A/N: So, here it is. Finally.


Chapter IX –SPIRALLING SHADOWS

"It's not ice cream," Sakura said defensively, "it's frozen yogurt."

She turned to look at Gaara, who was walking beside her. He had just made a comment about them having indulged in ice cream a couple of nights before. From the tone of his voice it seemed he could not quite understand why she could be craving some again so soon.

Hence the need for explanation on her part. "They are two completely different things," she continued, "and besides, there can never be enough ice cream. EVER. Same principle applies to frozen yogurt."

Gaara turned sceptical eyes towards her but refrained from commenting. Nonetheless, he could not help his lips from curving upwards slightly. There seemed to be no end to Sakura's random cravings for sweet things.

She did not fail to perceive his silent amusement at her expense so she reached out to swat his arm.

They were walking across the park near the clinic, making their way towards a frozen yogurt shop located on the other side. It was a little after lunch, hence Sakura's need for dessert, and after promising to bring back treats for the whole of the Physiotherapy Brigade, the two of them had set off at a leisurely pace. The day was warm and sunny yet not stifling. The perfect weather to indulge in a cold treat while sitting outside on a park bench.

They were half way through their journey when, much to her surprise, Sakura found her crutch catching on an uneven slit in the pavement underneath.

Her world started to tilt as she unexpectedly lost her balance but Gaara was lightning-quick. She had slipped forward less than an inch when his arms were already around her and holding her upright. Her crutch clanked on the ground as it fell from her grasp but Sakura was left safely standing in the circle of Gaara's arms. He was half lifting her, making sure she did not put any weight on her injured leg.

"You alright?" he asked, his mouth close to her ear.

His voice cut through her stupefaction and made her blink since her confused senses had had no time to adjust to what had just happened. But when they finally caught up, she managed to register the delightful sensation his unexpected proximity was provoking.

"Yes, thank you," she replied but made no move to retrieve herself from his embrace. "I can't believe I just did that. Like if I were an amateur with crutches. What a klutz!"

He denied this statement with a negative grunt. "The pavement's uneven and cracked. It could've happened to anyone."

The feel of his breath and the vibration of his voice as he spoke on the sensitive skin of her ear was something she was not prepared for. Nor was the feel of his strong arm around her waist. The combined sensations made her feel giddy and of a sudden, she felt an inexplicable urge to giggle. Sakura trampled it down, though, refusing to come across like an idiot and wanting to prolong the exchange for as long as possible.

How long ago had it been since she'd felt her body react so intensely to the feel of a man?

Too long, it seemed.

To Sakura's surprise, Gaara did not make any move to allow her to stand by herself either. He kept holding her to him. She had the suspicion he was enjoying the closeness as much as she was.

She looked up at him then, her eyes meeting his. The jade in his orbs looked intense yet controlled, like if holding her close was something he could have easily done for the rest of the afternoon. Their faces were extremely close to each other and if she moved towards him just slightly and lifted her chin, she might just bring her lips into contact with his.

His eyes shifted slightly, like if he were also considering the possibility. His expression was curious, showing as much interest as she was likely doing. Sakura smiled encouragement and settled herself more comfortably within his hold. He looked amused at this and leaned his face downwards, much to the flickering excitement of her heart.

"By the incessant howling of the watchdogs of hell, he got himself a girl!" came a cry from the near vicinity. Though mocking in its tone, it did nothing to disguise the utter shock and disbelief at what it was witnessing.

Sakura jumped in Gaara's arms only to feel the muscles of his entire body harden like stone in response to the voice. She made to disentangle herself from his hold but he would not allow it. His arms tightened vicelike around her as he lifted his face to address the man who had just spoken.

"What the hell are you doing here, Deidara?" he asked, a low threatening timbre in his tone that made goose bumps rise on Sakura's skin. Never had she witnessed such an intense and focused rage in Gaara before; his body was virtually vibrating with it. Even though she was not the one he was addressing, she felt herself react with intense alarm at his voice.

"Well, we just wanted to check up on you, that's all," the other man replied, astoundingly undisturbed by the explicit menace in Gaara's voice. "Of course, we didn't know we would be interrupting anything, un."

Who was this man?

Sakura attempted to turn around in Gaara's grip to try and get a look at the speaker. Though he squeezed her in warning and seemed not to want to allow it, he eventually relented and allowed her to partly turn.

What she saw surprised Sakura; the fearlessness in his voice was certainly at odds with the man's appearance. To start off he was sitting in a wheelchair, looking battered but recovering. His face was gaunt and his long blond hair tied up in a high ponytail looked lacklustre. Her medical eyes surveyed the cast covering most of his stretched right leg; it was angled away from his body and was slightly elevated thanks to one of wheelchair's foot rests. It was evident his injury had implied more than one fracture along his leg. Sakura, dealing with a leg injury herself, commiserated and did not envy him the long months of rehabilitation that surely awaited him.

But despite his tattered exterior, Sakura found his blue eyes bright, shining with keen intelligence and sly cunning. In spite of herself, she took a mental step back and realized this man was deadly. Even though he looked like he had been run over by an eighteen wheeler, she was certain he was nowhere near helpless. His confidence shone in his eyes and it was manifested in the tone with which he had spoken to Gaara.

Deidara, as Gaara had called him, presented a great contrast to his companion though. There was another man with him, standing behind him and pushing the wheelchair. While the blond's eyes were clear and quick-thinking, the orbs of this other man were cloudy and hazy as he surveyed Gaara with a thoughtful look. He might look hail and whole, his red hair similar in tone to Gaara's and his body showing no signs of injury, but it was evident his mind was not entirely present.

As if reading her thoughts, he spoke.

"I know you from somewhere," he said, gesturing towards Gaara. "I do know you. Don't I, Deidara?"

The seated man blew out a long suffering sigh. "Yes, unfortunately you do. But I'm not going to tell you who he is because I did so this morning when I explained what we coming here to do. So I'm not going to waste my breath since you'll just forget him in the near future."

The other man frowned down at him and seemed to be about to utter a complaint. But then he cocked his head curiously to the side, as if his attention had been distracted by something only he could see.

"I apologize for my companion's state, little lady," Deidara remarked, addressing Sakura. "In many ways I think I ended up in better shape than he did, un."

Gaara growled, his arms flexing defensively around Sakura and clearly displeased at having the man address her in any way. "What do you want, Deidara? I told you to stay the hell out of my life!"

Deidara chuckled. "Yes, you were rather vehement about it too when you hung up on me the last time we spoke. Unluckily for all of us, that's not an option anymore... unless you want to end up as dinner for the wolves that will soon be circling around these parts."

Sakura tensed at this and Gaara cursed at her reaction. She should not be hearing any of this. To his frustration, she was gripping his t-shirt in apprehension, seemingly unaware of what she was doing and albeit having to idea of what Deidara was referring to.

"I did warn you," Deidara. "Staying at the military hospital, unfortunately, was something the two of us had to rule out entirely. Too dangerous. There's too many ears listening in all the time. So we bailed out."

"And you just decided it'd be fun to annoy me by making an appearance?" Gaara retorted furiously.

"Well, I would have called," Deidara conceded, "but I'm afraid that wouldn't have made as much of an impact. Besides, I'd be kidding myself if I didn't admit I wasn't curious as to what the hell you've been doing with your life. And well, to my complete surprise, it seems you truly have been busy," his eyes looked Sakura up and down appreciatively as he finished speaking.

"What I do is no concern of yours," Gaara snapped, his voice dripping fury. His anger was rising by the second and if he did not control it, he knew he would end up making a lunge for the injured man. Doing so would only lead to a very unwelcome situation since it would be two against one. Deidara was anything but feeble despite the wheelchair and Sasori, as Gaara knew very well, would without a doubt jump in to defend him like he had always done. If he had been by himself, Gaara would have taken the risk. With Sakura with him, however, initiating an attack would be the stupidest thing he could do.

Deidara seemed to be following his train of thought for he smiled cunningly. "C'mon Rookie, you know it won't hurt to listen to what I have to say. As a matter of fact, you might find it real useful."

Gaara let out a deep breath, bringing his raging emotions under control.

With an inward curse, he realized cutting all ties with his past would not be as easy a feat as he had initially thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura sat on a park bench, trying to get her fluttering nerves to settle.

Some distance away and sitting at another bench, Gaara was speaking to the two men who had waylaid them some time before. They seemed to be involved in casual discussion; they avoided calling the attention of any of the passersby making their way through the park. Though Deidara's condition inevitably made some heads turn, the three of them otherwise evaded any other kind of unwanted notice. They seemed to be a trio of friends who had casually met in the park and were involved in mundane conversation.

Sakura knew they were anything but and what they were discussing was far from mundane.

From the way Gaara had reacted and the fury thrumming through his body as he held her, she had been aware he was not, in any way, on friendly terms with the two men. The conclusion was evident: Gaara had no desire to associate with them. He had been given little choice on the matter, though. From the hints Deidara had dropped, it did not take a genius to guess who they were. Sakura was aware the blond man had made certain remarks for her benefit so she could piece the puzzle together herself; of course, to what twisted purpose she did not know. The wily look in his eyes had been impossible to decipher. Intentions aside, it had not been overly difficult to guess their identity.

These men were members of Gaara's former division; a section of the military that had not officially existed and recruited some of the most dangerous men in existence. This was as much as Gaara had told her or any of the other members of the clinic, though Sakura was certain it implied many other things he was unwilling to talk about. Not that she blamed him; naturally not. If there was anyone who understood what it was like to have no desire of speaking about tragic events of the past, it was her. It did not mean she did not trust him either. She blatantly admitted to herself he had become, effortlessly it seemed, someone she could blindly rely on. Because their situation was unique due to their common physical impairments, the relationship they had been building between them since she had arrived in Konoha was made of sturdy stuff. Furthermore, Sakura never questioned Gaara's desire to rid himself of his past and to start a new life. It was the reason why he was here in the first place, visiting the clinic on virtually a daily basis. Gaara was intent on starting anew; he had told her so himself.

The problem was his past seemed not as determined to be rid of him.

The implicit peril in Deidara's words had not been lost on her. It was clear there was something going on involving Gaara. He was implicated in some of the current activities of his former division. What the situation might be, Sakura had no clue. But from what Deidara had been hinting at, it was evident he was standing in the direct line of incoming danger. And Sakura would be damned if anything was allowed to hurt him ever again.

Surprised at the intensity of her emotional reaction, she fisted her hands in her lap and gritted her teeth. Sakura knew very well what it was like to be placed in a vulnerable situation not of your own making; for your life to be placed at risk because of someone else's actions. It was not a position she wished on anyone, especially not when it came to a person she had come to care for deeply.

Her feelings for Gaara had done nothing but delve deeper into her heart as the days passed. She was the first one to admit it. Unsuspectingly, he had turned into the second chance at life Sakura had thought would never be hers. He had caught her completely unawares and had insinuated himself into her life without her realizing it. As a result, Gaara had become an intrinsic part of her every day existence and she would allow nothing, especially not the psychotic ex-members of his former division, to take him away from her.

Sakura had already sacrificed enough; she had already been forced to give up enough things in life. She would not allow this new opportunity she had been given to be tainted by loss. Not now, not ever.

Sakura made the decision then, it being all the more affecting because of its effortlessness: she wanted Gaara and she was going to keep him.

Though she had no idea of how she would go about this, she was absolutely certain in her stance. If it turned out he would have to leave the city and look for refuge somewhere else, she would go with him. As a matter of fact, Sakura would help arrange it all. If it meant he had to look for the custody of the authorities, she would be by his side. She did not care what it was she needed to do, she would do it without any complaints. But she would not, not even under the threat of death, be parted from his side. He had already faced enough hardships and anguishes by himself his whole life. It was about time he had someone with him watching his back, someone who truly cared for him and who wanted nothing else but his genuine wellbeing.

Sakura would stand by her man... though he was not exactly hers yet.

She had to work on that part still. But for her the answer was foreseeable; it was not a matter of 'if' but of 'when'. Sakura was certain of this. He might not know it yet but he would catch up. She would make certain he did. And from the way he had almost kissed her before they were rudely interrupted, it seemed he was well on his way to reaching the same conclusion.

So yes, she would fight tooth and nail for what she wanted. This time around she would not be denied. Life owed her this much; after everything that had happened and everything she had been forced to relinquish, she would not accept any other outcome.

Resolute in her conviction, Sakura felt her herself settle. Breathing in deeply, she stole a surreptitious glance in the direction of the three men, her gaze briefly focusing on Gaara. His face looked taut but it seemed he had managed to get his anger under control; which was a very good thing. After having witnessed one of his temper outbursts firsthand, she dreaded to think what he might do when seriously riled. Especially when it came to the members of the division he hated so much.

Besides, it was essential for him to keep a level head. There was a lurking menace in the wings and in order to do something about it, Gaara would no doubt have to keep his wits about him. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she knew he realized this too. Unwilling, Sakura felt a strong emotion surging in her chest; equals parts pride at him handling the situation so well and equal parts sorrow at knowing he had learned to do so because he had been exposed to such dangers during most of his adult life.

She lowered her eyes to look down her fisted hands, letting out the breath she had been holding. Preparing herself for the worst was not going to be easy. With the atrocities he had undoubtedly lived through and the lifestyle he had led until relatively recently, whatever threat came Gaara's way was sure to be dire. She had to be prepared to deal with anything, to steel herself against all possibilities.

Because no matter what the world decided to throw at them, there was no other option but to stand and defend.

-XXXXXXXXXX-

"They're dead, then," Gaara affirmed, voice vacant.

"Not dead, Rookie, just missing," Deidara added sarcastically.

Gaara levelled a death glare his way but refrained from commenting further.

After asking Sakura to sit on a nearby bench, out of earshot but within sight, his formidable temper had been easier to reel in. Now she was out of the reach of the two maniacs currently in his company, Gaara could pull back his wrath enough to concentrate on what Deidara was saying. It seemed he was going to need every ounce of his concentration to deal with this unexpected visit. Just like before, he knew very well his ex-comrade in arms would not have made contact with him if there was not a very good reason to do so.

Unwillingly, Gaara felt apprehension creep up his spine. But he mercilessly trampled it down; this was just another obstacle he would have to either bypass or destroy.

"It is possible the hospital network just misplaced their medical files and lost record of where it was they were being transferred," Deidara continue, a smirk on his lips. There was a certain quality of the macabre in his mirth.

Gaara scoffed. "Stop wasting time with your stupidity," he scorned, "how long ago was this?"

"The last hospital record I was able to find of Kakuzu was just over a week ago," Deidara said. "A couple of days before that I managed to find traces of Zabuza but they weren't overly detailed."

"I thought you said it was impossible to find any information on them due to the hospital network being manipulated by Konan," Gaara remarked.

Deidara's smirk turned devious. "It was impossible, at least for me. You know I never was inclined towards technology. I'm more attuned to the art of explosive destruction. It's much more satisfying."

Gaara levelled him with his deadliest glare so he would come to the point.

Yet Deidara's underlying amusement only increased at Gaara's attempt at intimation. All in all, he continued speaking, "A lieutenant from intelligence was brought up to a room on the other end of the floor. The poor bastard has stage four pancreatic cancer and not very long to live. Hence, he was in desperate need for some reckless adventure."

"He agreed to hack into the hospital network just to get a kick out of his miserable life?" Gaara asked in disdain.

"No, of course not," Deidara replied with a scoff. "I got him to hack the system after arranging for him to have a tumble between the sheets with one of the nurses. He was more than happy to comply after that. Being the worst kind of geek, I doubt he'd ever gotten laid in his life, un."

Gaara shook his head with contempt.

"The intel was difficult to trace even for him, though," Deidara continued, "not that I was expecting anything less from Konan. But we did manage to get some information in the end, mainly that there were some members of Phantasma who were still alive and kicking... or well, they were still breathing at the time we found the information."

"Did you attempt to make any contact with them?" Gaara asked.

"We were coming up with an encrypted system that might pass under Konan's radar when we abruptly lost access to their info. In all honesty, I thought it may be better to do it the traditional way and send someone over. I could've easily bribed someone into doing it. But then again, a member of Phantasma receiving an unexpected visit from a long lost relative would've sent alarms ringing all over, un."

Gaara inwardly scoffed in agreement at the stupidity of such a plan. "So you decided to bail then?"

"There was no going around it," he replied. "Once their records were abruptly obliterated, it was evident the commander had caught up with them. It didn't take a genius to guess who would be next. We staged a patient transfer three nights ago, with Sasori playing the role of ambulance driver. It was easy enough when we had all the right falsified papers and the nurses had done their last rounds."

It gave Gaara pause to think of the disoriented Sasori driving around the city in a stolen ambulance. "Did he even remember how to drive?" he asked, incredulous.

The two of them turned to look at the other man, who was sitting next to Gaara on the bench, a blank look on his face.

Deidara chuckled. "He actually did, amazingly. It seems driving is one of the things, once learn, you remember for the rest of your life... regardless of an entire building falling on top of your head."

"I'm assuming you covered your tracks," Gaara added.

"I ought to cut your balls off for saying that," Deidara bit back menacingly. "Who do you think we are, amateurs? Fuck you, Rookie. Now you're making me regret modifying all of your records at the hospital along with ours."

Gaara blinked. "You did what?"

Deidara's smirk returned. "I just thought I'd be a thorn up Pein's ass by making it more difficult for him to find any of us."

Gaara ground his teeth. "Only now he's going to think we're working together, you damned imbecile," he snapped viciously.

"Which isn't exactly a lie," Deidara retorted. "What do you think us being here entails? That we traded information is something Pein will deduce anyway, especially since he knows you've been living it up in Konoha during all this time."

A haze of intense rage clouded Gaara's vision for a moment. To think his ex-commander was intent on robbing him of everything he had been able to achieve since he had left the accursed military was something that made his inner monster stir. Like before, Gaara came to an inevitable conclusion: he was going to have to end Pein's life. As he saw it, this was the only possible outcome out of this situation.

Fighting back the rage, he looked again towards Deidara, only to find unexpected understanding in his eyes.

"You know you escaping might just make things even worse," Gaara remarked, having managed to calm down somewhat. "From Pein's perspective, it's got guilt written all over it, especially since you were the one holding the detonator."

Deidara shrugged. "In his view I'm guilty no matter what. I'd much rather fight in a battlefield of my own choosing than wait for him to show up like a caged rat."

Despite his intense aggravation towards his ex-comrades' presence, Gaara could not agree more with this statement.

No matter where they stood in regards to one another, the ultimate result of this whole scenario was rather evident: they would have to fight for their lives with all they had.

Deidara continued to relay the latest information he had obtained in regards to Pein's movements. Their ex-commander seemed to be concentrating on their other comrades for the time being but this only meant he would be coming their way in the near future. Neither of them doubted this in the slightest. The problem was determining when; yet it was impossible for them to know that, not with the way Pein's right hand, the formidable Konan, had manipulated the information surrounding Phantasma's commander. And especially not now Deidara no longer had access to the military's intel through the hospital's computer.

"I'll just have to improvise with my information gathering," Deidara finally said. "I might not be able to figure out much but at least something is better than nothing."

"Whatever you find out, keep it to yourself," Gaara remarked bitingly. "The last thing I need is for you to show up again,"

"You are so callous, Rookie," Deidara replied, placing his hand over his heart in a mocking gesture. "I'd be tempted to think you did not want to see us."

Gaara levelled him with a glare so lethal it had been known to shrivel other men. It had no outward effect on Deidara.

"Besides," he continued to say, "we aren't risking anything Pein doesn't already know. So there was no reason not to pay you a social visit. It was quite worth it, in fact. Especially considering that luscious piece of pink cotton-candy you've got in your clutches." His eyes swivelled towards where Sakura was sitting some distance away.

"Who I'm with has nothing to do with you," Gaara hissed furiously.

Deidara ignored him. "Tell me something, though," he added, the levity in his voice abruptly gone. "Does the poor girl know who and what you are?"

The anger raging within him rose to the fore in a crimson torrent at such a question but Deidara was not finished.

The blond man turned to look at him fully, his sudden seriousness at odds with the mirthful disdain with which he usually faced life. "And if she does, is she really willing to accept you for it?"

The question, especially when coming from the man who asked it, was enough to make Gaara stop dead in his tracks. It was enough for him to reel back his fury and shift his focus; the ground he was walking had suddenly turned tricky. Such an approach from Deidara was the last thing he expected. It shook him enough to perceive an uncharacteristic glint in the other man's eyes, something that had been there all along but Gaara, due to the anger their appearance had triggered, had not noticed. There was a subtle change in Deidara's expression, a demeanour not present before. He hid it well underneath the veneer of his jovial scorn towards the world. Only someone who had walked down the same paths of shadow and death would be able to spot such a change.

Without thinking, Gaara turned to look at Sasori, expecting to see a difference there too but his blank eyes told him nothing. Yet he knew there was more going on than what appearance told.

Gaara faced forwards again, letting out a deep breath. The world had abruptly shifted and he was not sure where he was standing anymore. For the first time since the start of their encounter, he took time to think things through before he answered Deidara. The implications of what he was asking were not lost upon him. They echoed silently around them, invisible yet heavy with the weight of the entire world.

Deidara, jaded and disturbed soul that he was, was asking Gaara, someone who had stepped out of the darkness, if such a miraculous feat was actually possible.

If it really was true someone out there in the ruthless world all of them had been taught to fight against could actually come to accept a monster. After all they had experienced, the blood, the violence, the mindless destruction, was it true someone out there might be willing to overlook all this and offer them genuine acceptance.

Turning his gaze towards Sasori once more, Gaara noticed the amnesiac-ridden man had turned to look at Sakura with a strange expression in his own eyes.

In that moment, the realization hit Gaara with full force: after all they had done, was redemption truly a possibility for men like them?

In all honesty, Gaara did not know the answer. But he finally replied with his own version of the truth.

"Yes, she does," he said, his voice resolute. "She might not know all the details but she knows the gist of it. And yes, she is willing to be with me despite all that."

Funny how he had never really doubted it; how he had always known, deep inside, Sakura's acceptance was all-encompassing. Saying the words out loud had an effect he was not expecting, though. They allowed the something in his chest that had been shifting since he had arrived in this city to find the right nook in which to reside permanently. It budged one last time and settled into place for good.

He watched Deidara's eyes widen in surprise at his honest words and at his unwavering tone before they turned their gaze once more towards Sakura. He looked thoughtful for a few pregnant moments, no doubt considering his own possibilities. As Gaara surveyed him, he remembered the words Deidara had said when they had met at the military hospital. How the other man had been keen on pointing out Gaara's newfound humanity.

It was only now, thanks to this newly attained perspective, Gaara apprehended the motives for Deidara's actions; the reasons why he had decided to come see him personally to warn him of the impending danger.

Gaara did not know if Deidara would be able to find the answers he was searching for. But from where he was standing, after all he had been able to discover in the past months, Gaara genuinely wished him luck.

Somehow, the irritation he had felt at having his ex-comrades drop on his head completely out of the blue dissipated. He suddenly understood, something he had never been able to do before in regards to his former military companions. They had been too tainted, too immersed in the bloody chaos of their existence to be able to see anything, not even themselves, clearly.

Without wanting to, Gaara wondered how things might have worked out if they had met under any other circumstances. If life had not turned all of them into ruthless killing monstrosities, where would they have been now?

It was a useless thought, he knew, yet it popped into his head before he could stop it. It was too late to wonder about that now, though. The roulette of their fate had spun a long time ago.

Rising, he turned towards the two of them and uttered words he thought he would never say.

"Thank you. For the warning and the intel. Although I don't know how useful it might prove."

Deidara turned his face up to look at him and instead of replying with one of his usual quips, he nodded soberly. "I know you don't deserve it, none of us do, but fuck it, it was the least I could do. I hated all your guts throughout the long years but I'll be damned if I let any of us go down without a fair fight, un. Not after all we did for the bastard who is now intent on hunting us down. We would have died for him willingly... some of us actually did. If he thinks we'll be caught unawares, he's got another thing coming to him, un."

Gaara nodded. "Agreed. But believe me, he knows we know. He'll be counting on it. He didn't train us himself to be the best operatives the military has ever seen for nothing."

"But now it's our turn to teach him just how well we learned his lessons," Sasori added, quite unexpectedly.

The two of them turned to look at him in surprise, only to find his eyes startlingly clear. He returned their gazes intently, in full command of his capacities and evidently tuned in to the last bit of their conversation. His expression made Gaara abruptly remember just how deadly the stoic man sitting on the bench really was.

Sasori blinked as Deidara snorted in response to his words.

"Nice moment you choose to become useful again," he bit out annoyingly with a roll of his eyes, "right when we don't need you."

Sasori turned to look at him haughtily; his mannerisms and expression just like Gaara recalled them to be. It was uncanny to watch his old self emerge unexpectedly from the blank where he had been residing. He opened his mouth to rebuke Deidara but before he could say anything, the clouded look covered his eyes again. With a perplexed expression completely at odds with his demeanour just a second before, he was left with no understanding of what was going on around him.

Deidara sighed.

"He really is screwed up, isn't he?" Gaara remarked.

"Correction, Rookie, he was already screwed up before this happened," he replied cynically. "I know I took a big risk in taking him out of the hospital but it was inevitable. We couldn't stay there any longer despite him needing medical attention. Sadly, in my condition, his presence was essential for my escape, un. Still, it wasn't as if the doctors were doing anything truly useful for him. They said only time would tell if he would get any better."

Gaara nodded as an idea occurred to him. It might have seemed ludicrous before but given the circumstances, nothing seemed as absurd as it might have looked a while back.

Besides, like Deidara had said, it was all about it being a fair fight.

"Do you have his medical records?" he asked.

"Yeah, un," Deidara replied, "stole them all in a flash drive I knicked from the laptop of an unsuspecting intern."

"Leave it somewhere so I can pick it up. As it turns out, the woman I'm with happens to be an experienced doctor specialized in medical research," Gaara admitted with a wry expression.

It was Deidara's turn to stare. "Wow, who would've thought," he conceded in disbelief, "you going for a girl with brains? If my memory serves me right you had a preference for rather dumb ones who didn't mind you having your way with them behind the-"

"Do you agree to leave the records or not?" Gaara interrupted nastily, cutting off his impudent little speech.

Deidara threw a grin of unholy amusement his way but refrained from further comments on the topic. "Yes, I will," he replied. "I'm sure Sasori will give you his thanks once he remembers who you are."

"I'm not sure if I'd welcome that," Gaara remarked as he moved to walk away. "He might just pull a knife on me once his memory returns. I wouldn't blame him for it either."

Deidara had to laugh. It was, after all, the truth.

Gaara turned to make his way towards the bench where Sakura was sitting.

"See you around, Rookie," Deidara called out in farewell.

"Don't count on it," Gaara replied without turning back.

After he saw him collect Sakura and walk away in her company, Deidara remained sitting in his wheelchair in the same spot for a while. His eyes turned thoughtful as he stared in the direction Gaara had gone.

Sasori, who had always been a stoic man of few words, had not changed much in that respect despite his head injury. He was always prone to long lapses of silence. In contrast to the talkative and showy Deidara, he had always been a man who preferred actions to speak for him.

For once, Deidara was glad for the quiet.

Consequently, the two of them sat without speaking as they watched people walk by; passersby immersed in their own personal bubble of life. They were blissfully unaware of the two lethal men sitting quietly in their midst and of any conflicts they might be waging within.

-XXXXXXXXXX-

"Gaara, I-" Sakura attempted to breach the subject for the tenth time.

But just like before, he would have none of it.

"There is nothing I have to say," was the now predictable interruption. "None of this concerns you or anyone else."

"But I-"

"No buts," he remarked firmly. "The less you know, the better. As a matter of fact, you never should've witnessed what just happened. Just forget about everything you saw."

"Forget?" she exclaimed, irritation rising at his demeanour. "How can I forget any of it when it's clear you're in dang-"

"I told you to forget about it," Gaara interrupted callously again, his words a hiss. He spoke between clenched teeth, his patience clearly running thin.

They had almost arrived at the door of the clinic, their frozen yogurt expedition completely forgotten. Gaara had steered Sakura back the way they had come; the certainty of her safety while in his company had been completely shattered. It would not do for her to be placed in unnecessary danger. Therefore, it was best if they separated.

Before they reached the door, he grabbed Sakura by the arm and forced her to stop.

"Do not even think about mentioning any of this to Naruto or the rest," he told her, the tone in his voice absolute. "If any of you butt your heads into this matter, it's your life you will be forfeiting."

Sakura could not help swallowing at the seriousness of his tone and at the real threat it implied.

"You have no idea of the world I come from, of the things I've seen and am capable of doing," he continued. "And I prefer for you to never find out."

As he spoke, he leaned his face towards her. His eyes bright with convoluted emotions Sakura could not name. His gaze swept her face, as if committing it to memory, before settling on her lips. He seemed to consider the moment that had been lost just before his ex-comrades had interrupted them but then a dispassionate look overcame his features.

It was an expression that did not sit well with Sakura. It made him look distant and unreachable.

"Tell Naruto I had somewhere to go," Gaara said, releasing her arm. "I'll call to see when we can re-arrange for another session."

And with such an offhand farewell, he left, walking hurriedly down the street before disappearing around the corner.

Blinking, Sakura stared at his receding back, an empty feeling of foreboding growing in the pit of her stomach.


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