Hi guys, I'm so sorry it took so long. Things caught up with me and everything has been constantly on my back.
Thanks for your encouraging reviews. They helped me write the chapter, even if I don't think the chapter is as good. I think I'm losing my touch the longer I write this.
I know the next chapter is going to be exciting though. But I can't promise to update quicker as I have a lot of assignments in before Christmas. Too many.
Also, I got a review saying something along the lines of "If you don't update soon, I'm going to seriously lose interest in your story" and another saying something like "You should write the whole story first before publishing otherwise you keep ups waiting when you don't upload"
If I did the second, I'd lose interest and have a half written stor and you would never have read it. Also, this is a hobby and I write whenever I can for you readers. I'm doing my best here. Also, I know my aim is to keep you interested and get lots of nice reviews, but I can only do so much.
Recommended Song: Pokemon Movie (Don't ask, I just like the song) – To Know The Unknown
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of its characters. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
-A Plan of Understanding-
-23–
You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach, which warns you of danger or makes you feel weightless? As if you were falling? That was what Sakura felt the moment he had suggested the idea.
"You want me to… to what?" She gulped softly and followed the lines on the floor's tiles or the scattered school achievement pictures on the display to her left. Student's around them nodded in recognition or attempted at conversation before cold eyes turned their way, not bothering to vocalise the threat they held.
"She needs to know; besides, she has contacts with some important figures in Konoha."
"I can't!" She choked out in a whisper, whilst wringing her fingers out of nervousness.
"Sakura, Naruto has informed you of her views on your relationship. She cares for you greatly and would want to know this"
"Gaara… I… I just…"
"It is your choice, in the end. But you have around thirteen seconds to figure out your answer" He added quickly, as her eyes looked up and focused some of their confusion on him. "Nine seconds. She's fast approaching"
Okay, so she was on her way to tell her anyway, when Gaara suddenly stopped her and told her everything Tsunade would want to know, including detailed descriptions of all those involved. It didn't help her friends were following also wanting an explanation. This seemed to make the pressure ten times worse, and she wanted to bottle out.
"Four seconds" She glared up at him.
Sakura's spine stiffened and she whirled in time to find a not-too-pleased Tsunade approaching fast, her chest jutted out demanding answers and her face set in displeasure.
"Where have you been, young lady? I called the house but a stupid woman kept answering! I even tried your personal phone, thanks to Naruto's help, but you still didn't answer! You have a lot of explaining to do!" Sakura stood gaping like a fish with wide, unsure eyes. Tsunade had now placed both hands on her hips and leaned into Sakura to intimidate the girl into answering her. The silence spoke volumes to Tsunade and she turned on Gaara, feeling as though there was still some anger that needed to be taken care of. "And you Sabaku, you will explain to me why you left school so suddenly yesterday without authorised leave!"
Gaara's eyebrow rose at the woman as she turned and marched towards her office. A silent glance was exchanged between the two students before they followed, taking the hint. 'Here goes nothing…'
oOo
An almost silent ticking gently swayed the room, yet intensified the tension floating through the air. "I would like to know from the start"
'Okay, to the point…' Sakura visibly gulped. "Well… where, do I start?" Sakura mumbled in doubt. She subconsciously looked to the door where Tsunade had told the rest to wait. Sakura was partially thankful, yet she had promised them she would tell them with Tsunade. Of course, Naruto wasn't to pleased.
Gaara looked across to her seat with nonchalant eyes. He highly doubted she would tell the academy's leader, not through choice, but embarrassment and shame. Her thoughts rang clearer to him than anybody else. She had been so set this morning in telling the woman, but her confidence shrunk… he could feel it.
Sakura froze. Not only did she not want remember the events and speak so openly about them, she didn't know how. How was she supposed to tell this woman she had lived a life of attempted rape and physical abuse?
'His secretary tried to sell my virginity, he made beating me his favourite hobby, and raping me his mission in life: Yeah I know… crazy huh?' No, she wasn't supposed to sound happy about such a thing. But she didn't want to worry them.
'Well, here's the thing… I've been abused since he adopted me, and even before then, only he attempted to rape me…' No! She couldn't sound so sad about it. She didn't want them to worry or fuss over her. She didn't want to appear weak in front of them and Gaara. She'd probably end up crying like a weakling after all.
There was simply no way to tell them…
"I… I don't think… I can… say. I want to… but… I can't-I came to… I-just-!"
"Sakura… please tell me what happened." Tsunade pressed, folding her hands on her desk.
"I… I can't!" Sakura's voice cracked and fresh tears began to bubble in her eyes, which she desperately tried to blink away. This was harder than it had first appeared to be. What would Tsunade think about her? Would she involve people? Look down on her for doubting her own strength?
"Tsunade" Gaara interrupted, with his usual lack of respect. Tsunade sighed and looked to the third presence in the room. "Perhaps there is a more…" His eye twitched for the use of his vocabulary, "…gentle… way to tell you."
"If you have a suggestion, Mr Sabaku, then be my guest."
"It depends on how Sakura feels about having her friends know… I know you wanted to tell them and told them you would… but you seem to be doubting now…" He looked over at Sakura's face to see it deepen in thought before her eyes softened.
"I have no right to insist I am their friend if they don't know…"
"Then, I'll have the Nara think up another method." Gaara said, watching Sakura's lips tighten. Tsunade's forehead wrinkled at the apparent authority Gaara expressed.
Sakura's back relaxed ever so slightly and she looked up at Gaara, who had stood to fetch her friend, Shikamaru.
oOo
She sat on a stone bench in the middle of the gardens the academy possessed. She was told they were to help the garden club in growing organic vegetables. It was colourful.
Naruto had left her moments before, after awkward silences, back-breaking hugs and screamed-out promises. A grateful smile set across her face and her stomach fluttered with happiness.
"Sakura-chan! I promise to protect you! He won't touch you again! If he does I'll rip his arms off!"
"N-Naruto!"
Sure, she had been slightly worried when she seen his blood red eyes. She had heard rumours of him, as well as Gaara, being a demon… but she took it as a figure of speech and dismissed it when she realised just how kind and protective the two could be… in their own funny way.
She was happy Gaara told her friends in her place. She didn't have the strength or courage to tell them, and as much as it should have been herself telling the news… she simply couldn't. She remained in Tsunade's office while Gaara told them the news. Tsunade was still oblivious yet she had her suspicions. 'Poor Gaara…' She sighed imagining how difficult it must have been for him to tell her own story. He barely just began talking to her friends.
"If you sigh once more I'll have to evoke a different sound from you, for a change." Her spine straightened and a deep hue spread over her cheeks at the implied meaning. She didn't even need to turn and acknowledge him.
Soundlessly, he sat beside her on the stone bench, facing in the opposite direction. Did he mean it to sound like that? He was beyond caring, whatever the answer. It was music to his ears.
"Thanks."
"Hn." Telling her friends had been hard work… throwing Naruto into the mixture made it worse and the number of outbursts and yells increase.
"Naruto… he's so… so stupid, eh?" She knew she was crying again, despite her warm smile.
He reached across and pulled her against his side, his arm reaching and cradling across the front of her shoulders. As they sat in a silent, understanding hold, Sakura let herself sink into his shoulder and scooted over so their sides touched gently.
"Stupid… perhaps he's simply, honest?"
Nodding into him the silence took over once more and her thoughts veered off onto the plan Shikamaru concocted once he was told of the situation. Not only Sakura, but none of them had the courage to confirm Tsunade's thoughts. Simply telling the woman was not an option. She had a temper about her and none wanted to be in the way of her wrath.
Not only that, but Sakura knew her sensei needed details… something she hadn't even gone into with Gaara or her friends. They simply received a brief overlook of her situation.
oOo
"We would never have guessed something like this…" A feminine voice croaked out.
The small group of three watched the two figures on the bench from the sidelines. Tenten was especially surprised at Naruto's calmness when Sakura declared him as stupid. He simply watched her calmly and sadly.
"Ah, she was always so happy…" Naruto agreed, as he leaned against the doorframe. His eyes never left the two on the bench.
"Jeez, no wonder she was worried for me… when I was adopted I mean" Tenten chipped in, rubbing her arms from the cold wind. "How hard must it have been for her to hear about our family lives and how great they are?"
Naruto lowered his eyes feeling sick with guilt. Another sniff came from the third female. "I-I should have known… or asked… or done something…" Hinata whimpered into her smooth handkerchief which had become damp with tears.
"Don't cry Hinata-chan…" Naruto turned to the female and took her hand, lifting her up off the floor. "…Sakura needs us to be strong for her right now. We'll just have to get back at the bastard, right?"
Hinata froze but overcome her faintness and nodded brilliantly along with Naruto, who still kept her hand close.
"Come on" He walked off tagging Hinata along after her and Tenten reluctantly followed, allowing one last glance at Sakura.
"Gaara must be feeling the worst; since after all, he knew about her injuries…" Tenten added, receiving no answer as she followed after the two.
oOo
When Shikamaru had suggested the idea, Sakura didn't imagine the contraption would look so… so…
Deadly? Scary? She couldn't find the right words. She felt as though she was going to be put into some sort of cyber sleep and her mind turned to goo. But Kurenai and Shikamaru thought it up. They were extremely intelligent. It also saved her the shame of explaining her situation and gave them more information stored deep within her memories.
"We thought up something, but don't know how effective it would be…"
Tsunade bit her lip impatiently, "Well?"
Kurenai interrupted. She didn't know why, but she knew of the machine Shikamaru wanted to create with her help and the purpose. To look back on a subjects memories and play them like a video. "Sensors will be placed along the section of the brain which holds the subject's memories. We will need medication, prescribed by you, to render the subject unconscious, where in their dream-state; they will be forced to remember the memories through stimulants sent to the brain through the sensors and the image will play out on the screen hooked up to the device."
"The subject will need to dream up the memories for us to see them?" Kurenai nodded and Tsunade thought it over. Whatever happened was traumatic for Sakura… could she go through it again? If Tsunade's assumptions were even slightly correct, she didn't want Sakura to go through it again… in dreams or reality.
"I'll do it" Sakura said from her chair against the wall. Shikamaru looked over then at the ground in guilt for not realising her situation sooner.
"Sakura-san? You're the subject?" Kurenai asked with wide eyes. Was it related to the incident with Saki, her student? Sakura nodded and Tsunade leaned back in her chair, with deep lines on her forehead with furrowing the muscles.
"How long will it take?" Tsunade asked, her eyes closed, yet she listened all the same.
"With the help of the strategic students, it could be done by tomorrow afternoon. We'll tell them it is of future importance to the academy's aim…"
"As long as they don't find out its relevance with Sakura… that's fine"
Now here she was, the following afternoon, staring down a strange head device which had several tubes leaking from it and linking up with a screen behind her. The curtains were drawn and the corridor leading to Tsunade's room was locked off, so no sounds or disturbances would be made.
Five minutes prior, Sakura had been injected and expected to fall into a dream-like state at any moment now. Her mind felt fuzzy and her eyes were beginning to cloud over.
Just as her eyes closed, another presence entered the room swiftly and remained a statue at Sakura's side, clutching her hand and refusing to move.
"Please leave Mr Sabaku," Tsunade said half-heartedly. She knew he could be of some use here and even had a feeling he would show up.
"You know the answer to that."
"Fine, stay with her" Gaara's shock was evident yet well replaced with nothingness at her lack of strictness. Apparently she was expecting him.
"Perhaps it was better this way. We'll find out names and faces; her shame is doing the world a favour," Tsunade solemnly explained as she moved to the computer screen.
"The drug has taken full effect; when you're ready, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade looked down to the computer device and began typing into the monitor the instructions passed on by Shikamaru. She hit the final button and imagery of the brain, created by pixels and sensors, was shown on screen, shortly followed by a blank screen slowly building up dull colours to form fluctuating imagery. It was better than nothing, however.
"It is only a prototype, Tsunade-sama. The resolution won't be very good; even for us geniuses," Kurenai explained before checking Sakura's vital signs. "She is responsive. Her mind needs to be directed in its relaxed stage."
"Will she remember what she dreamt?" Tsunade asked cautiously, not wanting her to have to live through the experience once more.
"We're not too sure…"
Tsunade nodded and after a quick glance at Gaara, who was looking at Sakura, she approached to whisper in the girl's ear. "Why were you absent from school, Sakura?" She asked gently and stood up when Sakura's face furrowed in distress. She made her way back to the screen and watched as broken images played in dim colours, showing a hazy picture of a strange room from an odd angle. Slowly, the picture moved, as if looking from Sakura's eye point.
Tsunade fought to keep her face neutral as an unknown man came in and approached with malice. She felt pride for her student's resistance before the man backed off and fell over, revealing another holding a gun in his outstretched hand.
She wasn't quite sure when Gaara had made his way over to witness the girl's pain, but she now found him close by watching keenly. Sakura flinched from her spot and the young male looked torn between watching and being by her side. Kurenai stepped in taking the girls hand and began sweeping her hair back from her face.
A hand rose over Tsunade's mouth, as she watched the man approach and send his fist forward. The screen blinked as Sakura's own eyelids must have and his hand was seen coming across the screen before it blinked again. The words exchanged couldn't be heard as the silent movie played.
"Remain calm; we may have more to see," Tsunade reminded Gaara as she noticed his eyes beginning to bleed gold and black colours and his face darken. After a failed kiss from the man seen, Gaara's fists clenched in anger.
The screen seemed to twitch and fade as another image was seen showing Yoko and a blade, before it fizzled out into nothing.
The elder woman walked back over to Sakura and leaned down. She wasn't quite sure what else to ask and instead settled on common sense, "How long Sakura? How long has it been happening?"
The images continued as best to Sakura's memories showing snippets of abuse and encounters, not only with the recurring man, but with others. Sakura's body rose from the table and a strangled cry flew from her muffled lips, leaving Gaara with no option but to move back to her and hold the girl down as Kurenai's hold on her faltered.
Tsunade found this a blessing in disguise as several images played of rather disgusting scenes of sexual abuse. Tsunade gasped in horror, unfairly concerning Gaara who looked down to a now sweating Sakura. In the end, he came back to see a toilet being vomited into with strange colours. He didn't need to be told what the seeping, white substance was. The nails on his fingers began to grow at an alarming pace.
"Sabaku, control yourself!" Tsunade barked looking back to the screen as it flicked to an orphanage. "What has her orphanage got to do with-?"
A taller lady with ragged hair drug a slender arm along strange corridors and rooms before pushing the girl to a chair in front of a mirror. For the first time, Sakura was shown in the mirror as a small girl with long, pink locks and gorgeous, yet frightened, green eyes. The woman grinned before grabbing long scissors and yanking the hair back. A teary eyed girl looked back to the mirror in fear as she struggled against the hold which tore her hair off in short, splinted ends.
"This isn't the abuse with her guardian… why is it showing us this?" Tsunade asked aloud.
Kurenai gladly answered, continuing stroking the girl's hair back from the damp residue coating her forehead, "The brain, in a state of panic, may unconsciously take action. Something needing to be known by someone else; to relieve it of pain."
Tsunade nodded and Kurenai's head dropped back to look at the pinkette. Gaara watched wide eyed and leaned in as a window showed the pouring rain and cloaked figures dumping a short, black bag into an uneven hole before covering it once more. The screen turned fuzzy with the image and another girl was shown talking to Sakura.
"Is there no way we can hear sounds?" Tsunade asked in hope, needing more information.
"Sounds? The sensors can't put together audio pieces."
"I think we've seen enough, in that case." Tsunade's fears seemed to be correct, only at a more dangerous level. "Sakura is a strong willed girl; I don't see why she didn't tell someone about all of this."
"Ask her when she wakes up." Gaara spoke walking over to Sakura and taking her head wear off, before taking her limp form in his arms. "We'll be leaving now."
Tsunade nodded about to let him leave before stopping him, "Wait, I want you to know of an alternate purpose the school holds. Aside from assigning the under-achievers to different firms around the world, our own school will keep our own."
"I already know. Both me an Naruto needed to know, because of our… difference" He said without a hint of emotion.
"Then I want to extend the offer of becoming the first official member of our little organisation. If you accept, I have orders for you already."
"You know I accept." He had known from the start; thanks to relevant amounts of eavesdropping and research. Tsunade hadn't exactly had a life full of flower arrangements and school outings.
"Good. Retrieve Sakura's adoption certificates and destroy any other evidence of her existence in that house. We're going to give her a new life."
Gaara nodded and Tsunade didn't bother watching him become replaced by sand. "Kurenai, as you know nothing must be spoken of." Kurenai nodded and Tsunade continued. "Send Shizune into my office."
oOo
When he returned, he placed Sakura on his straightened sheets, creating little creases from her weight's impact. He sat with his back to her on the edge of the bed and hunched over, running his rough hands through the wild, red spikes.
He didn't quite know what to make of her life at the orphanage or what had happened with that bastard. The sudden turn of events meant action would be taken, and for that he was extremely thankful for Tsunade's meddling.
A new life for the girl sounded perfect. He wondered what she had in mind and briefly wondered how he could get her to stay with him. A new life meant a new carer. What if she moved away?
'Kankuro and Temari are old enough to adopt, until she is eighteen. But that would make her my niece.'
'Relationships within family are looked down upon,' his inner demon reminded him with a taunting chuckle. Gaara resisted grimacing.
'So are demons living within human carriers,' he sourly added, listening as the laughing continued.
He doubted he would have any say in who adopted her, but at least he would have the comfort of knowing they'd be reliable and have several police checks run by Tsunade herself. Still, it didn't cease his worry of where she could end up. He'd simply have to take her for himself if he didn't find her living space acceptable. Then again, he wouldn't find any living space acceptable unless it was his own.
His thoughts stopped when the bed shifted beneath him and two arms wrapped around his middle, snuggling a small head in his back. "You're frowning," she pointed out tiredly.
"You're awake."
"You're right," she chuckled. His back felt the small vibrations and he unconsciously found himself relaxing. "What happened?"
"I brought you back after they finished."
Sakura breathed heavily and reflected on what she had seen just as she closed her eyes to her sleep. "You seen them too, didn't you?" She asked, half hoping he would say no, yet half realising the answer to her question.
"Yes."
"What... did you see?"
"You don't remember?" He turned from his spot to look down at her full, green eyes and absorbed the confused expression. "The incident and an orphanage"
He didn't want her to worry about her secrets, which were rather alarmingly revealed, so he instead dimmed down the version. Yet he still needed answers to the orphanage question and he knew Tsunade needed the information to help her.
"You saw the orphanage?!" She blurted releasing him from her hold.
He nodded and ran his hand along her cheek, leaning closer to invade her personal space. The blush which spread across her pretty cheeks almost distracted him, yet he knew he could freely question her like this; plus the enjoyable personal benefits. "What was the name of the orphanage? Where was it situated?"
"Eh? I-It doesn't have a name. It lies on the border of mist…" she stuttered watching his hand run along her skin.
Gaara chuckled and leaned in, placing a quick, chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away and turned around once more. Sakura smiled and hooked her arms over his shoulders. "We're going to get your stuff."
To Be Continued…
Your anonymous disasters are accepted [ LOL joke ;) ]
Sorry the chapter was a page shorter than usual. I forced myself to write another so I don't keep you waiting longer, and I think the result wasn't good. Sorry.
Next Chapter: The heat picks up as Osamu returns to find his circumstances less than favourable. Tsunade takes her place on the playing field pissing the man off and Sakura begins to feel lighter, for the first time in her life.