A/N i'm such a bad writer... i leave u guys waiting alll the time.. i'm so sorry! Lots has been happening its getting harder and harder! But no! I will not stop this story! Otherwise i woulda just wasted like a year of writing.. -sigh- anyways.. i won't keep u waiting

read on

Chapter 28 - Black Roses

Burning buildings. All that could be seen were burning buildings. A large cloud of black and gray hovered over the small village, random floating ashes lit up by the fire below.

The center of the village, where one could see all. The destruction of the village could be seen and felt no matter which way you turned when you stood here. But Maliko did not take a glance at the village. She wasn't able to tear her gaze off the ground in front of her.

No.. Not the ground. Tazze.

The grass around her sister was fresh with blood. Her sisters choked sobs and coughing had long before stopped, but the blood around her mouth still remained.

It was as if her sister had been crying but instead of the crystal clear liquid, there was crimson. It flowed from the corners of her pearl white eyes and across her face, pooling at the base of her neck above her collarbone.

Maliko finally tore her gaze from her sister and set it upon the burning Zetsumeikage tower. The smell of the black roses that she used to love so much made her want to cry. The smell was laced with ash.. It just proved that no matter how hard she clenched her eyes shut and covered her ears, she still breathed and therefore couldn't even escape the fact that she could smell the burning village, the destruction of every thing she came to love. There was absolutely nothing she could do.

Children's laughter could be heard, seemingly in the distance, but all around her, surrounding her and smothering her, making her become dizzy.

She couldn't help but think that maybe this was Kami-sama's doing. That maybe it was stupid of them to think they could live when every other village was wary of their loyalty. And for that, Kami-sama laughed at them.

The ones who began it all are to blame for the end. The Zetsumei ancestors thought the village could survive and live their lives off of money made from the deaths of others.

Who were they kidding... On can not live in death.

Maliko awoke with a start, breathing hard. She remembered the livid dream, her sister dead and bloodied on the ground. Frantically looking around the room, she noticed that her sister wasn't there, just Aysen, fast asleep.

Quickly Maliko got out of the bed and made her way to the bedroom door, holding the blanket around her as if it was her only lifeline. She spotted what she was looking for immediately.

There in the dark lay Gaara on the couch, his eyes closed. Maliko wondered if he was sleeping, but then remembered that was impossible for him.

Slowly and quietly, she walked over to him, her feet making a soft padding sound on the tatami mats. When she was but a few steps away from the couch Gaara took notice of her presence and opened his eyes. She looked so frightened standing there. She looked like a small child clutching onto her blanket around her.

"Whats the matter.." he asked her, his voice slightly hushed so he wouldn't wake up everyone else.

"How come you left me." her voice quivered slightly.

"I figured it would be alright since Aysen was there." proclaimed Gaara and he shifted towards the edge of the couch to make a spot for Maliko between the backing and himself. She quickly obliged and crawled over him, wrapping her blanket around him as well and let her arm drape across his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

"As much as Aysen used to be my friend, shes a stranger now. Eight years changes a person." She snuggled her head more into the crook of his neck. "I trust you a lot more.."

"You trust me?" he whispered in slight bewilderment.

"Is that so hard to believe Gaara?"

He took for not answering that question and just wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Go to sleep." he ordered softly.

"Hai hai" she mumbled and soon her warm deep breathing could be felt on Gaara's neck.

Tazze and Sasuke found Orochimaru at the Sound's training grounds. No one else was around and it made Tazze slightly wonder why.

"First off, Sasuke i'm going to have you spar with me to see what you already know. Use Sharingan and come at me with killing intent." His eyes flickered to the girl infront of Sasuke and he spoke as if in a mocking way. "You girl, will spar with Kabuto.."

She glared hard at the Legendary Sannin. Obviously he didn't think she was good enough to even spar with him. Fine. She would show this Kabuto what she could do then.

She watched as another man walked into the training area. His smirk seemed somewhat predatory as he looked her up and down. Orochimaru merely laughed as he watched Kabuto eye her small figure.

"Kabuto.. Maybe you would stop goggling over Tazze-san so she can begin her spar ne?" hissed Sasuke as he glared at the slightly chuckling Kabuto.

"Hai, Sasuke-sama. I never meant any harm to your girlfriend." Kabuto said mockingly. This caused Tazze to become somewhat pissed as she aimed a punch for Kabuto's face. He easily dodged and grabbed her wrist.

"Feisty are we? You're gonna need a lot more anger to beat me if thats all you have."

Her growling only seemed to amuse him more. She focused chakra to the tenketsu holes on her wrist and watched as Kabuto hissed and wrenched his hand back. She quickly took this as her chance and jumped back while concentrating on activating her Byakugan. It seemed that she concentrated too hard and backed into a rather large rock poking out of the grass. This caused her to stumble and land on her back. Orochimaru laughed while Sasuke made a move to go over to her as she gasped and clenched her eyes shut from the pain on her back. She knew her wound would be open now.

Slowly she got up and noticed that Kabuto was once again smirking at her as he healed his wrist, and Orochimaru laughing at her from his spot behind Sasuke.

'Kuso, stupid rock. I'll show them not to laugh at me.' she thought to herself as she got up somewhat unsteadily from the ground. This was ridiculous. She knew if Itachi would've been the one to train her, he wouldnt've laughed at her. At least Sasuke looked somewhat concerned. Wait.. She didn't want his sympathy. Screw him!

Again she concentrated on activating her Byakugan and then ran towards Kabuto. She lunged at him with her open fist, hoping to hit his chest but he quickly dodged and made a slice over her already opened wounds on her back with a kunai. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

Before Kabuto could attack her again, she got up and pulled out a kunai. Aiming, she threw it as hard as she could then threw another. He managed to dodge the first one but the second one nicked his shoulder. He simply chuckled and healed it.

Tazze was starting to lose hope in even being able to hurt this guy. He could just heal himself. She'd need a critical hit. As she was trying to think of a way to get at him, she had left an opening. Kabuto quickly took his chance and sliced at her face with a kunai. She noticed his attempt and dodged her head back hurriedly. She was too slow and he created a vertical cut over her left eye.

She staggered back and tried to wipe the blood out of her eye. Luckily he didn't catch her eye, but just the skin. As she tried furiously to get her sight back, Kabuto ran at her again. Noticing this out of the corner of her other eye she quickly rolled onto her back and shoved her palm up and poured chakra through it. Kabuto had run right into it but unfortunately was still able to stab her in the shoulder with a poison tipped kunai.

Sasuke ran over to her, forgetting all about his spar with Orochimaru. Kneeling down next to her he quickly yanked out the kunai and spoke to her through her frantic thrashing and pain filled whimpering.

"Tazze. Calm down. I'll take you back to the house, just stop moving." She couldn't though. Her back was killing her as dust and sand made its way into her wound from falling on her back. The pain over her sensitive eye and her shoulder made her want to pass out.

Sasuke quickly activated his Sharingan.

"Tazze. Look at me." he said sternly to her. She blinked her eyes at him while clutching her shoulder and clenching her teeth in pain. As soon as her eyes looked into the Sharingan she was caught in the Genjutsu and her body untensed on the ground. Sasuke was hoping to not have to do that but all the thrashing would just cause her wounds to rip more. Plus the poison that Kabuto had used would surely spread.

"What did you use on her?" the Uchiha yelled at Kabuto. Kabuto had long before healed himself again. He looked at the livid Sasuke and smiled.

"Nothing critically harming. It just makes it seem like her wound is burning from the inside out." For this Sasuke leered hard at the silver haired man. Picking up Tazze he turned to Orochimaru. "I'm taking her back to the house."

"Your training hasn't even started for today Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru stated threateningly.

"There's always time for training. I'm not sparring until shes healed. Its just another thing to distract me." He shot back and walked away with Tazze in his arms.

When they made it back, Sasuke put Tazze in her bed and started to clean and bandage her wounds, all the while trying to think of a way to get out of Sound. Tazze was becoming too determined and he knew if they stayed too long, she'd crave too much for the power that Orochimaru had to offer. He had done that once and it benefited him none but wary glances his way, wondering on who he was loyal to. It was too troublesome and far too dangerous for Tazze.

A/n... Theres a lot of symbolism there but u don't need too much about it as of yet. Sorry for taking so long.. this measly bit took me a whole day to write.. I absolutely hate writing fight scenes... -sigh-.. sumaimasen! its shitty but just bear with me.. ahh review with ur harsh slaps and sexual demeanors .. ku ku ku...

Abayo

Malitia