Chapter 28: Betrayal

A/N: Hey everyone sorry for the delay just had my exams and to tell you frankly I did not do well at all huhuhu. Anyways what's done is done. Please R n R.

"I am Sayuri of the moon," her voice was very much like Sakura's. Hearing it makes Gaara, miss her more. "Sayuri is it? You're from the village of the moon? The mythical village said only to exist in legends?" Tsunade was the first to do the interrogation. "Our village remains to be hidden but I assure you it does exist. We only came here to retrieve what was ours," Sayuri spoke harshly through her broken ribs and bleeding lips.

The Kazekage remained silent, his eyes embedded on the kunoichi, throughout the discussion while Tsunade kept questioning Sayuri.

"Yours? You mean the scroll?"

"Yes… it was stolen from us three nights before,"

"But that can't be Shizuka here found the scroll for us,"

"SHE LIES!" Shizuka spat from where she was silently watching. "DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING SHE SAYS! SHE'S A LYING BITCH!" she continued as she tried to approach Sayuri with fury in her eyes. Sand rose from the ground and blocked her path.

"This council does not include you," the Kazekage finally spoke. "If you're so doubtful about my actions then why don't we take a test of truth together?" Sayuri slowly turned her head towards Shizuka in almost the same way as Sakura did back then. Shizuka's blood boiled from experiencing the same kind of treatment yet again. "What?" she asked. "Short light blue hair, blue eyes and about the same height as mine. I would say you're a primary suspect on my list. The description of the person who saw the culprit fits you perfectly," Shizuka glared at her.

"If you're really the one who found the scroll… then tell me… where…when and how did you get it?" the tables have somehow turned. The one in interrogation now was Shizuka.

"I am not going to answer to you, you LOWLIFE BITCH!" Shizuka tried to laugh but it was a pathetic try. "Watch you r language Shizuka. Do not forget you're in our presence," the hokage warned. "Though it is true that you're not obliged to answer to her but… you have to answer to us. Tell me Shizuka I would also want to know… where…when and how did you get a hold of the lost scroll of the hidden moon?" Tsunade inquired as Gaara merely glared at her.

Since Shizuka's reply was the obvious silence. "Hokage-sama, Kazekage-sama. I ask you please if you want to test my truthfulness I would gladly comply. After all, my honor is the only thing you cannot have right now," Sayuri honestly requested. "It's settled then, the two of you will have to take the truth serum. We'll see who's fooling who," Tsunade declared as she rose from her seat. Shizuka cursed mentally as she tried to find a way to escape her incoming disgrace.

Moments later…

"Shizuka you are there fore stripped of your title as a shinobi," the Kazekage furiously proclaimed as he finished listening to her confessions while she was under the effects of the truth serum.

"Sayuri… why are you here?" Tsunade asked her again after she drank the elixir. "To retrieve the scroll," she groggily replied. "Why did you save the advisor back then?" this time the Kazekage asked. "Our mission is only to retrieve the scroll. No one must be harmed under any circumstance. Our village avoids conflicts. That is why it is hidden. We are under strict orders not to harm anyone. We only came here to retrieve what was ours only that," she again answered.

"Is that so?" Tsunade said. "I have one last question… do you know… Haruno, Sakura?" Gaara desperately asked as Tsunade quickly turned to him in surprise. "Haruno, Sakura… who is that?" Sayuri responded with confusion. "That's enough. Take her away," the Kazekage hurtfully ordered.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Ino called as she ran towards them with Shikamaru. "Have you heard? In the council a while back three ninjas appeared and stole the scroll." She informed them. "Nani!" Naruto blurted out. "But that's not what I'm here for, the one they have detained is a kunoichi who looks exactly like Sakura!" she said excitedly. "Temari said that she's not Sakura so why are you hoping," Shikamaru lazily said.

"That doesn't matter. We must first see her," Naruto headed towards the prison as the others followed.

"The prisoner is not to be seen by anyone under the kazekage's orders," the guards said as the stood in front of the entrance. "Nani! The Kazekage? Then…" Naruto started to make his way towards Gaara's office as the others helplessly followed.

"Ne, Gaara can we see the captive?" Naruto pestered him. "NO!" this was his stern reply but as Naruto's babbling went on there was a knock on the door. "Enter," he acknowledged.

The guard from the prison's entrance entered with distress in his face. "Kazekage-sama, the prisoner of the hidden moon village started to attack the guards," he reported. "Nani!" the Kazekage rose from his seat and headed towards the prison with Naruto and the others on his heels.

Gaara and the others entered the prison. There were three guards that lay unconscious on the floor. They walked into the corridors. "Kazekage-sama," the remaining guard reported. "She went berserk when one of the guards touched her necklace. Soon after that, she entered her own cell and locked herself in," he continued as they walked over to her cell.

Naruto faced a cell that contained a woman with long black hair but her back was against them so he can't see her face. "Sayuri, I thought you were ordered not to hurt anybody?" Gaara tried to make his voice sound cold. "I'm sorry Kazekage-sama. They tried to take him away…" the woman replied. "Take who? You're the only one here?" Naruto inquired.

"That's just like a dumb man's thinking," the woman slowly turned to them. "AAHHH! SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto exclaimed together with the others. "I'm not this Sakura," Sayuri said irritatingly. "Who are you talking about?" Naruto asked as his hopes were shattered.

Sayuri touched her heart shaped necklace. "My… baby," "Gaara, I think she's a little…" Ino said while forming invisible circles with her finger at the side of her head. "No, she's telling the truth. The truth serum that the hokage gave her will last for a whole day. It seems she's still under the effects of it," Gaara lamely replied as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Baby?" Naruto was now curious. "My baby died and this necklace contains half of his ashes," Sayuri sadly shared. "Half? Where's the other half?" "It's with my fiancé, Kyo… he was the father," Gaara shot a look at the imprisoned kunoichi. It's like something sharp was driven into his chest. It's the same feeling when he saw Naruto kissed Sakura. He didn't know why but right now jealousy was eating him alive. He could only glare at her.

"Men… when they have strength… the weak will be their victims," Sayuri insulted. "I beg to differ," Naruto was about to argue when "They raped me you know…" "What?" "There were five of them… they entered the house while Kyo was away. I can't fight them. They penetrated me again and again…" "ENOUGH!" Gaara ordered clenching his fists as he can't stand her painful confessions.

"I was two months pregnant when that happened. I lost him." Sayuri grabbed the pendant. "Kyo tried to find them but they left the village soon after so he couldn't pursue them. So tell me… prove to me what I'm saying is wrong?" Sayuri challenged Naruto as she approached them grabbing the iron bars.

Naruto bowed his head in shame. "I don't know how you feel but… you mustn't hate all men just because of them. They're downright good for nothing but… not everyone is like them," he said as he looked up.

Sayuri was astonished by this person's enthusiasm. "Maybe in time. But for now, Speak for yourself," she said as she resumed to her pervious spot and turned her back against them.

Back in the village of the hidden moon…

"Sayuri got captured?" Ayame said incredulously. "Yes, but we did retrieve this," Himiko handed her the scroll. "We have to form a rescue party for her," Kyo fiercely suggested.

"I think your incompetence has surpassed all borders," a man in the shadows said. "What do you mean Subaro?" Ayame asked his military general. "I think it's time that the village should have a new way of living," Subaro drew his spear.

Sayuri remained in the hidden sand village for days until she recuperated. She was allowed o stroll the village with a few ninjas namely Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Ino. "Ano, Naruto-san, when can I leave?" Sayuri asked as she stared at the open gates of the sand village. Naruto was not used to being called with formality so he choked on the ramen he was eating.

"Why do you ask?" Sasuke coolly responded. "If there's nothing else that the Kazekage or the hokage wants from me then you have no further use for me," she said as she stared on the floating fishcake on her bowl. All of them stared at her. "Furthermore, there have been many conflicts in our village. Our Kage, Ayame-sama approves of democracy while our general insists on using brute force. The village is torn in two and I can't help but worry," she shared.

"I understand. We'll talk to Gaara as soon as possible," "Gaara?" she asked as if it was someone familiar. "Oh, that's the kazekage's name," "Gaara," she repeated to herself.

"Ne, Gaara, Sayuri asks when can she be allowed to go home?" Naruto barged into his office like the usual. His reply did not come. Though it was certain that this kunoichi is not Sakura, somehow he found that while she's her it was as if he's missing Sakura less and less. Am I falling for her? NO! Sakura is the only one who has this effect on me. Then… why? This debate ran in his mind as Naruto stared at him. "Gaara?"

On one afternoon, Sayuri was walking on the streets while Ino and Shikamaru were with her. "There she is!" one soldier pointed. The three were alarmed. "What's going on?" Ino asked as she grabbed Shikamaru's arm. "I don't know," he said as he laid a hand over hers for reassurance.

"Detain that traitor!" Shizuka ordered as the others followed. Sayuri did not protest when they grabbed her and tied her up. "What is the meaning of this?" Ino asked as she tried to stop the soldiers from taking her. "This bitch has been lying to us all along," Shizuka replied as she bent low to face Sayuri.

"What do you mean?" Sayuri asked as she winced painfully when Shizuka pulled her hair. "An army is outside the gates of the village right now… it is the hidden moon's army," she said mockingly. "WHAT!" Sayuri exclaimed as she tried to struggle. "Take her away!"

Gaara and the others together with the army of the sand stood proudly in front of their village. "What do you want?" the Kazekage demanded an answer. Their leader, Subaro stepped forward. "We came to eliminate the nations that would hinder our plans… and it seems your village is the strongest there is so… we decided your village should fall first," then he laughed maniacally.

Gaara narrowed his eyes in irritation. The sand all over the desert shook mirroring his temper. The two armies stepped forward. "SUBARO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" a voice called out from afar halting their march. "Why if it isn't Sayuri?" Sayuri walked over to the kazekage's side. "What are you doing?" anger was written in her eyes as she clenched her fist.

"I thought they already killed you but that wouldn't matter. I'll kill you like the rest of them," he said triumphantly. "The…rest of them!" her realization was catching up fast. "Ah, everyone who opposed my rule… each and every one… not a woman or a child was left alive. Even you're precious Kyo… I treated him especially for you," he smirked.

Gaara merely stared at Sayuri as she grew bitter with each statement. "Kazekage-sama," she started. "Your honor is still intact. I understand." The Kazekage reassured her. She nodded "I will lend you my assistance in defeating this bastard," Sayuri assumed her battle stance as the armies continued their march.

A/N: Alright, another cliffhanger yes I know but keep you r reviews coming because… if you do I'll update it the day after tomorrow. No kidding I already have half of it down the title is Your Return. No more clues till you read and review.