Author's Note: Sorry that it didn't turn out as detailed as it should have been. But on the plus side, mating season is coming along...heh heh...ENJOY!
By the time both Ino and Hinata arrived, Sakura had been consumed by a great fury. She'd already been transformed and she was doing all she could to keep herself from going mad. Her celestial aura, as well as the anger of a mother, surrounded her like a raging hell fire. Her eyes were narrowed and a wind seemed to be formed from her immense chakra. Her now long hair billowed in the said wind. Her Hagoromo circled her, it's movements fast and almost erratic. She was more then ready to go.
Her fury was infectious as well. Everyone felt it that came within a mile of her. It was having some strange affects on Hinata and even Ino. Their clothes disintegrated before being replaced by clothes very similar to Sakura's. Ino's was almost identical to Sakura's, but long, shredded sleeves billowed in Sakura's chakra induced wind, her blond hair lengthened to a length that rivaled Sakura's, but her power didn't even come close (though she did have enough power to destroy the world a few times over). Her clothes were tinted purple, but her Hagoromo was made of...illusions. Hinata's top was larger, covering everything from view, her clothes having a blue tinge to them, as a Hagoromo circled her form that was made entirely of water. (I'm almost willing to bet that you couldn't possibly guess who's the other two Tennyo in Kohona)
Sakura didn't even look at them, she didn't need to, rising high above the ground and above all the buildings before flying straight for the high class district, and to her little ones. Hinata and Ino were close behind, minds to preoccupied with what needed to be done then to be shocked.
It took only minutes for them to find a rather large house. Riku was under it, in the basement with the other kidnapped children. Sakura didn't even knock, she just crashed in through the roof and kept going down to the basement right where Riku was.
Riku had been extremely lucky enough to have been thrown in a cell with Yume and Sora. He was smart too, as soon as he heard and felt the crashes, he pulled the two as close to the wall as he could before Sakura came crashing in, Hinata and Ino close behind.
"Mom!" both Riku and Sora cried before even thinking, Sakura pulled them both into her arms, showering kisses on to the top of their heads.
"You are never going to do this to me again." Sakura commanded between kisses, more relieved than anything.
"Let's bust everyone out of here!" Ino exclaimed, sending the cell door flying off its hinges. She quickly pulled Yume onto her back upon realizing that both Yume's legs were broken. Yume was indeed Ino's counterpart. She was a rabbit demon, One of her bunny ears flopped over while the other was alert and a little cotton tail that seemed to wag with excitement and happiness.
Both boys' hands held securely in her own, Sakura stepped out of the cell, and continued to destroy all the doors. Hinata was put in charge of the children, flying as many as she could out as fast as she could outside of the wall that separated the high class from the lower classes. Luckily it only took her four trips, but something was up. No one was coming.
"Yume!" Ino cried, feeling the demon's chakra levels almost empty. Yume fought as hard as she could to stay awake, to stay alive so that Ino wouldn't suffer the pain of a fast and painful transfusion. But this is when the bad guys did come. One of them carried a strange device that was almost identical to the one that was used against Naruto (first movie). The last of Yume's chakra was drained, then she died, but not without a parting gift.
The mens' eyes went black before screams of terror ensued. They then took their own lives. Yume's smile was the only proof that she was the one that caused their maddened states, but she was already dead. Slowly, Yume began to sink within Ino's body. Sakura was fast, cutting of her pain receptors was becoming an easy task since she's done it so many times.
Yume had done a relatively good job on the energy transfer, good enough so that Sakura had a feeling that she didn't even need to block the pain, not that she was going to stop though. As more men came, Hinata took charge, using her Jyuken, and downing all those whom attacked.
"Hakkeshou: Rokujuu Yonshou!" Hinata cried before moving at lightning speeds. They just kept coming and kept falling dead. Pretty soon the exit was blocked by all the corpses. By the time Ino was done with her transformation, the ground was covered and as was the main exit as previously mentioned.
"Let's go find the head hancho!" Sakura commanded, carrying the two boys up to the next floor.
"We saw him. He took some of the girls and left for a meeting." Sora informed.
"He also tried to take Sora. He was going for the prettiest captives here." Riku added, the look of pride in his eyes.
"Do you know where they're going?" Sora nodded, making Sakura so proud.
"Their headed to our lord's house, I forgot his name though." Sora explained, smiling broadly.
"When this is over, I'm so taking you out for dinner and dessert." Sora cheered at the news while Riku grinned. "Riku, did you learn to do the transformation thing while you were in Death country (real place in the Naruto world! You hear about it in the second movie!)" Riku's grin only grew. Dragonic wings grew from his back and his canines sharpened and lengthened. His nails turned into claws and his eyes turned gold.
"Riku was always the top in his class." Sora beamed. "Mine was never even close to being as scary as Riku's."
"That's because their's nothing scary about you. Your pure of heart, and powerful, stop worrying about it."
"But Sensei said-"
"Sensei was stupid, that's why he's dead. I swear you were born in the wrong village. Is their a Life Country anywhere?" Sakura just listened to them, smiling all the while. It wasn't that hard to catch on. But they had more pressing matters to attend to. "Sora, you gonna change or am I carrying you?" Sora thought about it...before jumping onto his back and making Sakura giggle.
"Party time!" Ino shouted, mirth clearly evident in her voice as everyone rose to the air and flew to the lord's 'humble' abode...that is, after promptly destroying the house. Only one wall stood with the word Faeries painted onto it.
Their first priority was locating the children before bashing things up. So sneaking in was the best option, though not the easiest one. The lord of Blood Country had the placed sealed up tighter than a crabs buttocks (Stole that from Scorpion King!). They'd need a diversion. Someone they wouldn't suspect. Someone cute and innocent that wouldn't hurt a fly...Everyone turned to Hinata.
"Huh? Me? Nonononono-"
"Someone help me!" Hinata cried, tears cascading down her eyes. She and everyone else had reverted back to her normal self, and she pretended to have a sprained ankle. "It hurts."
The main guards ate it all up. They were at her side in seconds asking if they could be 'of service' while checking her out. "My ankle." Hinata bit her lip and lowered her lids. What will Neji think if he finds out? Hinata thought sadly. "It really hurts." Hinata whined as one of the men lifted her leg to 'closer inspect the injury'. It took all Hinata had to not kill the man but when she saw that all of her comrades were finally able to get in, it was over. "JYUKEN!" she didn't even get to thirty two strikes when they fell either dead or unconscious. Running to catch up with her team mates and to not get caught, she dove in through the window from which she saw them enter.
"Took you long enough." Ino held out a hand for Hinata while Sakura closed and locked the window. Riku and Sora were keeping a look out on either side of the hall that they were in.
"Someone's coming!" Sora whispered as loud as he could (oxymoron I think), running back to Sakura's side. Everyone moved as quickly and quietly down the hall Riku was monitoring. While Riku took out the security cameras, the girls sniffed for any children, and Sora watched the rear.
"I think they may be down their." Ino pointed down a poorly lit hall that wreaked of tears.
"Alright, let's go." Taking charge, Sakura lead them down the hall, following the scent that lead her to another hall, each room having a guard stationed at its door. "Ino, can you play a little music for us? It looks like we won't be able to stay hidden. Riku, Sora, stay here." Ino's chakra flowed into the walls of the entire estate, making all the speakers blare the song I wanna be bad. "This is DJ Ino playing her Revolutionary Girls playlist. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Faeries are taking over!"
Putting themselves in plane sight, the three girls struck a pose before engaging in combat with the guards.
"Gods, you'd think that men would put up a better fight." Sakura pouted, doing a head count as all the children were released from their prisons. "Your turn to destroy the building Hinata." Sakura sighed, she was rather bored, Sora and Riku could only laugh at her bored expression.
Hinata agreed whole heartedly with Sakura's sentiments. Punching a hole through the wall, she helped all the children get out. The last one was out by the time more men came.
"Not so fast!" an expensively dressed man barked, a horde of henchmen standing tall behind him.
"So you must be the lord in charge here...how can we help you?" Sakura signaled for Riku and Sora to leave. They were about to complain, but Sakura stopped them before they could. "Protect them." Sakura mouthed. They understood thankfully, so they left without another word.
"You expect me to believe that a couple of girls, caused this much damage?" the lord chortled, his fat gut jiggling at the movement.
"Would you like for us to prove it?" Ino growled.
"Actually, I'd like to buy you and your...services. How much would it cost me?" The hideous man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making the girls cringe in disgust.
"You couldn't afford anyone of our caliber." Hinata snapped, shocking her comrades momentarily.
"Is that so, then I guess I'll have to persuade you." Snapping his fat fingers and smiling, his henchmen attacked. "Try not to damage their faces." he called over the din.
"Magic, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu or Genjutsu?" Sakura yawned.
"...Tai." Hinata and Ino answered in unison.
"I wonder if anyone else is having fun?" the building was in shambles with only one wall standing. In it was a message that said: let this be a warning to those who have kids kidnapped to become sex slaves, Faeries.
"You could ask them, here they come." Ino pointed down the road where quite a few of their male friends came running.
"Why are they here?" Hinata asked, the children had long since been returned home. The only reason they've returned was to make sure no one got away. Only Riku and Sora stayed with them.
"Who are they?" Riku inquired, blushing a little when Sakura licked her thumb and cleaned a smudge of dirt from his face.
"A bunch of worried and sexist fuddy duddies!" Sakura shouted so that they'd hear her.
"Don't be like that, we were worried." Kakashi explained in his own defense, stopping at the foot of all the rubble. "Now I see that the worry was unnecessary."
"Ya' think?" Ino arched an eyebrow in askance.
"Ino? Is that you?" Shikamaru and Chouji gaped at her in shock.
"No, it's your mother." Ino whacked both of them upside the head. "Who else would it be. You know any other hot blonds?"
"No comment." Shikamaru's mumbled.
"What was that? 'No comment' what's that supposed to mean? Humph, see if I talk to you again." Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Ino walked away from them.
"Nope, I don't know anyone hotter then you." Chouji admitted, earning himself a hug from Ino.
"You always know how to make a girl feel good about herself." Ino fawned, pressing his head against her bosom without thinking. Chouji just grinned ear to ear while he watched Shikamaru's face fault.
"Hinata! Are you alright?" Neji was checking her over for any injuries.
"I'm fine." Hinata reassured. "Mission complete and a complete success."
"Told you." Naruto murmured under his breath. He'd told them countless times that they'd be fine, but nooooooooooo, who listens to Naruto?
"I guess we owe you an apology." Sasuke almost stammered, scratching his head nervously.
"You guessed right." Sakura wasn't angry just annoyed.
"I'm sorry mother." Sephiroth was the first to say.
"No worries, anyway, their's a few people I want you to meet. Everyone, this is Riku and this is Sora. With their permission, they may be coming home with us." Sakura announced. Both boys beamed at them, one with complete innocents and the other...not completely innocent...I think Riku sees this a an opportunity or something. Don't ask me about what though. "Before I forget to ask...does Gaara know about this?"
"...Yes." all the men answered in monotone.
"...why do you all look so dreary?" Ino asked, noticing their sudden change.
"He would have come too...but Lulu stopped him thankfully." Sai answered.
"I guess I'll have to give him a call, can I borrow someone's mirror?" Sasuke handed her his. "I'll be just a minute." Sakura told them, hopping over the standing wall for privacy. Opening the compact mirror and blowing on it with the thought of her love in mind, went over everything that she was going to say.
"Sakura?" Gaara answered, eyes filled with worry.
"Hey Gaara, how are you doing?" Sakura decided to tread lightly. The man had enough to worry about already.
"I've been worried sick about you! Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Mission was a complete and total success." Sakura informed with a large smile. Gaara visibly relaxed.
"How was your mission?"
"Too easy. To think it would have been an S-class. I think someone might have been over exaggerating. It was at most an A, but I'm thinking it was a B. How are things with the brides coming along?"
"...help." You know when it's bad when Gaara himself asks for help. "Please help."...Really bad.
"Are you okay?" it was Sakura's turn to be worried.
"No. Come back."
"I'll try to be their as soon as I can, but I can't make any promises. I gotta go know, do you think you can last?" Gaara's face visibly paled when he heard knocking on his office door.
"GAARA-KUN! YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM US FOREVER! YOU HAVE TO TAKE US ALL ON DATES!" Sakura heard it all and she was torn between laughing at him, or marching right over their and giving them a piece of her mind.
"Don't cheat on me while I'm gone." Sakura decided not to let herself get angry.
"Right back at ya'." Gaara smirked, that is before his door was knocked down. "Gotta go...Bye!" Sakura sighed as Gaara's image vanished from the mirror's cool smooth surface.
"So the Faeries huh? I like it!" Tsunade exclaimed as the girls gave their mission report. "It seems that the men in this village are still in doubt. The mission was, as you said, not as challenging as it should have been. That's why I have a new mission for you. It seems that a friend of mine has run into some trouble with the wrong people. You are are going to be entered as his team in the underground Filth Tournament and win, only then will his life be spared. You need five members to enter, all must be female." Tsunade explained. "Your mission starts in two days, this should give you time to rest up, find two more team mates and restock. Dismissed." The girls nodded before exiting.
"Another? So soon?" Chouji almost choked on his food when Ino broke the news to her team.
"I've heard of those tournaments, it's too dangerous, you can't go!" Ino completely ignored Shikamaru's complaint.
"Wasn't that one mission enough?" Asuma questioned, finishing his cigarette and lighting another.
"Nope, that one wasn't a challenge at all. This mission should prove to be all the more satisfying." Ino said before stealing some of Shikamaru's food.
"I still say it's too dangerous." again Ino ignored Shikamaru. It had barely been a day and he was already missing their arguments.
"No. You're not going." Hiashi argued.
"Why?" Hinata demanded, hanging around with Ino and Sakura was really doing wonders to her timid self.
"What if you don't come back? What will I tell your future husband when he finds out that you were in a gang and fought in underground tournaments?" Hiashi absolutely refused to let her go.
"Tell him it's a mission, besides, I've already accepted. Tsunade-sama is counting on me." Neji had chosen to stay quiet this time, he knew it was a losing battle. Hinata would end up leaving again, and he would be sentenced to worrying all over again. "Besides, their's going to be five of us this time." Hinata ended the discussion with that, turning on her heel and returning to her room so she could pack.
Neji soon followed as soon as the cost was clear.
"I'm going Neji, nothing you can do to change it." Hinata didn't even turn to face him.
"I know. I...I want a rematch. Before you leave. I want to be one hundred percent sure your going to be safe." Neji purposed, putting himself in her line of vision.
"You want a rematch?" Hinata looked into Neji's eyes, looking for any deceit. "How would that help?"
"It would prove to them that you are capable of being on your own, and show me that I'm not needed." Hinata thought about it for a moment, pausing in her actions as she pondered on his words.
"Alright, but on one condition."
"Yes?"
"You have to treat me to dinner, and don't forget dessert...Tonight." Hinata decided after checking the time. It was only 5:56, so it would be perfect timing.
"As you wish." Neji couldn't stop the grin from forming. "I'll come get you in half an hour."
"You promise to tell us everything that happens?" Sora exclaimed in his excitement.
"Of course! Now, I want both your words that you'll behave and do as your told, don't skip your training,...is their anything else?" Sakura looked at the two young boys under her care as if they held what she could have forgotten. "I want you on your best behavior, no exceptions, Riku."
"What? That time was an accident!" the time he was referring to being when he 'accidentally' scared a bunch of kids shitless.
"Sora, make sure he stays out of trouble. I'm putting you in charge for when the adults decide to act like children."
"What?" Riku cried, Sora was younger than him for crying out loud.
"No complaining, next time you'll be in charge, if you behave." holding her hand out to Riku, he begrudgingly took it and shook her hand. "Perfect. Now, let's see how many brownies we can finish of in one day."
"But we don't have any brownies..." Sakura pulled several boxes out of seemingly nowhere, silencing Sora with ease.
"Ino...can I talk to you?" Shikamaru requested. At first he thought she was going to ignore him, but he was relieved to realize that she'd complied with his request and was now following him to a secluded corner.
"What is it?" Ino cocked her head to the side, waiting patiently for him to continue.
"Are you still mad at me?" he began, not sure of how to speak with her.
"No. I was just being jealous." Ino wanted to laugh, but she chose not to for his sake.
"Of what?" Shikamaru's curiosity was piqued.
"...I'll tell you some other time. Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Ino decided sitting would be the best option.
"Not completely, their's more...I...since when did you need to do the whole...thing?" he didn't really know how to put it, so Shikamaru just hoped that she understood him.
"Simple. I got tired of being the weakest link. You and Chouji were always leaving me behind, always getting all the glory. I got sick of it. I guess I wanted at least a little taste of the spotlight. I want to prove that I can be just as good, maybe even better than the guys. As I thought more about it, it was the same for all the girls, they didn't even have to be weak, just being girls was enough to be labeled weak. This is my chance to prove that girls can be just as tough as guys, that I can be just as tough as you. Don't you think that I deserve the chance to prove my worth like you and Chouji?" Shikamaru had never thought of it that way. Though now that he did think about it, he realized that the kunoichi have been looked down on.
"So you want to prove your equal standing?" Shikamaru asked, not entirely sure that he was currect.
"You got it." Ino winked and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for listening, there just may be hope for you yet."
"So who came up with the whole hanging thugs upside down from rooftops anyway?" Neji was almost shocked to find out that he was enjoying something other than violence.
"...I did." Hinata admitted, cheeks tinted red with her blush.
"No, you kidding me." Neji was skeptical, but one look into her eyes told him that she was telling the truth. "To think you of all people have an evil streak."
"That's what Ino said." Hinata giggled.
"She was right, pretty soon you'll turn into the girl all the bad guys want."
"I hope not. Father's suffering enough as is." both laughed at the comment, not doubting it for a moment.
"Hey, 'kaasan, since you bit Ri-chan, doesn't that mean that he's your mate or something?" the question had been bugging Sora for the better part of the day.
"No, the whole marking thing is a confusing thing indeed. I can only take a mate when I'm in heat. Plus his body's blood is still that of a child, and since I'm considered an adult in the demon world, Riku's body could only convert it to a parental mark. The only way I could take anyone younger than me as a mate was if they were a demon and it was mating season. But even then the chances are slim and the mark would convert to me adopting them. It's really confusing."
"When is mating season? I heard that demons go crazy around that time." Riku asked between mouthfuls of the chocolaty goodness that was the brownie.
"...I don't know...I'll ask Gaara." pulling out her compact and blowing on her reflection, it altered and shifted to reveal a very tired Gaara. "Whoa! You look like hell."
"Hello to you too." the man yawned before his face scrunched up into a cringe.
"Are you okay?"
"...No. The beast got out and tried to run away, ate a couple of rouge nin before Lulu caught him."
"Has this been happening often?" Gaara nodded.
"Pretty soon, everyone's going to find out. Then I'll be in deep shit all over again." he groaned.
"Hey, I'm going to be heading over their soon, but only for a little while. I need Temari's help for another mission I'm going on."
"Don't take to long, mating season will be starting soon...when it comes, you won't be able to trust me, I very well may become your enemy. Please, be careful. I don't want to lose you to some nameless face or because of my lack of self control."
"Don't worry, I'm a tough girl. I just hope Sasuke and Naruto will be alright."
"Tenten!" Sakura called, running towards Gai's team while they were training.
"Oh Hey Sakura, what's up?" Tenten asked mid throw of a kunai, hitting the bull's eye without so much as a hitch.
"How would you like to come with us on our mission tomorrow?"
Tenten remained silent for a moment, registering what Sakura just said before "YAHOO! I'd love to!"
"Perfect!"
Author's note: again sorry for the lack of detail and that this one may seem like a filler. But...I am trying to keep this fic interesting. Don't worry, the Gaara Sakura goodness will be brought back to you ten fold. G'night!