Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Ya'aburnee: from what I know, it is Arabic and it literally translates to "You bury me." It is a declaration of love. It is a hope that the object of a person's love will outlive them- that, literally, they will be the one to bury their bones under the earth. It is to spare themselves the pain of living without their love. Life is meaningless like that.

Notes/Parameters/Axioms: For this story, assume that Sasori and Karura had an on-going relationship while she was married to the Yondaime Kazekage. Assume that he found out sooner or later.

x.X.x

"Yashamaru?"

Sasori looked down at the figure kneeling in front of him, head bowed down, dressed in the full jounin uniform. What could he possibly want now? "I wish to speak to you. Privately." The man's voice was soft and strained, and Sasori assumed it was probably the cloth masking the lower half of his face. He really didn't want to put too much thought into it— it was late and the journey itself would take around a week. The sooner they left, the sooner he could come back.

"Well, make it quick." Sasori said as he followed Yashamaru behind one of the ridges in the walls that surrounded the village, a hand ready to reach out for a scroll in case he was sent by the Kazekage to do a little clean up. Given the recent events, it wasn't unlikely.

What he did not expect was arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a kiss. Horrified, Sasori instantly pushed the person away and drew back. But the responding "Ah!" and the accompanying fall was too feminine, too clumsy to be Yashamaru. Only when he looks at the figure once more did he notice indigo eyes staring back at him instead of Yashamaru's blue.

"K-Karura?"

"I- I can explain," she said, reaching out for the hand he's just extended to help her up. Once up, she folded the cloth that covered her face and placed it on one of the vest pockets. "I— I just wanted to see you." The tears brimming at the edge of her eyes shone clearly in the light of the moon.

Karura let out a shaky breath and a small laugh. She really didn't mean to surprise Sasori like that— but this was the only way she thought of that allowed her to maneuver through the streets and into the village gates without being seen. She's done this before, though when she was younger and Yashamaru was too sick to go to school. She's done this before and she knew that in the dark of the night, their hair color was the same, the twinge of violet in her eyes was not seen, and kneeling down, the height difference was a little harder to perceive. Couple that with the late hour and the tired shinobi at the gate— it really was the only way.

She was about to say something when Sasori closed the gap between them. This time, he was the one who leaned down to kiss. Just like all his other kisses, it was holy water and bitter wine on her lips. Karura gripped at his shoulders when he tried to move back, pressing her lips more urgently against his. But his hands were firm as they pried hers away, and the tears in her eyes blurred the expression on his face— unreadable.

"I don't want you to leave me today," Karura whispered.

"It's only a month."

"It's a year, Sasori!" Her voice was hoarse as she tried to scream it as quietly as she can. "One month in Kiri. Five in Konoha. Scattered missions in Tsuchi. Those are several long term missions and…" she tried to choke back a sob that threatened to escape, "and that's only for this year."

Karura looked down, her hands moving to hold her arms because there was no other support she could lean on. One of them is leaving…and the other… Before Sasori could ask how she knew, Karura said, "I have my own set of spies," forcing out a laugh. "Kankuro told me… and I quote… I heard daddy say that Sasori-sama ought to start accepting long term missions from now on. Or bad things will happen… I didn't understand the rest."

Another tear fell from her eye and she was quick to wipe it away. "If you're going— I don't want to stay."

"Karura, you know I can't take you with me."

She backed up towards the wall and Sasori's hand on her cheek should have been comforting but it couldn't still the rapid beating of her heart. And maybe, Karura ought to tell him that the whole world was spinning and her whole world was moving, beating, to the rhythm of her heart. Maybe she ought to tell him that, lately, she's been having trouble breathing and that crying usually made things worse. Maybe she ought to tell him that, earlier that day, she spat out blood.

Then again, it could have simply been a late after effect of a slap to the face— one she's hidden away in the cover of the night.

"I wish you could though," Karura said, taking his hand into hers— holding it tightly and wishing she didn't have to let go. "Parting is… all we need to know of hell." (Emily Dickinson)

But staying with him meant parting with her family— the family she loved all too dearly. And her children— Karura doesn't think she can live without her children. All of them actually.

Especially Sasori. Her heart yearned for and craved for him, for his presence in every waking moment. Like a drug as his kisses ran through her body. Ha! He even produces all the three main characteristics of an addiction.

Tolerance— Karura needed to see more and more and more of him. Suddenly, a brief glimpse wasn't enough. Now, a full day was never enough. Eternity would never be enough. Withdrawal— and how much she misses him when he's gone and how much her hands shake at the though of him being gone for longer than the set amount of time. Relapse— because, once when he was on a week long mission, Karura thought she could handle herself after the third day. Then a song played on the radio, and she's back to day one.

"This isn't the last time I'm going to see you," he reassured her.

Then why does it feel like it would be? Why does it feel like I'm saying good bye for good? Her heart still beat like a drum— loud and quick echoing beats. But she could only sigh and whisper "I love you dearly, Sasori. I'm going to miss you."

One last kiss. "Good bye, beloved." And the last thing he whispered, still pressed against her lips.

Ya'aburnee

With that, Sasori disappeared all too quickly— like an apparition in a dream. Tears still in her eyes, Karura willed her feet, heavy as lead, to move towards home. That was the last kiss. The last goodbye. The last words she'll ever hear him whisper to her.

The last, because Karura is sure that, as long as her husband remains Kazekage, Sasori will never be in Suna long enough to lay down and rest his head. Karura will never be able to leave home without a guard, and she'll forever bear with the broken pieces of a heart that's not quite complete anymore.