Arranged
Chapter 14: Neccesary
Stubborn woman.
The rust-haired Kazekage couldn't help but become increasingly annoyed while the proud leaf nin now struggled six feet behind him to keep up. She had continously refused his help in the hospital. So now, as he figured it, if he were to offer her any assistance on their way to his office the response would be the same. It was honorable to be strong, but looked down upon to foolishly deny help. Or at least that's how he looked at it. And apparently she had those concepts mixed up. He pulled away from his pondering and stopped. It was the fifth time he had to do it or he might leave her behind in the dust. Not a few seconds later, the gentle huffs and puffs became apparent as the kunoichi came closer until she stood besides the towering man. He looked at her through the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but notice the moisture of her skin glistening in the moon light. Her whole body wobbled ungracefully and for one reason or another, it looked to Gaara like that kind of condition didn't suit someone who looked like her. This posture would have been fitting of a muscled shinobi with horrific scars coming out of an immense battle. But to him, she would look much more sufficient sitting in a luxurious room in a beautiful kimono. Her hair would tickle her shoulders as the silk material would slip off to reveal...
"Gaara?"
He internaly stopped his thoughts in their tracks. The shinobi soon brought himself to look at the kunoichi. Her eyebrows were furrowed with worry. But it was obvious by the way she was still shaking that the woman was also in pain. Curiously enough, it tied his stomach in knots to see her in such agony. From the time he saw her passed out in the hospital bed that morning, something overwhelming had made him want to comfort her. He himself didn't know what in this world or the next would make him act so out of the norm.
"Gaara, you've been standing here for a while. Is something wrong?"
He looked at her. Their orbs met and Sakura suddenly gulped. Something in his glance shook her.
He sighed "Let me help you." Again, he was offering her help and he didn't know why the hell he was doing it.
She just looked at him "Aren't you getting tired of asking that?"
He full out glared at her and looked down on her pettite form in an intimidating tactic. Although taken back a bit, she forced herself to return the glare with one of her own.
"What's with that nasty look you're giving me?"
"Are you scared of me Sakura?"
She thought for a second and shrugged "Not really."
His eyes narrowed "You should be."
Sakura gasped at the feel of sand wrapping its way up her calves. She looked wide eyed at Gaara and became angered when she saw a bit of joy in his eyes. The Kazekage leaned forward so that he came level with her ear.
He whispered and let his breath cling moistly to her neck "If you annoyed me enough, I could rip you apart. I could make you scream into the night relentlessly. Or I could just alert all of the questionable characters in this village of a weak woman wondering the streets. That might be interesting."
She was a bit scared at first but shocked the Kazekage when he heard her snorted cockily.
"So am I to assume these bluffs are meant to force me to accept your help?"
Gaara was half impressed and half pissed. No one had ever been brassy enough to call his threats and bluffs. On the other hand, this whole situation was getting tiresome.
He furrowed his brows and nodded.
She began to retort when a shooting pain shot up her leg. Out of spite, Sakura refused to let herself fall. The cherry blossom looked up and expected to see either one of two things. An amused dick-head or an impassive Kazekage. She was surprised to see neither. Sakura couldn't quite descipher it but the look was somewhere between pissed and worried.
"This is my last offer. Either take my help or I'm leaving you here alone."
The fumming shinobi cooly began to walk away until he felt something clamp around his waist. Sakura had a death grip around Gaara's slender yet fit body. She burried her face into his back and bit her lip. She didn't want to cry. She refused to! But damn it, she didn't want to be left alone. Not again. He struggled to turn around to face the kunoichi while being the victim of her iron grip. He looked at her as she rested her head into the middle of his chest. It was the first time since their meeting that she had shown him an ounce of physical affection and now he didn't know whether to return the offering or let it be.
"Don't leave me."
He stared at her hard as he felt a warm wet spot develope where her head lay on his chest.
"I don't want to be alone. Not again."
Again?
He soon answered his own question. Gaara vaguely remembered the lesser events during the chuunin exams. But the one thing he couldn't forget was the nauseating display that a certain pink-haired kunoichi put on for that stuck-up Uchiha bastard. Sasuke. Last he heard, he was still an S-Class missing nin. Was that who she was talking about? The one who had left her alone? Somehow it disgusted him to think that he would be compatable with that bastard. Gaara knew one thing he could do that would seperate them. He wouldn't be cold. The rust-haired nin wrapped his arms around her as she hiccupped from her tears. She went wide-eyed when she felt sand surround them. A second later, they were in the dank dungeons below the Kazekage's office. After taking a look around she glared up at the man. He sighed and knew what was about to come.
"You were in pain and finally accepted my help. It was only practical for me to teleport us."
To his surprise she nodded.
"Hai. You're right. But what concerns me is why we're in a dungeon."
His face became stiff. "This is where Naruto is."
She narrowed her eyes "Why?"
Gaara closed his eyes for a moment and then looked back into her orbs "We had to."
Her eyes widdened a bit "Gaara...now you're scaring me."
He left her embrace and began to walk down the dreary corridor. "I'm a bit scared too."
She stood there for a few moments and then painfully jogged a bit to catch up with him.
Within ten minutes, they arrived infront of a large steel door. Sakura stiffened when she saw seals written in blood drawn on the monstrous entrance. She swallowed hard and kept herself in check.
"W-what is this place?" She asked without looking at the man beside her.
"This is the holding cell they used to put me in when the Ichibi got out of control."
She looked at Gaara's profile in terror "Shikaku?"
He nodded.
She shook her head. She had subconciously realized what Gaara was saying but Sakura refused to accept it. He glanced at her. She knew. They both knew. But she was trying to fight the truth.
"N-no. Get him out of there. He just needs to rest. He should of been out by now. That thing should have gone back inside. Why isn't he out here Gaara?"
Gaara sighed and looked at her. He let the regret show on his face "Sometimes...it doesn't go back in."
Her hands balled into fists.
"Sakura, the demons are unpredictable. Sometimes they need to be fought and other times they go back in with a good night's rest. But in the case that neither works...there are no alternatives. Naruto is to be..."
"DON'T!!" Sakura stopped him dead in his tracks. "I know the reprocautions for when a demon doesn't submit to rituals. I know what has to be done." She hugged herself tightly. "What your saying, it's not possible. It can't be."
He looked at her impassively "Then you know what has to be done."
"We don't have to...!"
He cut her sternly "Sakura."
Dead silence.
Reluctantly she nodded. "The one alternative. The one thing that will seal the demon inside that body."
They looked at each other. They didn't have to say it out loud.
Death.
The silence took over them while they found seclusion in one another's gaze.
"The only question left" Gaara started "is who's going to do it."
Sakura looked at the floor.
"Hyuuga-san has volunteered herself."
Sakura looked up at him with plain terror showing on her face. "They know?!"
Gaara nodded "I wasn't about to keep it from them. Your village has been contacted as well."
"What does Godaime-sama say?"
"She said to do what's neccessary."
Silence.
"Sakura?"
"Y-you said Hinata volunteered?"
"Hai."
The kunoichi smirked sadly "She can't do it."
"Why?"
"She won't be able to live with the grief."
Gaara nodded "I thought as much."
"Hai. She'll blame herself for as long as she lives."
"So who?"
Sakura turned to him. He was overwhelmed with the flame that could be seen in her eyes. He had expected her to be on the floor wailing. He was wrong. He had underestimated her. Where weakness should have been, there was strength. Her aura was filled with confidence, horror, regret and pride all at the same time. He knew her answer.
"You."
Sakura nodded "Me."
Haruno Sakura was now destined to be Uzimaki Naruto's executor.