Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in this story.

So remember when I said this would take me years to finish? Well, I wasn't lying. Even if nobody reads this anymore I'm gonna try to finish it. I'm trying to keep my promise Kay? *^*

Kiba entered the hospital room as quietly as possible, walking up to the sleeping blonde haired girl. He felt overwhelmed at the sight. Her face was pale as a ghost, filled with scrapes, and bruises as well as her hands and probably her legs too. He could tell she was in pain by her facial expression and it made him feel concerned. "I'm sorry, I didn't do anything to stop you and shikamaru from fighting. I know it wasn't my business but I should have intervened." He sat beside her and held her hand gently, head hanging low as he listened to the beeping of the heart monitor. "and I'm also sorry that shikamaru wasn't able to come see you."

"Why?" She asked hoarsely.

He looked up immediately. "ino! You finally woke up." He stood up, holding onto the hospital bed to get a closer look at her. "How are you feeling? Are you feeling any type of pain?"

The girl tried rubbing her tired eyes but noticed the needle in her hand that was connected to the IV. "I feel really tired." her throat felt dry, like if she had been yelling or crying the whole day. She looked over at kiba. the look on his face screamed PITY.

He looked down at the floor "then, you should rest some more. The impact of the car must be taking a toll on your body."

"I'm sure I already rested enough. I just wanna go home now." she could feel the awful pain on her neck and waist. Had the car hit her that hard? She tried sitting up but noticed something odd... she couldn't move her legs. Maybe they had just fallen asleep since she must have been in the hospital for hours. She shook them with her hands but couldn't feel anything. Her eyes widened as she stared at her legs. "k-kiba I-I can't feel my legs, I can't move them!" Her eyes filled with tears and she began to panic. "why can't I!" She grabbed her leg and tried moving it but it wouldn't respond. "No, this- this can't be happening…"

The brown haired man tried to comfort her but she pushed him away. "Ino! Please calm down!" Noticing she was getting more hysteric he ran out the room to get help. "doctor! I need a doctor!" He yelled before running back to the blonde haired girl. "Ino, please listen to me." He held her arms as she shook her head. "You're gonna be ok."

She pulled away from his grasp. "Liar! You knew didn't you! That I won't be able to walk anymore!" She cried out, her hands shaking. The heart monitor began to beep more constantly. He looked at her worriedly.

A doctor ran inside along with his assistant. "Mam, I need you to please calm down. The assistant held onto ino while the doctor pulled out a syringe and injected her with a sedative.

"Let go of me! I just want to feel my legs again! Why can't I move them!" Yelled ino at the nurse who struggled to keep her still. They laid her back down slowly, once the injection started to take effect. Her body started feeling numb just like her legs. Her tears clouded her vision as they slowly began to close.


Temari entered her house, dropping her keys along the way to the living room. She grabbed the bottle of wine that was set on the table and sat down on the couch. She opened it and began gulping it down.

Garra, who was sitting on the opposite side of her, watched in amusement. She was never the type to get drunk. At least, Not that he knew of. She was always composed and refined but right now, she looked like a complete mess. "seems like you had a rough day."

She almost choked when she saw garra staring at her on the other side of the couch. "Ah, garra, I didn't notice you there." She would have felt embarrassed being seen in such a state but right now, she could care less. She had been through a lot today. "And yes, you could say I had a ROUGH day." She looked down at the bottle and took another gulp. It was her first time feeling so sad and disappointed about her life decisions.

"Hmm, in that case that drink isn't strong enough to erase such a rough day." He stood up and went into the kitchen to get a stronger wine. He went to the wine rack and picked up a was his chance of getting rid of her. Nobody would know she was poisoned due to her alcohol levels being high, or they could just assume she was doing drugs. Once she was dead he could just do the same with the grieving kankuro. He grinned at his evil plan.

He grabbed a glass and poured her some wine.

"You know, garra, you were right all along."

He stopped and looked at her. "on what, exactly?"

She pursed her lips and placed the cup down. "About me going out with shikamaru. It was a big mistake."

He walked over to her and handed her the glass. "My intuition is always right."

She gripped the glass cup in her hands. "I really do have bad luck with guys." She laughed bitterly. "It's ok though, I don't need them. I'll just focus on taking care of my brothers. Love will come when it wants."

He tapped his fingers on the couch "brothers… have you really seen me as one? We aren't even blood related." He couldn't understand why she felt that way towards him when he hadn't done anything but treat her badly these past few years.

She smiled as she twirled the cup in her hands. She didn't want to get drunk yet if this was leading into a serious conversation. "Of course I have. Ever since my grandparents brought you home. Even if you don't believe me I love both you and kankuro equally. When we were still little I always wanted us to play together but I always lacked the courage to ask. You always looked angry and I found it a bit scary to approach you. I have to say I regret it. We grew up together, although you left us without telling us where or why. I was worried and always prayed for your safety and well being. I was always hoping that you would come back but you never did, until a few years later when our grandparents' will was announced.

You two are the only family I have left. And I'm always going to be here when you guys need me. You might think I hate you for what happened in the past with our grandparents but it was an accident, I don't blame you. You were just a kid who had suffered and been through alot. I know you couldn't control your powers and that's why you were afraid of being neglected. But no matter how much the world rejects you. You have me, your sister. So please don't keep pushing me or kankuro away. I only wish for you to finally be happy, without you having to worry about anything negative that plagues your mind. I never had ill will towards you."

"You should have been a motivational speaker." He could see the sincerity in her eyes and the way she smiled at him as she spoke. He felt his heart squeeze. Was this the feeling called guilt? He dug his fingers into the couch. (They're just words of pity, don't fall for it) he told himself. But to have someone that cared for you and didn't treat you like an outcast felt nice..

She laughed "yeah, maybe I should have. I wish I had a motivational speaker myself and maybe then I wouldn't be doing this" (referring to drinking) She gripped the glass cup, ready to finally drink it but as she lifted it up to her lips the glass started to shake uncontrollably. She pulled it away quickly and it shattered into pieces, causing shards of glass to fly everywhere. She screamed and looked away. luckily, she had closed her eyes and had let go of the cup before it exploded. "W-what was that!"

"What is going on?!" Yelled kankuro, running in as soon as he heard his sister

Scream.

Temari looked over at gaara and then at kankuro. "I… accidentally dropped the glass on the floor."

He held onto his chest. "you guys are gonna end up giving me a heart attack one of these days! And Why in the hell are you drinking anyways? Did gaara influence you to start doing this?" He looked over at the red haired man who had an expressionless look on his face.

She closed her eyes, rubbing the sides of her temples in a circular motion, tired of having to hear people yell today. "Garra, can you explain to me what's going on?" She knew something wasn't right from the start. Garra was never the type to listen to others or give them the time of day.

So she had realized he had been planning on doing something since the beginning. He had to say he wasn't surprised at her intuition. She was a smart one. He sighed and motioned for Kankuro to sit down to which he scoffed but obliged nonetheless. "I have something to tell you both."


It was morning. The pink haired girl rubbed her eyes as she yawned. She sat up, the rays of sunlight felt like they were burning through her skin. Once her vision came into focus and her mind was wide awake she realized where she was. Her eyes widened, looking around for the raven haired man who was nowhere in sight. "Sasuke?" With the help of the tree she had slept under, she held onto it to stand up. She winced when the side of her stomach pulsed in pain. She wasn't able to fully heal herself due to her low chakra and her legs felt really sore from all the running last night. She took a few steps and almost fell face first If it wasn't for Sasuke who held onto her stomach. "Why are you so clumsy?"

She huffed, regaining her balance. "I'm sorry, you weren't the one being chased by huge mutant wol-" she stopped mid sentence as soon as she turned around to look at him… "Sasuke, you haven't completely changed back. how is that possible?" Usually he would return to his human form a few hours later or the next day.

He looked to the side, knowing how scary and hideous he probably looked in her eyes. averting eye contact would probably make her feel less scared. " I don't know. I woke up in this form. Stay here, I will find Karin and suigetsu. They can take you to the mansion and once you rest you can go back home." Since he was still in his beast stage he was able to smell and feel whenever someone was around. He had heard the two a few miles away. He turned around to leave but she grabbed his hand. "Are you going to leave me again?" She asked, looking down at the ground.

He glanced at her from over his shoulder. She was probably scared of being left alone after what happened last night. "It won't take long." He tried to leave but she held firmly onto his hand. "Sakura."

"I'm not referring to that. Do you really want me to go back home with my father? Are you that eager to get rid of me? After I leave… Are you going to find another woman that's more to your liking?" She closed her eyes and let go of his hand. "Was I not good enough for whatever purpose you needed me for?"

He turned around to face her. What was she talking about? Was she really planning on staying with him after all she's been through because of him? "Do you still want to stay with me even after all that's happened?" He grabbed her shoulders and furrowed his eyebrows. The person in front of him had to be out of their mind. "Do you want to keep living with someone who looks like this? Can you bear the thought of having to live your whole life with a monster if the curse doesn't break? I'm giving you your freedom back so why aren't you taking it!"

He sounded angry yet confused. She sighed, He just couldn't get that she loved him through his head. He's the one who kept pushing her away and doubting her feelings all the time. It was always the same situation and the same results. She was tired of it. Was there anything she could do or say to make him believe her?

She tiptoed, placing her hands on the sides of his cheeks, determined to make him understand. He tensed at her touch. "we're husband and wife, we vowed to stay together until death. Did you forget? you can't get rid of me so easily. If I hated the idea of being with you even when you're like this, I would have left a long time ago. But I'm still here, with you." She took a hold of one of his hands and placed it near her heart. "My feelings for you haven't changed either." She looked up at him with a small frown. "why can't you just accept my love? Or do you really not have any feelings towards me? if it's like that then, I understand." she let go of his hand and was ready to leave but he held onto her hand again. She looked up at him, surprised.

He scoffed, hugging her small frame and resting the crook of his neck on her shoulder. He didn't deserve any part of her love. He tried so hard to push her away, afraid that if he didn't and gave in to these emotions nothing good would come out of it. He believed that the farther away the people who cared for him were the safer they would be. After all, the person who killed his own family was still out there on the loose ready to strike at any moment. The event of his parents death had left scars and trauma, not allowing him to live a happy future. He made himself believe that anybody that loved him would end up like his parents. He had become an emotionless person. Yet she wanted to stay with him, a person like him who was beyond broken. After hearing her say she wasn't going to give up on him no matter what happened, he felt a sense of relief within his chest. He didn't want her to leave him.

The pink haired rubbed his back gently, noticing that his wings had disappeared.

"Sakura"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you"

"...for what?" She asked, stunned by his words and actions. Could she be any more surprised today? She tried letting go of him so she could see his face but he gripped her tighter to him.

"For staying with me." He felt his ears heat up after saying it. And there was no way he was going to let her see him like that. He wasn't an expert in romance and doing things like this made him feel embarrassed. After all, he had never shown or expressed any type of romantic emotion towards anyone.

After he regained his composure he let go, a serious look on his face. "That day you ran away, you misunderstood me." She looked at him, confused. "I never meant for you to leave the mansion. I was just really angry when I found out you had gone to that place where that tragic incident happened."

She shook her head. "It was my fault, I should have listened to naruto. But I was really curious so I went in, knowing I shouldn't have without your permission, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Let's go home."

She smiled and nodded, grabbing the backpack that lay on the ground. She was ready to start walking when she felt her feet lift off the ground. She gasped and looked up at sasuke who was carrying her up bridal style. "W-what are you doing?" He was half naked so she could feel his muscular chest against her body. She blushed and tried having a staring contest with the trees that passed by her field of vision.

He looked at her as if she had asked the dumbest question on earth. "Taking us home." He stated.

She hugged the backpack close to her. "I can walk, you know."

"By the time we get there, it'll be night time again."

She scoffed "that's not true! Besides, won't you get tired? The mansion is probably another hour away."

"I'm still in my beast form. I could carry you all day and I wouldn't be tired."

She couldn't argue back. He wouldn't have changed his mind anyway. She sighed and leaned against his chest once her eyes burned from staring at the trees. She could hear the steady sound of his heart beat, it felt nice. Her stomach growled loudly and she felt his chest rise up and down as he chuckled. Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment as she hugged her stomach under the backpack. "We haven't eaten anything since we woke up."

He put her down. "I'll gather some wood to start a fire and then I'll go find something to eat." He left after specifically telling her not to wander around and to stay put. She sat down quietly, making random drawings on the dirt with a twig that had fallen off a tree. She was relieved that the misunderstanding was over and couldn't help but smile thinking about how sasuke was starting to show a bit more emotion. Hopefully, he would gradually open up to her as time went by.


Kiba had stayed at the hospital all night. He sat on the chair and tried to stay awake in case ino woke up. But sleep took over him and he ended up falling asleep. His head bobbed forward and his body jolted up quickly. He looked around, confused for a moment.

"You snore pretty loudly," said Ino, looking up at the ceiling. She had woken up a few hours later after they had injected her. She had calmed down and started to think of what her life would be like from now on.

He scratched the back of his neck, giving her an apologetic look, "I'm sorry. Do you want me to get you anything? You must be hungry."

She shook her head, staring blankly at the wall.

"The doctor said there was a chance of you being able to walk again, so stop thinking negatively." He helped her sit up, knowing her body must be tired from being in the same position. "I know you'll regain the strength back in your legs so don't worry about it."

She looked up at him while he fixed the pillow behind her. No one had cared this much for her or motivated her to do anything, it made her feel warm inside. "Hey kiba… thanks for taking care of me." She smiled and hugged him before he stood back up. He huffed, almost falling on top of her if it weren't for him holding onto to the corners of the bed.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Sometimes, I don't know what you're thinking about anymore." He smiled, patterning her back awkwardly.

She laughed "for a playboy you sure don't know how to hug a girl."

He smirked "ha, this is me being a good boy."

"Yeah, I bet" she chuckled, watching as his cheeks turned slightly pink.

"All games aside, I think we should start heading back to the mansion. Everyone must be wondering where we're at. The doctor said we could go home after you woke up and ate something. Also, he's gonna be in touch to check on you and to discuss about therapy sessions…"

She nodded, watching as Kiba left to get her something to eat. She looked down at her legs as she frowned. "Maybe, it would have been better if I had just died." She whispered sadly.


She had convinced him of taking her with him to go catch fish. They had made it a contest on seeing who would catch the most fish and she was obviously not winning. She observed the man next to her closely, as he tried stabbing a fish with a sharp branch but it didn't seem to be working. He threw the stick away and decided to catch it with his own bare hands.

"How is that gonna make it any easier? " She watched as he stayed concentrated, looking down at the fish swimming near his feet. He catched one, his long fingernails had pierced it easily.

She looked down at her fingernails. "That's not fair, you have long sharp nails!" She whined while he smirked, probably knowing she was only going to make a fool out of herself. Her green eyes focused on the fish beneath her, as soon as a few got near she immersed her hands in the water as fast as she could. To her utter surprise she had caught one. She took it out of the water. "I got one!" She yelled as the fish wriggled aggressively in her hands, causing her to lose grip of it. It jumped out of her hands and ended up slapping her in the face with its fin before falling back into the water. "Ack!" She yelled, falling backwards into the water.

She stood there, dumbfounded. How did that even happen?! She looked over at Sasuke who was laughing. Was she hallucinating? The fish must have slapped her to hard. Hearing him laugh, it had to be a blessing. She snapped out of her dream-like state when he placed a fish he had caught in her hands. "Let's hurry up and eat."

They sat near the fire and ate peacefully, Sakura striking up a conversation once in a while so it wouldn't feel too awkwardly silent. She had explained to him everything that had happened while he was in his phase.

"Why were you in the woods?" Asked sasuke, remembering he had woken up with her next to him.

She finished chewing before answering. "I was looking for a book."

He raised an eyebrow. "A book? In the woods?" There was no way she had risked her life just to find a mere book.

She nodded " I asked suigetsu if he could take me to orochimaru's hideout. I was hoping I could find the cure to your curse but it was all in vain. We didn't find anything." She looked down, disappointed.

He frowned when he heard she had gone through all of this to find a cure for the curse. "Don't do that again, it was dangerous." He gave her a stern look. "I don't want you risking your life because of me."

She could tell he was upset. She would've lost her life yesterday if it wasn't for him coming to her rescue. She leaned on his shoulders "I'm sorry, I just thought I was finally going to find something useful to help you."

"You don't have to" He squeezed her hand gently. He was well aware that he could accidentally crush her or hurt her in his beast form. He had to be careful whenever he was near her. His strength and body was truly that of a monster, he hated it.

"Well, look how cute you two look together! I think I'm catching diabetes!" said the white haired man, clutching at his heart to exaggerate.

"Eek!" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly let go of sasuke's hand, knowing he hated displaying any type of affection in front of people. "Suigetsu, Karin I'm glad you guys are safe!"

Karin gave her an arrogant look. "Hmpf, it would have been better if we never came here in the first place."

"Don't listen to her, she's just hangry." laughed Suigetsu, patting the red haired woman on the shoulder.

She pushed his hand away. "I'm not hungry, I just want to get home already."

Sakura found Karins attitude a bit off. They had been talking just fine yesterday and now she didn't even want to glance her way. Maybe it was because she didn't go find them. She tried smiling, "Yeah, let's get home quickly."

She felt her feet lift off the ground again. Sasuke was carrying her, again. "w-what are you doing! I told you I can walk."

"We've been through this already ." He seemed unbothered by the two presence behind him. "Let's go."

Suigetsu outstretched his arms to karin. "Do you also want me to carry you like a princess?" He asked in a playful tone.

Karin turned her head to the side, "I'd rather walk than have you carry me!" She walked away leaving him behind.

He grinned "Ouch, you're spicier than usual." He knew she was just upset with everything that happened last night.


"They finally found there way out it ssseems" grinned orochimaru.

Kabuto crossed his arms. "I don't understand what was the point of all of this. If the red haired girl would have taken the poison, was sasuke really going to die?"

Orochimaru's smile widened. "Of course not, if her hands would have touched the vile she would have instantly died. But Suigetsu was smart enough to persuade her not to. The choicesss humans make can change constantly depending in which situations they come face to face with. I'm excited to see what will happen next. He smiled widely, as he watched the couples walking away.