PHANTOM OF THE SAND

ACT 1 – SCENE 3

Despite how exhausted she was feeling after such an exceptional performance, Sakura found herself in a contented bliss as she sat in her dressing room. The floor was littered with flower petals from the bouquets that had been sent to her room or that had been carried in from the stage. Currently, she sat before her dressing table mirror, looking at herself with flushed cheeks and bright, enthusiastic green eyes.

She still couldn't believe it all. Oh, if this were a dream – please don't let her wake up!

Of course, if this was a dream….ideally anyway…. Sasuke would be here!

There came a knock on her dressing room door that startled her just a little. Turning a bit on her seat with one hand still on the table she called out, "Come in!"

Sakura suddenly began to doubt this whole fiasco was a reality. Her eyes were seeing it but her brain was hardly registering it. Her lips refused to form any words, even incoherent ones.

"Sakura," the Uchiha greeted with a mild nod of his head after closing the door behind him. His eyes ventured absently and quickly over the room.

"Sas-Sasuke-kun!" Sakura finally managed to blurt, but that was about as much as she could muster. Sasuke moved forward until he stood about two or three feet from where she sat and for a moment he just looked at her. Instantly, Sakura's mind reeled back to her previous fantasy – why was he looking at her like that? Her cheeks flushed. Wasn't he going to say anything? Oh god, she forgot what she was wearing! Well, she wasn't naked or anything but – still! The costume was more than feminine – and it gave her cleavage! Cleavage from breasts she'd blossomed into while Sasuke was gone! Was he looking at them! Of course not. Sasuke would never be so rude…right? Oooohhh!

Sasuke's dark eyes kept themselves set upward although his peripheral vision did its usual ninja sweep of everything else. Yes, he'd noticed that Sakura had changed since he had been gone – it was to be expected after all. He'd given it little thought when he saw her onstage, but up close the differences were almost staggering. Not even eighteen and already she was starting to look more and more like a woman. Of course Sasuke would never voice his opinions of such things.

"You've kept busy," he finally said to gap the silence, his fingertips rustling around a little in his pockets. Sakura blinked and looked at him. That was ALL?

"Erm.. yes.. Well, everyone needs a hobby, right?" she smiled anyway, but then quickly added, "But training always comes first!" Sasuke tilted his head mildly and then the corners of his lips tugged up just slightly.

"Of course."

"Actually, I started dancing here. You wouldn't believe how strong my legs have gotten, with that and the training. It's actually a very good combination…," she said, sticking out one leg though neither of them could see her calves under the skirt.

"It's good you're keeping yourself focused then," he replied, wandering over to a barrage of her flowers to the right.

"Yes…," she said lightly, her fingertips grasping her dress a little as she bowed her head in an age old shyness. "It's good to see you again, Sasuke-kun…"

"Hmn," he replied with a slight nod of his head. After a bit he turned and moved to lean back against the edge of her dressing table, hands still in his pockets. His eyes focused on her intently again. "Sakura?"

"Um.. yes?" she replied, feeling her face grow hotter than before.

"Have you heard anything about a ghost…?" Again, Sakura felt a little agitated that the chance for romance flew out the window for another subject, but still….

"Er… Well, I have seen strange things happen."

"You haven't seen anybody, though."

"No, never," she said, shaking her head. It was true – she had never SEEN anyone. Actually, she wasn't even connecting the disasters with her ghostly visitor. It wasn't exactly in her head to tell Sasuke about a voice talking to her every night. The last thing she wanted to do was sound bonkers. Sasuke seemed quietly thoughtful a moment before standing straight up again.

"Ah, well…," he murmured.

"Sorry," she said instinctively, really wishing she could just tell him whatever he wanted to know. He shrugged and walked past her a little bit before turning to face her sideways.

"Are you hungry?" Sakura blinked at this question and could barely refrain from asking 'who me?' She managed somehow.

"Um… Yes, actually, now that I think about it," she said with a crooked smile. "It's been a draining night."

"I haven't eaten yet either," he said. "I'll go wait by the entrance." His eyes passed over her openly this time. "Get changed and we'll go get something."

"Oh, right! Okay!" Sakura burst, almost a little too enthused. Sasuke didn't seem to mind and walked out the door, closing it behind him. For a moment Sakura was dumbfounded and didn't move. Then it was like someone had lit a fuse that finally reached her. She leapt up in excitement and scrambled to get out of the multiple layers of her costume. Dinner with Sasuke! DINNER WITH SASUKE! Don't make him WAIT!

She had just managed to get out of the first layer, leaving her in the white under dress when she was greeted with something she wasn't prepared for.

"What do you think you're doing?" came the low and irritated voice echoing all around her in the room. Sakura yelped and dropped the part of the skirt she was holding, whirling around at the voice that came from nowhere.

"Er.. I'm.. I'm going to dinner. Please don't scare me like that," she said with a bit of nervousness in her voice and a crooked smile on her face.

"You can't go."

"What? Why not? Sasuke is waiting for me," she replied, looking around the room as she often did when the voice came to her.

"You're coming with me," the voice said simply. Sakura's lips parted and she gave a very light laugh.

"I can't come with you… You're… You're not even…"

"I'm not?" a whispered voice came behind her ear. It sent instant shivers down her spine. "I am..," he said again, even softer. Hands reached around her to grasp at her own and turn her around. Sakura gasped a bit and came face to face with a figure slightly taller than she was. Her eyes widened – she hadn't been expecting to actually SEE a ghost. His clothing was reminiscent of the garb the sand folk wore and colored in browns and deep reds. Similarly red, slightly mussed hair framed a black and red Anbu mask that resembled a raccoon. "And you are coming with me."

Sakura stared at the mask and the eyes behind it. This Anbu mask was different from the others she'd seen; not only in color but also how the eyeholes were the shape of a human eye rather than round. It allowed her to see the "ghost's" eyes perfectly to where they led to black rims. Again, she was feeling a nagging memory poking at her, but she was really too bewildered to give it much thought.

Gaara grasped one of her hands firmly. He knew he shouldn't be doing this but he really had no choice. On one hand, appearing to anyone was dangerous and he could get caught. His sudden appearance in the theatre would cause an uprising of suspicion. There would be a lot of unneeded fighting which would – no doubt – end up in the loss of his music as well as a lot of bloodshed. On the other hand, he was basically making an attempt to abduct Sakura when he knew someone was waiting for her. Her disappearance wasn't going to go down well.

But he had to take her. He had to get her away from Sasuke. If he let her go now she would more than likely quit the theatre and begin to spend all her time with the Uchiha. He couldn't have that. He wouldn't have that.

Sakura was looking at him in the manner of a small child. She was caught somewhere between surprise and awe. Well, at the very least it wasn't pure fear. Gaara had gotten his fill of that already.

"Where…?" she finally found her voice. Gaara was getting ready to respond when his gaze snapped to her door. Someone was coming. He could hear the footsteps. He didn't have his gourd on him – after all that would have been a dead giveaway to his identity. He wasn't entirely unprepared, however. Inside his cloak the pouches of sand he'd stowed began to quiver. Bursting forward and down across the floor at blinding speed they reached the door and held it tightly shut just as Sasuke's hand reached the doorknob. He pulled his hand back at the feeling of the chakra bursting through the keyhole.

"Sasuke?" Sakura said and Gaara felt his agitation inside rear up. Grasping her by the shoulders he pulled her closed to himself and used the remaining amount of sand at his disposal to vanish with her in a cloud of it. At his retreat, the sand went with him and the door clicked open. Sasuke burst into the room and looked around.

"Sakura? Sakura!" he called, but there was no answer. His eyes narrowed. What was that chakra…? He frowned. Strange things, indeed. His foot grazed the floor just slightly as he took a step and something made him stop. Glancing down he looked at the carpet and shifted his foot again. Kneeling to the floor he brushed his hands against the carpet and lifted his fingers to look.

Sand.

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Author's Note: There you goooo Sasuke peoples. I'm really enjoying writing this XD I haven't written so much in a long time! Thanks so much for all your support and reviews! Wee!