Part 3
Chapter ten
Enemies attract Enemies
Cast in Stone, Ground Down To Sand
I DON'T OWN NARUTO AND ILL CRY IF I WANT TOO
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Today's Soundtrack
What hurts the Most -Rascal Flatts
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It didn't take long for the first fight to finish. But for a fight between Kankuro and Gaara that was to be expected. The witty banter and sibling teasing from Kankuro went on and on, with only increased glares as a response. After only a few minutes of the teasing Kankuro's puppet was hit to the ground and grainy sand encircled the painted boy's body, the blob of sand and his figure both hovering in the air with Kankuro's little whimpers of , "Hey bro you know I was just joking." and of coarse, "Just kidding you can put me down… now!" Once Kankuro became hysterical though his red headed brother actually did put him down, his dirt crawling back to him and a smirk plastered onto his firm lips.
"Baby." Gaara whispered into Sakura's ear, earning him a soft giggle from his girl. Smiling up at him she let her amused eyes rise onto his.
"You should be nicer, he is your brother."
He looked down at her, "But then what would I do to make you laugh?"
From the side Anko blew her whistle. "Sabaku no Gaara is the winner… What did I do to get stuck with these brats again." She mumbled the last part under her breath.
"Next fight… Sabaku no Temari versus Haruno no Sakura."
The two girls smiled wildly at each other as they stepped forward, each of their figures standing straight and not four inches from the other.
"I remember the last time we had a spar."
And with that they both began their onslaughts of attacks on each other,
FLASHBACK
It had been a week after the incident. The second training day that Sakura was to participate in since she had arrived the harsh dessert. The sand hadn't made another appearance as to help the girl and maybe it was only a one time thing.
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house; that don't bother me.
Wind didn't whip at the girls ratty and disheveled hair, the rain didn't poor down and the town didn't reek silence as to show sympathy on the girls loss. Quite the contraire. The wind was not but a blessed breeze, the sun burnt hot and bright in the suave blue sky, and the town went on with the bustling of selling street vendors and succeeding missions. No one mourned, nothing mourned, but her.
I can take a few tears now and then and just let em out…. I'm not afraid to cry.
A few dark bags hung from below her eyes, but no harm done. Her clothes were dirty and smelly, but the was to be expected. And unshed tears clung to her eyelashes, but that was anticipated. Nothing was out of the ordinary.
Im not afraid to cry every once in a while even though going on with you gone still upsets me. there are days ever now and again
I pretend I'm okay.
Sakura stood straight in the shade of the enclosing walls of the training arena, leaning on the tan cement structure like a crutch. The other three teammates stood around her in a circle, not protective… just there. Especially one red-headed teenager. He was there. In walked her new sensei, the mysterious half faced jounin that will teach her.
"Haruno Sakura… before we start training The Village Hidden in the Sand would like to offer you a choice." He spoke politically, his voice ruff and scratchy to her ears. "Back in Leaf you have an aunt, you may return to your old village, your old team if you wish."
"No." The pink-haired girl looked up from the speckle of sand she was glaring at. "I am fine, and I would like to start my training here."
The team looked her up and down, their face following the line of her black and brown training outfit, following her clothing up the setting of her firm lips and her dulled eyes showing pain and determination… but most of all the showed exhaustion. She may not be too sad anymore… but she was tired.
But that's not what gets me
With a 'hurumph' from the older man he nodded curtly, "You can either stay at your current residence or you may move to a government provided apartment or room."
"I'll except the government provided housing, thank you."
Silence hung in the sweaty air as Baki-sensei took out a scroll, scribbling a scattered message onto it and then stick the rolled parchment back into the folds of his robes.
"Then we should begin training. I want you to fight Temari-hime, as to show us your current ninja skills."
Pulling out her fan, Temari melted her own smirk into a sympathetic smile as Sakura pulled out a kunai.
What hurts the most, was being so close and having so much to say and watching you walk away and never knowing what could have been and now seeing that loving you… is what I was trying to do.
"Sakura… are you okay?" The blond chocked out as she raised her weapon, ready to begin the training match.
"I'm fine." She bit, raising her own weapon, glinting in the high sun.
Temari hardened her own gaze, as she waved her fan letting a ripple of lethal wind to swirl and chop at her opponent. Quickly she watched as Sakura sucked herself down into the dirt floor as to avoid the blow. Hurrying she placed her fan on the ground behind her. She was ready for hand to hand combat.
And apparently so was Haruno as she let her body erupt from the grainy field.
Its hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go, but I'm doing it
Launching herself, Sakura took the brief moment she had to hatch a surprise attack. Swiftly she kicked her foot, letting it meet with a brief contact to Temari's rib cage.
She only leaned into the injury for a second, but the Sand sibling recovered quickly, letting her hands grab onto the offensive ankle and throw it over her own shoulder. Sakura's body met the ground with a 'thunk' before Temari's analyzing eyes.
Without banter she kicked herself up, standing herself back up on unsteady feet.
Its hard to force that smile when I see your old friends and I'm alone. Still harder.
"Are you okay?" Temari breathed.
Giving a small chuckle she looked up at her friend, "I'm fine." Then she charged.
Throwing herself onto the girl she punched at her head. Temari dodged. Temari grabbed a shurikin and threw it at her core. Sakura lowered herself to the ground before swinging her leg across the floor, as to trip the blonde. The girl jumped and pushed the pink-haired female away from her, her feet dragging against yards of scalding sand.
An idea came as Sakura pulled out two kunai, on one a sparkly emerald gem hung, on the other the paint was dulling and the metal rusted.
Getting up, getting dressed. Living with this regret, but I know If I could do it over. I would trade, give away control the words that I say in my heart that I left unspoken.
She released the kunai from her hand. Letting the, one sharp one dull, weapons hurtle towards Temari. But as was expected the girl used her kunoichi flexibility to its fullest, she bent her spin backwards, her feet still planted but her hands now on the floor also, only three inches behind her ankles.
Like a rehearsed gymnast the blond lifted her torso and her hands, now she in standing position.
What hurts the most, was being so close and having so much to say and watching you walk away.
With almost an evil smirk Temari looked at the girl, "You missed…"
"I wasn't aiming at you…" Sakura left the words hanging, her finger raised and pointing for her to look behind her.
With a raised eyebrow Temari turned around. Behind her, her expanded fan was opened, and now with two kunai's stick out of it.
Her hazel eys widened as she took a step forward to her favorite weapon.
"Why don't you take a closer look at the kunais." Sakura said dully, knowing that there were exploding tags attached to the handles of each knife.
It was then that Temari started running towards her fan, when Sakura's lips started to form with the release jutsu.
Just as the condemning words were formed, Temari had yanked both kunai out of her fan and thrown them at Sakura, just as that words was said, "Kai…"
It seemed to go to fast for the rest of the team, a loud explosion and a huge clous of sandy smoke surrounded where the girls body once was.
Never knowing what could have been and now seeing that loving you… is what I was trying to do.
The cloud slowly dissipated, and the entire team began to ran towards the fallen girl, but when they were there all they saw was a globe of hard sand. Everyone looked to Gaara as he looked back at the circle of sand as the grains began to melt away only to reveal a crumple girl, bent over herself and letting tears leak out of her emerald eyes… finally.
Temari knelt down beside Sakura, sweeping the girl into her arms.
"Temari-san. I believe you won." That was the last thing the blossom said before passing out.
FLASHBACK ENDS
Temari huffed, out of breath from the battle. "Why don't you just beat me Sakura-chan."
"I don't want too." The girl smiled as she breezily lifted another short curved dagger.
Temari swore under her breath as she closed her fan, "I forfeit." She finished her silent rant with an out loud deadpan. Pouting, Sakura placed her hands on her hips.
"No fun."
A loud cough echoed as Anko stood almost surprised around the two, "Sabaku Forfeits, Haruno wins." The snake ninja whistled for emphasis as she spun her own shuriken around her index finger mindlessly.
"Hmm… who should the next victims…heh I mean contestants be… Right well," She spoke raising her voice, "Since Team Seven of Leaf is odd numbered its going to be a three way fight. Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Sai… get your lazy ass behinds over here. One winner." Anko finished as the three steadily walked towards her. "And begin."
The three begin their onslaught of attacks, unleashing fire, ink, and clones.
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The pink haired girl waved a quick 'see you later' as she excused herself to find the bathroom. Shuffling out of the field she crossed the old wooden bridge that held so many memories for her. Memories of pain, of joy, or life and death. She grimaced as she bent over the rotting railing, leaning to look into the still river.
"Oh look-y here. A pretty girl far from her protectors." A small gasp emitted from Sakura's parted lips as she spun around, already bouncing on the balls of her feet and senbon intertwined with her fingers.
A girl, a tall girl with straight black hair and a crooked smile stood, her long tongue licking at her dry lips. She was from the village in in the grass. A genin.
"Who are you and what do you want? Where are your passport papers?" Sakura ranted as she didn't flinch to put away her weapons. She wouldn't retreat unless she new it was safe.
The tall girl laughed, "Why would I show you? You don't live here in Leaf, Haruno, Sakura. You're a sand-nin."
"How did you know that?"
Stepping forward the grass-nin licked her lips once more, "I know a lot about you and your family… and your demon. Such an interesting case… I thought Sabaku was the container for Shukaku but for the past times I've seen you it seems otherwise. Has the demon adopted his containers… fetishes." She leaned forward, her long tongue only inches from the pink-haired ninjas chin. "What is it about you that you get such power without such sacrifice. Hmm… it seems like it is all handed to you on a silver platter, and all you did was to reach out and take it. In fact you didn't even have to take it. The power saved you the reach." Taking a long breath through her nose she smiled, "I smell more power being forced on you in the near future. A very raw power. And I have an inkling that all the power you have been given will be offered to one who deserves it."
Her tongue stoked up Sakura's cheek only to retreat too quickly for the senbon to land on the flexible muscle.
"I have no Idea what your talking about… but I am well acquainted with threats, and you have no place to be giving one." Sakura growled, her lost senbon already replaced.
"I admit you have talent, but you have no surprise. But don't worry… you have plenty surprises to come Haruno. After all it was your destiny to have power, if it wasn't… their would be no reason that your surname had caught the Akatsuki's attention. Along with other incriminating personas. Good day."
A/N : I'm sorry to end it so soon but the more I got closer to the end of the chapter the more reviews I got… and that meant more words and then all these UPDATE!! Reviews came in and so I have come to a conclusion and compromise…. ROLLOVER WORDS. All the words I owe you will be added to next chapters chapter. As for contest number 2...
The winner is….
XxMiyakaxX
Her stories are amazing and I truly recommend them…. Now go read her stories while you wait for my next chapter…
Oh… and remember I want to feel loved!