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36. Code red

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Enjoy,

SquaMata

.Sakura shrieked up in the bed, which had been Kakashi's three years ago.

Oh my God, what did I just see? He was in the shower alone.

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Her beautiful green eyes turned wide.

Did he really?

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She hid her face in her palm in a sudden shame.

Of all things, why do I dream about that?

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The sun would rise soon, so she decided to get back up into the hokage's apartment, before Gaara would find out that she was missing.

To her surprise the kazekage had already left the apartment with a note waiting for her on the kitchen table. But against all fears he did not seem to be agitated.

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Sakura,

I apologize for not being able to have breakfast with you.

There was an early council meeting and I almost overslept. It will probably take a long time, so please enjoy your day with your former teammates. Let's have some tea when I get back.

Gaara

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The pinkette felt relieved, she would not have to deal with their latest experience now. After her dream she was more than confused anyway. She decided to take a warm bath to soothe her inner turmoil.

The beautiful view from the hot tub was breath-taking, Sunagakure was bathed in refraction and reflection of the sunrise. Sakura put the washcloth on her forehead to increase the feeling of coziness. Somehow she felt lonely, very lonely.

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With the help of her former teammates Sakura began to workout four times a week. Naruto and Sasuke helped her even to work on her chakra control, but she was far beyond her legendary strength. The days she spent with workout and treatments, but also with the poison experts to gain more knowledge and to perfect the secret jutsu that Naruto called black magic. According to the medics her chakra level was almost back to normal and she had to have her power back, but the reality was she had not. The kunoichi felt devastated that she made little progress. Whatever she tried, she could not get back to her former form.

She continued living with Gaara together, they mostly met at night and it was a more platonic relationship than ever. It was always the same routine and somehow tense. They had never talked about what had happened that one night, nor did they try anything again.

A few weeks later Gaara and Sakura were sparring with each other for the first time again. The genuine redhead held back and went easy on her, which raised high anger on his female opponent. Hissing, she left the arena and stormed back to the kazekage tower. Her face told more than a thousand words. The kazekage stood in the middle of the arena and sighed, his fingers rubbed his temple to ease the building headache.

What is it that is holding her back?

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Gaara cracked his knuckles and decided to follow her. He found her on one of the loungers of his L-shaped bedroom. She had her face buried in her hands.

The sand wielder sat down next to her and began to pet her shoulders. None of them said a word as Sakura turned to him to capture his lips in a demanding kiss.

The pinkette began to straddle him and tugged eagerly at his kage robe.

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"Mhm, I like that!" He managed to mutter as he took part in her actions.

"Stop talking!" She snarled at him and he chuckled.

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In Sakura's head everything was spinning. She just wanted to accomplish her mission, she only recalled that she was in a serious relationship with the kazekage, her body ached and made little to no progress and how the hell were her thoughts pestered with weird memories and strange, but breathtaking dreams of a certain silverhead, she did not get it. She just wanted to forget and to get her mind clear.

Gaara was surprised by her bold move, he did not know what was going on deep inside of her, but he knew she would need a ventile to let the built up energy flow. Every shinobi had those moments. If this was her way to compensate, he would gladly participate. If he was honest, he felt the same anyway. The last months were complicated, that's putting it mildly.

Quickly the legendary medic-nin ripped his pants open and pulled her panties aside, so Gaara could align them. However when he entered her he saw tears falling from her eyes and in the very same moment he felt his lungs constrict with a sudden pressure he could not fathom. He stilled their movements and tried to breathe. Without looking at him she stood up and left for a shower.

What did we do? What do I miss? Something is wrong.

His hand found his aching heart.

Shukaku, why are you gone? Why don't you answer me? I really need your advice.

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Later the famous sand wielder took a quick shower alone too, before they went downstairs for dinner. Kankuro had prepared some delicious eggplant casserole with lentils, goats cheese, potatoes and fresh herbs and spices. For side dishes they had roasted chickpeas, rice and spicy red cabbage. Her former teammates joined their meal as well and they laughed about some recent stories. Sakura and Gaara both acted like nothing had happened just an hour ago. Naruto tensed as he noticed the strange look on Sasuke's face.

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"Kankuro, someday you have to write a cookbook! You're an amazing cook!"

"Yeah, maybe. That's just from the eyes of a Konoha nin!" The legendary puppet wielder laughed it off and poured them some more caramel pudding with honey, nuts and dates.

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Afterwards the couple went back upstairs to go to bed.

Both were too tired and stuffed to the gills, tonight they would not try it again.

Whenever Gaara had fallen asleep, she could not sleep next to him, even though he was a silent sleeper that did neither snore, nor stirr much. Sakura found herself always drawn into the former bed of her sensei. There she could find peaceful sleep and some weird imaginations combined with sexual release. In the morning she always came back into the kazekage's bed.

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Weeks went by and their former appetite for each other seemed to be gone. Sometimes it even felt like they were avoiding each other somehow.

One night they shared a glass of fine Suna wine in the living room of the kazekage's apartment.

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"Sakura, according to our… low appetite and the current situation, I was wondering if we should try something more interesting?"

"But my appetite has come back, I.." The pinkette looked at him startled. "What do you mean?"

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Gaara smiled at her, he seemed calm, but his posture and appearance had changed. She knew that look he gave her. "Activities we've done before. Maybe that could relieve the tension of our both chakras. Don't you think so?"

His playful dominant side.

"I'm not sure," vaguely she could remember some unpleasant experiences, but curiosity won and she grinned at him. "Maybe we should give it a try, just for science of course."

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"Of course," he answered in a low voice, then he smirked at her and slowly took a sip of dark red wine while the intense look of his turquoise eyes never left hers.

He stood up and took their glasses to put them on the coffee table, before he took her hand in his and pulled her up to follow him.

"Let's have a shower first."

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Sakura nodded shyly and went after him into the luxurious bathroom with the artificial rocks. The scent of oriental spices filled the room as he gently applied soap onto her body. As he felt her tense up, he carefully spared the area with her new scar. She returned the favor and let the foaming sponge wander over his brawny body. Like he had done before, he welcomed her out of the shower with a large red towel. The softness of the fragrant fluffy fabric eased her racing mind and she followed him through the secret door of the bathroom into the playroom.

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Their initiation ritual felt as embarrassing as it ever did for her, but she decided she would give it a try for the sake of the mission. Gaara played his dominant role, while Sakura crawled up to him and bent down for him to collar her. Inwardly he was hoping that Shukaku would not take over, although he was not sure if the demon was still inside of him or if he had been gone within the last three years which he could not remember. He did not want to disappoint her again.

With a stern grip on her neck he led her to the leather bench and positioned her prone. When he began to close the attached restraints around her wrists, he sensed her nervousness and therefore he did not seal them to give her some comfort. She exhaled as a sign of relief and relaxed in her naked glory lying there only for his eyes to see.

Gaara softly put her long pink tresses on the other side, then he let his finger travel up and down her spine very slowly, but with enough pressure to make her arch her back. With his left hand he gripped her hair and pushed her head down, while his other hand had other plans.

He caught her by surprise as the first hit with a leather flogger met her rosy butt cheeks. Sakura gasped and arched up, though his strong grip pulled her down. She was at his mercy, fear rushed through her body at the same time as the urge to flee came up briefly. But with every stroke she calmed down and it began to feel interesting. She closed her eyes and was reduced to just feel what was happening.

The feeling of safety and trust washed over her mind with a sudden flash of silver.

She shook it off, like she had done before during their playtime, but with every stroke it came back.

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Nevertheless the first hit with the wooden paddle struck her like lightning.

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Mere above a whisper she breathed, "Kakashi…", and she started to smile in relief as memories flooded in front of her eye.

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Another hit brought her back to full senses. The pinkette opened her eyes and she comprehended the situation she was in.

"Gaara, stop! Code red."

Abruptly he stopped, confusion and concern written on his face, "What's wrong?"

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She took her hands out of the loose padded cuffs, sat up and smiled brightly, "I remember…".

Gaara smiled at her and he noticed the new glimmer in her emerald eyes that showed more happiness than he had ever seen radiating from her.

To his surprise she tried to cover her curves with her arms as if in a sudden shame. She even grabbed for the red towel to hide her beautiful body from his eyes.

What is going on?

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Sakura cleared her throat and explained, "Kakashi."

"You're kidding me?" Outraged turquoise searched for the truth, as the meaning of her words crashed down on him. "So, it's because of him?"

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The pinkette nodded, "I'm so sorry, Gaara. Please try to remember."

He shook his head in disbelief and laughed bitterly. "Him of all people."

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"Don't you remember, Gaara?"

"No." He took a few steps back to gain some much needed distance and ruffled his tousled red mane, his voice sounded crestfallen, "You're leaving me because of him?" The look in his face hardened, angry narrow eyes bore into her hopeful ones.

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"Gaara, please! try to remember!" The pinkette stepped closer to look the startled kazekage in the eyes.

"You want me to set you free for the hokage? You want to destroy the alliance?" His intense stare creeped through her body in an all too uncomfortable and menacing way and she stepped back. It was obvious he could not remember, he perceived her revelation as repulsive instead.

"Fine, switch from one kage to another. I don't care." There was a black flicker in one of his turquoise orbs combined with the look of a dishonored and rejected man, something that she had seen before.

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The kunoichi's eyes went wide in fear, "Gaara, listen! I.."

He averted his obtrusively deep gaze from her while he went to the wall with the items. "You're just like all the others."

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The next time he made eye contact she noticed his wicked smile and two completely deep black orbs. "I will show you what I do with kage-hunting bitches hurting Gaara!"

In his hands were heavy chains and a fierce metal braided ninetail.

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Shukaku.

Shit!

Run!

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SquaMata