PHANTOM OF THE SAND
Act 2 : Scene 7
Sakura clenched her hands together in an attempt to keep them from shaking. It turned out to be as easy as denying the existance of butterflies in her nervous stomach. She was standing off to the left of the stage watching the production of Don Juan unfold before her eyes. The story was, as expected from its title, a mass of seduction and romance, dramatically accented in dark red and black set pieces. Seeing the entire thing fold together in its completion sent shivers up the kunoichi's spine. The colors, the lighting, and fake flames clawing up at the dimness of the stage made her feel as if she would soon be walking into a nightmare. Even her fellow shinobi taking part in the production seemed foreign to her, wrapped in eerie shadows.
All the days leading up to this moment had been dream-like. Ever since she had fainted in Gaara's grasp, she had been unable to grasp much of anything. She just didn't know what to think anymore - what to feel. She saw little sign of Sasuke and none of Gaara. Naruto was by her side almost every second and seemed to purposefully steer her away from the Uchiha when it appeared he might be approaching her. A part of her was glad for not having to deal with an awkward and painful confrontation with her childhood love. The other part ached with worry about what he must think of her now. Her eyes tore themselves from the ongoing swirl of performance before her and lifted to one of the boxes across the stage from her. That was where Kakashi and Iruka resided and, even though he was leaned to the side in the shadow of the box, she could see Sasuke peering out from there as well. He wasn't about to miss any of this.
A hand on her bare shoulder caused her to jump.
"Are you doing alright?" Naruto asked, retracting the hand hastily.
"I'm not certain - though it doesn't really matter, does it?" she replied with a sigh, brushing back pink hair over her shoulder.
"Of course it does," the fox-boy insisted and then clasped her hands in his. "You can do this Sakura-chan. You're a very brave and strong shinobi."
"Thank you," she said, though she certainly feel brave or strong at the moment. "I hate this costume," she groaned, changing the subject and fussing with the dress. Scarlet red skirts flowed to the floor from a darker red corset. This led to a stark white fabric that covered her chest and spread to shoulders where it refused to stay up. When she moved they always fell down off her shoulders. In her hair was one single, red flower that matched her skirts.
"You look great," Naruto couldn't help but grin. She threw him an agitated expression she hadn't given him for what seemed like years. It caused him to chuckle and brush a hand behind his head. "Anyway, you forgot this." He lifted a prop basket to her filled with fake flowers - all in the same dark colors of the set, except for one or two small white ones. She had forgotten it in the dressing room and took it from him before turning her attentions back to the performance. She was due to make her appearance soon.
The current set consisted of a large hall with an arch that hid a large bed and a table for two behind crimson curtains. Chouji, who had been cast as Don Juan's servant, Passarino, at Shikamaru's request was directing various other servants as they made the fake room ready for their master. The chorus and performers erupted into a few verses before Shikamaru finally entered, throwing back the curtains in front of the bed.
"Passarino, faithful friend! Once again recite the plan!" he sang. Though you could tell he wasn't entirely into it, his voice was nothing to be ashamed of.
"Your young guest believes I'm you - I, the master, you the man," Chouji replied in like.
"When you met you wore my cloak - with my scarf you hid your face. She believes she dines with me - in her master's borrowed place! Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff, stealing what, in truth, is mine. When it's late and modesty starts to mellow with the wine..."
"You come home! I use your voice - slam the door like crack of doom!"
"I shall say: come - hide with me! Where, oh where? Of course, my room!"
Sakura suddenly felt herself jarred and missed the following few lines. Her eyes darted furtively about the stage - things suddenly felt...wrong.
Shikamaru had gone to hide in the "bedroom" behind the curtains, clothed in Chouji's cloak to execute the trick. No sooner had the curtains closed to the light than the shinobi was wisked, muffled, up into the rafters by a mass of sand.
Sakura suddenly realized that she was due to go on stage when those around her were staring and everything before her had halted, waiting for her. She shook her head and tried to shake the feelings before she plastered a pleasant smile on her face and proceeded onstage with her basket, singing.
"...no thoughts within her head but thoughts of joy! No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!" she sang, thankful that her voice didn't desert her.
"Master!" Chouji spoke towards the curtains.
"Passarino - go away... For the trap is set and waits for its prey..." Chouji hesitated a moment before turning to take his designated leave. Shikamaru suddenly sounded very odd and raspy. Had his voice suddenly gone out on him? Hopefully he would be able to manage the rest of the scene!
Sakura meandered over the stage, looking about and finding no one. She gracefully took a seat on the makeshift steps of the set and began to play with her flowers. The curtains behind her swept open and the figure emerged, wearing the dark cloak, black theater mask over his eyes, and intricate black coat and pants.
Up in the box, Sasuke flinched and made his way to the edge to peer over. That wasn't Shikamaru.
"You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge... In pursuit of that wish, which until now has been silent... silent," he sang lowly. Sakura felt her entire body stiffen, but she dare not openly react. She sat up, acknowledging the presence of Don Juan and slowly glanced over her shoulder as he began to advance on her. "I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge... In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me..." He came to stand right beside her and her eyes trailed up to meet his behind the blackness of the mask. "Now you are here with me... no second thoughts... You've decided. Decided...," he murmured out.
Sakura felt her lips part as if they were ready to answer him themselves. Not Don Juan...but the man behind his mask...
"Past the point of no return... No backward glances... The games we've played till now are at an end... Past all thought of 'if' or 'when' - no use resisting. Abandon thought and let the dream descend...," he sang, only for her, as he lifted his hand to her. She slowly rose and tentatively placed her hand in his gloved one. Surprisingly, she found Gaara pulling her into himself, spinning her about so that her back was to him and his arms fell about her form. She frantically searched to think if this was just a part of the performance or if he was doing this all on his own. Why was he here? "What raging fire shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks its door? What sweet seduction lies before us...?"
Above in the box Sasuke could feel his wits absolutely burning. Raging, he tore from the box and pushed past his teachers to make his way down towards the stage. He had made it to stage right before a hand grabbed the back of his shirt to prevent him from running onstage. Glancing back he found himself eye to eye with Jiraiya.
"What the hell are you doing! Let me go!"
"Don't," Jiraiya said. "You'll only put everyone in danger."
"In danger! You DO know who that is, right!" Sasuke declared. Jiraiya simply nodded his head once.
"All the more reason to cool your heels. Don't worry, we've got this under control. Why do you think we agreed to produce this thing?" Sasuke huffed and looked at him agitated, realizing there wasn't going to be anyway for him to get past the Sannin without doing some fairly awful things. He turned his eyes back to the two on stage and felt the blood rush to his face at how close they were.
"I have come here hardly knowing the reason why... In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining defenseless and silent... And now I am here with you... no second thoughts - I've decided... decided," Sakura sang beautifully, once again finding herself falling into the depths of Gaara's intense eyes. The two parted only momentarily to proceed around the center of the stage and meet again before the curtains of the bedroom, Sakura singing the entire way. "When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last - consume us..."
As they met again and Gaara brought Sakura's hands into his own they proceeded with a duet, "Past the point of no return - the final threshold... The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn... We've passed the point of no return..."
The music swirled and mellowed, surrounding them. Sakura stood, gazing at Gaara who's expression seemed as unreadable as ever. What was true and what was only acting now? Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Sasuke across the stage behind the curtains and felt her heart strain in her chest.
"Say you'll share with me...," Gaara began suddenly, breaking from the script and singing softly and directly to her. She looked back to him, startled. "One love... one lifetime... Lead me... Save me from my solitude..." The kunoichi's aching heart felt like it was beginning to melt now and her brows curved up in a mixture of confusion and concern. Gaara's eyes closed mildly as he continued to watch her, his hands holding hers as gently as ever. "Say you want me with you, here beside you... Anywhere you go, let me go too... Sakura... that's all I ask ---"
"STOP!" came a yell from the side of the stage. Jiraiya groaned as he promptly lost his grip on Sasuke while trying to appreciate the young women who had exited the stage moments before. Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. "This is finished now - Gaara of the Sand!" Those watching the performance and those who had not previously been involved in the plan gasped at the mention of the name. Sakura glanced to Sasuke as he advanced towards them with an all too familiar look of murder in his eyes.
"Gaara...I," she said, almost completely at a loss for words. He wasn't looking at her though - only at the Uchiha. Just as Sasuke was upon them, a smirk played over the sand-nin's face and suddenly Sasuke found himself facing nobody. In a flash of sand the two were gone.
"NO!" he declared, clenching his fists. Shikamaru suddenly stumbled out from behind the set, coughing and rubbing his head. Chouji and those nearest to him ran to see if he was alright. Sasuke darted a look at Jiraiya. "Where are they?"
"There is no need for you to get involved," Tsunade replied as she brushed up beside Jiraiya from the crowd of dancing girls.
"I'm ALREADY involved," Sasuke insisted and glanced over to Naruto. "You know, don't you?"
"What? Of course not," he replied, lifting a defensive hand.
"They could be long gone out of the village by now," Shikamaru huffed, still trying to get the grains of sand out of his mouth. Frustrated, Sasuke simply took off from the crowd and dashed out of the theater. Gaara may have had tricks that made it look like he just vanished into thin air, but Sasuke knew even he couldn't have simply teleported miles away. They couldn't have gotten far - and he wasn't going to let them.
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A/N: Eeeeeeeeeeee... Only one more scene to go after this! And then its all done! Yays and oh nohes! Wells, hope you enjoyed this chappie everyone!