Previously:
Jin was dangerous, unstable and crazy. He was vicious unmerciful and had the mind of a killer. No…worse than a killer. A killer may still have a bit of sanity left, but Jin? He had none left at all, anyone who opposed him, anyone in his path; were sure to be dead. He felt sorry for anyone who was on his 'kill list'. For everyone who was on there previously had died a slow, torturous and painful death. They always were pleading for their lives in the end.
OOOOOOO
By the way, did anyone in the last chapter think that at that end part, it was Gaara instead of Jin? I was trying to portray it like that and then say it was Jin after, but…Ahh, who knows. Maybe I sucked at it and you guys were too cunning
So I'm going to update this chapter super FAST! Because I need to make up for last time. I was on vacation and I thought I had safely put it in S drive so I could work on it along my trip. I was however, found kneeling on the ground crying and asking why god was so cruel when I found out that it didn't work because it wasn't connected to the main computer.
Ahh the despair.
OOOOOOOOOO
A crash of thunder broke into the sky followed by a splitting headache. The sky cried in sorrows people would never understand. Air humid and cold, it held a sense of serenity and peace at the same time.
Gaara peeked an eye open only to be blinded by the lightning that followed after the thunder. Squinting his eyes, he readjusted to his surroundings.
It was night.
Confusion seemed to irk him more and more as questions he had did not have an answer. What was going on? Flashes of what he experienced in the time before ran across in his mind, just as fast as how the lightning came down crashing to the earth.
Death, Shukaku, the kettle, blood.
Gaara gripped his head painfully as the thoughts rushed too fast through his mind. Although those thoughts comforted him (ironically,) in the idea that he still had his memory with him, it did not help him become reassured why he was here.
Looking around, he found a limp body next to him. At first he figured it to be a dead body of an opponent he had killed before and paid no mind to it. Curiosity got the better of him and he looked over its shoulder to see the face.
It was too dark to see who it was but the flash of lightning revealed who it was and in a flash the image of her was gone. But he remembered how she looked like.
The blood that once soaked her shirt was now ugly and brown in colour, stubbornly embedded in the fabric. Even the rain from above their heads didn't seem to be doing a good job of washing it away. It clung. Her hair was tangled and knotted. Blisters were evident on her hands and scorch marks cased her hands as well. Normally Gaara would be unfazed in the least, but something was out of place here.
Gaara had seen his fair share of deaths. There were many gruesome ones as well and this scene shouldn't put him off. He had even seen someone 'close' to him get hurt fairly badly as well. Temari and Kankuro had been many times. They were shinobi after all. What set him off from this picture was…
Her innocence. Her face looked to be too young to be in this sort of state. Pink hair, honestly. He scoffed quietly…almost a little sadly. It added to the look of her youngness.
Still, other than the innocence and almost tranquil look on her face, she had similarities that were with the others he'd seen marked by the reaper himself. The death that encased her body was a fact. She looked limp and lifeless. She couldn't be dead.
Panic struck inside his heart almost immediately. He would never admit it, but he was feeling desperate on keeping her alive-even in this state. Most of the reasons seemed unknown deep within his mind and soul, but with the little he knew of wanting to keep her alive, he kept with granted.
She was useful. Regardless of constantly pushing herself down and calling herself weak…she wasn't. She had saved his life. In the situation he last was in, Gaara remembered that it seemed to be a bleak type of hell. And she pulled him out of it. He was in debt to her already. She was smart, cunning even. She was powerful and had potential, she just had to realize it.
He also remembered that day when they almost silently…cryptically gave each other a role in each other's lives. They were to rely on each other.
The whole event with Shukaku shook him up, he was not blind neither was he stupid to face denial. It was the truth and he took it into realities' consideration. He was still afraid of things. Much less than normal, but he still was not invincible, per se. Glancing at Sakura, it didn't take a genius to figure out that she had pulled him out of his horrors.
He owed her his life.
Taking both his index and middle finger upwards, he checked her pulse. Amazingly, Gaara found that the context of 'him owing her his life' would come in play maybe just yet. Her pulse was weak, but there. Grasping a hand around Sakura's waist, Gaara hoisted her up and led her to the nearest tree for shade against the harsh rain.
Looking at Sakura more closely, he saw that she was soaked to the bone. The red and now brown fabric was soaked and stuck to her skin. Gaara didn't take long to realize that Sakura would die if she continued to stay in her drenched clothing.
Far from caring about her modesty, he ripped off her shirt. Silently, he seemed relieved to find that she was wearing breast bindings. His robe that he wore seemed to not only protect him from the harshness of the sands, but it was made of excellent water repellent as well. Draping it over her to keep her warm, there was not much to do after that.
He knew there were no injuries on her, at least not internally, so it was the best he could do until the storm let up.
Sitting down next to Sakura's lying form, Gaara rest his back against the tree and looked up at the sky still crying above. Cruel claps of thunder shook the forest soon followed by the lightning. Perhaps someone out there was crying as well.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
A cough was heard. It was quiet and almost inaudible, but…she could hear it. Almost and echo of that one continued after it. It suddenly continued one after another, like a dance echoing back and forth. It became louder and louder, becoming more noticeable. A dangerous dance. The coughs were growing in numbers and soon it was a swarming sensation of so much coughing that you'd seem suffocated. She indeed felt suffocated. Breathing was oddly hard and she started to panic. Where was this noise coming from?
It was herself. Eyes opened wide in realization and the light immediately shone in her eyes.
Gasping, she soon felt herself sputtering as she choked on that intake of air. The coughs of hers only got worse and she was starting to freak out now. She couldn't stop.
Spasms wracked her body and she couldn't control herself. Arching her back in the air, she tried to regain control over her body but the force of the coughs overpowered her and she lay helplessly on the ground. Coughs continued to spill from her mouth that it was starting to painfully hurt her throat. She threw her head back and closed her eyes clamping them down tightly shut. As the pressure building within her throat was worsening.
The strain on her throat continued to work up until it couldn't hold it anymore, cracking on the last cough. Her eyes widened, mouth opened as if in a silent scream. Her heart beat was quickening to an impossible speed, not giving any signs of slowing down. She was getting more nervous at this prospect. If her heart beat sped up any quicker she'd die. The problem was that she wasn't moving-she wasn't able to move. Panicking wasn't the right word; it was to a higher extreme than that. Trying to figure out why her body wasn't doing what she was trying to accord it to, desperately, she was scared. Her eyes shone through with that emotion as the tears seemed to leak out of her eyes. It went unnoticed to her as nothing was working, the pain in her lungs and heart was increasing by a tenfold and so was her horror-
"Stop."
A poke on the right nerve made her collapse. Her heart beat gradually made its way to a steady slow rhythm.
Turning her head proved to be a task that was harder to do than expected. Her efforts however were in vain as Gaara stepped in her vision.
"Sakura."
Sakura tried to voice out his name but found it impossible with her sore throat. Cracking her voice in attempts of speaking, she hacked and coughed roughly. Eyes swelled up with tears of pain.
"Drink this." Gaara simply stated, leaning over and handing a bowl filled with a clear sort of liquid.
It steamed out and Sakura looked a little untrustworthy of it. Regardless, she took it in her hands, but smelled it cautiously. Sakura's face recoiled at it, scrunching up her nose.
She had a pleading eyes twinkle at Gaara.
And he had that 'you're going to get out of this one' look.
Sighing dejectedly, Sakura hesitantly took a small sip. It turned out it tasted worse than it smelled.
Sakura was revolted by the smell let alone the taste, but it had to be done if she was to heal. Just like medication, good for you. Take it or leave it.
Sighing, she gulped the whole thing down in less than 30 seconds. Coughing and sputtering because it went down so fast and that it tasted horrendous, she was glad it was done and over.
"Where-" Sakura started but was interrupted as her voice cracked rather audibly. It hurt like a bitch and it showed. Sakura winced in pain as it felt like her throat was on fire, burning her.
Pain was evident in her eyes.
"It's been a while since I could relish the silence I never have around with you." Gaara mused quietly at her.
A glare was all Sakura showed, anger biting back. Gaara was inwardly relieved to have set aside some of the pain for her.
There was a moment of silence as they sat in peace, leaning on the tree. Gaara was contemplating on how they should approach their trip now. They were off course and off the time schedule. They needed to reach Sound village and they were around 2 days off, as an estimate. One thing was for sure, they needed to pick up the speed.
Gaara glanced around, and now was definitely not the time to be dawdling around just sitting here.
Getting up to his feet, he brushed off the particles on his robes. Sakura looked confused at him, but was even more surprised and astonished when Gaara heaved her up. The not-so-subtle blush worked across her face as fast as she was hauled up. What on earth was he doing?!
Looping an arm around the back of her thighs as well as supporting her with his other hand, he pulled her up as 'kindly' as possible. Sakura looked at him accusingly. Because she was in no condition to speak, that still didn't mean that her personality could speak for them.
"We need to head out. We're already off the time schedule by 2 days."
Sakura struggled to keep her exasperated look off her face but not quickly enough as Gaara already had caught the glimpse.
Huffing and folding her arms over her chest indignantly. Pausing a while, she realized he was right but kept herself in check keeping her pride. Making a shooing action with her hand, Gaara smirked. He was smarted than that.
They head off at a speed that Sakura couldn't help but grasp around Gaara's neck. Seriously, what was he trying to do, kill her as well as himself?! The speed was break-neck. How on earth did he regain his chakra so quickly?
As if reading her mind, Gaara explained. "You had used all your chakra as well as all of your reserves. While I was out of it, it allowed me to gain my chakra back as well as while you needed to rest and get to a stable condition."
Sakura looked at her hands. They were still shaking, but nothing like from before.
Another push of chakra in his feet made them go to even a faster speed. Sakura didn't even think that she had ever reached this speed. With full chakra or not. Unconsciously she gripped around his neck tighter. They were going to die before they even made it to the Sound Village, Sakura thought hysterically.
Gaara smirked. It was a face that Gaara had never seen on Sakura's face before. She was such a person to have so many emotions, it was nearly impossible to remember them all.
Sakura paid no heed to Gaara's smirk, however. Maybe she didn't even see it. All for the better, though; Sakura was not the type to want to get riled up. So to make sure that on this trip, there would be less conflict between him and her, Gaara made sure that as fast as the smirk appeared, the fast it disappeared.
OOOOOOOOOO
They had been traveling for quite a while and Sakura was feeling a little…guilty. Gaara had been traveling the whole way by himself, but not only that; carrying her. What kind of Kunoichi was she?!
'A bad one at that…' Inner Sakura grumbled.
And for the few moments in her life, she actually agreed with her. Feebly needing a helping hand at such an easy as traveling was definitely not making her feel strong nor confident in her abilities. In fact, it was the exact opposite.
Sure, hundreds of women would die to be in her position: in a man's arms, but she thought she wouldn't stoop to that level. Being whisked away with your 'knight in shining armor', scoffing at the idea. Sakura had realized a long time ago, that she didn't want to be in that situation. She wanted to be the other one, the one that would help people. She wanted to be the type that would be strong and help the ones she loved, to be better than a fan girl. What had happened? Was she not moving at all? Even after all she had tried to work up for?
Sakura knew that Gaara probably wouldn't be in the 'knight in shining armor' category, but Sakura knew why girls went crazy for these things now. It felt nice to be held, with a warm comforting position. Many would freak out and run at a simple glance at the Jinchuuriki, but Sakura didn't believe that. How prejudice they were. Gaara was just as human as them and one day, he'd find someone special to him that saw the same thing. He'd find someone…but would she?
Shaking her head inwardly, she realized that maybe that wasn't the greatest idea after all. When she was younger, she had known that she was albeit: hideous and an eyesore, but she had been optimistic at it, feeling that she'd become prettier and would have better luck with her love life. Sakura nearly snorted at that. Who was she kidding? Sakura realized that she didn't even have a 'love life'. It was nonexistent and it was for reason. Who would want to be with her? She was far from pretty like Ino, not voluptuous like Hinata, nor did she has the personality as well as the attitude that appealed to men like Tenten and Temari.
Plus, she seemed to be trailed by the death reaper himself. Ah yes, Sakura scowled darkly at her new prospect of a problem. It worried her to no end. The people she actually had grown to love and feel accustomed to were in grave danger, and she couldn't just do her old plan to 'grow strong to protect them' for how was she to protect them from herself…?
OOOOOOOOOOO
Gaara had seen many people. Being the observant person he had grown to be, he seemed to gain the ability to almost read people's expressions, and it didn't fail. Sakura was like an open book. However, he was troubled to the fact that he couldn't read fast enough. Be damned, she was moving through emotions like Naruto would with his bowls of ramen. Happiness to worry to depression to anger to god-know-what to worry…wasn't she through with that feeling? Ahh crap, he missed an emotion already. It was rather tiring.
Soon Gaara was feeling that he was actually MISSING Sakura's voice. If Gaara hadn't been holding Sakura, he would've put a hand to his forehead to see if he was sick. But alas, he didn't have any spare hands.
That brought him to another thought. It was more or less of a fact, however. He was holding Sakura in a bridal position. And he was unnerved by the fact!
He had never blushed in his life and so far, he was keeping at that fact…but he was the closest he'd ever been at. Gaara, in his life, had never held a woman. Ever. And it seemed a little comforting. Her warmth radiated him and her aura always seemed to be gentle and soothing. Well not always, but in this case, it seemed to be. He also wouldn't believe that she was so easy to get comfortable. Gaara originally figured that women would become uncomfortable or nervous at being held with a cold blooded killer. Perhaps Sakura was an exception.
Gaara found it almost comical that she was so carefree near him. So gullible he seemed incredulous at times. She was so naïve.
Gaara had been too busy musing through his thoughts that he missed a branch. Cursing, he quickly scanned the area. He had been lucky that there was a branch close enough to that one to land on. After that, he landed on the ground with ease.
Looking down, Gaara found Sakura with panic stricken eyes. However, quickly as they appeared, they gradually retreated to a calm one.
Pouting, she whined quietly because of her voice. "You did that on purpose didn't you?" It cracked a couple of times.
Gaara would admit if asked, he was shocked by the words. Was she pouting at him? Maybe he hit her in the head by accident…
Sakura gave him a reassuring smile, saying that she was just joking around.
Gaara gave an almost-smile (the closest he could come to one) and replied "Don't tell me you were scared of that?"
Changing the subject from an awkward silence he stated the fact "Your voice is coming back."
Sakura nodded and with some problems she whispered out "You should rest, don't push yourself."
Gaara gave a questioning stare.
She added. "I'm worried about you."
Just as the words were uttered, she snapped her mouth shut. 'Holy crap…did I just say that?!'
'I'm afraid so…there goes more of your pride…'
Gaara was shocked at her words, and it must've shown on his face because Sakura was blushing even deeper.
'Correct yourself, idiot!' inner Sakura wailed.
'But I meant it!'
'Then lie, you're making him nervous.'
"I-err-didn't-"
"I'll go get some water and food for us. We'll take a break." Gaara confirmed quickly, getting up and heading out."
Sakura might as well be hitting her head against the tree she was leaning against in shame.
"That was so awkward." Sakura muttered.
'That was all entirely your fault…'
And the worst part was she agreed AGAIN with her inner self.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Gaara had no idea what the hell happened, but he sure felt awkward all of a sudden. It didn't make sense. Sakura was someone close to him, he had realized that. Something like a friend perhaps, so it made perfect sense for her to be worried about him. So why did he start feeling awkward and why was she awkward about it as well?
Sighing, he quickly searched for the river that should be nearby. He didn't know what this feeling inside him meant, but it was sure as hell was annoying. He knew that going back would probably cause the tension in the air to thicken to the point that it could possibly be cut with a knife.
Shaking his head, he knew one thing: take as long as you want with getting food and water because it most definitely will be uncomfortable when Gaara gets back…girls were so confusing.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sakura lay on the ground being bored out of her mind. If she could move and run around or something to keep her interest up for at least a little while, she would. The thing stopping her? Sakura still couldn't move her arms, legs, heck, anywhere. It just wasn't fair! She just HAD to accidentally tell Gaara something that she shouldn't' have…but Sakura couldn't help it. She was born with a big mouth that couldn't close when needed to.
Groaning inwardly, she really knew that she fucked up their 'relationship', whatever it was. If they were close enough to be called friends, she fucked that up too…
The thing is; Sakura never understood Gaara. Ever. He was the close he'd ever become to 'happy' and then the next second, he'd go off all mad. Sakura could've sworn that Gaara was going through some period type of streak. The thought nearly made her laugh, but she resisted to do so. It wasn't worth it; to get her voice ruined over. Though the thought of Gaara becoming through his 'monthly time' was tempting to make her burst out laughing, she would resist so.
A few minutes ticked by and she really did sigh. Where the hell was he? Jeez, did he always take his damn time? 'If she was like…attacked right now, she bet that he wouldn't be so cautious'...she grumbled.
Hearing a growl come from fairly near her, her eyes snapped up in shock.
She seriously didn't MEAN it to happen for her to get attacked at a time like this…ohh the irony.
Sakura's eyes quickly scanned the woods in a scrutinizing manner, making sure that nothing deemed suspicious. Just what was that noise coming from?
Eyes narrowed perceptively, they did a double-take on everything around her.
Yellow slants glared back at her in the darkness encased from the forest she was in. Sakura's eyes widened in fear; the protection of the trees that once were saving her from the harsh sunlight was now her downfall, as they made it impossible to see what it was, giving it an eerie scenario. Did it just seem like from a horror movie?
Sakura's eyes widened even more so when 'whatever it was' had friends. More eyes appeared near it, growling. Surrounding her.
Her hand twitched, not obeying the order she gave it. It was incredulously stupid, just like in the movies, the 'damsel in distress' would be so 'shocked in fear' that she couldn't possibly move and let the monsters shred her to bits, but just before that happened, a knight in shining armor leaped out to defend, etc, etc. Hadn't she just made it clear that she did not want to be any damsel in distress? Why whichever deity did was cursing upon her, find it probably comical for her to be in this predicament?
The fact that she seemed to always turn up to be the helpless one was still in fact, the helpless one continued to bristle her. Her body was not cooperating with herself and it was pissng her off to no end. She would not always be so lucky to have any 'knight in shining armor' and she knew that, but always in these conditions, she was weak and unable to protect even herself.
The more she found herself in conflict against another person, someone would help her. Whether it was Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Tsunade,-anyone, her actions were unacceptable.
Frantically thinking of any tactic that could help her was definitely not coming in her mind.
It turns out the 'things' were a pack of wolves. She was defenseless against wolves, wolves! What was her Kunoichi standards coming to?
Albeit they were abnormally big to be wolves, the fact was that they were still in the end, indeed wolves. To be killed by wild wolves did not bold well for the pink haired Kunoichi, as he expression darkened. She really was weak.
As the wolves crouched intimidating-like towards her while growling aggressively, they continued to approach her. Cornering her. Sakura was starting to feel uneasy. They were practically taunting her at their slow pace, as if enjoying her demise.
This time was different. She would not have a 'knight in shining armor', would not have someone to help her, get her out of her stupid predicament. It really was always her fault. The reasons she needed saving was because of her own stupidity.
Maybe…just because someone was called smart intelligently, it didn't mean you were actually all that smart. Even with her intelligent state, she was weak. Beyond weak. When people said they envied her for her smartness, they were wrong.
Even with her IQ substantially over average, it would not help her. Even if she was a Kunoichi that was Chuunin level, it did not matter. Even if she was trained by the damned Hokage herself, on the infamous team 7, best friends with a Jinchuuriki, traveling with a skilled ninja and even if people looked up to her, It didn't matter.
That's when she realized. No matter how much she trained, no matter how much times she told herself she would become strong, to get better, it would not work. Whatever she was trying with right now wasn't working. All that time of 'becoming strong' was not true…and the truth hurt.
All her hard work was down the drain, and none of it was going to help her after this. She would be a person who once lived. Born, raised, died. What would set her apart from everyone else? She would leave nonexistent.
Who would care for a girl who lived to become strong but didn't even come close and died on a feeble C ranked mission dying by a pack of wolves? Why bother with her when there were real important people out there, people that would make an impact-a difference in the world.
Naruto would. He would like so many of the others she had grown up with. She had grown up with all the strong people, scoffing lightly in her mind, she smiled faintly. She could resort to making up an excuse that she had no standing chance with such strong people, but deep down, she knew she was denying the truth. Because she was below average, and she knew it. She knew it with all her heart and everyone else knew it. She would die a nobody and there was nothing that could change her course of fate.
The wolves crouched near her snarling showing off their sharp fangs. Ones that were meant to rip flesh and break bones. They evolved to become strong. The weak of the pack died. Survival of the fittest. How ironic that she now knew all too well.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
…I doubt that's a cliffy, but whatever. I was hoping to get to the part I wanted, but GAH!! Yet again, I pushed back my schedule because I tend to blab ; yes, I was planning on updating quite soon but, I didn't know what to write. Hopefully after this, I'll get on track. I'm seeing in the future that this will actually be a really, really long fanfic T.T and that bothers me. JEEZ when will this thing end?!
BY THE WAY: I forgot that I didn't know what mission they were on, so I checked back and guess what…I never wrote it down!! DDXX so I'll have to devise something. I just said that Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi were to infiltrate Sound or something…if anyone remembers what I wrote, could you please debrief? This is so sad…relying on my reviewers!! I suck, I know. .
BIG THANKS TO THE REVIEWERS!! the more reviews, the more motivation I get to write.
