L.
Reviews are always welcome as well as your predictions.
Light after Dark
Chapter 21
A young woman with short black hair and a grim look on her pale face swiftly made her way down to the solitary confinement wing of the hospital. She wore a dark long sleeved sweater paired with a black knee length skirt plus brown boots. Wordlessly, she entered the wing, quickly flashing the guards her identification card she used to enter and making her way down the now familiar hallway to a certain red head's cell, completely ignoring the guard posed at the beginning of the hall tapping an empty box where all dangerous items were to be left.
As usual, the hall was spotless and blindingly white with a single window open for air. She moved swiftly down the hall then stopped in front of the only quarters' occupied. Nervously, she pulled at a lock of her hair before she gathered her wits and turned to face the shining glass dividing her, and the patient.
"Gaara." She spoke, her voice betraying her calm exterior. Her eyes bore into his form that lay prone atop the messy bed, one leg hanging off the side, one arm tossed over his eyes. "Gaara!"
The red head in question sat up in bed and looked over at her, teal eyes clouded in suspicion. "Shizune." He answered back, sliding out of bed, his movements languid. "To what do I owe this honor?" His voice was laced in suspicion.
Shizune drew her eyebrows together as she took a deep breath. "Stop asking about Sakura." She stated calmly.
A mocking, lightly breathe left the red heads lips as he slowly stood up and made his way up to the glass dividing them. "You don't hold back do you?"
Shizune held her ground and met his eyes, arms clasped behind her back. "I mean it Gaara. Stop beating the dead horse."
Gaara cocked an eyebrow at her and leaned back, a tiny smirk dancing on his lips. "No. I don't think I will."
Shizune's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"
He placed both hands on the glass beside her head and leaned down to meet her eye level. "Because you people are hiding something about her. I know it. I see it every time Tsunade comes down here."
"What?"
"It's in her eyes, her movements; she's hiding something-something important." He answered flippantly.
Shizune worked her jaw as she sized him up, taking in his even more than normal disheveled appearance. He was in desperate need of a haircut and some sunlight, the skin under his eyes were even darker than normal and his pants were covered in wrinkles; as though he hadn't changed them in weeks. "Regardless…stop inquiring about her."
A flash of realization appeared on Gaara's face before the mask clouded over. "Give me one good reason I should." His voice turned low and menacing.
"Because it doesn't help you in the slightest. Asking about her I mean." Shizune completely ignored his change in attitude in favor of pursuing the subject.
"It doesn't?"
"No."
"Who are you to judge that?"
"What?"
"Who are you to judge whether or not any information about her helps my mental state?" He raised a challenging eyebrow.
Shizune chewed the inside of her cheek, desperately trying to stop the impending train wreck. "She's dead. Sakura's dead."
It slipped out of her mouth before she gave it a second thought.
Light after Dark Light after Dark
"And this one," Sasuke pointed to the third photo on the page. "Was taken in spring at a picnic." Emerald orbs stared down at the picture; it was of her, Naruto and Sasuke all seated on the grass scowling and soaking wet. "Someone-the blonde idiot- thought it would be a good idea to bring water balloons and decided to throw them at us. Naturally we rebutted…and this was the result." He frowned down at the album.
"Three wet, cold, grumpy teenagers?" She asked in jest, a smile playing at her pouty lips.
"Yeah."
"What about this one? Who are they?" She asked, placing her long, well manicured finger nail atop another photo on the next page. In it was her, laughing happily and sitting in the lap of a tall blonde haired male with long blonde hair. They were eating ice-cream together and seemed completely comfortable. "Sasuke?" She glanced at the midnight blue haired male beside her who suddenly went ridged.
"That would be Deidara…do you know about him?" He asked softly.
She hummed lightly to herself, staring down into Deidara's face before shrugging. "Sort of…OH!" She gasped and crumpled off the bed and onto the flooring, clutching her head as the room began to spin around her. Her body went hot and cold as memories began to flood into her mind before everything went black.
"Come on Sakura! Don't you want ice-cream?" A young, tanned male with long blonde hair tied in a pony tail grinned down at the pink haired girl lying on the floor of his living room. "I was thinking we could walk down to the shop and get some before you had to leave." A small frown tugged at the corners of him mouth. "You know you don't have to leave right?" He crouched down and tugged at one of her long pink locks. "There's a bedroom right upstairs with your name on it…"
The pinkett below him merely giggled and shrugged before pulling herself up into a sitting position, her forehead nearly colliding with his own. "Thanks…I don't know though…I should go home."
Deidara sighed before standing back up and lightly kicked her back with his foot. "No, you should stay here at my house where it's safe and away from that sorry excuse of a father that you have."
A ghost of a frown appeared on her face before she shook her head. "Okay okay you've talked me into it." She held out her arms for him to pull her up. "I'll stay. Will that make you happy?" One pink eyebrow rose as he pulled her onto her feet and directly into a tight hug. "Yeah…I'm happy." He pulled back to look down into her face. "So…ice cream?"
Light after Dark Light after Dark
Emerald eyes stared past the watery gaze of her best friend at the scuffed all behind his head as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. They sat on the bed in the middle of Naruto's apartment, facing one another. Naruto's face was contorted in worry and rejection while Sakura's was pink. "Sakuraaa…" He whined and grabbed her hand. "Tell me the truth, no lies."
"I did tell you the truth!" She quipped. "Everything's fine!"
"Then why are you avoiding me?" His eyes begged her to look at him instead of the scratched off white wall.
The pinkett sighed and pulled her hand out of his grip to pat his knee. "I have not been avoiding you…I've just been busy."
"With what?"
"With…things…I have a life you know." She tried to force her face into a put off expression but failed.
Naruto ignored the look. "I know! And I know your life as well as I know my own and you have been avoiding me!" He persisted, scratching behind his head in aggravation.
"Have not!"
"Have too!"
"Have not!"
"Have to!"
"No I haven't Naruto! I've just been busy with things!" Sakura tossed her long pink hair over one shoulder and massaged the side of her neck.
Concerned blue eyes tried to meet her gaze. "What things? Just tell me and I'll drop the subject." His head tilted to follow her evading movements.
Sakura heaved a heavy sigh and shrugged. "Things like…getting…a…apartment!" She nearly shouted in glee when the words left her lips. Sure she wasn't really looking for an apartment, but in the end all she had to say was that she didn't see anything she really liked or could afford.
Baby blue eyes opened wide in admiration before he suddenly tackled her in a huge bear huge that whipped the air from her lungs. "Holy shit! Are you serious Saku? Really? You're finally going to move out of that assholes house?" His arms wrapped tighter around her as his voice dropped low into a hushed whisper. "You don't have to go buy or rent a place you know." He nuzzled the top of her head and pulled her into a softer embrace. "You can stay here, with me. Or with Sasuke-I know he'd say yes…maybe even Kaka-Sempai…"
"Naru…" Guilt suddenly clutched her gut when she heard the emotion behind his words.
"Why didn't you tell me Saku?" He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. "You know I'd help you, with whatever you choose…"
Light after Dark Light after Dark
Sakura pursed her lips in concentration as she ran a comb though the ends of her tangled hair and shifted into a more comfortable position at the edge of the bed.
"Sakura…what are you doing?" A silky voice called to her from the doorway. Emerald eyes glanced up at the man staring at her with a mildly quizzical look before turning her attention back to untangling her hair. "Hey Itachi…don't mind me. Just trying to…get these tangles out." She made a face at the ends of her hair before she attacked the tangles with the comb again.
"Mhmm…" He answered, moving to sit at the head of the bed. "Right well when you're quite done with that let me know. I'll get started on dinner." He shifted so that he was now lying on his back. "I do presume you are staying for dinner?"
"If you'll let me." She answered offhandedly, her focus now on brushing out her entire head since she removed all of the tangles.
Itachi frowned at her back. "Of course I'd have you…you know you are always welcome here."
Sakura nodded her head, tossing some of her hair over her shoulder as she attempted to make a part down the middle using only her finger nails.
"Sakura."
"Hm?" She combed her fingers through the half of her hair she pulled to the front, smoothing out any tangles.
"Sakura." He tried again, nudging her back with his foot.
"Yes?" She began dividing the section in three.
Dark eyes narrowed in annoyance as he watched the pinkett in front of him continue to toy with her hair, neatening the three sections before beginning to slowly cross them upon one another. Itachi sighed and sat up, his arm immediately reaching forward to grab her shoulder. "Sakura stop playing with your hair and look at me." He spoke, his voice low and strained.
Emerald eyes looked at him over her shoulder before she finally turned her body to face him. "What's wrong?" Her voice was soft as she took in his features; his eyes were heavy with emotion and his face had paled even further.
Itachi scowled slightly before nodding, satisfied that he had gained her attention. "You realize that you are not a bother correct?"
Frown lines etched themselves into the pinkett's face before she nodded slowly.
"You understand that you are always welcome here-whether I'm here or not?"
Again, she nodded slowly.
"And you know that I want you to take me up on it right?"
That, she didn't nod at. "What?" Emerald eyes crinkled in confusion.
"I mean, I hate it when you always ask for permission…this is your home. Treat it as such." He closed his eyes in frustration. "Stop asking if it's alright you stay for dinner…stop…stop asking to spend the night-if you feel like just sleeping here do it. If you-I don't know want tacos just say so. Leave clothing here-more than one nights-and just…" He heaved a heavy sigh. "Just stop acting like a guest…it bothers me. Walk in here at three am for all I care…" He muttered and stood up. "I'm going to start making dinner. Is spaghetti alright?"
"No."
He stopped and turned around to see Sakura tilting her head at him. "I feel like tacos actually." She smiled gently at him, understanding shinning in her eyes.
Light after Dark Light after Dark
Shizune paced back and forth in the break room, her brain repeating the words she uttered at Gaara before she ran away. "Shit shit shit shit!" She muttered to herself, slowly working herself up into a panic. "Shit!"
Beside her, the door clicked open to reveal a pineapple haired guard with a scowl on his face. As soon as he saw the stressed out woman, he sighed, closed his eyes, took a bracing breath then crossed the threshold; shutting the door behind him. "Hello Shizune." He drawled, walking over to the couch. "How has your day been going?" He asked out of courtesy, though he expected her to unload all of her problems onto him.
The black haired woman stopped her pacing to stare down at the guard sitting on the sofa, his eyes were closed and he pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off a headache. "Shikamaru." Shizune chewed her lower lip as she fruitlessly tried to calm herself down. "Listen Shikamaru…Lady Tsunade is going to call Kakashi and attempt to-"
"I know, she's already done it."
Shizune's eyes opened wide. "Already? My oh…oh no…"
Shikamaru racked a hand though his hair as he stared down at the small coffee table. "Yeah…what is her obsession with Sakura anyway? It's not natural…"
Short black hair swayed as she nodded. "I know…and well…I don't know…Maybe she thinks of her as a daughter?" She fetched.
The pineapple haired guard snorted.
"Alright so maybe not…"
He shrugged. "She's awfully attached to Gaara and Sakura…more so than anyone else." His eyes slid down to her to emphasize his point.
"Yes well-"
"Miss Shizune!" Hinata's worried voice sounded through the door. "Miss Shizune where are you?"
Tired, worried eyes darted to the break room door before landing back on Shikamaru. "Best go find her and tell her you're alright." He muttered dismissively, already unfastening the required uniform belt.
Light after Dark Light after Dark
A young guard with pineapple like hair sat slumped in the break room sofa massaging his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. His feet sat propped up on the small coffee table in front of him where his disguarded belt lay containing his tasor, gun, and sparse medical supplies. "Why does God hate me?" He muttered to himself and proceeded to rub his eyes raw.
Just then the door opened and a heavy body plopped itself down beside him. "You okay man?" He glanced to his side to see Kiba looking at him with one eyebrow raised.
"No, hell no I'm not." Shikamaru groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tsunade's gone fucking insane."
Beside him Kiba merely 'hrmf'ed in sign for him to go on.
"She's shoving herself down Kakashi's throat to make him bring Sakura back." Shikamaru sighed, leaning his head back against the sofa. "And she's dragging me down the goddamn rabbit hole with her." He muttered.
Kiba took a seat beside his friend for a second, before standing up again. "The hells a rabbit hole have to do with anything?" He asked as he went about making a cup of coffee. "Want some coffee?"
Shikamaru cracked one eye open. "Yeah…and it's…it's a-oh never mind it's from Alice in Wonderland."
"Never heard of it."
"Of course."
Light after Dark Light after Dark
L.
Leave a review with your opinion.
Check out the link in my profile.
Please excuse this short chapter, I am in pain and my concentration is not at its best but I did want to write this for you guys.
Continue?
All constructive and unconstructive criticism welcome.