Sakura stared and Hinata laughed.
When the Hokage's wife finally got her breath back she managed to speak "I didn't realise you could tell the future Sakura!"
"I was joking!" Sakura snapped glaring at the crowd gathered before the hospital doors "I didn't know Gaara -actually- had a fanclub!"
Hinata eyed the crowd with a more serious face now "Some of them are Kunoichi...and all of them are armed Sakura"
Now Sakura sighed deeply, "You best go along to the office...I might be a while".
Shaking her head the leader of the Hyuuga clan made her way serenely out of the hospital and towards the Kazekage tower. The crowd of (rabid (no not really)) fangirls parted to let her through before closing ranks. Sakura met their glares and grinned
"Hinata" Gaara greeted the woman, who whilst waiting had been served tea, Temari entered behind him carrying some more teacups.
"Tea brother?" Temari offered pouring herself a cup
Gaara looked around not spotting the woman he was looking for "Yes please...where is Sakura?"
Hinata smiled "She is..."
A kunai chose that moment to shatter the window, quivering in the ceiling amongst the shocked silence.
Hinata tried again after clearing her throat "She is fighting some challengers."
"Who?" Gaara asked yanking the Kunai from the ceiling with his sand
Temari had walked to the broken window "Oh my gods"
Shooting Hinata an unamused look Gaara strode across the room to join his sister. He gaped at the scene before him, almost every woman from the village was in the streets or on the rooftops. They all wore bright red cloths tied around their arms and were attacking Sakura with unrelenting force.
"What is this?"
"That would be your fanclub" Temari said dryly "I take it they've decided to challenge Sakura together"
They all winced as there was a chakra peak, and several dozen woman simply collapsed in the street. Gaara could now see Sakura's hair in the middle of several kunoichi fighting hand to hand. "This is not right" He said
His sister shook her head "You're right, this is not honourable combat"
Gaara threw up his hands.
Sakura meanwhile was struggling, her back against a wall she took a few seconds to catch her breath and wipe sweat soaked hair out of her face.
A fist appreached at speed and Sakura dodged it absentmindedly kicking the woman down the street as the other kunoichi tripped over one of the passed out bodies that littered the streets.
I took out all the weaker ones with chakra overload Sakura thought eyeing the dozens of women still left, grim faced, ninja trained women, many of which bore deadly looking weapons. More watched from the rooftops and Sakura suddenly wondered if they were going to try and kill her.
A kunai embedding itself into her shoulder pretty much answered her question and Sakura almost laughed as she slumped to the ground blocking a katana aimed at her head. This is insane The pain was increadible and Sakura realised too late the kunai wasn't a normal one, her chakra was draining at an alarming rate, leaving her limp on the ground.
"Why..." Sakura tried to ask
The katana, held by a woman with grim eyes sliced down in a deadly arc.
"What is going on here?"
Sakura blinked, in front of her was a familiar looking gourd with familiar looking red-hair. The katana had paused on his shoulder, held there by the Kazekage's sand armour.
"A...Lord Kazekage" The woman quickly snatched her katana back sheathing it at the same time. Then she, and everyone around dropped to one knee.
Gaara folded his arms "Answer me"
One woman had not fallen to her knee and folded her arms "We are challenging the woman who would be your wife, as is right with tradition - you are not meant to interfere Lord Kazekage." She scowled at Sakura.
With a snort Gaara shook his head and relied "Don't be stupid - Do you think I'm that niave?" shocked the woman stared. Gaara actually growled, his displeasure encompassing all who stood nearby "The challenges are to be One on ONE, no more than 5 a day with at least half an hours break between so that the woman may recover." The woman opened her mouth to argue but Gaara cut her off "Also, the laws of this village, which superceed any traditions say that ninja may not formally challenge another without a judge of my choosing and without my permission! Do you know how much damage my fiancee can do?" he snarled now "This village relies on you all being fit and well and able to go on missions, consider this before wasting yourselves."
"We were defeating her!" One kunoichi looked up and snapped back "She is not worthy!"
The temperature dropped as Gaara's jaw clenched in anger "There are 179 women here" Gaara spoke carefully, his voice betraying his anger "103 are unable to move, 87 of these are civilian women, 26 trained ninja" he stared around "76 of you are still standing, but I can sense that 30 are close to collapse or injured - leaving 46 of you still fighting my fiancee" The woman who had spoken gaped like a fish "I doubt you could do as well"
Unable to look at the women anymore Gaara turned his back on them to look at Sakura, his nose flared at the scent of her blood and his eyes narrowed at the kunai in her shoulder. They widened again as he looked at her chakra levels, they were draining away, only a flicker now remained resisting the pull from the blade.
Gaara snarled, and spun back eyes red.
"Fools"
All the women flinched, eyes wide as Shukaku's killer intent enveloped them "Who is controlling this jitsu!" Without waiting for an answer a stream of sand flew up to a roof. There was a scream as a woman was dragged down, a tentical of sand around her throat. Her eyes were wide showing the whites when she was brought before Gaara/Shukaku.
"RELEASE THIS" He snarled showing fangs and dropping the woman to the floor
"Kai! Kai!" The woman shouted frantically dropping the jitsu, just as Sakura's chakra dwindled to its last few drops
Gaara, viewing the world through Shukaku's eyes saw that his fiancee was alive and turned back to the woman. Sakura's chakra was surrounding an object the woman held "Relenquish that to me" Unable to do anything but obey the woman handed him a green jemstone.
"You will all carry one of your fallen comerades home. You will report to the hospital if you are injured. You will all stay in your rooms until the day after tomorrow. If I even scent any of you in the street you will PAY - GO"
Without watching to see if his orders were obeyed Gaara turned back to his fallen fiancee and cradling her began to walk to the hospital.
"TEMARI" Gaara's eyes were still red as they surveyed his sister.
Temari wiped some sweat from her brow and smiled "Hello Kuku, Gaara, Sakura is fine, I gave her some chakra and repaired her shoulder" taking a deep breath she leant against the wall "I didn't realise you'd be so concerned kuku-chan"
Shukaku eyed Temari "Do not get pert with me, sister-of-my-host. Will she be alright?"
Swallowing nervously and bowing slightly Temari answered "She just needs rest, at least a day in bed, she's awake now."
Nodding Shukaku walked into the hospital room.
"Greetings Shukaku" A weak sounding voice called out from the bed towards the demon.
Shukaku frowned "Temari said you were well mate."
Sakura laughed "I am fine...I'm just tired kuku...very tired, come sit by me?" she asked patting the bed beside her.
The demon sat down, his eyes gleaming in a cool darkness of the room "This" he indicated her bandaged shoulder and general state of well being in one motion "displeases Gaara...as it does me" He drummed his hand on the bedframe, earning a metallic clicking sound as he regarded his mate, a feral smile overtook his features "I could rip them all apart if you so desire, create a bath of their blood to wash away your pain, make them rule the day they ever laid a finger on..."
*slap*
Gaara's eyes flickered as he reached up to touch his cheek, feeling the heat from Sakura's slap there. "Shukaku" His head snapped around to his mate at the sound of his name, the anger radiating from her was tangable and real. Her glare he decided was the best thing.
kukuku our mate is truely beautiful when she is angry
I hate to point this out Shukaku...but she -is- angry.
"These are my fights, they are my challengers. At the end of the day they are your people, never offer their lives to me like that again."
Shukaku regarded the woman before him for a long time before nodding carefully to her, his eyes fading back to Gaara's natural colour.
"Gaara?"
"Sakura" Gaara reached forward and ran a thumb along her cheek, cupping her face as he did so. "You need rest, I would have you stay at my mansion if you wish"
Eyes closed Sakura simply nodded "I'm so tired koi" she explained yawning
With a smile Gaara leant forward and kissed the kunoichi on the forehead before sweeping her up in his arms and holding her close. "Then you shall sleep" he whispered as sand enveloped them, transporting the pair away from the hospital.
The nurse set to watch over Sakura carefully folded the curtain she had hidden behind back into its place as she considered what she had just seen.
She hardly seems to be the evil temptress Giana is making her out to be She thought as she made the bed up into its previously neat state. Quietly she pondered the actions of the kazekage towards this woman He...truely seems to love her, even Shukaku regards her with affection.
With a shrug the nurse left the room, closing the door behind her with a click.