PHANTOM OF THE SAND
ACT 2 – Scene 1
Sixth months had passed since the series of bizarre events at the Konoha Theatre had occurred. The trouble seemed to vanish as quickly as it had arrived. Even the bustle and rumors that had been floating around the village had faded. The Jounins kept themselves on guard since it seemed peculiar that the conflicts had suddenly ended. After the six months, however, for one evening even they could relax. In celebration of the success and current stretch of peace at the theatre there was a masquerade ball held there.
The entire village was invited and it wasn't long before the dance floors were graced with a multitude of extravagant costumes and masks. Tsunade and Jiraiya resided at the end of the main staircase while Kakashi and Iruka stood at the other. Both the Senins' cheeks were flushed with the effects of their sake as they woozily exchanged words. Tsunade promptly belted her companion when he mentioned how nicely her Elizabethan costume framed her more than ample breasts. Kakashi chuckled from behind his mask, momentarily distracted from his own conversation by this. He was dressed in an intricate black and white costume that vaguely resembled a scarecrow. His own companion wore a matching black and white jester costume. Kakashi had picked it out for him, insisting it suited him. He would have been insulted except for the fact he had no idea what costume to choose for himself.
The students and actors danced about the floor whimsically. Ino seemed to be in higher sprits than she had been in awhile, much to the relief of her teachers. To no one's great surprised Sasuke and Sakura showed up together. He was sporting a simple, long coat-tailed tuxedo and a black mask over his eyes. On his arm Sakura wore a slim strapped white gown with long skirts, her shoulders covered by a short, long and billowy black-sleeved top. Her striking pink tresses were pulled into an intricate knot at the back of her head with some strands framing her face.
Their closeness and frequent appearances together had been happening ever since the storm had quieted on the theatre front. Sasuke seemed to be attentive to Sakura and was often found escorting her. His attitude, however, seemed to remain the same as when he'd left. He was no more social or openly affectionate than he had ever been. The fact that he stayed by the kunoichi's side almost every day was enough to cause most to figure there was something between them. No one actually knew how intimate it was.
Once they had stood aside from the dance floor for a time, Sakura glanced to Sasuke and leaned close to him to let him know she wanted to go get something to drink and would be right back. He gave her a simple nod and murmured an acknowledging noise. He watched her go as she moved past him with a flourish of her skirts.
A glass of cold water in her hand shortly after, Sakura found herself staring out one of the windows near the refreshment table. Her green eyes darted blindly outside where snow fell quietly on the steps. She suddenly felt very cold and distant from everything, the jovial music a mere murmur in the back of her mind.
"You're shaking."
"I…Uhm… It was cold outside."
Sasuke glanced about Sakura's apartment until his eyes caught sight of a blanket on the sofa in the living room. He retrieved it and wrapped it around her shoulders where she sat in the kitchen.
"Who was it?" he asked sternly, holding the blanket around her and staring in her eyes with probing dark ones. Sakura's wandering eyes snapped back to Sasuke's and it was obvious she was rather nervous about his question.
"Nobody," she finally answered with a stiff smile. "I slipped on the stairs is all. I was sleeping and wasn't quite awake." Sasuke continued to peer at her and it was clear that he didn't believe this for one second. Sakura suddenly wished she was a better liar.
He said nothing more, but released the blanket and stalked to the window and stared outside. The kunoichi looked shamefully at his back, wishing she could tell the truth but finding herself unable to do so. But why?
Why did she feel so compelled to protect him?
"I don't want you going anywhere alone anymore."
"What?" she asked, unsure that she had heard him properly. Sasuke didn't repeat himself. He turned around and looked at her mildly, silently re-enforcing what he had just said.
Wherever you go…
"Let me…go too….," she murmured.
"Sakura… That's all I ask of you…"
Sakura's eyes widened as her reflection was joined by a masked figure standing behind her. Red hair framed the emotionless visage and she knew he was looking right at her…into her.
"You came back….," she breathed, a mixture of shock and relief in her voice. She whirled around to greet the owner of the reflection, the confused beginnings of a smile touching her lips.
Sasuke stared back at her, a brow raised behind his mask. Sakura's smile melted when she saw him, something she never intended to do.
"Are you okay?" he finally asked lowly.
"Um," she replied, bowing her head and feeling a little guilty. Sasuke regarded her silently, aware of her sudden drop of high morale. He reached over and grasped her hand with a gloved one.
"Come on. It's too cold by the window." He led her away from the table and the windows back to the main floor. The surroundings began to warm again and Sakura felt a little bit of relief in returning to reality. She had been seeing things. That was all.
Sakura tried her best to not let her mind wander back to that of the phantom – the phantom of the sand. It helped her a little when Sasuke silently towed her into the dancing on the main floor. He didn't even ask, but she wouldn't have denied him. He was a remarkably good dancer. For a moment she felt like she was walking on clouds again, whirling about with Sasuke's hand at her back and his other clasped in hers. She wanted to ask him where he learned to dance so well but she didn't want to break the moment with words.
She could have danced forever, caught up in the dizziness of the masquerade. Suddenly, though, everything seemed to come to complete stand still. The music stopped. The dancers froze. Sakura wasn't even wholly aware of everything until she realized that Sasuke had stopped too, his hands stuck where he had left them. His gaze fixed itself where everyone else's had – the top of the steps. Confusion only settled on the pink haired kunoichi for a moment before it turned to fear. Her eyes hesitantly rose to the figure at the top of the stairs.
Amidst all the people she was almost sure his eyes were fixed on her and her alone.
Gaara stood ominously above everyone, wearing a mask similar to the one he had before. The colors were inverted – black on red – and the raccoon markings seemed to be smeared down over the cheeks of the mask. He had dressed for the occasion it seemed, wearing a deep blood-red, long tuxedo coat with a black dress shirt beneath it.
His steps came slowly and those in his way moved aside with little hesitation. He exuded the air of someone who owned every room they walked into. His posture and the way he stalked down the steps declared his silent ownership of the theatre. Without so much of a movement of his head he had already eyed everything up and down. As he neared the last small flight of steps he looked between the senins and jounins at the bottom with no concern at all.
"Certainly, you didn't think I'd left for good," he finally said, his voice echoing in the silence though it was barely raised at all. Reaching to the side where he held a leather bound item under his arm, he tossed it to the foot of the steps where some pages scattered out of it. It was an opera. Gesturing towards the pile Gaara turned his intense eyes to the jounins. "You will have this opera performed. Don Juan Triumphant…." He brought his hand slowly back to his side. "I advise you all to comply….. Believe me….you haven't seen the worst of it yet."
Up until this point Sakura had been completely unable to move. Part of her wanted to run but she couldn't manage to make her body work. It was too late, anyway, because Gaara's eyes fell on her again from behind the mask. She felt a thrilled shiver run through her body now and her hand slipped from Sasuke's. The Uchiha looked at her now as she pulled from him, feeling an all too familiar rage boiling up inside himself.
Gaara lifted his black-gloved hand out to Sakura and moved down a couple steps to meet her halfway as she came up to him, her eyes alight. Mesmerized, she lifted her hand and placed it into his. His fingertips wrapped about it and tugged her close to him. She gasped, losing her balance just slightly until he kept her upright with a hand to her back.
"You belong to me," he said lowly. The tone in his voice was demanding now, as if he insisted that she acknowledge this as a fact. The calm force behind it frightened her now that she was in his grasp.
"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled suddenly. Her head turned to look at him and Gaara lifted his head at the shout as well. He rushed the staircase and grasped Sakura's waist, tugging her from Gaara's grasp and stepping backward with her as the Jounins and Senins flanking their position moved in.
Sakura watched in horror as they almost seemed to bury him amongst themselves.
"No, wait!" she cried out as Sasuke held her firmly close to himself.
"Sakura, stop…! He's dangerous," he yelled at her over the ruckus, grasping at her wrists to stop her from trying to fight him off.
"But he didn't---!" she began to cry.
"Damnit!" came a call from the stairway. Sakura stopped fighting Sasuke and just stared. Sasuke looked up where the Jounins and Senins stood now. There was nobody there. They had captured absolutely nothing.
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Author's Note: Haaa I'm back. Sorry it took me so long to get back to this story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!