Gaara of the desert.
There wasn't really much to him. 'Really ?' He was small, maybe even smaller than Naruto. His short hair was of a beautiful red that reminded her of blood. 'This shouldn't be comforting!'. And his eyes were empty. Or was it? Sometimes Sakura was sure she could read conflict on them, like an eternal war raging inside. The black surrounding them made those blue orbs shine like jewels. But it wasn't for his looks that Sakura was drawn to him.
The boy seemed calm, almost peaceful. His walk was slow and confident, but his eyes will always watch his surrounding for an attack. He didn't talk much, if even and Sakura didn't feel the need to engage in a conversation. She didn't really mind Kubi desire to be near him. What the sword really loved was Gaara's sand. Those hundreds of particles that will fly around them at his command. They smelled of blood.
The second time that she met Gaara of the Sand was on her way to her team meeting. Even if she knew that Kakashi will be late she didn't mind coming early to see Naruto. 'This will be the last straw! I will not tolerate lateness'. The boy was alone, sitting on a roof, staring at the world. She will soon learn that Gaara was almost always alone. The giddy excitement of her sword made her aware of his presence without an ounce of hesitation she went to him. Kubikiribocho was always right after all.
He didn't acknowledge her presence, but she could feel his sand growing agitated. Without fear she sat next to him. He slowly turned his pupiless eyes toward her. His sand started creeping around the pinkette but Kubi's influence destroyed all fear that she could have. There was only peace with Kubikiribocho.
"I like your sand". She finally said. His eyes did not betray any emotion, but she was sure he was considering killing her. There was still no fear in the girl. 'Y-You fucking idiot!' " It makes Kubi happy."
At those words he seemed to relax. His sand, instead of the previous swarm of bees prepared to attack, hugged her form as softly as butterfly as if testing her words. Kubi purred as he began drinking the blood left over each particle. Sakura smiled warmly at the foreign nin as she let herself be transported by Kubikiribocho happiness.
Not another word was shared, and they simply stared at the blue sky.
XxX
"Y-You are late !" screamed Naruto in disbelief as he saw the peaceful form of Sakura.
On his side he could see the still form of the Uchiha staring at their teammate.
"Yeah sorry, I was with a friend and I didn't see the time passing." She explained, letting a small embarrassed laugh pass her lips.
Naruto stared at the pinkette in shock, before letting a grin paint his face.
" You're becoming like Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan !"
But there wasn't any anger. For the first time since their battle they heard Sakura laugh (and this time she wasn't threatening anybody). Sakura smiled back, and Naruto could feel the happiness in her eyes. His heartbeat quickened, Sakura was really beautiful. A blush blossomed on his face but before he could say another word Kakashi appeared on the bridge.
" Hello, kiddo" the nin greeted with a small wave of his hand and his only eye upturned in a smile. Like he wasn't hours late ! " I saw a friend of mine and …"
" A lie !" yelled Naruto. "Really sensei, Sakura-chan already used that one !"
The nin only eye turned toward the silent pinkette, and Naruto could feel her stiffen next to him. Putting himself in front of her, he yelled again.
"Get to the point sensei !"
Letting out a sigh of false annoyance, Kakashi appeared next to them.
" Really kids those days,…" Ignoring Naruto and Sasuke angry glare, he continued. " I decided to recommend all three of you to the Chuunin Exam. Here are the applications."
The three genin stared silently at the tickets on Kakashi's hand.
" Of course it doesn't mean that you have to take the exam. But for those of you who want to, take those application and go to the school in five days at 3pm in room 301."
Naruto hesitated. What would it mean to take the exam? A part of him was yelling to take the application and hug Kakashi-sensei to death but he restrained himself. The other side, the one who saw his team almost die was more cautious. What would happen to them ? Kakashi said, that they won't be forced to participate or even go together but Naruto couldn't imagine letting Sakura or Sasuke behind. Turning toward his teammates he saw the same hesitation in Sasuke. Sakura's eyes empty as if all the progress gained was lost with Kakashi's presence.
Finally, Naruto decided to cut the tension. Stepping forward, he took his tickets from his sensei's hand.
" Let's show the world that team 7 is the best !"
His words were cheesy, Naruto knew it, but they reminded them of a time before the mission. Sasuke smirked letting a soft "dobe" fall from his lips before taking his own application. They turned toward Sakura.
"Kubi wants to go." Was all she said but Naruto could see the excitement in her eyes.
Even if all have changed, team 7 was still alive.
"Ready to kick some ass!" he yelled.
Xxx
"I will participate in the Chuunin exam."
It was the first time she spoke to him since their second meeting. It had been two days since Kakashi 'Sensei ! He is our sensei !' gave them the new. She had meet Gaara again, every day, and they would stand still staring as life want by around them. No word were ever exchanged but his sand would always welcome her in a almost hug as if testing her words again and again. Not that Sakura would complain, it made her sword happy. Speaking seemed pointless and talking about their life as ninja almost a sin. If it wasn't for the blood that lured her in the first place she would almost forgot that Gaara was also a ninja.
"I will crush you."
'Get out ! Get out! Get out!'
"It wouldn't really matter, your sand makes Kubi happy."
And it was true. Her life was dedicated to this sword, to its happiness. As long as it was by her side, Sakura couldn't really care for anything else. Kubi was her will to fight or die. 'You're sick'.
At her words Gaara's sand grew agitated, no longer a butterfly posed delicately at her back but a snake coiling around her neck. She didn't flinch. He seemed to think about killing her right now, add her blood to his sand. There was confusion in his eyes. Sakura continued to talk.
"You know I killed for Kubi."
It was strange talking about it. She had never said it out loud, as if speaking those words were making them real. There hadn't been any discussion with Naruto or Kakashi. But she could remember the feeling of a body impaling in Kubi, the added weight, the strange sound of flesh ripping, the empty eyes staring right back at her. Gaara stilled for a second and Sakura felt almost anxious. 'Murderer!' But nobody could make her ashamed of what she did for the blade.
"I kill for Mother." Was the boy response (not that she expected any).
Sakura simply smiled. Maybe that was why he let her sit with him, maybe he knew what it was do things for someone else. Even if these things were bad for you.
Xx
Fighting while not fearing one own life was … strange. It felt hollow in way, as if playing a child game, he had long outgrown. But at the same the nostalgia of it make it joyful. There wasn't anything at stakes, Sasuke had almost immediately recognized his former teacher chakra and knew it was some sort of test. Sasuke could stop it anytime he wanted to, he could just say "Iruka-sensei, I know it's you" and go back to train. But Sasuke Uchiha decided to play. To test his own strength against the chuunin teacher. He needed to get stronger after all, there was an exam in three days and he needed to be prepared. Gaara of the sand will be there and Sasuke needed to win.
So he let the fight continue.
It didn't last long and the Uchiha was left as the winner, with no surprise. But he felt empty, bored. No blood was drawn, no cry of anguish, no reflection of one own life as one last breath was exhaled. With new anger the Uchiha kicked the training post. He had won! So why did victory felt so poor? Maybe because he didn't win when it mattered? Because he wasn't awake as Sakura fought again against Zabuza. Because Halu's death hadn't been his. Because Naruto's life hadn't been in danger all along. Because the Sasuke Uchiha had been considered too weak to even take seriously.
Never again. Never again will someone look down on him. Sasuke will show them, he was the strongest. He will be the one battling to protect his teammate. He will be strong enough to stand tall against the worst of foe. Never again will he wake from the death with the sight of one teammates crying at his body's feet and another almost as death as him. He will protect them all.
Sasuke Uchiha will be stronger.
Xx
She had been staring at the sky waiting for Gaara when Sasuke found her.
"Do you want to take a walk together?" 'Finnnnaaaaaaallllllyyyyyyy ! Sasuke-kun!'
She hesitated. There has never been an hour agree upon, but Sakura always found that Gaara liked to come see the sunset. There was still one hour or so before it, so she won't be really late, and she was really intrigued. She and Sasuke didn't talk. They would look at each other, trying to gouge the other one as is expecting a ticking bomb but not talk. It wasn't the silent camaraderie of Gaara nor was it the tension between Kakashi and her. Sasuke just didn't talk and Kubi wasn't interested. They silently agreed on not speaking.
"I'm coming."
She wanted to know why someone was so interested in her to go as far as masquerading as Sasuke.
Xx
She regretted her decision. They were still walking toward the training grounds and she was sure that Gaara has already arrived. Bored, she decided to talk.
"Sasuke, what do you want."
The illusion finally decided that they were remote enough because it decided to stop.
"Give up on the Chuunin exam, it's too early for you."
'Maybe he is right, I do not want us to get hurt again.' Shut up.
"Really?" was all she said. Was it Kakashi's idea?
It must have missed the disdain in her answer or decided to ignore it because it continued to talk.
"There is a lot of strong ninja, anything could go wrong. You could die, I worry a lot about you."
Did people believe her stupid to believe this illusion? Have she been ever so weak-willed ?
Her lack of answer must have irritated the unknown ninja because suddenly a silhouette appeared in the mist with a dark laugh. Another illusion.
"Get back Sakura ! I will protect you !"
And with that illusion-Sasuke died. There had been of course a lot of dramatics before the death. Not that she cared, Kubi grew angry of missing its daily dose of blood and with only illusion, there was no possibility of finding it here. Turning her back on the performance she decided to see if Gaara was still waiting for her. 'Y-Y-You'
"Where are you going? Don't you dare turn your back on me!"
Seeing the same umbrella that "killed" her teammate going through her, Sakura finally decided to end the game. Turning toward the illusion, she glared darkly at it.
"I've got things to do. Next time, bring me real bodies not some lame illusions. Don't make me lose my time."
And she left. Because Kubi was hungry and there was a foreign red-haired boy waiting for her.
XxX
"I assume the test went well ?"
The question only further irritated Iruka.
"All nine recruits passed it."
Did the jounin know how he went after each of them only to get his ass kicked every time? There was really some time where Iruka regretted caring so much, but he knew he would never have believed the jounins words. A few months ago, those children were his student, but now…
"They've changed. Your team drastically so."
The sharingan user did not respond but Iruka knew he heard him. There wasn't much he could say anyway, it wasn't a question but a fact. A few months ago, Sasuke was a broody and talented but cocky boy. The confidence was still there but the cockiness seemed to have vanished. The fight not one for victory but for training. Obviously the genin knew how to distinguish a real fight to death and a mock one. Iruka wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke had known all along the real purpose of the fight. The sweet Sakura had been rude and bored and so dramatically different that Iruka had almost believed that he had been mistaken. But there was only so much people in the world with pink bubble-gum hair. Naruto, the prankster had been calm and level-headed, only using the exact number of clones needed to retrieve the girl without risk, protect the other kids and incapacitate Iruka. What happened to them ? Kakashi's words came to his mind. 'They're my soldiers now.'
"The real exam won't be that easy."
What did the jonin do to his former students?
XxX
"You will never believe what happened then Sakura-chan ! After getting Moegi in security I…"
"Quiet now Naruto" interrupted Sasuke. "There are people blocking the way."
Not that Sakura was really listening, she had long cut out Naruto's rant. It appeared that the nin from the days before had not been Kakashi had she had believed but someone testing them for the exam. She wouldn't have minded and also quite enjoyed the test if she hadn't been the only one to be sent a illusion. She clenched her teeth. Did she appear so weak? Was she not worth a real fight? She will prove them what she capable of. Sakura Haruno was no longer someone to be trifled with. Kubi purred at the idea of fight, alimenting her newly found motivation for the chuunin exam.
A new voice cut out her train of thoughts.
"I'm Rock Lee! What is your name? Let's go out together! I will protect you until I die!"
Staring bemused at the newcomer, Sakura could only let a confused "Uh?" fall from her lips before blushing. Lee was taller than her and seemed also older. Even though his sense of fashion was all but dead, surely assassinated by those thick eyebrows and green spandex 'I will say the bowl cut, I can smell its guilt', the boy wore a warm smile that made her think of Naruto's. Kubi seemed to be intrigued. 'Our first date proposition and it must been made by the weirdest guy out there !' cried Inner 'Don't you dare accept !'. Finally she answered.
"Hum, I'm sorry but my heart is already taken."
Hey ! How are you ? I'm finally back so I think I will go back to post every two weeks or something or make the chapters longer. I'm really happy for all you comments, don't hesitate to tell me what you think of this chapter and Gaara ( He was the most difficult to write so I would really like feedback). See you next chapter !