DO IT RIGHT
THIS TIME!
CHAPTER 1:
BACK AT
IT AGAIN
When he allowed his core to be pierced he didn't expect to open his eyes again, alas that's exactly what he finds himself doing at this moment. Bright gold fills his vision, sparkling golden walls adorned with mirrors that reflect nothing, equally sparkling golden vases line the ground next to the walls. Confusion and irritation were overloading his senses.
All he wanted when he made the decision to die was to embrace nothingness and escape the endless annoyance that accompanied life. The bright and gaudy room he finds himself in is absolutely not providing him the relief he was seeking.
'Sasori…. Sasori!' A strange pixie-like voice began to whisper his name. Sasori looks around, his eyes darting from left to right for the source of the voice. 'You're not gonna find what you're looking for cause, I don't possess a physical form.' The voice whispers again in his head this time, speaking with a clearer sound to it.
'You are no doubt wondering where you are and why you are here.' Sasori rollshis eyes at the unnecessary remark, hoping that whatever this disembodied voice was could see the action.
'Of course I see you rolling your eyes at me you jerk!!' This Time instead of a whisper, the high-pitched voice comes out as a screech. Sasori immediately regrets upsetting the voice as his head pounds with a headache following the screech.
'Serves you right, asshole!' Sasori feels oddly scalded, something about profanity coming out of such a pure sounding voice, sounds so wrong to Sasori's ears that he actually feels bad.
'Whatever, let's just move on to why you're here. I've brought you here Sasori, because quite simply I think you deserve a second chance at life.' The explanation did nothing to help Sasori's headache. That didn't explain who this being was or how it could give him his life back. Not to mention the fact that no part of him was interested in living again.
'Look Sasori, I know your life sucked and how that hasn't left you raring to give living another go.' Sasori resisted the urge to roll his eyes again at the voice telling him something he already knew.
'But I promise this time will be different, it will be better.' Sasori furrowed his eyebrows at the attempt to endear him to this supposed second chance. How could this being be so sure, that his life would be better this second time around.
'Because Sasori, I'm not sending you back to the land of the living empty handed. I'm sending you back with a gift, a gift that'll give your new life purpose and light.'
Against his better judgement, Sasori began to question his reluctance to accept this second chance. There was something about the voice's sincere excitement for this gift that started to make Sasori believe that things actually could be better this second time around.
What could this gift be, what could make life so much better this time around? 'Isn't it obvious Sasori? This time around, I'm giving you something you tragically lost way too early in your first attempt at living. I'm giving you the gift of love, Sasori!'.
Waking up with a start, Sakura snaps her head from left to right taking in her surroundings, the bed rustling beneath her as the chains wrapped around her body rattled with the movement. The last thing she remembered was arriving back at Suna following the successful rescue of Gaara. Shortly after arriving she went to freshen up briefly in the restroom, only to feel a prick in her neck followed by her vision fading to black.
Sakura grits her teeth as she wonders who injected her with a sleeping agent. There shouldn't be a much safer place than the Kazekage Tower in the center of Sunagakure. Whoever her kidnapper was must've been an incredibly dangerous and skilled Shinobi. The door to the room she found herself in opened and in walked the answer to who could've grabbed her from out of the most protected building in Sunagakure.
Akasuna no Sasori, a man who should definitely be dead, waltzes right into the room taking a seat on the edge of the bed near her feet. Sakura glares heatedly at the criminal, hatred coursed through her at the idea this bastard took her and chained her to a bed. She almost voices her rage but she didn't know how he would respond to such a thing, and given her compromised position she can't take the risk of turning him violent.
Sasori resisted the urge to pinch his nose and sigh angrily. He couldn't fathom why the spirit who gave him this second chance would make him fall in love with this girl of all people. He wasn't even overly psyched at the idea of being in love with anyone, let alone someone like this girl who had more than a few reasons to kill her and absolutely no reasons to like him let alone love him.
Unsure how to proceed he decided on attempting to build a positive rapport between them. "Sakura-san," He started with her name in an openly nervous manner of speech.
Sakura raised an eyebrow at Sasori's tone of voice, where was the confidence in his voice that had smothered it during their battle.
"Would I be correct in assuming that my Grandmother mentioned to you that I allowed you two to pierce my core?" Sasori's question caught Sakura off guard to the point of her anger fading away to the back of her mind.
"Yes, Chiyo-san did mention a theory to that effect." Sasori smiled with a look of relief that absolutely floored her. Sasori turned his eyes from her feet to look her dead in the eyes.
"Aren't you curious why I would do such a thing?" Sasori smirked at Sakura playfully, though the thing that struck her was the clear sadness hidden in his eyes. Not wanting to speak until she's more sure of her position in Sasori's psyche, Sakura nodded her head in affirmative to his question.
"It was because of our battle I realized something, I realized that the only thing pushing me to live was my fear of death. I had no purpose to continue struggling, and so, I decided that I refused to let fear define me. With that decided there was nothing to do but let you two kill me."
Sakura furrows her eyebrows in confusion as she tries to pierce together all the information he was giving her. In his speech he implied that he truly expected to die in their battle. The fact that he was here in front of her, in a human body of all things, doesn't support such an idea however, how could he not know that he had a human body lying in wait for him to return to follow the destruction of his core.
"I know what you're thinking, Sakura-san. If I am still alive and in a human body, how could I have been choosing death by allowing you to pierce my core? The answer to your question is simple, I don't really know " Sakura's eyes open wide in surprise. Following the physical reaction of her face was a wave of indignance. She doesn't think she's ever heard a less informative or believable answer in her life
Sasori chuckles lightly when he sees the indignant look on her face. "I understand why you might not be inclined to believe my answer, but it's the truth. I don't know where this body came from, it's certainly not the body I was born in. That body was disassembled and repurposed into my core. After you pierced my core, I had a strange dream and woke up in this body. I couldn't begin to explain to you how."
Sakura continues to glare at Sasori though it from a glare of anger, one of appraisal, as Sakura attempted to determine whether or not Sasori was lying. To her annoyance she finds that she believes him.
"So what Sasori, you find out your suicide attempt was a failure, and you kidnap me why, so you can get revenge for me what not killing you properly?" Sakura's question seems to imply aggression but her tone implies she didn't really believe that, instead just trying to come up with something to explain the strange circumstances she now finds herself in.
"No Sakura, I don't mean you any harm, the only reason I brought you to my safe house against your will is because if I had approached you in any other way you would have attempted to apprehend me." Sakura raises her pink left eyebrow at the statement, there's definitive truth to it, but it doesn't explain what his interest in her is. Before she can reply Sasori continues.
"All I want Sakura-san is to speak with you for a little bit. Matter of fact, if you promise not to attack me or run away I'll release you from your chains." Sakura's eyebrows shoot above her hairline, she can barely process the offer he had just given her.
"Regardless of that, you are of course free to leave after we've talked for a little bit." As surprising as what Sasori is saying, she is even more surprised at the fact that she finds herself believing him.
"So Sakura-san…." Sasori begins with a voice that Sakura could only describe as flirty. Sakura's brain began to short circuit at just the thought of Akasuna No Sasori of all people flirting with her. Her brain went from short circuiting to straight stopping dead in its tracks, when Sasori raises his eyes from the bed, to level her with the sexiest stare she had ever received from a man. His lips were just slightly tilted upwards in a lazy smirk. His eyes seemed to stare straight through her, all the way to her soul.
Sasori tries to ignore the way his heart jumped, when he sees the way Sakura's face flushes red. The effectiveness of that simple display of flirting makes Sasori question if the voice was as crazy as he thought it was for making him fall in love with Sakura.
"Can I trust you?" The irony of such a dangerous criminal like Sasori asking Sakura if he could trust her isn't lost on either of them. Sakura wasn't sure if it the sexual side of her brain was overpowering the rest of it but she actually believed Sasori and found herself nodding her assent.
"We can talk for a bit." Her reply comes out much meeker than she intended, and by the way he smiles she can tell the meekness amused him.
With how well the flirting appears to be working Sasori is starting to believe that the voice manipulated Sakura's feelings similar to how it affected him. He gives her his best shot at a gentle smile, which isn't a face he ever tried to make before so he is sure that it doesn't come across the way he intends it to.
Sakura can't help but raise an eyebrow at the face Sasori made, his face scrunches up in an almost a pain like state she has no idea what it was supposed to mean. But all of her thoughts about his face vanish alongside the weight on her wrists.
Sakura's chakra flows throughout her body once again filling her with confidence once again. Remembering her agreement she remains relaxed and does not attempt to attack or flee.
Smiling in relief at her staying true to her relief Sasori leans backwards giving Sakura some space.
Sakura clears her throat rather awkwardly and speaks up again. "What exactly did you want to talk about Sasori-san?"
Sasori gives her a melancholic smile, clearly emotionally compromised in a way she truly didn't expect from the man who defiled corpses in order to create puppets. "As I mentioned earlier, at the end of our fight I chose death. I had no plans to continue living, but now that I'm alive I find myself relieved to have another chance."
The sincerity and hopefulness in Sasori's voice pulls at Sakura's heart. There was something about this seemingly changed Sasori that drew her in.
"This feeling in my chest pushing me forward is so much brighter than the fear of death that was driving me before. I…." Sasori falters, he can't quite believe he was speaking such words. This kind of sentimentality is exactly the kind of thing that he always dismissed as pointless and a weakness. But now, he finds that giving himself over to it is making him feel stronger than he ever did before.
"I want to live, more than that, I want to be happy. I have a chance to truly live for the first time in my life; and I owe this fresh start to you, Sakura-san, which is why I wanted to say thank you!" Sasori looks directly into Sakura's eyes as he thanks her, his expression soft, gratefulness shining in his eyes. Caught off guard not just by the gratitude spoken but the honesty in his expression, Sakura's brain is sent reeling in search for precise thought.
"Sasori…." Sakura let his name slip out in a breathless whisper, words failing her at the unbelievably warm Sasori she was meeting at this moment. Sakura doesn't quite realize it, but her face begins filling with warmth, her cheeks flushing a beautiful red.
Sasori once again feels the spark that the voice had given him flood his being with a contentedness that rivals what his parents had brought him when they were alive.
"As thank you, I wanted to offer you my cooperation in the retrieval of your missing teammate, Uchiha Sasuke." Sakura's eyes open in shock, considering the information he had provided her after their battle, his presence for their meeting with his spy could make everything go way smoother. Sakura can't pretend such an idea didn't appeal to her but, despite her heart telling her to trust him, she doesn't really have a good reason to.
Sasori chuckles at her conflicted expression, he can tell if she didn't have her comrades to convince, she would accept without hesitation. Understanding that he needs something concrete to seal the deal, Sasori reaches into the pack on his hip pulling out a black box. Handing the box to Sakura, Sasori shoots her his best attempt at a reassuring smile.
Sakura takes the box from Sasori's hand rather gingerly as she tries to force her hands to stop shaking. It rests rather lightly in her hands, whatever's inside she doubts is dangerous. It didn't have any visible locks or traps on the outside, not that a genius inventor like Sasori couldn't hide such things in such a simple looking box.
Sasori notices the way she examines the box for a trick. Frowning, Sasori surprises himself at how much he didn't like her not trusting him. He has to assume that the desire to be trusted is an important aspect of being in love, a concept that frighteningly he has zero familiarity with. Taking a risk Sasori, goes further outside of his comfort zone than he ever has and puts his right hand on Sakura's.
Sakura jumps at the unexpected action, feeling Sasori's touch in such a gentle and human manner, defies everything she thought she knew about the world. What also sends her mind spinning is how her heart jumps at the feeling. In the same way her heart used to for Sasuke, a revelation that comes with way more baggage than Sakura is willing to address at the moment.
"It's okay Sakura-san, you have nothing to fear from me, not anymore." Sasori can't believe the sincerity seeping from his being, almost just as much as he can't believe how content he feels being what only yesterday he would've called weak. As much as it pains him to admit, that annoying as hell disembodied voice was right, things are gonna be better this time around.
Unable to speak due to the impossible to define feelings racing through her mind and heart, Sakura wordlessly opens the box. The top of the box lifts to reveal three scrolls, the scroll furthest from her is purple while the middle one is red and finally the one closest to her is green. Unsure of their significance Sakura raises her right eyebrow and looks at Sasori questioningly.
"Those scrolls are in order: everything I have on Orochimaru, everything I have on the Akatsuki and finally, all the weaknesses in Konoha's defenses I've found alongside the names of all the spies I have in your forces." Sakura's eyebrows shoot up with such ferocity that she feels like her face is about to split in two. If what Sasori just said is true, and whether or not she should be she is absolutely sure that he is, then the box she's holding is a gold-mine of information for Konoha.
"I want you to show this to your Hokage and tell her that I seek an alliance with Konohagakure, I will be there a week from now to negotiate on my behalf, the information in these scrolls should be enough to convince her to give me a chance." Laying out his plan, Sasori gives Sakura's hand what he hopes is a reassuring squeeze, something he remembers his mother and grandmother doing during his youth. Judging by the grateful look on her face Sasori believes it did and so he releases his grip on her hand.
Sakura feels like she can't breathe. This whole situation is surreal and she simply doesn't understand why she is so flustered. She attempts to recollect herself in order to ask him a couple questions, before she can open her mouth however, Sasori stands up and begins to walk out of the room.
"Thank you for hearing me out, Sakura-san, you're free to go. Once you're outside you'll learn this cabin is only a few kilometers meters outside of Konohagakure. Give my regards to your Shishou." Sasori's very gentlemanly goodbye causes Sakura to panic, hurryingly speaking up before he goes.
"Wait Sasori!" Sasori halts faster and harder than anyone she has ever seen. He turns to look at her eyebrows raised, clearly surprised by and curious of her panic to halt his exit. Sakura takes a deep breath attempting to slow her beating heart so she can tell Sasori what's on her mind.
"Sasori it's like you said you've changed… in ways that don't make any sense to me, but, you should know… the new you, I really like it." Sasori's eyes open wider than they ever have before fir perhaps the first time in his life, a blush forms on his cheeks. He turns his head from her quickly, obviously very embarrassed, something that sends Sakura into a fit of giggles." Before her eyes Sasori vanishes without a word.
Givings can't help but squeal that went way better than she thought it would when she first sent Sasori back to the world of the living. She may have made Sasori fall in love with Sakura, but she did no such thing to her. The only thing she did to Sakura was lessen the hold Sasuke possessed over her heart, leaving her more open to other possibilities. All the success Sasori just experienced was due to his charm and effort. Givings wishes more than anything right now that she possesses a body so she can jump up and down clapping as her not-so-inner-romantic screams in happiness.
She can't wait to see what happens next!
And there we have the first chapter of my first ever attempt at a fluff story. That's right this story will focus primarily on enjoying their romance though I will be including plenty dram and action too, those areas simply aren't where my focus is.