A/N: Blahhhh! Writer's slump. I hope this fic really doesn't turn into crap. Gah! Well, On with the show
Disclaimer: Oh, I am sooooo tired of doing these...(sigh)
Gaara: -Sigh- She doesn't own us.
Dark: But I wish I did. Good boy.
Gaara: -Glares-
Dark: Anyways...here we go!
Last time:
Well I don't really feel that I need to recap anything. The last chapter was just filler, and nothing happened to advance the plot. We did get a look into Deidara's perspective on things.
Chapter 11:
Three months had past since Sakura's move to Konoha. She could truly say that she was happy. Jin was still gone, and there was no word on when he was coming back. He did deposit money in her account for food, and other supplies while he was gone. She used the weekly balance to tell her when he would be home. For once she could walk around without having to worry about whether or not her make-up had ran, revealing her life to the rest of the world.
It was actually kind of ironic. Her and Gaara had become semi-close friends. In her opinion, he was a male version of her. Someone they loved had hurt both, and both tried had tried to find the same way out of it: death. Reluctant as he was Gaara finally broke down and told her what had happened with him and Neji. That damn pink haired girl was so persistent. She never did know when to give up.
When she wasn't hanging out with Sasuke, or Hinata, she would randomly drop by to visit him, or call just to talk. Hell, Temari even liked her, and she didn't like any females around Gaara. Not after what happened in Suna. She just didn't trust another female around Gaara. She really didn't need to worry anymore. Gaara had found out when he was sent away that he was indeed not attracted to females, but she was still the bigger sister, and this was Gaara we were talking about. Of course she worried. She didn't care if her baby brother was going to be an "adult" soon. He was still her kid brother, and nothing was going to change that.
'Well, let's see. It is now December, and Christmas is coming up soon. Oh god. I have to get so much stuff this year.' Sakura went down a mental list of which she would have to get presents for. 'Hinata, of course, then there is Sasuke, and Naruto. I really should get something for Gaara. I am rather fond of the redhead.'
"I think that's it." Sakura sat on her bed trying to figure out if she forgot anybody. "Do I want to give something to Neji? Naw. The way he has been acting lately, you would think he was on drugs." Sakura knew better then that. He didn't have any track marks; she looked.
According to Hinata, Neji was never at home. He would sometimes stay gone for days at a time, but always managed to show up to school. She knew it had to do something with his boyfriend. Yes, as surprising as it is, Neji and Deidara are still together. No one thought that something of convenience could last that long.
Life seemed to get back to normal. Once again she had felt the comfort of friends. She could trust people again, and that was a big thing for her.
Sakura lay back on her bed, reminiscing about the past months. Hinata stopped being the shy and stuttering person Sakura had known from Tokyo. Although she still retained her sweetness, and innocence, people no longer could walk allover her. Naruto was to blame for this. He would egg Hinata on, every time someone would try to push her down. Sakura still remembers the first day she blew up at somebody.
Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Sasuke and Gaara walked down the hall, getting ready to leave school. Naruto and Hinata were walking ahead of the rest of the group, while Naruto went on, and on about one thing or another.
'Man does he love rambling.' Sakura tried tuning him out and starting up a conversation with Sasuke or Gaara. While both had become rather comfortable around her, neither boy would hold up a conversation longer then two minutes. 'What the hell? Sometimes I can't get them to shut up when they are with me... Okay. That was an exaggeration, but still.'
Sakura was brought out of her irritation when she heard a commotion happening in front of her.
"Watch it!" A stuck up senior had apparently ran into Hinata, knocking her to the floor.
"I'm so sorry. Really. I should watch where I am going next time." Hinata sat on the ground, eyes down cast.
"Hinata."
She looked up at Naruto. He held his hand out for her to get up, slowly shaking his head in disappointment.
It looked as if a fire lit in Hinata's eyes. "No! I take that back." Her words were met with a glare. The snobbish girl turned around.
"What did you say?" Her voice sounded like if could make molten lava freeze.
"I said, No! I take that back. I am not sorry. You ran into me. I am tired of being treated like the little mousy girl that everyone can just stomp on! You," malice laced in her voice, "should apologize to me!"
No one knew what to think. Everyone just stood there, shell-shocked. 'Is that really my Hinata?' Sakura had never seen her get this loud before. She always would have to defend her. No matter what the situation.
Hinata fumed, while Naruto wrapped his arms around her. "Ahh! Hinata-chan! I am so happy right now."
Then the realization set in. 'I just yelled at somebody. I was rude, and now I am being stared at as Naruto is hugging me.' The red tint soon took over her face. 'This is not happening.'
Sakura could have sworn that her friend's face would never return back to its original shade. Just then, Sakura's phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Sakura. It's Tsunade."
"Yes sensei?" Sakura held a questioning tone in her voice.
"It's about Jin, and the company." Sakura's blood ran cold at the mention of that thing's name.
"What is it? Unless he is dead, I don't want to hear about him."
Tsunade let out a long sigh. "No, the bastard is not dead. Not yet at least."
"Well then I don't care." Sakura made a move to hang up the phone.
"Sakura wait!" She brought the phone back to her ear.
"What?"
"You know I still have people inside. None of them hold a substantial position, but I can still get news on some things. It seems that there is going to be something really big happening within the next year."
"Well you know damn well I have no position, and no ties to the company, so why do I care?"
"That's just my point. The big change has to do with you. Jin has something planned, and you hold a great deal of importance, from what I have heard. I don't know exactly what he has planned, so just keep and eye out on him when he comes back. Okay?"
"Thank you Tsunade-san." The phone dropped from her hand, and onto the floor. 'What the hell could Jin need me for? I don't know anything about drugs, except how to use them. Other then that, I am clueless. I doubt he wants me to be a runner, and I know he will never give a women any important position, not that I would want it.' Her breath began to catch as she thought of the possibilities. She grabbed her phone, and dialed the first number she saw.
Ring...Ring...Ring...
"Come on Hinata. Answer."
"Hey, It's me. Sorry, it looks like I can't come to my phone. So leave me a mess-"
"Dammit!"
'I need to go for a walk.'
Sakura quickly grabbed a pair of sweats and a camouflaged top. Snatching up a beanie and a pullover she put on her shoes and walked out the door. She kept replaying the conversation with Tsunade in her head.
That's just my point. The big change has to do with you. Jin has something planed, and you hold a great deal of importance, from what I have heard. I don't know exactly what he has planned, so just keep and eye out on him when he comes back. Okay?"
'What could he want?' Her feet unconsciously carried her to the same bench she had sat on millions of times. Sometimes her and Sasuke would come here just to sit and talk at night. Gaara came here a lot to write. Sakura was still determined to find out what was written in there. Even though Gaara told her that if she ever looked in it he would "send her to the netherworld." That didn't give Sakura much hope, but she had dealt with worse, much worse.
She leaned over the bench catching the sight of that familer red hair. "Well, hello Gaara. I am so surprised to see you here." Her grin could almost match Naruto's, almost.
"Yeah right." Gaara rolled his eyes and sat up to give her room. "So what brings you here?"
"Huh? Oh. Nothing. I just got bored with sitting at home, and wanted to come to my favorite place." She dropped her head back to look at the sky.
"Ahh..." He bent his head down and went back to writing.
"Hey Gaara. What are you writing?" She tried to sneak a glance before he could cover it up.
"I already told you about this. Do you have a death wish or something?"
"Or something. Most likely; I am not to sure myself."
He gave her a puzzled look. He never really did get her. She talked in riddles sometimes and was very vague about a lot of things. Neither one of them bothered to ask any more questions. That's how it always went. Him and Sakura would talk a little bit, but in the end just found comfort being in each other's company.
Sakura slipped her hand into Gaara's and leaned her head on his shoulder. She tried to ignore the fact that he tensed at her touch. "Hey, am I making you uncomfortable? I'll get up if you want me to." She glanced at him through the corner of her eye.
"A little bit. I'm just not used to it. That's all. Stay there if you want."
"'Kay. I think I will." Gaara started to go back to his writing when she didn't say anything else.
Voices crawl from the back of my mind,
Screaming again. So loud,
shredding the darkness, and silence I have grown accustomed to.
I need them to stop.
They hurt, and remind me, I'm alone
Truly...
I am alone...
"Hey Gaara." Her soft voice startled him, making him drop his pen. He tilted his head in reply. "Do you ever feel...? I don't know how to explain this."
"Well just say it. If I don't get it, I will tell you." He picked up his pen and closed his notebook.
"Well. It's weird. I finally have friends that I can trust, and people that care about me, but I just feel alone. I know people care, and I know that they are there for me, but I don't know. It's like something is missing."
Gaara gave her a look that just screamed "And you are talking to whom?"
"Oh yeah. Well then I guess you do get it then."
"Yeah. Sorry Sakura. I am not one for advice, and with me being me, I wouldn't take it if I had any to give."
"Naw. I don't need advice. That's what I have Hinata for. I just need someone that knows what I am talking about, not sympathy. Just someone to relate."
Gaara just shrugged. "Hey. Temari has been asking about you."
"Really? Do you mind if I come over?" She asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Would it matter if I did?" Gaara knowing full well what her answer would be.
Sakura gave a sly grin. Gaara interrupted her before she could say anything. "Never mind. Let's go."
Sasuke sat in his room, music blaring out the speakers. This was the only good part about being alone. No one cared how loud your music was, ever. It wasn't like he had to worry about the neighbors complaining. He practically lived in a castle. So there was no need to worry about that.
His room was his sanctuary. The only place in that god-forsaken house that he could relax. It was all Itachi's fault. He just had to call to "check up" on him. Sasuke didn't understand the 'act' that his older brother put on. There was no need for him to fake a caring tone in front of his business partners. The conversation had struck a nerve deep within him.
"Hello?"
"Hello Sasuke. How are you?"
"What the hell do you want?" Sasuke growled into the phone.
"Nothing, Nothing at all. I just wanted to check up on my little brother, and see how life is treating him. Don't you miss me?"
"Not in the least Itachi, and you know it."
He dropped the false sympathetic, and caring tone. "Hn. Anyways. I should be gone for about another month. When I come back we will have to discuss something. Okay?"
"Since when did you want to talk with me about anything?"
"Awww. Sasuke, that's not true. I was very interested in that Haruno girl."
Sasuke could almost feel the smirk trough the phone line. "You will not touch her, Ever. She doesn't need to be with the likes of you."
"Honestly Sasuke. You don't know how wrong you are." Before Sasuke could reply, Itachi interrupted him. "You have no idea, but you are just like me." With that the phone went dead.
'He has no idea what he is talking about. What the hell did he mean, "I'm just like him." I will never be like him. That fucking bastard is nothing but a criminal. He is cold, and calculating. He has no feelings. He didn't even look phased when mom and dad died. At least I have a heart, it maybe frozen but its there.'
The irony struck Sasuke as he listened to the music playing.
I could be mean
I could be angry
You know I could be just like you
I could be fake
I could be stupid
You know I could be just like you
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wring if you think that I'll be
Just like you
I could be cold
I could be ruthless
You know I could be just like you
'I won't. I can't I will never be just like you.' He continued to let the music blare throughout the speakers as he drifted off into his own thoughts.
Itachi hung up the phone. 'You think you know what's going on, little brother. Don't be so sure about your actions. I guarantee you will be just like me.'
"Itachi."
He looked back to acknowledge his boss.
"Is everything set? Have you told him yet?"
"No. Not yet. This will have to be something that is done in person. I can't very well do it over the phone. He would definitely not agree to that. Don't worry I will be able to persuade him. After all, your daughter seems to have quite a strong hold on him now doesn't she?" He smirked back at the older man.
"Watch your tone, Uchiha. I want my daughter to stay out of this until it is her time. Got it?"
"Hn. You said I have a year to convince him right? Well, won't she be playing her part by then?" Jin nodded in agreement. "He will know now, and when the time comes, he will accept his position in the company. I assure you."
"Hm. Just don't fuck up. I am running out of trustworthy people as it is. I need new blood."
Sakura sat at the table talking animatedly to Temari. The blond enjoyed her company; she was so unpredictable. One moment she was bouncing around acting like a complete idiot, and the next she would be so solemn (I give up trying to spell that right JK! JK: Oro? I think this is what you meant…) you would think someone died.
The second they walked in the door Sakura began talking up a storm, while Gaara made his way back to his room.
"Oh, I still need to go Christmas shopping! Do you have any idea what Gaara would like? I mean, I know him well enough, but he is so hard to read sometimes. I don't really know what to get him. If he doesn't like it, he might just kill me." She laughed slightly, but her voice still held some truth to it.
"Your guess is as good as mine. You might want to ask Kankurou when he gets home. He would know better then anyone. He is the closest person to him right now. Gaara holds onto him for dear life sometimes. I find it quite amusing to watch sometimes. Just the other day, Kankurou came downstairs muttering something about wall being different colors, or something like that." Temari let out a small laugh at Sakura's face. "Don't ask."
"I don't plan on it." Both girls began laughing even harder.
Gaara opened up his book to the last page he had been working on.
Voices crawl from the back of my mind,
Screaming again. So loud,
shredding the darkness, and silence I have grown accustomed to.
I need them to stop.
They hurt, and remind me, I'm alone
Truly...
I am alone...
The past is the only company I keep
It laughs at my pathetic attempts at friendship
Who are they to judge?
They aren't me, but
They are me
The past eventually fades back into the darkness
Truly...
I am alone...
Knock...knock...knock...
"Hey Gaara. Can I come in?" No reply was heard for the other side, so Sakura checked the doorknob. The only time Gaara wouldn't let her in was if the door was locked. She smiled as she entered. "Hey."
Gaara nodded in acknowledgement and closed his book. "Ahh, I see you were writing again. When am I going to see it?" She inquired while flipping through his CD's. Finally she found one, and put it in. The volume was barely above a whisper as she made her way to his bed.
"Never. I don't even read half of what I write. I just write, and then turn to another page." He stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Hmm. Well it never hurts to try. One day you might just give in."
"Don't count on it."
This was the routine for her when she came over. When she finally made her way to his room, she found a CD, asked to read his book, and then lay down next to Gaara. She was one of the few females he actually felt comfortable around, the others being Hinata, and his sister. He didn't have to worry about her. She was head over heels for Sasuke, although she tried to hide it, and did it well in fact, but she could only hide the truth for so long before something would slip out.
"You know you should just tell him."
Sakura was shocked. 'Gaara giving advice? Now this was a day to mark on the calendar.'
"Shouldn't you follow your own advice? I mean, come on. You know you still love Neji, and don't try to deny it."
"Yeah. So what if I do? He is happy right now, and that's what I want. That is all I know. That he is happy, and that's the way it should be. It's different with you. You are happy with Sasuke, and he is with you. So you should be with him. Frankly I am getting tired of watching you two dance around one another. It's fucking irritating."
"Sorry. Yeah okay, I do need to tell him what I want. I just don't want it to be like last time. I am so scared to actually lose a friendship. You know?"
Yeah, Gaara knew. He knew all too well the stories of the friendship turned relationship, turned into nothing. That's how things went, and as cliché as it sounded, you win some you lose some.
As if on cue, Sakura's cell phone rang. She talked on it for a little bit before hanging up. "Hey, that was Sasuke. He says he needs to talk to me about something important so I am going to meet up with him, alright?"
Gaara just nodded as she showed herself out. She stopped to bid farewell to Temari, who was preparing dinner.
Sakura walked back to her house, and waited for Sasuke to come over. Within a few minutes there was a know at the door. "Hey Sasuke. Did you want to come in?" He just shook his head in return.
"I want you to come over to my house. I want to talk to you there. Is that okay?"
Sakura grabbed her coat and walked outside, shivering from the icy wind. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her, in an attempt to keep her warm. "Thanks," she muttered under her breath. Once in the car, they made their way to his house. Once they got to the house Sasuke made a beeline for his room, and motioned Sakura to follow him.
The chill from the December air never really left Sakura. She was still freezing. Sasuke offered her shivering form a blanket, but she declined. He gave up and wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her onto his chest. "See Sasuke." She looked up smiling. "This is why you are so great."
"Why? Because I don't want you to get sick, because you were too stupid or stubborn to take the blanket I offered?"
Sakura fought to suppress the glare she wanted to give him. "No." She said, smacking him lightly. "Because you are a human heater. People like you are the best thing to have in the winter. You know that? You can never be cold as long as you have a Sasuke."
"Oh yeah. My fan girls would love that."
"Your right! I can market you, and make a fortune! Thanks for the great idea! I will be sure to rent you out this entire winter." She grinned up at him.
"Hmm, but then again, wouldn't you miss me?" He pulled her closer, and laid down on the bed.
"Yeah. You're right. I would miss you."
Both people sat there, not saying a word. Their warmth and company was all each other needed. 'I should tell him. What happens if it end up like last time? I don't want to be hurt again.' She sighed, as a lone tear ran down her cheek. 'Well I hope this goes well.'
"Sakura. I brought you here to talk to you."
Sakura shifted her weight so that she was curled up against his chest. "Hmm? What did you want to talk about?" She kept her face buried in his arms, hoping that he would see how scared she was.
"Itachi called me today. Something's going on with him, and I don't like it. Apparently he is coming home next month, and he needs to talk with me."
"Do you know what it is about? I mean, he has never really shown any interest or guidance in your life. Why does he want to start now?"
"I don't know." Malice dripped from his voice. "All I know is that it is not good. I wanted to make up a promise Sakura." Sasuke put his hand on her face. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm not Sasuke." He gave her a knowing look. "Ok. So I was crying. I will tell you after you make you promise."
He nodded. "I am going to promise you this. Whatever happens, I want to tell you that I will never become like my brother, ever. No matter what he tries to do to me, I won't be like him."
She smiled back at him. She had heard about the emotional rock his brother was. So uncaring, so cold. He reminded her a lot of Jin. Just the absolute fear that man could instill in people was mind blowing. Itachi had the same charisma attached to his aura. Without realizing what was happening, she pulled her face up to his, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you. I don't think I could be with you if you turned into your bother."
Sasuke gave her a confused look. "Sakura, what are you talking about?"
"Come on. A smart boy like you can figure it out." She smiled lightly up at him. Whatever you do, just don't hurt me. Okay?" She brought her lips to his confused face. "Stay with me. Be with me. I'm ready."
A/N:Yeah this was really quick there is only a few chapters left. I am think along the lines of three. and that will be it. I hope yall liked this better then the last one, but now I am late for work! I must leave you.
Junsui Kegasu's BETA Notes: Yaaay for SasuSaku…if you're a SasuSaku fan. I'm still waiting ever so patiently (cough cough hack) for the KankyGaa! 9.9 Yaaay for snow days! Loved the Hinata bit, by the way.