I Do Not Own Naruto

Chapter 25

Temari stood with Gaara staring at the shattered earth in front of their village. The last he had seen of this attack it had been from a particularly foul tempered pinkette. Gaara looked at his blonde sister who merely looked at a loss for what had happened outside of their village.

"I did not know Haruno was in the area," Temari said softly. "But why wouldn't she have come to the village?"

"She went this way," Gaara announced as he ran towards the canyon outside of the Sand. He had a soft spot for Sakura, not in a romantic sense but she was of the few people who would stand before jinchūriki without fear and she had stood up for him when he had been kidnapped and no one was coming for him. Haruno Sakura was a very special woman to him but in the sense of she was a friend. She was also like a sister to Naruto and Sai, two men he respected.

"Gaara!" Temari shouted as she raced after him then.

Gaara didn't slow as he leapt through the rocks, there were scorch marks which had him stopping to study them. They were lightning scorch marks, but why were they marring the desert canyon walls? There had been no storms in the desert these last weeks so why would there be a lightning mark. Curious he looked down the canyon into the valley, his eyes widened.

"Temari," he called, his spunky blonde sister appeared behind him then with her fan. They just blinked, he carefully made the first move as he descended into the valley. Caution still ruling his movements because he had never forgotten thirteen years ago. He looked at the detached redhead as he approached the fried seal, it was an odd thing. It was clear that Sakura had been here, he could see her earth shattering abilities here but the seal was fried and to his knowledge his friend did not have fire or lightning justu.

"This is Sasori," Temari said calmly as she studied the once puppet master.

"Over there, that's where the lightning originated," he said calmly as he looked up the ledge. Temari just ran up the ledge before him. Gaara felt dread forming in him as he felt the worse possible thoughts form in his mind. He landed on the ledge, then he felt himself stiffen. There were blasted apart remains.

"Sakura," he breathed as he raced after Temari. They both gathered the remains as they returned to the village. His composure was slipping as he ran through the desert back to the village. He didn't know what to think as they carried these remains to the village, he would get in touch with the Leaf and get some more information to identify Sakura. They placed the remains in the morgue of the hospital but he couldn't leave them. If they were her then he needed to know who had done this to her. Why had she been in Suna? What was she doing coming to Suna? Was she on a mission? Why had she tangled with the Akatsuki?

"Gaara, you should contact the Leaf," Temari said softly. "I'll stay."

"Thank you," he said softly as he walked to his office to send a wire to the Leaf.

"What is that?" Sasuke demanded sharply as the redhead approached his pinkette with a needle in hand. Her ruby eyes narrowed on him.

"This is the antidote, or at least a remedy so she can function and cure herself. If she's half the medic-nin she's claimed to be then she'll be able to find the perfect cure," Karin said cruelly then. He watched the fiery woman with an intensity of a hawk as she slid the needle into Sakura's arm. "It'll take a few minutes."

Sasuke just watched the fiery redhead leave then turned his attention on the pinkette. She was still so pale and still that he thought it unnatural. Never in his knowing of Sakura had he ever seen her so still or weak. She was never weak, hell, he didn't even think she could understand how to be weak just like she didn't understand how to be a missing-nin. He was beginning to realize this now, not that she knew it, but he knew she didn't understand how to be a loner now. Sakura was too loyal, even to him, she'd never be a loner like he was. Then again he hadn't been able to leave her behind, he had snatched her up, sword and all then ran to an Orochimaru hideout near Suna and summoned Karin to help Sakura.

Sasuke frowned, he had never actively saved another being until her.

Why the hell would he grab her and bring her to aid? He had never helped any of his past partners. Usually the moment they were gravely injured he'd just leave them, he was notorious for that, and now he was trying to save Sakura. He didn't like this change in him but at the same time it seemed to go against his nature to leave Sakura alone. Which was odd because he could leave everyone else.

"Sasuke," she breathed, his eyes snapped onto her then.

"Sakura," he replied as he took her slight hand into his and looked intently at her as he waited for her eyes to open. It wasn't like he intended to grab her hand but as he held it he found he couldn't let it go. Even as a particular flame walked into the room. He frowned at the woman.

"She'll be able to find a cure for herself now, the poison is stabilized for the time being and other than that I'm not needed here so I'll go. Be certain to lock this place up or Orochimaru will be furious. And next time you call me I hope it's for more primal interests," she smiled suggestively as she walked away. He glared at her back as she walked away and shut the door behind her.

"I feel like hell, just what did you do to me?" Sakura groaned out as her grip tightened on his hand and her eyes began opening.

"Sasori stabbed you," he replied. "The blade was poisoned, Karin stabilized you now you need to find the antidote."

"Ugh," she groaned. "And I thought one of you was annoying now there's three of you bossing me."

Another update, I'll update Rain for Tears tomorrow and possibly Because I Love You; I'm human and I'm busy too so I'm sorry for lacking on updates but again I have a life. Not much of a life but a life all the same and I prefer writing my original stuff so I actually have to make myself write fanfic. Not that I don't like this stuff, the stories are fun and I don't have to build the characters but I still like my stuff more than fanfic. But I'll try to update my other fanfics more often.

That's all for now folks!

Enjoy Healing Pain! =)