway from where I can see the harsh rain outside. The weather reminds me of that day I've first seen Sakura and her cute face. She was so young back then… she was about to graduate from elementary if I recall it right. I can still imagine that red swimsuit that she wore, her long flat hair and those… goo-goo eyes of hers.

She was playing by the sea…

"Oi, Gaara!" I turn to see Kankuro jerking his thumb to a direction while wearing his somewhat perverted smile, "Just hanging out with the girls. How about you? Looking for your model?" I just nod and he then laughs out, "Get a lady with oozing femininity! That's a very 'worth it' model." I gaze back at the sea and starts adjusting my camera, "Yeah… if you're the photographer." With that, I begin walking away from him and I can hear him yelling about dinner.

Enough trekking done and I find myself standing before a trail of fresh footsteps beside animal-looking scribbles. I then follow it and end up finding a girl in red, drawing some sort of animal. I approach her and the grade-schooler seems to ignore my first call. I get closer and then she enthusiastically swings to her back the stick she's holding—

"Oops. I'm so sorry!" She squeaks and I press my hand against the side of my head that she has hit. She just then twitches and stares at me… as id it's her first time to see… another human being. I watch her as she stares at me… her big emerald eyes blink in mixed awe and disbelief. I wave my hand before her and she shrieks, "Ahh! I'm so sorry…"

"Anyway, hello!" She changes her dazed composure to a very lively one, her eyes gleaming with undue excitement, "My name is Haruno Sakura! You can call me Sakura-chan!" I can't help but to smile and she pulls on my arm, grasping at my wrist, "Anou, Nii-san… what's your name?"

"You're surprisingly enthusiastic, aren't you?" I say and she then huffs cutely, "Hmph! Being sad will make me older, Nii-san!" She then smiles again, "Neh, what's your name, Nii-san?" I kneel down with her still holding my wrist, "It's Sabaku Gaara, I'm a graduating high school student. Can you be my model?"

"Model?" She echoes and I nod. She cocks her head to the side and I say, "I mean, you just have to pose so I can take pictures. It's for a little competition hosted by our school…" She then smiles and nods enthusiastically. I pat her head and she seems to love it…

What a very peculiar girl I've found.

And an eighteen-year-old can't fall in love with a little girl, right?

I look away from the window… stopping any bad memory that is to come back. Whenever I see furious raindrops, I remember that time that I have met her… and the time that I was left to die… to almost die. I feel suffocated by the feeling of being buried alive with mud and sand and forever forgotten. I clutch the edge of the armrest with my hand as I recall the accident that has happened. But somehow I was grateful that I stayed here. I look around, a small smile plastered at my lips. I've met Sakura once again…

"Gaara…" A somewhat flirty yet disturbing voice whispers at my side and I pull my head to the other side so I can look at the speaker. Karin is behind my chair and is leaning at the other armrest, her lips curling into a lustful smile. She then walks like a purring cat and says, "Hi, Gaara. You look like you're missing that woman already."

"What do you want?" I say and she grins much more, "That guy that they saved yesterday…" She walks back behind me and rolls the chair towards a direction… towards the ICU if I remember things correct. I grasp at the armrest and then she chuckles, "Hmmm… you smell delicious. Too bad, huh."

"Karin. Where are you taking me?" I start glaring at her and she turns back to her serious face and tone, "Why don't you just stop blabbering and watch, Gaara? That'll make things better for you." I grab the wheel and she stops rolling the chair before I glare at her intimidating eyes. She then cups her hand at my face…

Grave pain and fear conquers me and I resort to grasping at my shirt… I keep my eyes from closing and she grunts, "Have a little sweet nightmare, Gaara. Tch. You're making me do this. You should have been a very good boy…"

Damn it…

—THE D.E.A.T.H. CLUB—

Sakura POV

"Lots of his classmates have envied Gaara… and they took their chance during that rain." Temari-san is storytelling the very accident to me and unbeknownst to them, I knew what happened. I was there… I saw him…

"Nii-san!" I call to him and he looks at me. He is standing under the rain and he seems to be lost about something. I run to him and he looks down as I start yelling, trying to be heard despite the rain, "Nii-san! What are you doing out here! You will get sick!" He smiles down and kneels down to embrace me, pulling me so close. His hand presses me closer to his chest, his hold getting tighter and tighter.

"Sakura-chan. You shouldn't have gone out here… but I'm glad I saw you." His words come a bit unclear, the emotions seems to be mixed. He's either happy or sad… I can't tell. He is pulling me so near, that I can even hear his heartbeat. It's so fast… and scary. I say, "I can hear your heart beat fast… Mommy said it's not a good thing, Nii-san."

"Heheh." He chuckles and says, "I'm just happy, Sakura-chan." He let goes and pats my head, "Your mommy must be looking for you. Go on and come home…" He then pecks at my cheek and leaves me behind. He isn't running… he is just walking towards a direction. After some seconds, I can't see him anymore… but I decide to follow him… where I think he had gone.

I hear malicious laughter and I close my red umbrella to hide at the bushes nearby. There are some people that are standing before a hole and two of them are putting sand and soil into that hole. They are yelling bad words… and it seems that someone is inside that hole. The men have left and I go towards the hole goes on fours to see what's down there.

I gasp without a sound as I see Nii-san right there… managing to get away from the mud that's holding him down. I yell, "Nii-san!" He looks up and yells back, "Sakura-chan! Go away!" I shriek as the rain gets harder and I cry, "Don't worry, Nii-san! I will call for help! Just hang in there!"

"No, Sakura-chan! Don't come back!" He yells and I run towards the direction… until something hits the back of my head.

"That picture is the one that made him win the contest… but too bad he's gone missing until then." Temari-san says and then Kankuro-san sighs, "We always come here every summer… thinking that maybe you would show up. Actually, we're almost giving up!" He scratches his head as he laughs out, "But there you are! I was very surprised when I saw you standing at the beach. I was hesitating at first… you've grown into a very fine woman! Finer than—"

"Don't try to complete that statement, Kankuro." Temari-san snaps and then I just smile at them. I look out the window and see that the sky has cleared. But it seems to be still dark and the sun is nowhere to be found… considering the time. Temari-san chuckles, "Hmmm… I guess the favorite sunset scene won't be around today." I nod and a peculiar call takes our attention to the door.

"Oi, Sakura!" It is Kiba's voice that is calling and we go outside to see the three boys standing before the cottage. Sasuke glares at me and hisses at me, "Sakura, who gave you the autho—?" I just step down the stairs and smiles at him, my action surprises him. Temari-san says, "Uh-huh. It seems like you have cute boys with you, huh."

"They're my friends. This is Sasuke, Kiba and Suigetsu." I introduce them to Gaara's siblings and the siblings to my friends, "They are Temari-san and Kankuro-san." Sasuke unduly rolls his eyes and says, "Enough for the introductions, let's go back." He grabs my wrist and drags me away, the other two gesturing some apology to Temari-san and Kankuro-san. She laughs, "Boyfriend seems to be very worried."

"He's not my boyfriend. See you next time, Temari-san and Kankuro-san!" I wave at them and they wave back at me. I'm so sorry. But I can't just tell you upfront that Gaara is still alive and well. I'll just let you know sooner. I close my eyes and looks at the raven who has a face full of worry… not the Sasuke I'm used to.

Then I ask Sasuke when we get out of the two's sights, "Sasuke, what's wrong?" Sasuke stops walking and even the two boys gather to listen. He says, his grip tightening, "I left my cellphone back at the cottage."

"Huh?" "So what?" "What's wrong with that?"

"He might just pull off some stupid stunt while it's there."

—THE D.E.A.T.H. CLUB—

Author POV

Sasuke's cellphone is left untouched at his drawer and Minato opens the door, "Sasuke— huh? Where is he? Just when the party is going to start in hours." He sees the phone light up and the ringing tone starts playing. He goes near and he looks at the caller id that is flashing…

His eyes widen and then he gets curious… curious enough to press Answer and listen to the caller's voice…

"Sasuke! Those bitches are up to something and they're starting to hurt some— Sasuke? Are you there?" Minato can't help but to tremble in fear and disbelief. The voice that he hears… that voice that he think he hears. He has been speechless there for seconds and the caller is patiently waiting for an answer… the sound of breathing tells him somebody is there.

Kushina goes in the room upon seeing Minato standing there, dread all written over his face. She gets near and then she says, "Minato, what's wrong?" The caller gasps and she twitches at the sudden voice. The caller starts again, "Mom? Dad? Are you still there?"

"Naruto…" She whispers.

[End of Chapter 7]

Hey! I'm not yet done with Gaara's arc but hey! I'm introducing the next arc already! But don't worry, we'll deal with earlier things first… and I wanted to emphasize things are getting out of hand! Now there are more people that are in danger and it seems like Hinata and Karin are up to something very evil. *Rocking my head like yeah, smug at making their lives more complicated*

I just wanted to tell you that Sakura has a habit of staring at good-looking guys! XD (Go back to Chapter 1 where she'd met the boys… you'd notice she always stare at them first. Except for Suigetsu since the doll caught her attention first.)

About the POVs, it's a pain to make Gaara POVs since I can't really talk trash and use slang for Gaara. XD But I enjoy doing one anyway. And with the Sakura flashback, I did my best to make the speaker sound young that's why I didn't use complicated words for she's twelve. Redundancy is a child's habit, too.

About the ages, based from their profiles, when Gaara is 16, Kankuro is 18 and Temari is 19. So since he met Sakura when he is 18, after ten years, he's 28. Kankuro and Temari would be 30 and 31 respectively. ^_^ (So why aren't they married yet? The both of them? XD) (We all know why Sasuke is not yet married considering his age! XD)

Ages as of July 23, 2012 (Date based from Naruto's age which should've been 20 by then…):

-Sakura = age 22, an intern, can see ghosts and Gaara's little sweetheart/model

-Suigetsu = age 23 and a third, an intern as well, mysteriously sees the other ghosts now… and has something for Karin

-Kiba = age 24, a regular nurse, can see ghosts as well and seems to earn Hinata's fancy

-Sasuke = age 26, a regular and trusted doctor, still scared of ghosts and seems to be related to Naruto in an intimate way

-Kushina = age 40, Sasuke's ex-teacher, can see ghosts as white silhouettes and talks to them frequently, Naruto's mother

-Minato = age 41, the head doctor/director, denies the existence/wrongdoings of ghosts, Naruto's father

-Gaara = age 28, the sand man, has a past encounter with Sakura 10 years ago and has a big infatuation over her

-Temari = age 31, Gaara's sister, a woman Sakura met 10 years ago and now back there at the cottage

-Kankuro = age 30, Gaara's brother, a man Sakura met 10 years ago and now back there at the beach

-Naruto = age as of death 18, a teenage dog ghost, the son of Minato and Kushina and is related to Sasuke in an intimate way

-Karin = age as of death unknown, the dream ghost, up to something rather destructive and somewhat connected to Suigetsu

-Hinata = age as of death unknown, the water ghost, up to something rather destructive and is attracted to Kiba

Thanks for reading and please review! :) And tell me what you think will happen and what you want to happen! XD I need ideas now. :3