Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...
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Huzzah, this one is out! And even longer than before. There's no lemon, sadly in this one because I cut that part out to incorporate it into the next chapter, because I thought it was better suited there anyways!
Next chapter wont be out until Courting the Cherry Blossom is updated.
Sakura groaned into reality as blazing hot pain overtook her entire body. Slowly she moved her fingers wincing as they popped and crack. For a moment she debated wither or not to look down and when she did, a small grimace overtook her features. Her hands were crusted over with her own blood, the skin burnt, some places had welts and most had dead skin hanging off. She must've brought her hands up to deflect the attack and because they absorbed most of the hit, they suffered.
She let out a sigh as pain kept assaulting her hands and it seemed her chakra was non-existent to heal the wounds and if she didn't heal them quickly, they'll remain this way.
"There's no use in trying to heal them Haruno."
She snorted, "No shit, now tell me what the hell color of the sky is and maybe I'll give you a cookie?"
"Sarcasm is unbecoming of a lady" the silhouetted figure leaned on the furthermost corner and nodded towards her, "the band on your wrist blocks all main chakra flows then slowly blocks the lesser chakra areas creating an undeniably cruel death within 24 agonizing hours of putting on that relic."
Sakura kept her face unmoved as she began thinking up an escape plan, but all of them required some chakra and if the man was right…then if she used her chakra it wouldn't make much of a difference and in fact speed up her dying process. She didn't want to lye around and wait for her death to come like some helpless doll, yet there seemed to be no plausible alternatives…
A glint caught her eyes, it was a bobby pin dangling on the tips of her bangs and that's when a plan of escape started to formulate, but to keep him none the wiser she began distracting him,
"Why am I here in the first place and who are you?"
"I believe you're in no position to ask questions-"
"Or else what?" she sneered, "you'll kill me?"
Nodding he answered, "I am Kabahl, a once prominent Sand shinobi from the clan of Shizuri." Sakura could feel his cold frown as he spoke the next lines venomously, "your boyfriend killed everyone of my clan while I was away. And when I returned, did I receive any praise for killing off a band of rogue shinobi on our borders? NO! INSTEAD HE THROWS ME OUT OF THE VILLAGE CLAIMING THAT MY CLAN WAS CONSPIRING AGAINST HIM!"
"Well were you?"
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT"
"No I believe it is not either, but quite frankly I don't care" rapidly Sakura threw her boby-pins at Kabahl who put up his arms on reflex to block them, only to feel them deeply imbed in his now motionless right arm.
"You little bitch!" He ran down the hall hot on her heels, "you'll regret the day you ever attacked Shizuri Kabahl!"
Talking in third person, she mused, as if he didn't constitute as a psycho already. Turning another corner Sakura came to a dead end, shit. The maniacal laughter soon resounded throughout the dim corridor and immediately her stomach dropped knowing this would not bode well for her.
Gaara
He growled predatorily, his eyes were glowing an unnatural yellow as he further boosted his speed. He could feel her thoughts, her emotions and right now she was terrified.
"Damn bastard will pay!"
Yes he will Gaara, first we'll tear off his limbs and then…
Gaara spotted the abandoned castle and within seconds he was in the dusty greeting hall. Sniffing the air he went around in a circle before bounding down the hall on his left where her scent and the soon-to-be-dead man were. A feral growl erupted from his throat emitting an un-humanistic sound that echoed the halls.
A painful cry that stabbed him in the heart and her sobs made him explode the wall to his right, showing Sakura covered in fresh tears as his most hated rival smugly stood up and stared him in the face and tauntingly the man kicked her side keeping his eyes on Gaara,
"I'm surprised; you must've got to her before me. I would've liked de-flowing this delectable creature so tight and warm."
Scratch that kit lets rip off his balls then his penis and nail them to his skull while we pull out his insides and set them on fire as he bleeds out.
Gaara was too far gone to give a coherent thought and for once, willingly allowed Shukaku to have unrestrained control over his body.
And gleefully Shukaku emerged, "You're going to die bitch!"
Slowly the day was drawn out by a man in pain and the sadistic hissing and insults coming from an unrestrained raccoon demon…while the blossom slowly welted away in her self-made stupor and the ebbing chakra flow in her system.
Three Days Later
A weak knock sounded at the Kazekage's office door. Inside, the room was shrouded in complete darkness; the drapes were drawn over the windows, papers lay scattered over the top of his desk untouched and the chair emptily facing the door.
Again, the weak knock sounded followed by an even weaker voice, "Kazekage-sama? Would you prefer I come back at a later time?" Again, no answer and the small woman left in a huff silently wondering what was causing their strong leader to become a recluse.
Gaara didn't know what to do. It had been three agonizing days and he hasn't visited her once at the hospital. He wasn't afraid, that he was sure of, but some unexplainable feeling…As if uncomfortable with the thought of visiting her, but why? Was it because Kabhal had raped her? Or was it what he said to him…about her being taken previously? Or was it guilt? Had he not been busy torturing Kabhal mercilessly, she wouldn't be in this delicate predicament. Her whole chakra system had to be redone, a difficult procedure no one in Suna was capable of, so he had to rely on the fact that she could heal herself, and from what he heard from Temari, she was doing just that.
Speaking of her,
"Gaara, you should visit her" Temari's soft voice broke the silence of the tower's rooftop.
"I never checked her medical record." His gaze completely broken with such emotions that up until then; were virtually non-existent. He was angry, confused, guilt-ridden and above all, concerned.
"She wasn't raped. You stopped Kabhal from going that far." Her face contorted into anger as she recalled the scene of her little brother carrying Sakura as if she were a life-sized doll and the rare helpless look that was plastered on his face…he didn't deserve this pain, Sakura didn't deserve the pain she's going through.
Her face slowly softened.
Perhaps they can mend each other's soul…that could be the best and only medicine they need.
"We think within a day or two she could wake up and only then could we assess the psychological damages and get a personal statement from her account of the kidnapping."
Gaara solemnly nodded his head in comprehension and softly spoke, "it was because of me that she was hurt Temari…I don't deserve her nor does she need a monster like me to ruin her life…"
"Don't talk like that Gaara! It's her call as to whether or not she wants to be with you! Hell she's in a lot of bingo books herself, so it'd be just as dangerous if not more, to be associated with her. Use your brain! She's not only associated to Naruto, the Hokage, and the Copy-nin Kakashi, BUT also she's killed Sasori so Akatsuki may harbor ill-will towards her, amongst other groups from which she fought against.
"Besides, if she truly loves you and you truly love her…all of this wouldn't matter because somehow you'd find a way to make it work."
"hn."
Temari turned her back towards her little brother and before she left, she kissed him on the cheek, "I'll see you at the hospital."
The time was a few hours past midnight. The halls of the hospital were seemingly empty with a scant amount nurses stationed on every floor. But all that didn't matter as he slipped through the window easily and silently walked towards her bed as though gliding on air with such swift movements.
The beeping and hum of the machines did little to ease his posture and tentatively, he reached out to her as though she were a mere figment of his imagination…and maybe it was, maybe he was hallucinating this whole ordeal to soothe the loneliness that never ceased to stab at his troubled soul.
But once his skin came into contact with hers, he knew she was real- that her pain-his pain at seeing her in pain, was real. Affectionately, he caressed her silky skin liking the contrast against his calloused fingertips so stained with blood against something seemingly pristine in its helpless beauty. There was no doubt even hooked up to wires she was still beautiful.
His heart clenched in lightheartedness as he gently ran his thumb over her parted lips and relished in the feeling of her hot breath against his cold skin.
"Sakura" he breathed out, "I think…" he struggled to find the right words to such a foreign feeling and when the word popped up, he sharply took an intake of air and slowly his words came out hesitant and in ponderous thoughtfulness, "I love you?"
Her eyes slowly opened, "Gaara?" and before he could respond, she was unconscious once again and he was confused as to what he said and why.
Swiftly, he jumped from her hospital window and took to the quiet rooftops of Suna, not once bothering to notice that his sister was looking at his retreating back with her lips moving into a beautiful smile before turning to look over her friend's condition.
He had much to mull over and being in her presence seemed to eradicate all coherent thought. He hoped beyond hope she wouldn't remember what he said that night, because he was unsure about this new feeling…perhaps love was too delicate…too strong of a word?
"Sakura" he growled out in confused hatred, "why do you make me feel so vulnerable? So weak? I am not weak, no one has that power to control me, no one!"
With a newfound burst of energy, he ran past the Suna gates and into the dessert never once looking back as he blindly charged into the cold night.
Her green eyes slowly opened and sluggishly, she pushed away strands of disheveled pink hair. Her curious eyes looked around the white-walled room frightened. There were machines next to her beeping, a curtain pulled around her and a strange man with dark hair looming over her with a brown flat object and writing something on it,
"wh-where am I?"
He smiled, "Sakura-san you're in the hospital."
"what's a hospital?"
Seeing his smile diminished made her uneasy and she began to apologize thinking she offended him, "I'm sorry sir…I didn't mean it in disrespect"
"What's your last name?" he pulled out a small cylindrical tube that emitted light and immediately she shrunk away in fear, a small eep escaped her lips.
"wh-what are you g-going to do to me?"
"I'm going to take care of you until you get back to normal."
"what?"
"You lost your memories Sakura-san. Apparently you also managed to forget certain items as well, like this completely harmless flashlight." He pointed to the tube in his pocket and she meekly nodded with wide eyes and he couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked.
"W-will you help me?"
Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, noting the small blush lining her cheeks. "I will do everything I can to help you." He smiled at her, "so may I re-introduce myself?"
She nodded.
"I am your student and voluntary doctor today Amari, Ajax, but you could call me Ajax."
"Ajax…I like that name." They both shared a genuine smile and as the day progressed they found each other's company comforting and enjoyed every minute, that is until Temari, who introduced herself to Sakura a few hours ago came in,
"Ajax visiting hours are over and Sakura needs her rest."
Giving one last smile to Sakura and a respectful bow towards Temari, he disappeared in cloud of smoke earning a gasp from the astounded cherry blossom.
"How'd he do that?!"
"He's a shinobi" Temari answered and Sakura nodded in brief understanding, recalling part of her conversation with Ajax.
"Can I tell you something?" Sakura whispered.
"Sure, what is it Sakura-chan?"
"I think I like Ajax."
Silence gripped the room and Temari soon left, looking for her little brother.
Sakura cannot fall in love with Ajax, not after what she had to do to make those two recognize one another as potential soul mates. But as the days past by, there was no sign of Gaara, forcing Temari to take on temporary kazekage roles, increasing the chance of Sakura falling for Ajax even more.
Gaara, you better realize that you want her soon, because as the days past by, she's growing for another man…you're loosing the only good thing you have for yourself.
"HEY TEMARI! I NEVER KNEW YOU WORE GRANNY PANTIES!" Kankurou was waving her white-cotton panties in the middle of the hall as if they were a flag and she blushed in a mix of anger and embarrassment…those were strictly for her periods!
"KANKUROU GIVE THEM BACK!"
He stuck out his tongue childishly, "make me!"
Steam emitted from her ears and from nowhere, she pulled out her fans and smirked as she witnessed her little brother pale.
"Oh shit" and immediately began running away while she angrily chased him throughout Suna.
So reviewing would be really great, because support is really awesome to have! Tell me what you think or what you want to see in the upcoming chapters as far as lemons or conflict, or resolving conflicts go. I want this to be a story based on reasonable wants the reader desires to see, so your opinon is an awesome thing to hear, so "speak out!" As bob dylan would say!