DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE NARUTO SERIES AND THE CHARACTERS. ESPECIALLY GAARA AND SAKURA.
The Price of Love
Summary: The aftermath of Gaara and Sakura's affair.
Sakura was surprise to see she had awoken alone; usually Gaara and she would lounge in bed after a previous session of love making. Casting those thoughts aside she emerged from the bed to start her daily morning routine. It was times like this when she was alone that her mind wondered back to home. She had missed the Hidden Leave dearly; after all it was where she had grown. It was home.
Despite that she thought about her life here, she was learning so much from the people. Different techniques in creating poisons and cures, they were apprehensive to teach her at first but eventually some of them started to warm up to her.
And of course there was Gaara. She was totally and utterly head over heels in love with him. She knew always had a pension for choosing the 'bad' boys, but never in her life would she have guessed it would be Gaara. She remembered in the past that she hated the sand nin. He was arrogant and dangerous, but things changed. After the chuunin tournament there was a gradual change. He was not a totally different person now but she could see the loving and caring side of him now. When she on the mission that resulted in his injury, she had recognizedcaring side of him.Immediately she was drawnto himwithout even knowing. During his recovery it was only a matter of time until they became lovers.
She could not believe that night they had. It was so heart wrenching. It was as if Gaara was making love to her as if it would be the last time. She dismissed the thought and continued.
'He left without breakfast. What even he left for must have been an emergency'
Fully dressed and prepared for another day among the sand Nins, she gathered her tools to leave. An abrupt knock tore her from activities. Opening the door she immediately recognized Gaara's twin brother surrounded by guards.
"Ohayo, Kankuro. And did I do to earn such a visit?" she said as she eyed the guards suspiciously.
"Ohayo, Sakura. Nothing that warrants punished" he said trying to lighten the mood. He wished Gaara and Temari did not put him on the spot. Gaara refused to face Sakura and Temari claiming Gaara was a downright idiot refused to get involved. After all there were rumors of her dating a Shin obi from the Hidden Leave village.
Trying to see how best he could give Sakura the news, he closed the door and gave her an apologetic smile.
"Sakura, we appreciate you coming here and taking care of Gaara and everything. With your patience and vigilance over Gaara, we are deeply grateful"
"What is this about?" she said with a bit of unanticipated annoyance in her voice.
Taking a deep breath, Kankuro steadied himself to continue, as remembered arguing with his brother against doing this. His brother could be immensely stubborn at times.
"It is the wish of the sand village counsel and the Kazekage that you take your leave as of today" Kankuro said as he left out a pent up breathe.
"Nani" she shouted.
"Gaara would never agree to that!" she continued to shouted.
On hearing Sakura's outburst, the guards rushed into the room, earning a scowled from Sakura.
"When I call you may come in but not I minute before. Now going outside" he shouted to the guards. He wanted to give Sakura her privacy as she vented. She sat on the edge on the bed as denial invaded her mind.
"This can be true. I have to see him." She continued to shout in pure hysteria.
"I'm sorry you can see him now, he's out of the village on business" Kankuro apologized.
"So he sends his brother and a number of guards to through me out" she said as she look at Kankuro will unbridle rage and fear.
"Did I mean nothing to him" she spat out as tears started to run down her cheeks.
"What did I do wrong?" she mumbled to herself as she tried to rack her brain for an answer.
"Maybe because I said I loved him" she continued to mumble to herself as she held her chest. Her heart felt like it was broken in some many pieces. Although she tried no hold back her sorrow silent tear, found their out of her eyes, leaking down her cheeks and chin. Her body racked as pent up sobs tried to escape from her body.
Kankuro was taken back by the image before him. She looked devastated. He could not believe she actually told Gaara that she loved him.
'Gaara practically broke her heart" he thought as he glanced at her with pity.
"Please don't pity me, Kankuro. I practically begged for this. Everyone had told me to do otherwise but I just kept on looking for trouble" she said with a sad smile.
"So he wants me to leave now"
"Well, yes. I'm sorry. But Sakura it wasn't he alone that made the decision"
"It was the counsel too. Huh" she said calmly as she stood to pack her things.
"Yeah" he said shocked by her sudden calmness.
Suddenly with the brute strength she had learnt from Tsunade, she punched a hole in the wall. Tried to calm her down but she was in a fit to destroy the place. Finally the guards rushed in to help him.
By midday they had packed up all her belongings and pushed her out of the gates. And just like that she was thrown out of the Sand village. It hurt her immensely. This was this price she paid for loving the red haired Kazekage of the Sand village. She turned her back and started her journey back to home where she right fully belonged.
Emerald eyes watched over her as she had her way home. Sorrow and longing filled them as he repeated reassured himself that he was making the right decision.
On reaching home she allowed her sorrow to engulf her. She would not let anyone see her nor would she reach out to anyone. She felt betrayed by Gaara; she had loved him with her all only to receive a cold shoulder and sting of disloyalty in the end. It was not until a week later that Tsunade confronted her and forced her out of her bed that she realized that she was depressed.
She groaned as she was forced to face her image in the mirror. In the span of a week, she had lost alarming amount of weight, her face sagged and paled from exhaustion and her hair was matted from lack of care. Naruto had even teased about her running hag completion with Tsunade. He was immediately thrown out. Tsunade, Ino, Hinata and Shizune had slowly worked with her in helping her regain her old self. It was a painful walk through the depression but took it one step at a time and slowly became her old self again.
It had been about four weeks, when noticed she had been having spells of nausea. Ignoring it at first she continued with her daily routine. She had gain even more accolades as a field medic as she experiences in the Sand village had proven to be invaluable.
It was during a teaching session that the feel of nausea over took her. Sprinting from the classroom she briskly entered the cubicle in the bathroom. She clenched the toilet bowl tightly causing her already pale knuckles to whiten. Within minutes she emptied the contents of her stomach. Slowly she raised her head feeling light headed from the stress that her body had been subjected to. She briskly, moved to sink to rid herself of the awful taste in her mouth.
From observing her, Shizune suggest that Sakura come for a check up. It was later that day that she received shocking news. She was pregnant.
Sensing her apprehension Shizune suggest abortion.
"No, I'll have it" Sakura said with a sigh.
"What will you tell the Kazekage of the Sand village" Shizune asked. She knew it had to be Gaara's child.
Sakura looked startled at first. "Nothing, if he didn't want me to stay with him I doubt he will want a child from the Hidden Leaves as an heir"
"But Sakura are you sure? The father has a right know" Shizune asked as touched Sakura's shoulder.
Sakura pulled out of her touch and scowled at her.
"He gave up that right when he through me out" she replied tersely.
Shizune sighed knowing that Sakura was going stubborn on this issue. She only hoped the girl would not suffer anymore hurt and pain from this ordeal.
Days turned into weeks turned into months. Soon eight months drew to a close, in the middle of September Sakura had her babies.