A New Team Arises

Chapter 7: A Turn For The Worse

Disclaimer: See other chapters.

Guys don't think I'm weird but…I'm gonna pair Tenten with Lee.

Sakura sat on a bench watching the cherry blossoms fall, the evening after the Chuunin Exams ended. (Hey, now you know what time of year it is! Spring!) Gaara walked up and sat by her.

"I didn't mean to hurt him that bad you know."

"I know."

"It's just…it's difficult, my childhood was traumatic, and when I fight a worthy opponent, it's…difficult…not to destroy them."

'Yeah, it's tough, but you still didn't try to stop before today.'

"Shut up."
"What?"

"Shukaku."

'Wow she's pretty hot."

"Shut up!"

'You know I'm right.'

"Shut it!" Sakura began to laugh.

"You know, when you argue with Shukaku, your eyes make you look like a panda."

"What…I don't look like a panda!"

"Yes you do." Gaara began to smile; he made his hand look like a paw, and began to lightly tap on Sakura's head.

"Help! A panda is attacking me! Ah!" Sakura lost her balance, she fell on Gaara, and they both fell off the bench laughing and rolling on the ground.

'Wow she is really cute…'

'Told ya.'

'Shove it.' Gaara got up off the ground, and helped Sakura up. They both stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes.

'Wow, I just realized…Gaara's gotten tall, he's as high as I am! Wow, he got kind of…hot…too. Wait! Did I just think Gaara was hot?'

'Yep.'

'Don't start on me…but…'

"…Sakura…"

"…G-Gaara…" Gaara pulled Sakura in and pressed his lips to hers. They kissed, a long passionate kiss, neither one wanting to break off, and they didn't until nearly passing out from lack of air.

"Um…Sakura…would you like to go out some time?"

"I'd love to…Gaara-Kun." Gaara hugged her. She buried her face in his chest and smiled.

"I love you Gaara-kun."

"I love you too Sakura-chan." Gaara actually began to cry.

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing it's just all my life…everyone I've known has thought that I'm a monster…and you…you're the first one to ever say that to me."

"Well guess what…you're gonna hear it a lot more often."

"Have a good night Sakura-chan."

"You too Gaara-kun."

"Hey Sakura?"

"What?"

"What about Sasuke?"

"Sasuke can kiss my ass, the coldhearted dick."

"Good to know." With that they both walked towards their homes.

(Okay guys, we're going forward one month! The scene is the hospital, Satsu's still in a coma, and Ino's crying by his bed.)

(Satsu's Psyche) Satsu is sitting in a room resembling a martial arts dojo.

"What the…where am I?" A young woman (I'd say about 30) approached Satsu.

"You're in your mind Satsu."

"What the? Mom? B-But you're dead! I saw you die!"

"Satsu-honey, this is your mind, I'm only alive because you remember me, and…well you need to see something." Satsu looked forward to see a sad scene. All his friends, Ino, Nakigara, Sendo, they were all there, in front of a small headstone.

"What? A funeral?" Satsu seemed confused, but his confusion turned to horror when he saw what happened next. Ino hugged the stone and started sobbing, crying out.

"Satsu!" Sendo, Sakura, and Hinata started crying, as the scene faded away.

"T-That was…my funeral…"

"Satsu, listen you made me a promise…what was it?"

"I-I did, I promised that…to the best of my ability…I wouldn't let people see the ones they loved die."

"And why did you make that promise?"

"Because…I saw you die…assassinated, you, you died right in front of me…"

You're not going break your promise are you? You're not going to let Ino suffer are you?" Another scene appeared, Ino crying her eyes out to a comatose Satsu in a hospital bed.

"What's this?"

"This is what's happening right now."

"She's here?"

"Still."

"What do you mean? Still?"

"She hasn't left your side, these thirty long days, she's been here, crying her eyes out. You need to wake up Satsu. If not for your sake, then for hers."

(Hospital)

Ino was crying into Satsu's chest.

"S-Satsu, w-why won't you wake up? We all miss you…you…you big jerk!" Ino jumped at the feeling of a hand caressing her shoulder. She heard a weak voice, but the sound made her feel great joy.

"Hey, can the water works will ya? You know I hate to see you cry."

"S-Satsu! N-Nurse! He's awake!"

"Oh, no hello?" After this comment Ino embraced Satsu.

"Satsu I-I-I thought you were going to die!" Satsu continued to stroke Ino's shoulder.

"I'm here Ino, I'm here, please don't cry."

"Oh Satsu, I'm just so happy that you're awake."

"Thought you said I was a jerk."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Hey, calm down, it's okay, I was just joking."

'Then again, probably not the best time for that.'

"Hey Ino?"

"Yea Satsu?"

"You're hurting me…" Ino released her grip on Satsu, who fell back onto his bed.

"Oh, sorry, it's just you've been out for a month and, I-I missed you…"

"I know, I know, but there's no more reason to cry…"

"So you're finally awake."

"Wh…Hokage-sama?" (Note: This is Tsunade.)

"Well first things first, how are you feeling?"

"I'm alright I guess, I'm a bit weak, and…I think I broke a rib…"

"You broke twelve, and had a punctured lung, and a ruptured one. It's nothing short of a miracle that you woke up."

"Well I vaguely remember a crushing sensation, then…nothing."

"Probably the sand. Well second order of business, I'd like to congratulate you, I watch the finals each year, your performance was quite impressive."

"Thank you Hokage-sama…um, when can I go home?"

"Well, it's one in the morning, so, I'd recommend tomorrow, and most of your wounds are healed so you should resume training ASAP." With that, Tsunade left the room.

Satsu looked over, and saw that Ino had already fallen asleep with her head on his chest.

'Wow, thirty days nap, and now I'm tired.' Satsu fell asleep.

(The Next Day…)

"Ow, ow, ow." Ino was desperately trying to get Satsu to go back to bed.

"I told you not to get up yet."

"Well, I don't listen to everything you tell me, I want to train."
"What! You're in no condition to train!"

"Well, I'm going to, and that's…that."

"No!" Satsu managed to grab Ino and sling her over his shoulder. He left the hospital still carrying her. About half way to the training grounds, he put her down.

"You gonna let me train? Or do I have to carry you to the training grounds on my back."

"Fine, just don't push yourself too hard."

"Hey you know me…"

"So I can't even trust you to do that?"

"Not what I was gonna say."

"So then you were gonna lie? Oh by the way Satsu, it's Sunday, there is no training."

"Ha-ha. Incredible that just 7 hours ago you were crying into my chest."

"Shut up. Quick hide!" Ino shoved Satsu into an alley. It would seem that all the genin were walking together this morning

"Hey guys what's up?" Tenten was the first shocked person to speak.

"I thought you were at the hospital."

"I was."

"Why'd you leave?"

"No more reason to stay there."

"What do you mean?" Satsu walked out from the alley. Sendo ran up and embraced her teammate.

"Satsu, oh, you finally woke up!"

"Sendo…please let go…I'm still a bit weak..."

"Promise you won't do that again!"

"On one condition."

"What?"

"Stop trying to break me in half…" Sendo released her death grip on her teammate.

"Don't mind Sendo, man she's been weird since you went comatose. Then again, I was too, we're teammates."

"I know but…" Satsu noticed Sakura and Gaara's intertwined hands.

"Hello. What's all this then…Oh."

"Well, I see you noticed the village's newest hookup."

"Wow, would've never thought, but congrats to both of you. I'm just happy to be awake. But I think I'll never be thirsty again, Ino half drowned me." Ino punched him in the stomach, and he fell to his knees.

"Oh no! Are you okay Satsu?" Satsu flipped Ino over his shoulder.

"Gotcha. So guys where are you going today?"

"SAT…" Satsu covered her mouth.

"So where are you going?"

"Well, we were going to Ichiraku, you guys wanna come along?"

"I'd love to, and well, I guess Ino's coming too." And so they went, and when they reached Ichiraku, Satsu put Ino down, earning a second shot to the stomach.

"God, at this rate, I'll be back in the hospital in an hour." Ino kissed him.

"Don't worry, I won't send you there for too long. Or maybe I will."

"Oh joy." After a delicious lunch of ramen, the group walked out of the building. They came across another one, a flaming one to be exact.

"Miss, you can't go back in there! The fire's too high!"

"No someone needs to help my child! Ai's still in there, I have to get her out!"

'Keep your promise Satsu…'

"Aw man…" Satsu ran towards the house and busted through the door with his shoulder.

"Satsu-Kun!" There was burning timber everywhere, the heat was unimaginable. Satsu heard a faint cry.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Ai! Ai where are you?" Satsu continued to work his way to the house, the cries grew louder as he reached a small room. He opened the closet to find a little girl, probably around 6, crying in the corner.

"Come on! We have to get you out of here!"

(Outside…)

"Damn kid, there's no way he's making it out of there…"

CRASH!

Even as the man spoke, Satsu jumped from the second story window, with Ai in his hands, he landed fine, no issue.

cough cough "Ugh, Miss, is this Ai?" The woman ran over and grabbed her child from the coughing Satsu.

"Oh thank you, you saved my little Ai!" The group went over to our choking friend. Ino hugged Satsu.

"If you ever do that again I'll kill you. You scared me! Why the hell would you do that?"

Satsu proceeded to explain what I explained in his psyche. Including the mom-death part.

"…that's so sad."

"…whoa."

"Hell, I wouldn't of woken up if it weren't for that promise, Ino's the reason I woke up to be frank."

(Let's just skip ahead to the next morning…at 6 am…IN GAARA'S HOUSE! From this point on, this story's theme is going to go to Action/Adventure/Drama/Romance/Humor. Huzzah!)

Gaara, looking for breakfast, opened the cupboard and donned an irritated look.

"What the…who ate the last instant ramen!" (Yes, Gaara loves ramen…so does Naruto…and SO DO I!)

"Sorry Gaara!"

"Kankuro! I told you to stay out of my ramen!" Kankuro walked in without (GASP!) his hood on. (Bed-head)

"Bet you wouldn't be yelling if Sakura ate your last ramen."

"You're right, I wouldn't be. YOU AREN'T SAKURA!" An exhausted Temari entered the room.

"Okay what's with all the yelling?"

"Kankuro ate my last ramen cup!"

"Oi! Again! Kankuro, this is the 15th time this month! Why can't you just buy your own ramen?"

"I don't know, why can't Gaara just get more?"

"Why can't you just stop eating my ramen!"

"Um, guys, we need to keep it down, houses aren't as far apart in Konoha…"

"Screw it. I'll go find some more." Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand and reappeared with a few boxes of ramen.

(Three hours later…Naruto's house.)

"HEY!"

(One more hour later at the training grounds.)

Saikoro gave Satsu yet another crushing hug.

"Satsu! So good to see you back!"

"Why do I have to suffer through all these death-grips!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Satsu, it's just that we've all missed you so much!"

"I realized, I've almost been broken in half three times."

"Well either way, we all have a lot of training to do. Naruto are you alright?"

"I was robbed. Someone took all my ramen."

'Gaara-kun. I hope some of that's for me.'

(After rigorous training…)

"Gaara-kun!" Sakura ran up to, and mercilessly hugged her boyfriend.

"Hey Gaara? Why'd you steal Naruto's ramen?"

"Kankuro ate all of mine."

"Are you gonna share with me?"

"If you want some, you can have some. Course…that'd mean…um…"

"Going to your house? So what?"

"I don't know…just seems…weird…"

(Now, onto that Turn I spoke of.)

Ino was especially chipper today, she was going to be spending the day with Satsu, and she was rather happy. She sat at the park bench where they were meeting. Sasuke walked up and sat next to her.

"Um, hi Sasuke."

"Hey Ino. Um, listen…"

"What is it?"

"It's just that seeing you kiss Satsu infuriates me…and well…I love you Ino." Before Ino could protest, Sasuke had kissed her on the lips. As luck, or bad luck if you will, would have it, Satsu arrived right there and then. He dropped the soda he was drinking. Ino managed to fight off Sasuke's grip.

"Satsu, it's not what it looks like." Sasuke had a smug grin on his face.

"Oh yes it is, too bad freak, she's mine." Satsu just stood in horror at what he had heard. Tears welled in his eyes, and after about a minute, he jumped to a tree and left. Ino slapped Sasuke.

"Look what you've done!"

"Oh, you loved it!"

"Satsu! Come back! Oh dammit, I'll never catch him now. I guess I'll have to wait till he comes back." But Satsu didn't come back.

(9:00 p.m. on a cliff overlooking Konoha)

Satsu sat, still crying for what he had seen. A dark figure behind him spoke.

"You are Satsu Kurushimi aren't you? You're incredibly talented, me and my associates watched you in the exams."

"W-Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Itachi, and I have a proposition for you."

Dun, dun, dun! Please review guys, kudos to the guys who already did.