.
THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED
stfuSPARKS
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, it would be renamed 'Sakura'.
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VI.
Polygraph, Right Now!
"Fate is an elegant, cold hearted whore,
She loves salting my wounds,
Yeah she enjoys nothing more…"
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Gaara's glare was chillingly cold.
No one in the room moved.
"Neji, you and Sakura were the only ones to stay home today. I assume that you know me well enough to not go into my room without asking." The red head slowly turned his gaze towards Sakura, who was guiltily looking at her feet. "What makes you think that you can sneak around into other people's rooms?" His voice was dangerously low. "The others might be dense enough to forgive you, but I do not appreciate someone who takes advantage of other people's hospitality."
The Hyuuga tried to quickly think- he couldn't be sure that Gaara would be able to restrain his anger this time around. On the other hand, if he took the blame, Gaara would not be able to do much- Neji was team captain after all.
"Gaara, I was the one who went into your room. I couldn't find Sakura so I thought she might be there-"
"It was me Gaara."
Sakura stepped forwards, cutting Neji off mid-sentence. "You're right, I took advantage of your hospitality. But Neji has nothing to do with this, so just leave him out of it." She frowned, extremely tired of being pushed around by the other boy. "Who the hell do you think you are anyways? Trying to kill me over something we had in the past? You're lucky I didn't report you to the police. I can understand that you might have anger management problems or something, but seriously! My patience has its limits!"
A searing pain came over Gaara's head.
I'll always be here for you, Gaara.
He hissed as unwanted memories came rushing to his head. "Shut up." He hissed, taking a step backwards as he grabbed his head in pain.
Her green eyes softened, almost as if she understood what he was going through. "Listen, I lost my memories three years ago, so I have no memory of who you are, or who you were to me. I don't know what I did to you to make you hate me so much... but you have to understand that the me back then was a completely different person compared to who I am now. You can't hold a grudge you have against the old me to the current me." She hesitantly reached out to touch his arm.
As soon as her nimble fingers came into contact with his skin, he immediately tensed up. She was beginning to think that everything was alright now-
Her thoughts were interrupted as his fist shot out, impacting heavily with her cheek. She let out a pained gasp as she felt her body fly backwards, her back colliding with the floor. She sat there for a second, not comprehending the situation.
"Gaara!" Naruto roared, immediately rushing to her aid. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Starting step one to eliminating our target." Gaara answered monotonously. Naruto shot an alarming look towards Sakura, in fear that she had heard the redhead's words; but fortunately the girl was too busy being disoriented to hear anything else.
"Neji, get him out of here." Sasuke growled, as the Hyuuga stepped forwards. However, he didn't have to do anything; without another word, Gaara left the house, slamming the door loudly behind him. With Naruto's help, Sasuke picked Sakura up and set her gently on the couch, while Shikamaru headed towards the kitchen to pull out another ice pack.
Naruto worriedly hovered over the pink haired girl. "Are you okay Sakura-chan?" He asked, with a concerned look on his face. "That was a pretty hard punch- and trust me, I know how hard Gaara can hit." He gave her a small smile, hoping to cheer her up.
"I'm fine," Sakura told him with a dazed expression on her face. "You don't need to worry about me, I heal pretty quickly."
"I told you Gaara was psycho." Naruto said, shaking his head. "He doesn't like being touched either, so you might want to avoid doing that in the future."
"Oh, you think?" Kiba asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I think she pretty much figured that one out on her own." He eyed her warily from a distance. "I don't like you much Sakura, but you should be more careful around him. Apparently there are people around you who care."
She uncomfortably fidgeted from her position on the couch. "Yeah, I got it. I'm fine, you really don't have to worry about me."
"Don't think you're invincible only because you have weird powers." Kiba told her warningly. "If you depend on your powers too much, you'll end up in a bad situation sooner or later. I heard you haven't even learned to control them yet- that's the least you could do, if you want to keep yourself out of trouble."
Sakura glumly nodded.
"Sai said someone would come pick you up this afternoon." Shikamaru told her, and paused. "You have a good friend."
A soft smile graced her lips. "I know." She said fondly, thinking of her artistically talented friend. "Sai's amazing. He can be a bit weird at times, but deep inside he's a great person." She glanced at the clock, her expression turning anxious. "Sai was probably talking about Idate- he's the only person who has an extra set of keys to my house."
"Who's Idate?" Naruto bluntly asked, looking a bit displeased. "And why would he have a copy of the keys to your house, Sakura-chan?"
She slightly blushed- for some reason, this irritated Sasuke. Just a little bit. "He's my boyfriend." Her own words sounded awkward to her ears. Naruto's jaw dropped open at her statement.
"You have a boyfriend?" Naruto asked, his tone almost accusing. "Why haven't we heard of this!" He gave her an alarmed look. "How old is he? What does he do? What does he look like? I want details, Sakura-chan!"
Sakura unconsciously leaned back at his sudden bombardment of questions. "Well, no offense Naruto but we haven't exactly been buddies for long." She told him. "And uh, he's twenty-eight. He owns a small bar downtown."
Naruto thought his face would explode. "Twenty-eight?" He shrieked, his voice turning shrilly. "And a bar? Dear god, Sakura-chan, don't you know how the world works at all? He's way too old for you! He's probably just taking advantage of you because you're pretty and young! And never trust a guy who works at a bar- they work in an environment surrounded by too many sultry women!"
"I assure you that I am in no way taking advantage of Sakura."
Everyone whirled around to look at the man standing at the front door. He gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to barge in- but no one was answering and I could hear yelling, so I got a little worried." The smile on his face was genuine, warm. "I couldn't help but overhear part of your conversation. It's nice of you to be worried on Sakura's behalf, but I promise you that I am one hundred percent devoted to her."
"You were being rude- apologize, Naruto." Neji ordered the blond, who was guiltily looking out the window.
"Sorry." Naruto mumbled, his voice unconvincing. However, the older man didn't seem to mind.
"My name is Morino Idate." The man introduced himself, with a formal bow. "I have been dating Sakura for almost a year now. Thank you for looking after her for me." He gave them an appreciative nod and ruffled Sakura's short hair. "You look cute with short hair, Sakura! It makes you look more mature." He told her. The pink haired girl beamed at him in response.
Sasuke carefully observed the man- he seemed like a normal guy. There was absolutely nothing about him that was special, which was a bit of a disappointment. Sakura was so intriguing that he dulled in comparison by standing next to her. At least he seemed sincere enough, and he seemed like the type of guy who would take good care of his girlfriend.
"Thanks for picking me up." Sakura said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll be right back, I'll just go get my stuff." She disappeared into the hallway, heading towards the guest room.
The boys awkwardly stood there for a second, not saying a word.
"So, how did you meet Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked curiously, still looking distrustful.
Idate smiled at him once again. "Well, three years ago I was visiting my brother in the hospital when I saw her for the first time. I guess you could say it was love at first sight for me." His clear blue eyes warmed at the mere memory. "I couldn't stop myself- I had to go talk to her. She just looked so mesmerizing and lonely at the same time, I felt like I needed to stay by her side."
"Even though she was fifteen years old at the time?" Naruto blurted out, glaring at him. Idate let out a sheepish laugh.
"I know I must look like a sick old pedophile to you." Idate said, scratching the back of his head. "But I don't know how to explain it. It wasn't physical attraction as much as it was just psychological. Of course I found her beautiful, but it was just the look in her eyes that absorbed me in. When I talked to her, I knew it was something huge."
Naruto still wasn't convinced.
"I sure as hell wouldn't fall for a fifteen year old girl at the age of twenty five." The blond muttered disapprovingly under his breath. "Does a fifteen year old girl even look romantically appealing at that age?"
"I'm not asking you to understand." Idate said gently. "Not many people do. But the first time I saw her, I just saw a lonely human being who was almost too broken to repair. I felt compelled to stay by her side and fix her, that is all. I watched her grow up for three years- and of course, I waited until she was eighteen to ask her to date me."
"Sorry it took me so long." Sakura said, panting as she rushed back into the living room. "I hope they didn't bother you too much." She added, shooting a pointed look at Naruto. He avoided her gaze. She turned to face the others. "Thanks for taking care of me. I'll forgive you for thinking that I was dating Sai." She said with a wink. "Sorry you lost the bet Naruto."
"Huh? What bet- mmph!" Sasuke quickly put his hand over the blonde's mouth, effectively shutting him up.
"Don't even remind him- he won't shut up about it." Sasuke said flatly. Sakura eyed him strangely, before dismissing his actions.
"Thank you for taking care of Sakura." Idate said, bowing. He turned towards the struggling blond. "Please don't worry, I assure you that I'll take great care of her." Naruto grunted in response.
After saying their goodbyes, the couple quickly left. Naruto let out a sigh of relief and the front door closed with a quiet click.
"Man, this sucks." Naruto grumbled under his breath. "Sakura-chan is way too young and pretty for a guy like that! A guy that old is only gonna tie her down."
Kiba snorted at his words, earning a few curious gazes from the boys around him. "I can't believe how dense you guys are." The Inuzuka said, wrinkling his nose. "It's so obvious. Their relationship is clearly not mutual."
"What d'you mean?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "Like- he's forcing her to go out with him or something?"
Kiba rolled his eyes. "No you idiot, nothing like that." He said with an exasperated sigh. "That man is clearly in love with her- you don't have to worry about that. Everything about him indicates that he ihas been in love with that girl for a long time." He paused. "But she is clearly not in love with him. Not romantically, at least."
"Care to explain in detail?" Shikamaru asked, glancing at him.
"Shikamaru, you may be a genius when it comes to technical stuff, but you just can't beat an Inuzuka when it comes to human instincts." Kiba shot with a grin. "Well, she treasures the man, that's for sure. But I can tell that she doesn't think of him as a romantically- more like a brother. If what he told us is true, it's probably because he's been by her side ever since she lost her memory."
"Then why is she with him?" Naruto blurted out.
"I think it's because he makes her feel safe." Kiba said thoughtfully. "She knows that he'll never hurt her, and even if it's not in a romantic way, she still enjoys his company. She wants to be on the safe side and stick with him. She probably feels like he's her haven. The air around her becomes much calmer when he's next to her."
The boys mindlessly carried on with their conversation, not knowing that a barely a couple of meters from the house, Gaara was sitting in the shadows, observing the said couple make their way towards Idate's car.
Love is weakness.
I will weaken you.
Sakura.
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"It's nice to see you making new friends." Idate said with a smile, not taking his eyes off the road. "I've never seen you hang out with anyone other than Sai before." He added, looking genuinely pleased.
Sakura grimaced, leaning back into the passenger's seat. "They're new transfer students. I don't really know them that well. I guess you can say that they were at the right place at the right time."
"You looked pretty close back there." Idate contradicted her. "You don't have to deny it Sakura. I really don't mind if you find new friends- I'd be happy for you."
The pink haired girl stayed silent for a few minutes, not answering him. "My world has always consisted of only you and Sai." She admitted quietly. Idate gave her a brief surprised look. "But my past is starting to catch up with me now, and my world might have to become a bit larger now. You and Sai may no longer be the only ones in my life." She confessed. "Would you still be okay?"
Idate's look of surprise was replaced by a nostalgic smile. "You're maturing, Sakura." He said a bit fondly, reaching out a hand to ruffle her hair again. "You make me feel so old sometimes. Of course I'll be okay. I've always known that one day your past would unravel right before my eyes, I just didn't think it would be so soon." He laughed. "No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side."
She let out a content sigh, closing her eyes as she leaned back. "I wish I could stay with you and Sai forever." She murmured, slowly drifting off to sleep.
The sound of the car engine lulled her to sleep.
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The first thing that hit Sakura the next morning was a very bad feeling in her gut.
There was something that didn't feel quite right. And it wasn't the dreary morning or the fog in the air either. Sakura groggily got up from her bed, running a hand through her tangled short pink locks. She cracked an eye open, looking around at her room. Nothing was out of place- the room was intact, just the way she had left it before going to sleep. She reached out to slam her hand over the loud alarm clock, effectively silencing the loud ring.
"I'm awake." She murmured to no one in particular, dragging herself out of the bed to start a new day.
Her usually bright green eyes stared back at her dully as she looked at herself in the mirror. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, exposing more of her pale skin. She licked her cracked lips, noting how dry her skin was.
Something was definitely wrong.
After getting ready, she picked up her phone, dialing a familiar number by heart. She listened to the phone on the other end of the line ring a couple of times before someone picked up.
She didn't give him a chance to talk first. "Sai?" She asked breathlessly. There was a pause.
"Sakura? What's wrong?" His voice sounded concerned. "You usually don't call me unless something's up."
"I'm not sure." She quietly confessed, clutching the phone tighter in her hand. "But can you come pick me up to go to school? I have a bad feeling about today."
"Is this because of your-"
"I don't know if it has to do with my powers." She rushed, interrupting him mid-sentence. "Maybe it's just me being paranoid for no reason, but to be honest Sai, I feel like crap today. I would really appreciate if you came by to pick me up."
"Hold on, I'll be there in ten minutes." Sai seriously said, and quickly hung up the phone.
Her unspoken words of gratitude lingered on the tip of her tongue. She felt a little relieved now- Sai had a way of soothing her by merely standing by her side. She was erratic, impatient, breakable. He was always constant, calm, her pillar of stone.
True to his word, Sai was standing at her doorstep within the next ten minutes, patiently waiting for her to put on her shoes as she stumbled out of her humble apartment. "Thanks." She gave him a clumsy smile as she slammed the door shut behind her. "You're a lifesaver." She added.
He gave her a nonchalant shrug. "No problem. I was just worried."
They settled into a comfortable pace as they started to walk along the street. "The last time I got this feeling, Sasori was seriously hurt." Sakura quietly confessed, looking wary. "It was almost the same thing. I woke up feeling all crappy, like I had this gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. Thank god I was out eating with Sasori that day because Deidara and the others ditched us- we were ambushed at the restaurant. If I wasn't there, Sasori wouldn't have survived the attack."
"You think I'm in trouble." Sai stated.
Sakura shook her head. "I don't know. It's definitely not Sasori, Deidara or anyone from the Akatsuki. Hidan and Kakuzu ran into near death experiences too but I didn't sense anything back then- probably because I wasn't around them as much. I haven't hung out properly with any of them for an entire year- right now, the only possibilities are you and Idate." Her expression darkened as she murmured the latter name.
"I'll be fine." Sai stated, giving her a soft pat on the back. "I can take care of myself- plus, I'm not like your ex friends. I'm not in some criminal organization or anything, so the chances of me being attacked are highly unlikely."
"But what if someone was trying to get to me through you, like Kin did?" Sakura asked him, biting her lip. "I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of me." She glanced over at him when he didn't immediately answer her.
"Sakura, I'll just be honest with you. I don't trust those guys you've been hanging out with recently." Sai bluntly told her, earning a look of surprise from the pink haired girl. "Did you explain to them about the source of your powers?"
Sakura lowered her gaze to her feet. "Well I kind of had to Sai. Remember they saw everything that happened at the warehouse with Kin and her lackeys? Any excuse wouldn't have been enough to satisfy their curiosity."
Sai sighed. "I don't like exposing you to too many people, Sakura. You have to remember that not everyone in this world is good. There are bad people who will come look for you once the world finds out about your powers. Most of them probably won't even need you alive. I'm just trying to protect you."
"I know.' She said, giving him a grateful smile. "But just for today, let me protect you."
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"Good morning." Sakura politely greeted, walking into her classroom. A couple of students shot several wary looks her way, which she pointedly ignored. Naruto enthusiastically waved her over, flailing his arms around in the air.
"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed in an excessively loud voice, shooting her a dashing grin. His face immediately dropped as she walked closer. "You look terrible today, Sakura-chan! Is anything wrong?"
"Baka, you don't tell women they look terrible." Kiba barked, smacking his friend on the back of his head. He glanced up to look at the pink haired girl. "But I have to say Naruto's right. You're not looking too well today, Haruno."
Sakura forced a smile onto her face. "I'm fine guys. Just having an off day. I guess rainy days aren't my thing." They seemed to be satisfied with her answer. Naruto and Kiba fell back into a useless argument about brunettes versus blondes, while Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru decided to ignore them. Gaara seemed to be absent- not that she minded that much.
Sakura and Sai took their seats. She sighed, leaning her head against the desk as she looked out the window. The clouds in the sky were increasing in number- it looked like a storm was on its way towards the city. Her dull green eyes watched the raindrops slowly fall.
"If you're that worried about him, you should go see him."
She turned around in surprise to look at Sai. He was staring at her with a knowing smile on his face. She shot him a confused look.
"I can tell you're worried about Idate. If you're that worried about him, you should go see him. I'll be fine at school." He told her. "I'm sure he'd be happy to see you."
Sakura hesitated. "He hates it when I skip school though." She sullenly said. "He'd probably scold me or something again. Plus, he has to work as well. I'd probably just be a nuisance to him."
"Sakura, he may disapprove of you skipping school, but there is no man on the face of this earth who would not be happy to see the woman he loves, no matter what the circumstances are." Sai told her. "And I'm sure he'll understand if you explain the situation to him. He isn't the type of person to ignore the fact that you're not feeling well." He watched her expression slightly falter. "I'll call him, ask him to pick you up."
She shook her head. "I think I'll go pay him a small visit myself. It'll feel relaxing to take a walk in this rain- I'll just surprise him at work." Her chair scraped against the floor as she abruptly stood up, getting her things together. "Tell Asuma-sensei I came down with the flu or something."
She barely caught Naruto's bewildered look and Sasuke's perfectly arched eyebrow as she quickly exited the classroom.
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The little roseate haired girl quickly burst into Idate's bar, her viridian eyes looking around for her partner. She frowned when she saw no signs of him. The only familiar faces she could spot were the two main bartenders, Izumo and Kotetsu.
"Good morning Sakura-chan, it's been awhile!" Izumo cheerfully greeted her, giving her a warm smile. "Aren't you supposed to be at school right now?" He added sternly, realizing that it was still early. "Idate isn't going to be happy when he finds out you've been skipping again."
"Eh, I know." Sakura sheepishly stuck out her tongue. "I came here expecting to get scolded. But I have a valid excuse! I wasn't feel well, so Sai told me I could come see Idate and then go home."
Kotetsu sighed, shaking his head. "That Sai- he thinks he's so responsible, but deep down he's still a teenager as well. What was he thinking, telling you it's okay to walk in this rain when you're feeling sick?" He cast her a pitying look. "Sorry to let you down love, but Idate isn't here today. He hasn't called in yet, so he might just be oversleeping. God knows that man needs a day off."
"That's weird." Sakura tilted her head to the side. "He's never missed work before."
Izumo and Kotetsu both looked at each other. "You should go check up on him if you're worried." Izumo told her with a warm smile. "If he happens to be oversleeping, tell him he can just have the entire day off. The two of you should just spend all day resting at home."
"Call us if he touches you in any inappropriate way." Kotetsu added, frowning. "The two of you aren't allowed to do anything until after marriage!"
Sakura's cheeks burned at his statement. "It's none of your business!" She exclaimed in an annoyed manner, avoiding eye contact. "Whatever, I'm leaving!"
"Wait Sakura-chan!" Izumo called out to her. "Have someone come with you. It's not safe for you to wander around the streets on your own when you're not feeling well." He told her with a concerned look. "Hey Kankuro!" He called, as Sakura cast a bewildered look towards the storeroom. "He's new here." Izumo added, as if reading her thoughts. "He's pretty lazy but I think he'll do a good job."
"Kankuro!" Kotetsu kicked the door to the storeroom open, revealing a young man who looked like he was in his early twenties. His sandy blond hair wildly stuck out in all directions, as if it hadn't been brushed for a couple of days. His tan skin indicated that he probably wasn't a local of this city- he looked like he came from a place that was dry and sunny all year round. He was sitting on a stool, leaning against a couple of boxes as he let out a loud snore.
"You should've seen the obscene markings on his face when he first came in." Izumo whispered into her ear, while Kotetsu stormed over to wake the younger boy up. "Absolutely horrifying. Idate had to beg him to wash his face for an entire week because he kept on scaring off all the customers."
Kotetsu grabbed the sleepy boy by the back of his shirt and dragged him over to Sakura. "This lazy good for nothing doesn't do anything but sleep all day. He might as well make himself useful by driving you to Idate's house."
"Huh?" The boy sleepily said, rubbing his eyes. His eyes settled on the pink haired girl. "Hey, I don't remember signing up to be a high school girl's personal driver when I got this job."
"And we don't remember hiring you to just sleep all day." Izumo said, rolling his eyes.
Kankuro's eyes widened as his sight cleared. He gave her an appreciative nod as he carefully observed her figure. "So, where are we going?" He casually asked, sneaking a hand over her shoulders. "Back to my place or yours?"
"I think I'll be fine on my own." Sakura dryly replied, pushing his arm away as if it was infected. "I'll be back soon, Izumo-san, Kotetsu-san. Thank you for everything!" With a wave, she disappeared back into the outside world.
Izumo smacked himself on the forehead. "Can you learn to do something right for once?" He shot at the guilty sandy haired boy named Kankuro. "Quick, go follow her before she gets too far. That kid has a knack for getting herself into trouble wherever she goes."
Kankuro straightened up and ran out the door, wincing as the rain pelted down onto his body. "Hey, hey! I was just kidding back there, you didn't have to take it so seriously!" He called, quickly running to where she was. "What's your name?" He asked her when he caught up.
"Haruno Sakura." She stiffly answered.
"I'm Kankuro." He introduced himself, giving her a grin. "Well then, stop being so sulky and come with me to the parking lot. We can take my truck- I'll drive you to the boss' house." He motioned her to follow him. After giving him a suspicious glance, she followed after him.
"This is my baby." Kankuro proudly said, stroking the dark purple monster truck covered in bright red flames. She looked up in awe at the huge vehicle, her jaw dropping open. "Fully customized by yours truly." He added with a wink. She wordlessly climbed into the truck as he opened the door for her.
She had to admit, she felt a bit out of place wearing her neat school uniform in the messy punked up truck. She winced at the vast array of adult magazines and cigarette butts littering the floor. She almost gagged on the strong stench of smoke and beer mixed together.
"You might want to put your seatbelt on." He told her, lighting up a cigarette in his mouth as he started up the engine. The truck came alive with a loud roar. "I drive a bit fast- but I'm good at it, so try not to wet yourself while we make way to boss' house." He warned her with a playful grin on his face. She tightly grabbed the armrest as he zoomed through the street.
Her eyes were still squeezed shut when the truck abruptly came to a stop.
"Hey Pinky, stop zoning out and hand me my wallet." Kankuro told her, as she opened an eye. "It's in the glove compartment in front of you. We're stopping to get a hamburger, d'you want one as well?" He asked her, as she rummaged around for his wallet. She vehemently shook her head- she had a feeling that she would be throwing up all over the place if she accepted it. They were waiting at a drive-in fast food joint. "Hand me ten bucks." He ordered, and she opened it, to find it surprisingly full of money. She pulled out a ten dollar bill and handed it to him, as he leaned out the window to order his food.
A picture stuck in his wallet caught her eye as she started to put it back. Curiously, she opened the wallet again to get a better look at the photograph.
It was the same framed photograph that Gaara kept on his desk- the one with the tall blond haired girl and the boy with strange markings on his face.
That's when it hit her-
Kankuro was the stout boy standing to Gaara's left with the strange dark purple markings on his face. She hadn't recognized him at first- he looked extremely different when his face was clean. Still, the similarties were slightly visible.
"Did anyone ever tell you that it's rude to snoop around in other people's things?" He dryly told her, snatching the wallet back from her. He stuffed the change back in and shoved it into his pocket.
"Isn't that Gaara?" She blurted out, and amusedly watched as Kankuro's face nearly turned purple.
"I knew I recognized you from somewhere!" He exclaimed, almost accusingly. "You're Gaara's ex-girlfriend! The weird girl with natural pink hair! You lived in my house for months!" Her eyes widened in surprise at his statement.
"You thought my hair was dyed up until now?" She asked in disbelief.
"Well it's not normal for someone to have naturally pink hair. Of course I thought it was dyed!" Kankuro shook his head. "But damn, it's been years! Like what- four to five years? I still remember when you'd come over to our house and hang out with Gaara and his buddy, the guy with bushy eyebrows. How's he doing, by the way?"
"I wouldn't know." Sakura bitterly replied. "I was in a car crash three years ago and I lost my memory. I have no idea of who you are, but it seems like I can't say the same for you."
Kankuro shrugged. "How could I forget? You were the only person my little brother's ever showed any interest in, and he made it explicitly clear to me at least twice a day to stay away from you." He smirked at her. "I must say, you grew up to be a fine lady. I almost didn't recognize you for a moment there."
She ignored his blatant attempts at flirting. "It's hard for me to imagine dating him in the past. He doesn't seem the type to be romantically involved with people." She said, frowning.
"I see my little brother hasn't changed at all." Kankuro said with a chuckle. "It's been four years since I last saw him." He looked slightly wistful. "He left home and never came back again." His face turned serious again. "As for your relationship, I wouldn't know how to exactly describe it. It can't exactly be called a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. It was somehow different, and went much deeper than that."
"That doesn't make much sense." Sakura remarked, looking confused.
"Like I said, it's hard for me to describe it." He said, scratching his cheek. "You weren't exactly lovers. Of course, that was your title, but like you previously mentioned, Gaara isn't the type of person to fall in love with someone. It wasn't the romantic kind of relationship, with dates, hugs and kisses- but it was one in which you always stayed by his side, caring for him when he most needed it. I think that in his own way, Gaara did fall in love with you."
They sat in silence for a full minute, as Sakura pondered over his words.
"We should go now." She murmured, not looking up. She didn't know why, but she was actually feeling guilty. She had seen the look in Gaara's eyes, and more than anyone else, she understood the meaning of needing someone by your side. She knew that feeling of darkness that came when you were alone. Idate had saved her when she had been falling- perhaps in the past, she had done the same for the red head.
"Yeah." Kankuro quickly agreed, and the truck started to move again. "So why are we going to the boss' house?" He curiously asked, changing the subject of their heavy conversation. "Are you his younger sister or something?"
"We're on our way to my boyfriend's house because he missed work today." She told him, smirking at his surprised look.
"Isn't he a bit too old for you?" Kankuro raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes- she was briefly reminded of the similar conversation that had gone down with Naruto during the previous night.
"None of your business," She snapped.
"Oh, I see how it is." He muttered with a nod. "I give you trouble and you report me to the boss, is that it? All right then princess, I'll bring you to Prince Charming's house safe and sound." He mock-saluted her and sped up.
Within five minutes, Kankuro was swiftly parking his bright purple monster truck in a spot in front of Idate's apartment building. However, her relief of having arrived safe and sound was short lived- the feeling of dread that had been settling in her stomach all morning was getting stronger.
"You alright?" Kankuro asked her with a concerned look on his face, as she stumbled over her own feet while getting out of the truck. "Did I drive too fast?"
"No, it's not because of your driving." She murmured, supporting herself on the side of his vehicle. "I... I haven't been feeling well all morning." She stammered. Kankuro walked over to where she was standing, and supported her as she dizzily walked forwards.
"You should worry about yourself before worrying about the boss." He scolded her, leading her towards the elevator. "You look terrible."
It was the second time that day that someone told her she looked terrible. However, when she took a look at herself in the mirror inside the elevator, she could understand why. Her face was pale- and it wasn't that milky shade of porcelain white either. It was a color of sickly pale white, that made her skin look taunt. The heavy bags around her eyes were dark and big, almost looking like her make-up had smudged. Her usually vibrant pink hair was dull and flat.
She let out a weak sigh as she pushed the button to the fourth floor. She leaned against the cold elevator walls and watched the doors slide shut as they jolted upwards.
The feeling in the pit of her stomach was growing stronger and stronger. It had worsened to the point in which her head felt like it was being split open and the dizziness was overwhelming her. Her legs felt weak and it almost hurt to move every muscle in her body. Even though she had previously experienced something of the sort, it hadn't been nearly this bad with Sasori. This was just a whole new experience.
When the elevator doors slid open again, it took every ounce of her strength for her to make her way towards the familiar door. She had to stop halfway through, and Kankuro had to come back to hold her up again.
Kankuro loudly pounded on the door. "Boss!" He called out. "Sakura-san is here to see you! Open up!"
There was no answer.
Sakura clutched at his shirt. "I have a bad feeling about this." She whispered, her voice failing her.
He nodded, gently pushing her to the side. "Stay back." He warned her, and after taking a deep breath, he kicked down the door. The lights were off, and the shutters were tightly closed shut. The house was completely pitch black. "Stay right behind me." He told her in a low voice, holding her arm. They silently walked into the darkness, both overcome by fear. it didn't take having Sakura's powers for a person to realize that something was extremely wrong.
Sakura was shakingly violently by now. It was as if her powers could predict things.
"The lights." Her whisper was barely audible, even in the silence.
"H-huh? Oh yeah." Kankuro nervously replied, and blindly searched the wall for a switch. He felt relief flood his body when his fingers found a light switch. "Got it." He mumbled, and with a flick of his fingers, the light was switched on.
The sight in front of them made her gasp in horror.
Hanging from the ceiling lamp by a rope tied tightly around the neck, the bloody body of Morino Idate lifelessly swayed back and forth.
A small note was attached to his body.
Love is weakness.
I will crush you.
She fainted.
.
.
.
.
Darling don't you lie, lie to me,
I wanna break into your heart
To see why you want us to part,
Oh, I'm scared to death
To find out what you think of me.
.
.
A/N: Make an author happy and review! :)