Wow you guys are amazing :) Just thought I should tell you that :)
I'm so sorry if there were any misunderstandings last time. I'm seriously so grateful for every review I receive, I just like hearing from peoples. That's all :)
I'm not completely satisfied with how this chapter turned out. It just feels really... Rushed. But I didn't know how to make it any better (I wrote a few different scenes). Damn thing.
I'm in a huge rush today, so this chapter hasn't been properly edited. That also means that I won't be doing thank you's as I normally would :( But they will be at the bottom. Just know that I thank all of you for your unwavering support :)
I'll Never Say
.:{*}:.
Pretty Little Lies
April 7th
Dearest diary.
By all rights, I should not have you with me. If it weren't for Itachi, I wouldn't. I am in jail, because apparently I attempted to murder Ino. I don't know how they came to this conclusion. The fake contraceptive potion I made was harmless! Both Karin and I tested it on ourselves, with both small and large doses. There was nothing toxic about it.
I am so afraid. There is barely any light down here. I get one candle per day. Are they going to torture me? I have heard nothing since I've been down here. What will happen to me? Will they suspect Karin, and arrest her too? I hope not. And what about Naruto? How are we going to escape, now that I am in jail? I hope that these claims of attempted murder do not lead Otogakure into war with Sunagakure. To know that I had caused a war… How could I live with the guilt?
I can hear footsteps, so I must go.
Sakura quickly pushed the diary under her cot, before she stood and faced the approaching people fearlessly. At least, she hoped she looked fearless; inside, she was a trembling mass of nerves.
When the three men approached her, she could only recognise two of them. The first: Ino's father. The second: The man who had given Sasuke his weapons whilst he was testing the new recruits (and secretly, Naruto). The third, she did not know. He had silvery hair, and full moon glasses, that sat on the bridge of a straight nose. His mouth was twisted into a sinister smirk.
"What do you want with me?" She inquired softly, hoping to sound polite and unafraid.
"Answers," Inoichi replied, his voice just as soft, but with an underlying menacing tone.
The men opened the cell, before roughly dragging her out of it. The grey halls were cold and damp. Dark. An unknown substance dripped from the ceiling every metre or so. It looked like obsidian liquid in the gloom. Sakura's heartbeat was hammering inside her ribcage, and she swore that the men could taste the terror that was leaking from her pores. The stone walls on either side were filled with cracks and crevices, hardly big enough for a mouse to slip through. The cement floor echoed every time their feet made contact with it, the dull clacks of their shoes reverberated throughout the halls.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
They took her to a cement room with a steel table and leather straps attached to it. In a far corner was a metal cupboard. The black haired man and the silver haired man took her to the table whist Inoichi went to the cupboard.
"Now, Sakura," the black haired man began as he made her sit on the cold metal. "Before we start, is there anything you'd like to attest to? If you don't tell us what we want to know now, we have other methods to extract the information from you."
Sakura gulped, her eyes widening. "I don't know what you mean, Sir."
He merely smirked. "Tell us why you attempted to murder Miss Yamanaka. And while you're at it, why don't you tell us where your pretty little Lady is, eh?"
Sakura frowned at him. "I am no liar, Sir. I will not admit to something I did not do. And as for my Lady? I will be dead a thousand times over before so much as a hint of her whereabouts passes my lips."
His smirk grew wider, and he took her chin between calloused fingers. "It'll be a shame to watch such a pretty little flower, such as yourself, shatter. But that's what we do to liars." He started to mumble to himself. "Such a pretty little liar… You'll say what we want you to say…" He cleared his throat as if bringing himself back to the situation. "Kabuto, strap her down. We're going to make this pretty little liar tell us the truth." The silver haired man – Kabuto – pushed her onto the table, and started fastening the leather straps about her wrists, biceps, ankles, thighs, stomach and chest.
By that stage, Inoichi had returned from the cupboard, a strange metal device held in his hands. They fastened the device to her left hand, where it seemed to encase her palm and the underside of her fingers.
"Do you know what this does, Sakura?"
The girl shook her head.
"It curls each joint in your fingers back until they dislocate." Orochimaru watched the girl pale. "Every time you refuse to tell us what we want, 'Pop!'" He flicked his fingers. "Another joint is dislocated." He watched in sick pleasure as the blood drained completely from her face. "Now, are you sure that there isn't anything you want to tell us?"
Sakura could barely repress her trembling. She felt sick, as if she were on the verge of tears. But she had prepared for most scenarios back in the cell. Torture was just one of them.
"Sir, please believe me when I say I know nothing."
Inoichi turned a knob on the device, and she felt the top of her pointer finger bend back further than it was meant to go. She let out a whimper of pain, but ground her teeth together.
"I know nothing, Sir," she growled past gritted teeth. "And I will never betray my Lady."
If anything, Orochimaru looked far more pleased than he should have. "Such a shame." His words contradicted the emotions on his face. "Inoichi Sama, what do you say we make this pretty little liar tell the truth?"
Inoichi nodded in fervent agreement, before he turned the knob again.
Sakura heard a crack as the bone popped out of its socket, and she screamed with the pain.
We're going to make this pretty little liar scream.
Sasuke entered the main hall and walked straight towards his brother.
"Itachi, where is Sakura?"
Itachi raised his head to acknowledge Sasuke's question, but made no move to answer it. He hadn't been able to stop the hurt in his heart with the news that Sakura had intentionally tried to poison Ino. It just didn't make sense! It completely contradicted her character. It made him feel incompetent as well: Usually he prided himself on his ability to judge another person. Sakura just didn't feel like the sort of person who would use selfishness as an excuse for malicious intent.
"Itachi, where is Sakura?"
Itachi was looking over the forms that asked for approval to torture the girl, but he couldn't bring himself to sign them. He didn't want to be the reason for her pain. In fact, he downright refused to sign them. He had agreed to December. There was no way in hell that he was going to allow her to be tortured in April!
"Itachi! Where the hell is Sakura? She is not in her room. I have not seen her for days. Where is she?" Sasuke was right in front of Itachi by that stage and glaring down at him. "Where. Is. Sakura?"
Itachi looked up at his younger brother. "She was arrested nearly a week ago. She has been convicted of attempting to kill Ino. There is nothing I can do at the moment, Sasuke."
Sasuke glared down at his brother, his anger showing through his eyes. There were no words to describe his fury.
"I am going down to see her."
"You are not allowed, Sasuke."
The younger male looked Itachi straight in the eye. "Why not?"
"I have to keep her there for at least two months, Sasuke. I'm allowed to get her out after one month if I sign this to allow her to be tortured for information regarding Konohagakure. You can imagine why I am hesitant to sign it."
Sasuke's glare didn't relent. "That doesn't mean I can't see her."
"I've been ordered to not interfere with her time in the cells, and not allow anyone else to interfere. If we do, she will be forced to stay there another month."
Although his glare didn't relent, there was a slight slump in his shoulders with defeat.
"Sasuke, I'm not going to sign the sheets to let her be tortured."
Sasuke stiffly nodded his head and walked off.
After Sakura had passed out for the third time from the pain, she was dragged back to her cell and dumped on the cot. The pain in her hand was excruciating. She couldn't bring herself to look at her deformed fingers. The agony radiating from the dislocated joints was enough; she didn't want to see it as well.
She was proud of herself, though. She hadn't said anything. She hadn't given away Hinata. She hadn't said she'd poisoned Ino. Because she hadn't. She refused to admit to a crime that she did not commit.
.:{*}:.
She had been in the cells for four weeks, or so she estimated. The three men had come back for her every three days. She didn't realise that there were so many ways to torture someone. They'd re – dislocated her fingers twice, put needles under her nails and all the way up to the knuckle, beaten and abused her, broken and dislocated other select bones. Her body was in agony. She knew nothing but pain. She wondered why they insisted upon torturing her over and over again when it was obvious that she wasn't going to speak.
She nearly cried when she remembered that it was the third day. Footsteps echoed up and down the corridor, and the snake like man – Orochimaru, she'd learned after a while – appeared in front of the bars.
"Are you sure that there isn't anything you want to tell us, my dear?" He asked in a sickly sweet voice.
"Go to hell, Orochimaru San," Sakura spat.
He just smirked at her. "Come with me, my dear."
The bastards had left her legs, to make sure that she could walk to and from the torture chamber. Knowing the added pain she'd face if she refused to move, she slowly stood, and followed Orochimaru from the cell.
Sasuke walked through the garrison, looking for Orochimaru. He had to speak to him about finding him a sparring partner. Someone who might actually prove a challenge. With Sakura being… Absent, Sasuke had spent most of his time training. Although it gave him a good chance to brush up on his skills, it was leaving him sexually frustrated. Kami, once Sakura got out of that cell, Sasuke was going to ravage her. He was going to make her scream his name so loudly, they'd hear it back in Konoha.
After an hour of fruitless searching, Sasuke stopped a passing soldier.
"Where is Orochimaru?" He asked.
The boy thought for a moment, before he answered him with, "down in the cells, I believe Sir."
Sasuke nodded, before heading back to the palace. He made his way through the main hall, and walked through a wooden door which stood off to the side from the throne. He took a torch off of the bracket, and used its light to guide him down the winding stone stairs.
Screams reverberated in the dark.
Sasuke rarely came down to the cells. He hated the place. Fear clung to the walls like mould, the stench of blood and pain permeated the heavy air. Souls of the Lost Ones whispered pleas in his ear, their insubstantial fingertips nipped at his shirt. The cells were used for two things: Torture and Interrogation, and holding those who were more important. If Ino were to commit a crime, the cells are where she would be held. Common criminals were held in the public prison.
Sasuke figured that Orochimaru would be in one of the Torture and Interrogation chambers, seeing as that was usually the reason for him being down there. He let the screams of pain guide him, and was soon standing before a metal door. Not knowing what else to do, he knocked. The man he was looking for answered the door.
"Orochimaru," Sasuke began, "We need to find a sparring partner for me."
Orochimaru bowed his head slightly. "Yes, my prince. We will do that later. Right now, I'm a little busy, sorry."
Sasuke, having no desire to see the poor soul who was being dealt with turned to walk away. But a little snippet of conversation caught his ear.
"… Where is the Hyuuga Hinata being kept?"
That was Inoichi, if Sasuke could place the voice correctly.
Amidst sobs, Sasuke heard a vague reply. "I… I w… Will ne… Never…"
Something inside him broke.
Sakura.
He turned back around, catching the door before it closed completely, and swung it open. Sakura was lying on a metal table and a knife was being slit down her arm, forcing blood to cascade down her forearm.
"Sasuke Sama, I -"
"What the fuck are you doing?" Sasuke's voice was soft, but it held promises of pain. "Get the fuck away from her."
Inoichi, Kabuto and Orochimaru immediately shuffled away from the prince. None of them were stupid, and they could feel the deadly aura radiating off Sasuke.
"Sasuke Sama, we received permission from the Council to -"
"Shut the fuck up, and get the fuck out of here." His voice was still soft, but the three men didn't hesitate to flee from the room. At that moment, they were terrified for their lives.
Once they had left, Sasuke cautiously approached the weeping girl. If it weren't for seeing the horrors of the battlefield, Sasuke believed that he would have started crying at the state of her injuries. All of the fingers on her left hand were dislocated, as was her right shoulder. By the looks of it, from the swelling and the bruising, her fingers had been dislocated more than once. Her breathing was ragged, with could have suggested multiple broken ribs. Her right wrist looked broken, as did four of the fingers on her right hand. Blood was seeping through the stained material of her chemise. Cuts and bruises lined both arms and shoulders. Her finger nails looked as if they'd been shattered. Sasuke was surprised to see both of her legs and feet untouched, as was her face. But he could see dried blood in her matted hair.
"S… Sasuke?" He heard her squeak, and he went immediately to crouch in front of her.
"I'm here, Sakura," he said softly, and ran a light finger up her cheekbone. She flinched at the contact.
"Are you going to leave me here?" She whispered, and he shook his head.
"They won't touch you again, Sakura," he answered her, forcing his voice to stay strong.
A tear slid slowly down her cheek, and he wiped it away with gentle fingers. "It hurts, Sasuke," she muttered, and he took that as his queue to untie the leather straps that bound her, gently lift her into his arms and carry her out of the room. He knew that the council was having a meeting with his brother to discuss some matters about Otogakure. He wanted to show those bastards what they were responsible for. He got to the top of the stairs, trying his hardest to not jostle Sakura in the process; every time she moved, she'd whimper in pain.
He could feel the stares and the gaping mouths of those he passed in the main hall, but he couldn't have cared less about them. They all moved aside for him, and a great silence descended upon the crowd as he walked through, the suffering girl whimpering softly in his arms. No one dared approach him, seeing as his murderous aura was enough to frighten most of them into keeping their distance As soon as he exited, curious whispers slithered from the mouths of the people.
One man followed.
Sasuke barged into the meeting room, startling Itachi and the old men.
"Sasuke, what are you…" Itachi began, before his eyes alighted on the figure in his brothers arms. "Sakura?"
Sasuke ignored his brother and walked straight up to Tetsuya.
"Are you proud of this?" He growled, forcing Sakura's battered body under the old man's gaze. Tetsuya turned away from the gruesome sight, and that only stirred Sasuke's already deadly anger. "LOOK AT HER!" He shouted. "You're the reason or her being like this! The least you can do is see what you have done!"
Tetsuya sneered up at Sasuke. "You have no proof that I -"
"Itachi did not sign the papers to allow this! You are the only other one who could have given the order!" Sasuke gently lowered the girl onto the table, being careful of her dislocations and broken bones. "What I can't fathom is why you would want to torture her to death. Why would you -" A look of understanding came over his eyes. "Ino," he breathed.
"What?" Tetsuya spat, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I have no idea what you're -"
"You poisoned Ino," Sasuke chuckled darkly.
"What?" The old man choked. "Why would I -"
"Because I was sleeping with Sakura," Sasuke interrupted Tetsuya's rant. "It wasn't a secret that we were. You saw that as potentially dangerous to the marriage, so you framed Sakura and poisoned Ino. You probably paid Sakura's serving girl to attest that she saw it. Then you figured that while she was down in the cells, you may as well start torturing her for information on Hinata and Konoha."
Tetsuya looked positively livid. "Now just you hold on a minute, boy. I will not have you making up such wild accusations against -"
Itachi stood and interrupted Tetsuya's speech. "It makes sense, Tetsuya. Guards!" He called, and two men entered the chamber. "Arrest Tetsuya. Take him into the cells." The guards nodded their understanding and arrested the old man. Tetsuya put up a fight, although it wasn't much of one. He was led away screaming and cursing the two brothers.
Sasuke turned back to Sakura and saw that she had fainted. He picked her up, before turning to his brother. "Kabuto had a hand in her torture, so you'll forgive me for not taking her to the hospital, brother. We'll be in my room if you need me."
Itachi merely nodded and watched as Sasuke walked from the room, Sakura cradled in his arms. Once Sasuke had left, Itachi turned a stern eye on the rest of the council. "If any of you do something even remotely resembling Tetsuya's crime, you will be executed."
The council nodded their understanding, before walking out of the room.
Sasuke gently lowered the girl onto his bed. She was still unconscious, but he figured that that would be preferable, considering what he was about to do. He had to reset and relocate the bones. He started with her right shoulder, and with a sickening crack, he pushed the bone back into its socket. Sakura flinched in her sleep, but otherwise didn't stir.
"I'm sorry, Sakura," he whispered as he lifted her left hand and relocated the bones in her fingers. He sensed a presence in the room, and turned his head partially. "Gaara," he acknowledged, not having the will to threaten the red head to leave Sakura alone.
"How is she?" Gaara inquired softly as he came to stand beside the raven haired youth. There seemed to be an unspoken rule in the room where ones voice wouldn't be raised.
"She'll live," Sasuke answered him. "But she has a lot of damage done to her arms and torso. I've just relocated the bones in her right shoulder and her left fingers. They were all dislocated. I have to reset the bones in her right wrist and four of her right fingers. They are all broken."
Gaara merely nodded, before he left the room. He came back a few minutes later with bandages and bottles. "One for the pain, one to prevent infection," he explained as Sasuke looked pointedly at the bottles.
.:{*}:.
For a week, Sakura battled a fever that had sprung up due to infection. The bruising in her body started to go down, the cuts and bones started to heal.
She did not wake up.
Itachi often came to check up on her, making sure that there was nothing else that he could do for her.
Sasuke didn't leave her. He couldn't understand why he felt so protective of her. He couldn't understand why he was so worried. Why did her safety mean so much to him? Why was her wellbeing so important? He couldn't answer the questions; he could only act on instinct. And his instinct was telling him to stay with the young woman who lay unconscious in his bed.
Ino had recovered from her poisoning, and was trying her damned hardest to get Sakura executed. She was firm in her belief that Sakura had tried to kill her, so that she could stay in Sasuke's bed. But after a week, Inoichi insisted that Ino return home, and that the engagement be called off. He did not want his daughter's life to be put in danger again.
Still, Sakura did not wake up.
Even after Ino had left, Gaara had insisted upon staying. He barely ever said more than two words to Sasuke, instead choosing to sit by Sakura's side and exchange the occasional glare with the dark haired man.
"If she stays in Oto, she will die," Gaara said to Sasuke, three weeks into Sakura's comatose state. "She will be tortured again, until she dies."
"I won't let that happen," Sasuke hissed in response.
Gaara snorted. "You don't have a choice, Prince. She holds knowledge that she refuses to give freely. Are you honestly saying that you hold this girls life over the memory of your sister?"
"Do not speak to me of my sister," Sasuke shot back. "You know nothing of the circumstances."
"I know far more than you realise, Prince," Gaara replied, the image of calm. "You know my words are true. If she refuses to speak, she will be tortured again until she either gives the information, or until she dies. If she gives the information, then you promised to let her return to Konoha. Would you really do that?"
Sasuke shot him a glare, before turning back to the roseate.
"I offer a proposition. One that will ensure that she never suffers this again, and one that ensures her life."
Sasuke was immediately interested, although he barely showed that on the exterior.
"Let me take her back to Suna with me. She will be safe there. Ino will not be allowed to touch her. If a threat comes from Oto's council, I will marry her. The council would not be able to touch her, as she would be my wife. I would take care of her. She would be happ -"
"No."
Gaara shot Sasuke a frustrated look. "You know that it is the best option, Prince."
"I said no."
Gaara sighed in agitation. "Why not?"
"Because she stays here."
Sasuke knew that Gaara was right. He knew that he was just being selfish. Sending Sakura off with Gaara would be the safest option. The laws of Otogakure would never allow him to marry a prisoner. To even be able to consider it, she would have to give up Hinata's location. He had a feeling that Sakura would never do that. And even if, on the highly unlikely chance that she did give up Hinata's location, Sasuke doubted that Sakura would want anything to do with him once he had killed her Lady.
"Why?" Gaara was persistent. It was obvious that he wanted Sakura.
"For two reasons: The first: She is my prisoner, withholding valuable information from me. I am not about to let her get away without her giving me the information. The second reason: Because I said so."
Gaara narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You are selfish, prince of Otogakure. You wish to keep this girl around because she's a good fuck. Have you no thoughts but those you reserve unto yourself? Have you not considered the consequences your night time escapades have on her? She needs a friend, not a fuck buddy. I am willing to provide her with that. Furthermore, she is terrified that if she somehow survives this place, she will never be able to find a husband, because of your lust. You should think about someone else other than yourself for once, prince of Otogakure." Without giving Sasuke a chance to answer, Gaara stood up and walked from the room.
Dawn had just barely kissed the horizon when emerald eyes fluttered. Her throat was dry, and her body ached. It was painful to breathe, but nothing that she couldn't handle. Light was barely filtering into the room, so she couldn't make out many details. Whatever she was lying on was soft, she noticed. It felt good resting her aching limbs on it.
She dully registered another's breathing pattern that was in sync with hers. Curious, she turned her head to where the other person was. She recognised the hair, but was curious as to why he was with her. Was he in jail? But why? Why was he in her cell? And since when was her cot so soft?
"Sasuke?" She rasped, and watched him stir in his sleep. He looked so peaceful, Sakura immediately regretted calling out to him. She hoped that he would stay asleep, so that she could just lie there and watch him. She'd never seen him look so peaceful.
Of course Sasuke started to wake, and Sakura blushed with guilt. His onyx eyes stared at her softly.
"I'm sorry I woke you," she said quietly, and he shook his head.
"Don't apologise, it matters not," he replied as he raised a hand and ran a finger down her cheek. "How are you feeling?"
The corner of her lip rose in a small smile. "Sore, but nothing too bad. A little hungry as well." Her stomach grumbled at her words, and a flush of embarrassment rose in her cheeks.
"Just a little?" He inquired, humour in his words.
"Just a little," she affirmed, playing along with his game. "Where are we?" She piped, curiosity finding its way into her voice.
"We're in my room," he said. "I brought you here after I got you out of the cells. You've been in a comatose state for around four to five weeks."
She nodded her head as she took in the information. "What's the date?"
"June second," he answered. "Itachi's birthday is in a week. He will be pleased that you have woken up."
Sakura couldn't say anything in response to that. All that she registered was that it was June. June? How could it have been June already? And furthermore, how were her and Naruto going to escape now? It had been her birthday – March – when he had promised her the ability to escape. Would they still be able to? None of those questions did she voice, instead she chose another to quench her insatiable curiosity.
"How is Ino?"
She could sense the change in him immediately. It was a strange cross of anger and happiness. "Ino recovered completely. She has been taken back to Suna, and the engagement has been cancelled. Her father did not want her in a place where she would be in danger. Because the culprit for her poisoning had been caught, he agreed to not attack Otogakure. Either way, I am no longer engaged and she is no longer in Oto. Thank Kami." Sakura could hear the barely repressed glee in his voice, and couldn't help smiling at the news, but was sad at the idea of Karin being sent home.
"So that means that her serving girl has gone back as well?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No. We supplied her with a serving girl when she came here. She would still be in the castle somewhere."
Sakura smiled. "I am glad." Her stomach rumbled again, and Sasuke laughed when she blushed.
"Your stomach is very persistent, although I can hardly blame it. You haven't had a proper meal in around two months. I'll go to the kitchens and get you something."
Within fifteen minutes, Sakura was sitting up, a fruit platter resting in her lap. Sasuke was sitting beside her, making sure that she ate everything.
"Sasuke, please, I cannot eat anymore!" She complained.
"You've barely eaten half," he said pointedly.
She gave him a frustrated look. "As you said; I've barely had a proper meal in two months. My stomach has shrunk due to lack of food. I cannot physically eat a lot of food. It's not that I don't want it, I just can't eat it all."
He glared at her, and she gave him an exasperated look.
"You are an ass, you know that?" She said grumpily.
"There are only so many animals I can be described as, Sakura."
"Well, you're all of them… How many animals have you been described as?" She asked curiously.
Sasuke sighed. "A bitch, a goat, a duck, a lion and now an ass."
Sakura giggled. "Why a duck?"
"My hair."
Sakura looked at his hair for a moment, before erupting into a fit of giggles, and Sasuke glared daggers at the roseate.
"It isn't funny, Sakura," he growled, which only made her laugh harder.
"I apologise, Sasuke, but it really is very funny."
In a desperate attempt to get the topic off of his hair, he picked up her half-finished bowl of fruit and walked out to take it back to the kitchens.
Sakura sat there in bed, traces of her amusement still lingering on her lips. She'd needed that laugh. There hadn't exactly been anything amusing during her time in the cells, and then she'd been in a coma. She was tired of everything being so damned serious all the time. She'd had her laughs with Naruto and Karin, and occasionally Tenten, but in general the sombre mood of the Otogakure Court dampened any light thoughts that could potentially waft through people's minds. It was depressing! It felt as if one had to have a license to laugh. The door opened, and she looked up expecting Sasuke. When Gaara walked into the room, she was quite taken aback. Why was he in Sasuke's room?
"I thought I heard your laughter," he said stoically, as he sat down beside her. "I'm glad to hear it again. How are you feeling?"
The concern in his eyes was quite off putting. Although she was flattered by it being there, she couldn't fathom the reason for its existence. Didn't Gaara just want to fuck her? And shouldn't he have gone home with Ino?
"Better, thank you," she replied, giving him a puzzled look. "What are you doing here?" She blurted out before she could stop herself, and covered her mouth in mortification, a blush staining her cheeks. "I… I mean… I'm sorry for being so rude, Gaara San, I didn't mean -"
"'Tis alright, Sakura. We didn't exactly start off on the best of terms. I let my lust override my common sense, and I apologise for that." She offered him a smile which he interpreted as forgiveness, before he continued. "I offered Sasuke a proposition earlier, when you were still unconscious." He watched her facial expression, and was secretly proud to see curiosity there. "You know that if you do not reveal the Hyuuga Hinata's location before December, you shall be tortured again. I offered a way to bypass that. To, in a sense, set you free, without having to betray Konoha."
Sakura's brow creased. "How do you plan to do that?"
A satisfied smirk came to his lips. "'Tis simple, really. I was taken with you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. I've never had one person occupy my thoughts so much for such a long period of time. At first, I thought it was just lust. That if I could fuck you a few times, the longing I feel for you would disappear. When I saw Uchiha San carry you out from the cells… Ah, I cannot describe the anger I felt. I wanted to find the bastards who had damaged you so, and tear them limb from limb. At the same time, I wanted to hold you close and never let you leave my side again. I hardly know you, and that just confuses me all the more. Surely one should only feel such things towards someone they know well? Yet, I hardly know you, and I feel it. It makes me want to get to know you more."
Sakura listened to Gaara's words with a small happy smile etched onto her lips. How could one person say such sweet words? It made her want to embrace him.
"I know that you are afraid that – should you survive Otogakure – you would never find a husband because of your… Activities, with the Uchiha. I have already proposed this idea to Sasuke, and he blatantly refused, but I feel that the final decision is not his to make." Sakura was staring at him openly by that stage, trying desperately to stop her jaw from falling open. "I gave him the option of letting you come back to Sunagakure with me. Ino would be forbidden from going anywhere near you, of course. Should objections arise within the Otogakure council, I would have no qualms in marrying you."
Sakura could not stop her jaw from dropping. Did she hear him right? Was he offering her escape and potential matrimony? It couldn't have been true. He was a stranger to her. And yet, he was offering her something so huge, she could barely comprehend it.
Sasuke re-entered the room then, and shot a glare at Gaara before turning to Sakura. "Itachi is holding a ball in a week, in celebration of his birthday. Do you think you'd feel well enough to come?" He asked the girl.
Sakura nodded her head enthusiastically. "I would love to come," she said, before turning to face Gaara. "Ego cogitare is, Gaara San."
You still love me, right? Even if I do put in ridiculous cliffhangers :P
My thank you's will be different, so I won't be responding to them, just putting down your names. I hope that that's enough. I'll try and respond via PM later, but because I want to get this chapter up ASAP, I've got to do it this way this time :P
Chantrea Moonbeam
Rainless
I.L.U.38
just me
river of the sand
my-threesome
anEpicBanana
Alipiaoca
just me again
Super Galactic Monkey Ninja *Okay, so I can't help myself. YOUR NAME IS AWESOME!*
Brandi.N
Anju-Chan27
watchingtherain1
Thank you thank you THANK YOU! You guys are so incredible :) I know that I have 82 reviews, but that last one just ISN'T COMING UP! I CAN'T READ IT! O_O So thank you so much to you, but I can not read your review, nor do I know who it's from :'(
Yeah, running low on time here...
1 read = 1 review, please and thank you :)
Should I be a little greedy? Could we possibly get to 95? That's 13 reviews, so not the most I've recieved for a chapter so far. It'd be so cool to get there though :)
Thank you XD xoxox - SapphireRivulet