Chapter 15

"Speaking in Japanese"

Thoughts

[Speaking in English]

Inner Sakura/Gaara/Sasuke/Pein

(A/N here's another chappie for you guys~ please R&R and tell me what you think. Love always –Shinko)

~ ~ ~ Recap ~ ~ ~

"We need to ensure that Taka stays off our turf, and if she's the one that Uchiha wants then we have to make sure he doesn't get her. Then he'll gladly surrender." Pein replied

"But what about Pinkie? I mean if I were her I'd-"

"I don't remember asking you Deidara. I think Gaara may have more competition with the way you're acting." Sakura could hear the smirk in Pein's voice.

She felt her body go slack as she leaned her back on the wall.

So he was using me to get back at Sasuke all this time?!

Gaara walked out the entryway of the living room and turned to go to the kitchen, where he saw Sakura.

She was looked up at him as a single tear slid down her face.

Oh shit she heard everything

"Sakura," Gaara reached out to her but she slapped his hand away.

She shook her head "Don't touch me," she croaked, her throat was tight with tears. Gaara felt his heart clench painfully. He had made her cry. He hurt her.

"Sakura please listen I just-"

"No! Stop it! I'm tired of you lying to me!" she cried and brushed past him running upstairs.

"We fucked up," Deidara said as he walked out.

Sakura ran up the stairs and back into Ino's room.

"Sak what's wrong!" Ino got off the bed and ran to her friend's side, putting her arms around the crying rosette

"Gaara- he- lied- to me-" She replied between sobs

Ino's eyes turned icy. "Hinata, Ten Ten, take care of Sakura," she cracked her knuckles "I'm going to have a little chat with our friends downstairs."

Ino was furious. She had just heard about all the hardships and heartbreak that Sakura had to go through, to finally open up to people when this had to happen.

The blonde stomped down the stairs and into the living room where she saw Gaara and Deidara talking in hushed tones.

"You," she said pointing a finger at Gaara "What did you do to Sakura?" her voice was even and menacing.

"Look we just had a… misunderstanding," Gaara stood and shifted uncomfortably

Ino shook her head "Misunderstanding my ass, what did you lie to her about?"

"I didn't lie to her! I just-"

"You just pretended to like her, and led her on so that she would like you instead of Sasuke to get back at him and settle things between the Akatsuki and Taka, yeah?" Deidara interjected crossing his arms

"You used my friend as a pawn in your little game, what the hell is wrong with you people! Did you know about this too Dei?!" Ino shot a look at her cousin.

"I did but I didn't want to go along with it, yeah." The elder blond replied

"Well the damage is done." Ino said grimly "You should leave." She said to Gaara.

"Can I just explain to her-"

No!" Ino yelled "She doesn't want to talk to you or even see you. So get the fuck out of my house!"

Gaara clenched his firsts tightly and walked towards the door, with Deidara following after him.

"Keep an eye on her," he said to his friend.

Deidara nodded "un,"

Ino made her way back upstairs to her room, were Sakura was fast asleep on her bed, clutching one of the pillows tightly to her chest, curled up in a ball.

"She tired herself out a few minutes ago," Hinata said with a sad look in her lavender eyes.

Ten Ten sighed loudly "Poor Sakura can't catch a break huh? Jeez and I thought my life was bad."

Ino sat down beside Sakura's sleeping form and moved her pink locks that were plastered on her face from tears to the side.

"Well we just have to be there for her like she would for us." The other girls nodded

"And we need to make sure that she stays away from Gaara," Ten Ten added

"It's late, we should probably go to sleep now," Hinata murmured

Ten Ten yawned in agreement.

Hinata and Ten Ten went to the guest room while Ino flopped back onto her own bed.

"Night Sak," she whispered as she turned off the light.

The morning sun streaming through Ino's curtains woke Sakura up with a small groan.

It took her a moment to register what she was doing and where she was. Then it all came flooding back.

The realization last night that Gaara didn't like her hit her like a tonne of bricks once again.

Sakura lay there for a moment just staring up at the white ceiling in Ino's room.

Said girl was to her left still snoozing away, her long blonde locks sticking up at odd angles.

Sakura got up and went into the washroom hopping into the shower where she attempted to wash away all thoughts of last night.

She got out and put on the outfit she had packed. She out on the dark purple skit, white tube top and the oversized denim shirt. At this point she couldn't care less if someone saw the bandages on her torso so she didn't bother buttoning up the shirt.

She left the bathroom and shook Ino lightly, receiving a groan in response.

"C'mon Ino wake up," Sakura shook her friend once more.

The groggy girl sat up in her bed and yawned. "Alright, alright I'm up."

She hopped out of bed and went into the washroom.

Sakura went to the guest room to wake Hinata and Ten Ten but found that they were both gone.

She went downstairs to in the kitchen to find the two girls sitting at the table with their breakfast in front of them.

"Morning, Sakura greeted."

"Morning," They replied in unison

Hinata put some pancakes on a plate and set it in front of Sakura.

"Thanks," She nodded in appreciation.

"So what's the plan for today?"

Ino popped into the kitchen "Shopping~" she sang to answer Sakura's question.

Ten Ten laughed at her friend's antics.

Ino was ready for a day at the mall, she wore a white miniskirt, pink tank top with a grey cardigan over it. Her hair was in its usual ponytail and she had a full face of makeup on complete with her blue eyeliner and glossy lips.

"Well someone's not wasting any time getting ready," Sakura pointed out

Ino smiled and sat with her friends at the table pouring herself a coffee and taking a pancake off the stack in front of Sakura.

"Good, you're all ready too, I don't want to miss all the good sales." The blonde said before taking a swig of her drink.

Ten Ten had her trademark two buns, she wore an olive green t-shirt and lightwash boyfriend jeans. Hinata had her long purple locks in pigtails and she wore a white t-shirt, beige cardigan and a black knee length skirt.

"I think we could all use some retail therapy," Hinata said glancing at Sakura

"So what are we waiting for, let's go!" Ino said excitedly as she got up from the table, grabbed her car keys and headed out the door.

The remaining three girls looked at one another and laughed, grabbed their bags and headed out to Ino's car.

The white convertible whizzed down the street, Ino laughing manically as her friends held on for their dear lives.

Sakura, Hinata and Ten Ten got out of the car of wobbly legs, while Ino hopped out like she hadn't just broken every traffic rule ever.

"Next time I drive." Ten Ten said clamping a hand over her mouth

"Agreed," Hinata added

Sakura sighed as she walked into the mall with her friends. They went from store to store, through aisles and racks of clothing, shoes and accessories, books and many more useless trinkets. Sakura nodded absentmindedly when her friends would bring up and item for her to look at, and she nodded whenever they looked to her in a conversation.

Sakura's mind was occupied by thoughts of a certain red haired delinquent.

Why would the Akatsuki want to use me of all people?

And why is Gaara playing along with it? I thought he cared about me I thought-

"Oi forehead!" Sakura's thoughts were interrupted by Ino's shrill cry of her nickname

"Are you even listening, you were totally zoning out on me!"

"Oh, yeah sorry, I have a headache." She lied "I think I'll just go home and rest."

Ino's brows knit into a concerned frown for her friend "If you want we can leave now and just chill at my place,"

Sakura waved her hand in dismissal "No, no I don't want to ruin your shopping spree guys! I'll see you all on Monday at school."

She hugged each of her friends and went towards the exit.

Another heavy hearted sigh left Sakura's lips as she made her way home on her skateboard.

I guess I was wrong to open up to him.

Meanwhile at the Akatsuki's base which was Sasori's house, Gaara was up in his room staring at the ceiling. His favourite pastime.

I fucked up. He thought

I know His inner agreed.

Hey aren't you supposed to be helping me? Gaara growled at his Inner

Hey I'm only a part of you. I thought this was all going to be fun and games, I didn't think we'd actually fall for her.

Oh believe me we fell. Correction; we fucking plummeted head first for her.

More like a nose-dive

You think she hates me? He asked

Would you hate someone that did what you did to her?

Shit.

There was a knock on the door. Gaara rolled over to face the wall. "Go away!" He called to the person on the other side of the door.

Much to his annoyance they opened the door and walked in.

"You've been up here sulking all day," came the lazy drawl of Sasori, Gaara's annoying and only cousin.

"Fuck off," the younger teen mumbled, pulling his black bedsheets over his head.

Instead of heeding Gaara's words once more, Sasori crossed the room and sat at the foot of his bed.

"Deidara told me about what happened Friday night. And about your deal with Pein."

Gaara huffed "Of course your little boyfriend would go running to his 'Sasori-danna~'" He put on a falsetto to mimic Deidara's endearment for his cousin.

Sasori felt a vein in his forehead bulge but put his ire aside, knowing how miserable his cousin felt.

"Do you want to know how to fix things or not?" Sasori snapped.

Gaara rolled over, and removed the bedsheets from his head, looking at his cousin.

"What's your plan?" He inquired.

"It's quite simple actually, you challenge Sasuke to a one on one fight, and winner takes all. Meaning whoever wins gets both his territory and that of his rival's and the loser get noting, and has to admit defeat, and the loser cannot court Sakura."

Gaara blinked at him. "So basically instead of using Sakura to determine who wins or loses, we just have a fist fight."

"Exactly, you fight like two men are supposed to. None of Pein's petty little mind games. Just straight to the point."

Gaara nodded. It made sense.

"And it still adheres to the conditions of your deal with Pein," Sasori continued "All you have to do is get Sasuke to surrender Taka's territories to us, and if you defeat him he would have to, he would lose hi pride and his right to be the leader of Taka."

Gaara sat up in bed as the gears in his brain started turning. "You're right,"

Then another problem dawned on him "but how does this fix things with Sakura?"

This time it was Sasori's turn to sigh. "Well, you can't force her to date you, and she's not a trophy to be won. It is her choice whether she wants to forgive you or not, what you have to do is swallow your pride and ask for that forgiveness."

Gaara nodded, finally knowing what he had to do.

Watch your back Uchiha