I'm so sorry I didn't update at all this weekend! I had some major decisions to make and they required all my attention. Everything's fine now and the stories that didn't get updated this weekend will be updated throughout the week.
A three year old Emiko ran down the hallways of the Akatsuki lair, sobbing. She barely registered being picked up and carried into someone's room.
"Why are you crying, Emiko?"
Emiko sniffled. "'Tachi left on a mission. Now I'm all alone."
Sasori frowned. "What about the rest of us?"
Emiko pouted. "None of you like to play with me."
Sasori sighed. "Let me finish my work and then you and I can go play outside."
"Thank you, Danna!" Emiko hugged Sasori tightly around the neck. She smiled as she watched Sasori finish working on a puppet. "What are we gonna do, Danna?"
Sasori hid a smile. "How about Tag?"
Emiko squealed. Tag was her favorite game. "Really?"
Sasori put his tools down and picked Emiko up. "Really." He carried her outside and placed her on the ground. He tapped her nose. "You're it."
Emiko laughed happily as she and Sasori played through the afternoon and after the sun had set. Emiko finally stopped running around and yawned sleepily up at Sasori. "It's night night time, Danna."
Sasori smiled and scooped Emiko up, cradling her close to his chest. "Let's go get you ready for bed." He helped Emiko brush her teeth and change into her nightgown. He began pulling the covers back on her bed but stopped when he felt Emiko tug on his arm. "What's wrong, Emiko?"
Emiko rubbed her eye sleepily, holding I-chan in her other hand. "I want to sleep with you tonight, Danna."
Sasori was about to tell her no, but he hesitated. He let out a reluctant sigh and picked her up, carrying her back to his room. He pulled the sheets back on the bed he never slept in. Gently, he tucked Emiko in. He straightened up to go work on his puppet, but he was once again stopped by a small hand on his arm. He sighed and looked down sternly at Emiko. "You need to go to sleep, Emiko."
Emiko pouted sleepily up at Sasori. "I want you to go to sleep too."
"I don't need to sleep."
"Stay with me. I get scared by myself."
Sasori sighed and reluctantly stretched himself out on top of the covers, smoothing Emiko's hair down. "Better?"
Emiko smiled. "Yes." She sighed in content as she felt her eyes drift shut. "I love you, Danna."
Sasori smiled this time. "I know."
"What are you doing out here by yourself, Emiko?"
Emiko reluctantly turned to the voice. "Go away. I'm mad at all of you."
Sasori sighed. Itachi and Kisame had brought Emiko back with them from their mission to capture the Kyubi. Ever since then, Emiko had been very cranky. "Why are you mad at all of us?" He now stood beside the boulder Emiko was sitting on.
Emiko refused to look at him. "Because you hurt people."
Sasori refrained from rolling his eyes. "It comes with the job of being a ninja."
"You want to hurt Naru-chan."
"Emiko, look at me." Sasori used his sternest voice possible.
Emiko pouted and reluctantly looked at him. "What?"
Sasori looked around, making sure none of the other members were around. He pulled Emiko off of her rock and hugged her tightly to him. "Please don't hate us. What we do is no different from what other ninja do. It hurts you more right now because you know someone involved. In time, you'll understand why we do what we do. Just please don't hate us. You are the only source of light we have in this dark world."
Emiko felt tears filling her eyes. Ever since she had returned, she felt torn between the two places she felt were her home. She didn't know where she belonged anymore. "I'm sorry. I don't hate any of you. I'm sorry, Danna." She kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Danna"
Sasori smiled and hugged her back tightly. "I know."
"Danna, I found those plants you were looking for!" Emiko, now six, was running excitedly through the hallways, clutching a bundle of green leaves to her chest.
Sasori poked his head out of his room. "You didn't let any get in your mouth, did you?"
Emiko stopped in front of Sasori, breathless. "Of course not. Danna told me not to put the plants anywhere near my mouth so I didn't."
Sasori ruffled her hair and took the plants from Emiko. "That's my girl."
Emiko followed Sasori into his room. "What are you working on, Danna?"
"I'm upgrading one of my puppets." Sasori didn't even look up from his work. "Would you like to watch?"
Emiko was surprised. Sasori never let anyone watch him work. "Of course, Danna!" She down beside him, happy to just have him willingly spend time with her. "Can you teach me how to control puppets, Danna?"
Sasori chuckled. "Being a Puppet Master requires much skill and patience. While your very skilled, Emiko, I don't think you have the patience."
Emiko felt her cheeks reddened. Sasori never complimented her. "Yeah, you're right."
The two sat in silence for a few hours, Emiko watching intently as Sasori worked. Emiko felt her stomach growling but she didn't want to lose this chance to spend time with her Danna. Sasori finally laughed quietly.
"Go join the others for dinner. Once your done, you can come watch some more."
Emiko pouted and reluctantly left the room. She came back fifteen minutes later and plopped herself back down beside Sasori. She leaned against his side and smiled when he didn't push her away.
Sasori glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He smiled softly. "Would you like to put the poison in, Emiko?"
Emiko blinked, shocked. "Can I?"
Sasori smirked. "I just asked if you wanted to."
Emiko beamed. "Of course!" She sat herself in his lap and let him show her how to put the poison into the puppet. She slowly poured the purple liquid in, be careful not to spill a single drop. When she was done, she grinned proudly up at Sasori. "I did it, Danna!"
Sasori ruffled her hair. "Good work." He put her back at his side and smiled when she snuggled against him again. He looked down and saw Emiko's eyes drooping shut. "Go to sleep, Emiko."
Emiko nodded her head and closed her eyes. "I love you, Danna."
"I know."
Emiko stood motionless, as the battle between the two Puppet Masters continued. She willed her body to move, to help, but it was useless. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Sasori stab Sakura. "Please stop…" Her voice was barely a whisper.
She watched as Chiyo gave Sakura the last antidote. Sakura pulled the sword out of her stomach and pushed Sasori back. "Please stop…" Her voice was slightly stronger.
Sasori lunged at Sakura. "Please stop!" Emiko screamed.
Sasori did stop, but not because of Emiko's scream. He had been stabbed through the heart by two swords. He was shocked to realize they were the swords that belonged to his puppet parents.
It took a few moments for what happened to register in Emiko's brain. By that time, Sasori had mumbled something to Sakura. Emiko ran over quickly to Sasori and hugged him tightly around the waist. "Danna!"
Sasori willed himself to look down at the distressed girl. He placed a shaky wooden hand on top of Emiko's head. "Emiko, go with the Konoha ninja."
Emiko lifted her tear streaked face up. "Why?"
Sasori gave her a weak smile. "You were so sad those years when you weren't with them. All I want, all any of us want, is for you to be happy."
Emiko sobbed. "Don't die, Danna! Don't leave me! I love you, Danna!"
Sasori managed to make his smile widen. "I know. I love you too, Emiko."
Emiko smiled shakily. "That's the first time you ever said you love me."
"I know. Be good, Emiko."
Emiko's smile faded and more tears poured down her face. Her eyes were widened in shock. "Danna?"
Sakura hugged Emiko tightly from behind. "Emiko, you just made him contradict everything he said about himself." She smiled shakily at Emiko's confused expression. "He said that feelings were useless, that he felt nothing for anyone."
Emiko cried and hugged Sakura tightly. "I didn't want my Danna to die! Why'd Danna have to leave me!?"
Chiyo dragged herself over and placed a shaky hand on Emiko's head. "I'm so sorry, Emiko. I'm so sorry I made you lose someone so important to you."
Emiko pulled herself away from Sakura and walked over to where Sasori's headband lay. She picked it up and held it tightly to her chest. Another strangled cry escaped her lips. She looked back over at Chiyo, her voice cracking. "May I keep this, please?"
Chiyo smiled. "Yes." She winced in pain as the poison worked through her body. "Emiko, go and wait in the large field a few miles from here. We'll all join you soon."
Emiko's eyes widened. "I don't wanna be alone!"
Sakura hugged Emiko tightly. "You won't be alone for long. We have to save Gaara still."
Emiko knelt down beside the fallen body of Sasori. She kissed his wooden cheek, tears still falling. "Goodbye, Sasori no Danna." She ran from the cave as fast as her legs would carry her. She finally collapsed in the field, curling up in small ball and sobbing, hugging Sasori's headband close to her chest. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she felt someone shaking her.
Naruto stood above her, relief on his face. "You're okay, Emiko-chan."
Emiko's eyes were downcast. "Yeah…" She looked around and saw Gaara's lifeless body on the ground. She realized Naruto was looking at Gaara.
Naruto looked pleadingly at Sakura. When she shook her head negatively, tears rolled down Naruto's cheeks. "Why did Gaara have to die?"
Chiyo sighed. "Calm down, Naruto."
"Shut up!" Naruto screamed. He ranted at Chiyo, tears falling freely at down his cheeks. He finally calmed down and rubbed furiously at his tears. "I couldn't save Sasuke and now, I wasn't able to save Gaara."
Emiko felt a lump in her throat. "What happened to Sasu-chan?"
Naruto looked down at her, tears still falling from his eyes. "He went to Orochimaru."
Emiko's body went completely rigid. She held the tears back, knowing it was not the time to cry for Sasuke. She looked at Gaara's dead body. She crawled over and curled up at his side. She cried and kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Gaara-san. I'm so sorry I let my family hurt you. I'll never forgive myself."
Chiyo shakily stood up and nudged Emiko to the side. "Stay back." She smiled at Emiko. "I won't allow you to lose anymore precious people today."
Emiko watched in awe as a light formed around Chiyo's hands. She leaned against Chiyo's side. She felt more tears fall from her eyes; it reminded her of being with Sasori. She knew what Chiyo was doing. "Thank you, Chiyo-baasan."
She continued to watch silently as Naruto leant Chiyo his chakra. More tears fell from her eyes as the end neared. When Gaara opened his eyes, a sob tore from Emiko's lips.
Gaara looked around in shock. "Naruto?" He looked down at his side and his eyes widened even more. "Emiko?"
Naruto laughed. "Everyone came running to save you."
Emiko barely noticed all the people standing around. She flung her arms around Gaara and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek repeatedly. "I'm so sorry, Gaara-san!"
Gaara put an unsure hand on Emiko's back. "What happened?"
Emiko looked down, biting her lip. "Chiyo-baasan brought you back."
Gaara stood up slowly, with the help of Naruto. He looked down at Chiyo's peaceful body. "Everyone, send your prays to Chiyo-baasama."
Zetsu and Tobi were wandering around the battlefield where Sasori's body lay. Zetsu looked around. "Emiko was here. She's gone with the Konoha ninja."
Tobi casually flipped Sasori's ring in the air. "It's fine. She'll want to find Sasuke now. Sasuke will be tracking Itachi down which means she'll come back to us again." He looked over at Sasori's dead body. "You wanted to protect her too, just like Itachi. Unfortunately, you failed Sasori. Everything is going just as I have planned."
This was a hard chapter to write! I had Moonlight Shadow by Groove Coverage on (the slow version) and I couldn't stop crying! My poor little Emiko is going to be so sad from now on! Please let me know what you thought.