Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters associated with it

TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains descriptions of physical and sexual assault. Please read at your own discretion.

A One Month Bet

Sakura kept a steady pace heading due east towards the Kage tower, but she felt unusually chilled by the dark evening air. Miekuyu kept close beside her, trying to engage in conversation that she wasn't interested in sharing. They passed several blocks, and each time she wondered when he might eventually break rank and peel off in the direction of his destination, but he never broke stride. Soon, she would only have two more blocks to go – a right turn and then a left – and she would be facing the Kage tower. Did he somehow live on the other side of the circular city?

Finally, they rounded the first of her last two turns, and Sakura's patience had worn thin. It was just a small alleyway that connected two bigger streets, but at the end of the path she would be able to see the dome of the Kazekage tower looming only yards away. She paused and turned to face her companion. "Well—Thank you very much for walking me back. I can make it the rest of the way on my own."

Miekuyu looked puzzled. "But Sensei, I'm more than happy to walk you the rest of the way."

"It's not far," she insisted shortly. "I'll be perfectly fine. Have a good night."

As she turned away, she felt a sudden tug at her wrist and heard, "Wait!"

Sakura turned to see that Miekuyu was grasping her hand, not altogether in a threatening way, but even though his eyes conveyed sincerity, his grip felt less than friendly. "Sensei—" he began, "or, Sakura – I have something that I've been meaning to say." The Leaf Kunoichi narrowed her eyes at the use of her first name so informally. Her captor continued, "I want to say… thank you… for choosing me to be Chief Medic."

Sakura relaxed ever so slightly. Was that all? For a moment she'd felt incredibly defensive, but perhaps she was overreacting. "Oh… well… no need to thank me. You've demonstrated good work these last several weeks. You earned it."

She made a move to pull her hand away, but his grip only tightened. His face broke into another one of his classically modest smiles, and he edged closer, towering over her. "I'm really glad you feel that way," he said softly. His eyes drooped to half-lidded moons. Sakura could smell the alcohol on his breath when he said, "I get the notion that… you feel some other things too. About me, I mean."

He was suddenly so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body, but instead of feeling comforted by the warmth, her body reacted in a surge of chill bumps signaling danger. His words were dawning slowly over her, and all at once dread and disgust flooded through her. "Um – What?" she said. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" he smirked, "We're not around the rest of the group now, Sakura. You don't have to pretend… I know we started as sensei and student, but it's really okay. We're both adults, after all."

Sakura tried to be kind, but firm. "Listen – we've both had some drinks, and it was fun hanging out with the whole medical team, but whatever notion you have in your head about me is wrong. As far as I'm concerned, we are just sensei and student. Now, if you'll excu—"

"But you've dropping hints for me for weeks!" Miekuyu's smile had faltered, but he wasn't letting go.

"Hints?" Sakura balked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You don't think I've noticed you watching me? Taking extra care to come check my work? Hovering around me?" His grip tightened. Her hand felt sweaty. "Please, you don't have to act coy – I've been flirting with you all day, and you've been letting it happen without once scolding me." His expression changed… it became darker, and he wore a look that resembled a predator that had cornered its prey. "I think you didn't stop me because… I think you secretly liked it."

Sakura's blood felt cold in her veins. She was wracking her brain, trying to make sense of what Miekuyu was saying. Flirting with her? When was he flirting with her? What on earth was he misconstruing as her dropping hints to him? She didn't feel like she had been giving any misdirection. All day long they had just interacted as little more than acquaintances. Friendly would've been a stretch, even. Sharing jokes, drinks, and compliments didn't amount to flirtation, especially since they had been a group setting surrounded by other people. I wish there were people around right now… Sakura darkened her gaze at him. "Let me go," she commanded.

"Sakura, there's no need to be embarrassed. I could tell exactly what you were feeling when you picked me today."

He advanced. He suddenly looked so much taller and wider than before.

"I-I didn't pick you because—" She felt the push of cold brick behind her back.

"Shhh… it's okay."

Sakura had faced danger before. She'd fought and killed literal monsters before, but this threat felt as though it was dangerous in a different way. Her cold body was shaking, and her throat felt dry as realization struck her like a cold blade in her gut. This had progressed beyond friendly…

"Miekuyu—stop. This has gone far en—HHMmmpphF!"

A sudden jolt and a heavy weight consumed her, and Miekuyu's face was pressed against hers, stinking, slobbery, and wet. His full weight and barrel chest was pressing her firmly against the stone. She felt the thickness of his heavy, muscular leg squeezing its way painfully between her two thighs, while he used the advantage of his much larger stature and wide, mitten-like hands to pin her arms to her sides. Her panicked eyes stared wildly at his closed ones. He'd kissed her.

X

Gaara breathed in the cool night air. Despite his questionable intentions for leaving the tower, there was no mistaking that being out in the moonlight did make him feel somewhat better. It was at least an improvement from pacing the same four or five rooms again and again, waiting for Sakura to return. Out here he could walk for miles and never see the same building twice. He could lose himself in the winding maze of streets and alleys until he grew bored of it, and then perhaps when he returned to the mansion, Sakura would already be back. Or, if he were lucky, maybe he'd pass her on the road as she was retur—

Gaara stilled. Not fifty yards from the tower he could hear a hushed but heated exchange happening nearby. Voices. One of them sounded angry.

"Let me go."

He knew that voice.

"—there's no need to be embarrassed. I could tell exactly what you were feeling when you picked me today."

"I-I didn't pick you because—"

"Shhh… it's okay."

"Miekuyu—stop. This has gone far en—HHMmmpphF!"

The sound of a scuffle. A heavy thump. And then—

"You greasy son of a bitch!"

It was Sakura's voice. She was in trouble. Before his mind could even catch up to his body, he was already sprinting, skidding to a stop at the mouth of an alleyway, tensed and murderous. Whoever had hurt Sakura had better be prepared to pay for it with their life.

But the scene he arrived on what not what he had anticipated. There were two bodies in the alleyway, one leaned aggressively in a position of attack, the other being pinned to the alley wall, hanging suspended by the grip of their attacker. But to Gaara's surprise, it was Sakura that was doing the pinning, and the Blonde Medic was sputtering helplessly in her grasp.

"If you ever try to touch me again, so help me I will punch you so hard your limbs will fly off, and you'll have to reattach them yourself!"

Sakura was disgusted. Violated. Absolutely furious. Miekuyu, clawing at her chakra-fueled grip, gave the only response he could formulate in his situation. He spit directly into her face. Just then a tentacle of sand shot through the alley like a canon blast and knocked him clear to the other end of the alleyway. Sakura was not hit in the impact, but she stumbled backward from shock. Finally realizing Gaara was there, her eyes bugged for only a second before receding into accusatory slits. "You?" she hissed, "What are you doing here?!"

Gaara stood in a tensed position as his sand retreated back into his gourd. He felt dumbstruck by her harsh tone. "I heard your voice," he said defensively. "You sounded distressed."

"Well as you can see, I'm handling it, thanks." She stomped decisively towards the now sputtering, coughing man on the ground. Realizing that she was coming for him, Miekuyu looked around wildly for an escape. He saw his Kazekage standing at the edge of the alley, not realizing that what he took to be his savior had actually just drowned him in sand seconds earlier. "Please, Kazekage-sama!" he cried, "She's gone mad! Help me!"

"Shut it you spineless pig!" Sakura snapped. "When I'm done with you, you're going to wish you were drunk enough to not feel it—"

"Sakura—"

"I'll make sure you never look twice at another woman and think—"

"Sakura!"

She wheeled around, emanating pure fury. "What?"

"That's enough," Gaara said firmly. He had walked close enough by now that he was standing nearly over her. "This is my village and my jurisdiction. You will stand down."

Sakura seethed quietly. How much had he seen? How much did he know? If Gaara knew everything that had happened, then he should know the level of punishment this scumbag deserved. Why is he protecting him?

"Oh, thank you... thank you Kazeka—"

"Shut up." Gaara snapped. He was not a friend to this man. He'd only stopped Sakura from beating him because he wanted the pleasure of doing it himself. He stepped past Sakura and gazed down at him… the sniveling, sorry form of the peacock that had so blatantly flaunted himself before. He surveyed the situation, and he felt all his worst suspicions had been true. Temari and Kankuro wouldn't listen, but he knew this man was dangerous. Somehow, he knew this louse was going to try and coerce Sakura. And here they were: the two of them, alone in an alley together in the dark of an empty night. What more had happened that he did not know about?

The very image of things he hadn't witnessed but could only imagine drew hot fury into bloodstream. Sand flew from his gourd, wrapping the medic in a cocoon, cutting off a stifled yelp of fear and shock as the sand swirled dangerously about his body, incasing him. Only his eyes, ears, and nose were left uncovered. Gaara stood, arms crossed. He hated this man so thoroughly he could taste it… but…

As the Kazekage of Sunagakure, this man was his citizen and responsibility. Murdering him outright just wouldn't do.

He thought back to Sakura's announcement of the medic position early that afternoon. "Asano Miekuyu, was it?" he asked casually, "Newly appointed chief of the Suna Medical Unit?"

Terrified, Miekuyu blinked frantically and appeared to nod his head slightly.

"Mr. Asano," Gaara began, "You have disgraced your rank, your position, and your village. As Kazekage I am formally accepting your resignation from title of Chief Medic, and you will be held accountable for your offenses tonight."

Miekuyu looked as though his eyes might explode out of his forehead. Strangled, muffled sounds were coming from underneath the sand until he suddenly, by pure will, stretched his jaw free of the cocoon just enough to utter, "R-resignation? B-but sir, s-she—!"

"She is an honored guest in our village and a powerful shinobi of Konoha. You have disrespected her, and therefore her Hokage and myself."

"B-but… I-I—"

"If you want to remain an employed ninja of the village of Sunagakure, then I suggest you figure out how to demonstrate the meaning of silence."

Miekuyu clapped his mouth shut, but he glowered at Sakura and his Kage with defiance. Sakura, who had been watching the exchange with vilified enjoyment, shifted her attention to Gaara. He looked every bit the cool and collected Kazekage, but how on earth could he be so calm? She felt so much anger and rage and disgust that she could barely hold it in. Her body was still shaking with adrenaline and chakra. "What will you do with him?" she asked.

Gaara hesitated for a moment, then looked around the alleyway as though only just realizing where they were. "I have a Jonin stationed on guard a few streets over from here. I'll have her take this… scum to our local holding cell."

"You're putting me in jail?!" squirmed Miekuyu, "But sir—Mghph!"

"I guess I didn't make myself clear the first time," Gaara growled, as sand engulfed the blonde man's traitorous mouth. "If you keep trying to talk, you'll inhale sand and choke. I'd recommend refraining for your own safety." It sounded to Sakura that this wasn't a cautionary recommendation out of kindness. It was a warning. With a brief nod to Sakura, the Kazekage strode forward in the direction of the Jonin guard they were to meet. Sakura fell in stride beside him, while Gaara's sand hoisted the fuming Miekuyu behind them like a strangely heavy balloon trailing behind a child. The walk was not a far one, but the silence between them was heavy and awkward. Sakura felt this was not at all how she had planned on ending her night. She had so enjoyed letting her mind be free from the constant thoughts of Gaara that evening, but as if by some cruel fate here they were together. Not to mention, they once again were in each other's company under compromising circumstances. If their eventual goal was to diffuse the tension between each other, this was certainly not going to make it easier.

As Sakura was unable to speak freely with Gaara in that moment (in large thanks to their huffy, floating audience) her mind raced instead. The rage was ebbing away, but in its absence something else started to unfold within her memory: realization… and dread.

"Gaara,"

The sound of her voice made Gaara's insides flip-flop. It wasn't laced with indignance as it had been before when she left the Kage tower. He slowed his pace to a stop and angled himself to face her slightly. Her eyes were fixed, cold and unwavering, on the Blonde Medic.

"This man should not be set free," she stated. "He is a predator. I believe he may have poisoned another member of the medic team this evening."

Gaara's eyes narrowed to slits. "Please explain."

Sakura's mind drifted away. She was not the only woman that had been made a victim that night. "This man bought me a drink tonight. I declined the offer but let another woman have my drink instead…" Guilt washed over Sakura like a cold rain… "She became immediately ill after drinking it."

Miekuyu's eyes bugged, and he squirmed angrily against his prison of sand. The sand squeezed him tighter, almost dangerously so. Gaara was very near to his threshold of control. "Are you certain of this?"

Sakura swallowed bile that was threatening to escape up her throat. That drink was meant for her, if it was drugged. If she hadn't given her glass to Hanae, she wouldn't have gotten sick… Maybe that was Miekuyu's plan along, so that he would take advantage of her under the guise of escorting her home when she was ill…

But even if that was the truth, doubt and insecurity gnawed at the edges of her mind. How could she presume anything? She wasn't even perceptive enough to catch onto that man's supposed "flirtations". She had no proof that the drink was poisoned, and her evidence at best was both biased and circumstantial. Maybe she was reading too much into it… Maybe Hanae was just too drunk?

"Well," she admitted, "I am not certain…" She hesitated a moment, but in her mind she thought back to all the small details of that evening… how often Miekuyu seemed to be eerily near to her all day, how she felt pressured to keep drinking even when she said she didn't want to, how irritated Miekuyu seemed about her giving away her drink to Hanae. While there was still some doubt trailing these memories, Sakura finally bucked up the courage to say, "…but I feel very strongly that it's true. I believe if there were drugs in the drink, that they were meant for me, and the other woman—Hanae—she only got sick after I gave her my drink." Sakura hesitated again and chewed her bottom lip, once again feeling responsible for poor Hanae. She continued, "At the very least, I think it is worth checking to make sure Hanae is okay and not severely sick, and—oh!" A solution suddenly occurred to her, "There might be a way to test for certain poisons in the blood stream. I could perform the test myself if we are able to track her down somehow."

Gaara inhaled deeply while examining the woman before him. He was appalled at her accusation, but not altogether surprised knowing this man had attempted far worse to Sakura directly. His eyes slid closed as he tried to calm the angry beast inside himself.

"Hotaru," he commanded. Without even time to blink, a woman's form dropped from the sky, landing near to them. Sakura, having been enveloped in her thoughts was only briefly shocked, but she regained her resolve as the woman righted herself and faced Gaara. This must've been the Jonin they were coming to meet. How long had she been watching them? Sakura wondered.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama?"

"This man attacked Haruno-san," he gestured lazily to the lump of sand hovering behind them. "I assume you may have also heard the kunoichi's allegations against him?"

The Jonin side-eyed Sakura, but not in an unkind way. It delivered a feeling of pity and mutual disgust in the prisoner's actions. "Yes, sir."

"I would like you take Asano Miekuyu to our holding cell where he will be held indefinitely pending an investigation into these allegations—" There was angry muffled protestations in the background, but Gaara continued "—and I would like to you to contact my sister Temari, to locate the residence of the other victim from personnel records as soon as possible. Sakura, can you give us her name?" Sakura did so. "We'll have her brought to the hospital to be examined and we'll conduct a formal blood test tomorrow morning."

Gaara turned to face Miekuyu, whose eyes darted from anger to fear when he locked eyes with his Kazekage. The inner beast inside Gaara rose to the bait, ready to thrash out and tear apart the man that had dared touch his Sakura. Gaara released his sand suddenly, letting the man inside fall abruptly to the ground with a heavy thud. Not a moment later, Hotaru was already behind him, binding his hands while he coughed and sputtered sand out of his mouth.

"Kaze… kage… sama—" he choked, "These claims… are unfounded and… r-ridiculous!"

"Quiet, you swine!" Hotaru barked. She seemed the type of woman to not treat a sexual predator with any sort of mercy.

But Miekuyu did not back down. "You would believe… this foreign bitch… over a Suna nin?"

Gaara snarled and stood nose-to-nose with him. No longer the strutting peacock he was before, Miekuyu looked like a dirty, hollow rat. Gaara felt his anger and chakra mingling together, creating a dark aura around them. Only the dim moonlight was enough to illuminate the fury etched onto the Kazekage's features. He dared to insult Sakura like that? His Sakura? Gaara was disgusted even looking at the trash before him, but as hard as he had worked to maintain composure so far, he could not afford to lose control now. Finally, he broke the silence.

"You had better hope that blood test comes back negative, because a proven predator has no place in Sunagakure. You will be banished before I let you harm anyone else. And even if the results show no sign of any poison, I better not hear or see your name cross my desk ever again, Asano, or you'll be losing more than just your title." With venomous disdain dripping from his words, he added, "I'll even personally task Miss Haruno with deciding your punishment."

Sakura, having been watching Gaara's impressive presence with awe, was suddenly taken aback by the invitation, but her anger at Miekuyu bubbled quickly to the top again and she also folded her arms. "Castration seems only fair," she said without missing a beat. "I've never performed one before, but I'd happily volunteer for the procedure."

Miekuyu's pallor blanched, while Gaara stepped backward and Hotaru chuckled. With a nod, the Kunoichi edged the now limp former chief medic out of the way of the road, leaving Gaara and Sakura to themselves. Sakura shuddered in the cool night air, but her chills were not entirely from the cold alone. She still felt on-edge. Now that all distractions around them had dissipated, there they were once again alone in each other's company, but this time the air between them felt different. Having been so irritated and angry with Gaara before, Sakura now felt relief at having him near again. It felt like she could finally release a breath she'd been holding. Awkwardly, she gave a shrug and said, "Thanks." When Gaara only gifted her a nod in response, she felt bubbling anxiety and tried to fill the silence. "I was only kidding about the castration part… maybe half-kidding… I-I don't know what the punishment policies are in Suna, but…"

Sakura continued babbling nervously. Gaara heaved a sigh, and for the first time that evening let his gaze linger directly on the object of his affection. She was avoiding his eyes, but at least for a moment he was able to drink her in fully. Her lovely hair and perfect ivory skin glinted in the moonlight, and her delicate eyelashes were casting long, silver shadows down her cheeks. After becoming so used to feeling a fiery desire from just looking at her, this time he was flooded with different sorts of feelings. Happiness and relief that she was okay, and a general sense of warmth at seeing her in front of him again. The faded memories of their budding friendship resurfaced, and he felt again like he had on the rooftop when they were able to speak plainly with each other.

From deep within, a gentle sound escaped him; Gaara chuckled gently. It was quiet but sincere, and it froze Sakura's ramblings in an instant. It was then that their eyes finally locked, and for a long moment neither one dared to be the first to speak. Gaara's eyes were mesmerizing, like deep seas of emerald green beckoning her to dive into them. Though his body was still and his mouth closed, his eyes seemed to communicate something far more intense. A warm blush spread across her collarbone, rising higher and higher into her ears. Whoa, whoa, whoa Sakura… pull yourself together! Desperate to clear her thoughts, she broke eye contact and nervously shuffled her feet. "So… how long will it take to find Hanae?"

Even after being a victim herself, she still worries about others… Gaara admired. "Not long, I'm sure. We should certainly be able to check on her in the morning."

"That's good," Sakura sighed. "Then…I suppose we should make our way back to the Tower?"

She expected only silence, or perhaps a simple affirmation, but instead Gaara said, "Actually—" Sakura paused, and Gaara turned slightly away from her gaze. How do I ask her? Gaara's mind raced. He had been waiting all evening for Sakura to return to the Tower so that he could confront his feelings for her, and now that she was finally there in front of him, he suddenly felt uneasy. What if she declined his offer to even discuss their circumstances? And even if she did accept his offer, should they go to the Kage Tower? There was a much higher risk that they would have a difficult time finding privacy, and they might run into a cranky Temari ("Are you kidding me?! That asshole is waking me up for a mission right NOW?"). With Sakura's seafoam green eyes still watching him expectantly, Gaara scrambled to come up with a solution. Finally, an idea occurred to him. "Would you… accompany me somewhere?" he asked carefully, "I would like for us… to talk."

This… this is it! Screamed Inner Sakura. This might be the moment in which her questions would all be answered, if only she had the courage to ask them. But…should I? she wondered. Could she trust herself to maintain control around this intoxicating man, or would she make a fool her herself again? At least… she thought, It's a request, not a command… I could say 'No'…

But did she want to say 'No'? If she declined this opportunity, then she would return to Konoha never having known the truth and feeling used and degraded. But if Temari had been right… then this might be her only chance to finally understand everything that had happened in this crazy month… Sakura took a deep breath.

"Alright, let's go."

Gaara felt a heavy weight lift from his stomach. He'd been waiting with bated breath, sure that she would decline. With arms folded, he allowed his sand to creep outward and downward, pooling into a platform around and under his feet until it lifted him gently off the ground. He extended his bandaged hand outward to assist Sakura onto the sand, but when she eyed it curiously, he quickly switched arms and offered his good hand instead. She reached upward to accept, and he felt a fuzzy electricity buzzing through his arm when their hands finally grasped. Sakura stepped unsurely onto the landing of sand, amazed and confused at its structure. Gaara seemed to be sure and secure in his footing, but when she stepped on it, it felt oddly like a box buried in sand. There was definitely firmness to stand on, but the grains shifted in between her footing and the solid base, making her feel unsteady. Gaara took notice.

"Hold on." he said mechanically, not fully expecting Sakura's immediate, "To what?" He shifted awkwardly before offering his arm to her. He did not usually take guests to ride on his sand and forgot that it may be difficult for her to adjust. Sakura gazed at his arm cautiously, as though it was a creature that might suddenly strike at her, but as the sand continued to shift underneath her feet, she stepped further forward to take it. She snaked her long, slender arm into his larger one, bringing them naturally closer. Gaara tried to ignore the uptick in his pulse. "Ready?" he asked.

Sakura nodded once, and with that Gaara released his chakra and allowed the platform to lift them into the cool night air. The wind whipped through their hair and nipped unkindly at the exposed places on Sakura's skin. With a gentle tilt, they angled in a new direction, high above the rooftops of Sunagakure. Gaara knew exactly where they should go.

If you or someone you know is or has previously experienced sexual assault, you can contact the RAINN organization by using their confidential hotline.

Call 800. (4673) to be connected with a trained sexual assault service provider in your area.

Remember that you are loved, important, and deserving of protection,

-Olly