Lots of explaining here
if you still have questions then review and ask me and I'll try to explain it to you
and if I totally just spaced it and didn't put that information in there and I should of then I will go back and add
also
I did alot of editing here and I totally changed the entire Sakura half of the chapter
if you haven't read this than that doesn't really matter to you but If you HAVE read this before and you were just at the next chapter and had read my note to come back here go read Sakura's half of the chapter
it's the same for the first little bit but then it changes in a really drastic and important way
Read on!
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-Flashback-
I looked up to see all five boys standing around me, their faces a mix of anger fear and worry.
Sasuke crouched down next to me and glared into my eyes. "Tell me what the fuck is going on Gaara."
"Alright," I sighed, there was no way I could lie my way out of this one, "I'll tell you."
The boys still stood around me, unmoving and glaring.
I glared back at them, "Look-if you want me to tell you anything then sit down. I'm not going to talk up the whole time."
They sat down grudgingly. Itachi made a move to pull Sakura into his lap but I pulled her closer; she was staying right where she was.
He glared at me again and straightened, crossing his arms, "Who are you Gaara-if that even is your real name?"
"I am Agent Gaara no Subaku, previously an elite Striker and currently a Dog assigned to Sakura Haruno." I said, staring him down.
He stared back at me, clearly intent on winning this match, "What the hell is a striker? And what do you mean you're a 'dog' assigned to Sakura?"
"A Striker is a trained killer who works for a branch of the Defenders dimension and when I say elite it means that I am very good at what I do." I said, my voice threatening, "A Dog is someone who guards someone, to prevent them from being killed."
Naruto leaned forward, a careful examining look replacing the glare and I turned to face him as he spoke, "You're from a different dimension?"
"Yes," I said, "I am. I'm from dimension 1, know as the Defenders dimension. This is dimension 7."
"How many dimensions are there?" Kiba said, leaning forward as well.
"We believe there are 7." I answered.
"So you don't know for sure how many there are?" Deidara asked, raising his eyes.
I searched for a way to explain this-then I remembered explaining something in Chemistry to Sakura. "It's like the table of elements. Someone figured out the original table but he couldn't fill in all the spaces. He didn't know what belonged in those spaces but he knew something did. We don't know what dimensions are missing in the dimension ring-we just know they are."
"You keep saying 'We'. Who's 'We'?" Itachi said, still glaring.
"'We' is the people of the Defenders dimension. I said simply.
"Yes, but who are the people of the Defenders dimension? And why are you called that in the first place?" Itachi said, exasperated.
"The Defenders dimension and its people are exactly what the name suggests. We are defenders; we protect all the other dimensions-including yours
"And what," Deidara said, again raising his eyes quizzically, "do we need protecting from?"
I shifted Sakura into my lap, pulling her against me and encircling her protectively with my arms,
"Danakya."
I heard a snort to my left and I turned to see Kiba chortling and looking at me incredulously.
"Danakya?" he said, still chuckling, "that sounds like a yogurt."
I glared at him until his laughter died out and he squirmed uncomfortably under my gaze.
"That lion," I said gravely, "was a Danakian agent. It's and its people's goal is to bring all of the dimensions into slavery under them. They are evil incarnated and in no way are they funny."
Kiba looked down and mumbled an incoherent apology.
Naruto looked at me with horror. "Why do they want to enslave everyone?"
"Because they believe that they are superior to all other beings and that it is their natural right to be above all others."
They settled into horrified silence and I looked across the circle and watched Sasuke's face; he had been strangely quiet through this whole conversation.
Sasuke looked up slowly, meeting my eyes with an intense stare; it was not competitive as Itachi's had been and it burned with purpose.
"Why," he said slowly, the smoldering fire in his voice, "do they want Sakura?"
I looked back at him, liking what I saw in his eyes. "The researchers from my dimension believe she is something called a Flame. They believe that I am one as well. I think that has something to do with it but I don't really know. All I know is that she has met this lion and possibly other Danakians in her dreams and that her elementals told our researchers because they feared that something like this would happen."
Deidara looked at me, seriousness finally replacing that irritating quizzical look. "Her elementals?"
"Yes, Sakura can speak to air elementals and has been friends with them since she was a small child."
Sasuke murmured to himself.
I looked at him, "What?"
He looked back up at me, "Sakura told me about that a long time ago. She said she had an invisible friend and that it told her to talk to me. It's how we became friends."
I looked at him with a new respect; apparently the elementals saw something of value in him.
"Gaara," Naruto said looking at me intensely, "can we learn to do what you did when you fought that lion?"
I looked at him, wondering where he was going with this. "We are the same species, so I would assume so"
"Well," Naruto said, leaning back, "It looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other then doesn't it?"
I looked at him-what was he talking about? "What are you talking about?"
"Well you're going to be teaching us to help you protect Sakura aren't you?" He said matter of factly, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
I looked at him incredulously, "I will not!"
All around me the boys voiced cries of outrage. I glared around at them. "Sakura is my charge. It is up to me to protect her; not a bunch of boys who don't know their chakra from pretty colored lights."
Itachi glared back at me, "Sakura is our friend Gaara. We may never admit it to her out loud but we all love her; she's what brings us all together, if we had never met Sakura Sasuke and I still would not be talking, Naruto and Deidara would still hate each other and Kiba would have never talked to any of us. We need her."
Sasuke shifted and I looked back at him and found his eyes burning again, "Is there any other way for you to send for more help Gaara?"
I looked down, uncomfortable for the first time, "Not for another 2 weeks."
"Then you need us." He said, "We're all the back up you're going to get and what if there's more next time? What will happen to Sakura then?"
I looked back up at him, the truth in his words ringing in my mind. He stared back at me and I held up my hand, asking him to wait as I closed my eyes.
Do you think they can help?
I know they can-I sense the other flame among them
How can you sense the other flame?!
I will explain later
He sensed my doubt
On my honor I will-but I tell you the truth, you need them. There is no other way to protect the girl and if you are not a fool-and I know you are not-you will teach them everything as quickly as you can
Do you believe this is the only way?
It is
Fine
I opened my eyes again and looked around at the boys. "I will teach you. I'll send a message at the next full moon but I will teach you everything I can until help arrives."
Sasuke gave a small nod of approval.
"Wait-so that old superstitious stuff about the full moon having special powers is true?" Kiba said with a look of amazement.
"Yes," I said, "the full moon opens up a portal between the dimensions- the only people who can travel between dimensions at any other time are the messengers."
Deidara looked at me with that annoying quizzical look back on his face, "Well then why don't you have these messengers come and help you protect Sakura?"
This was so frustrating; it was like explaining things to a class of children trainees. "Because they can't fight; messenger's chakra works very differently than normal people's chakra which gives them the ability to travel between dimensions but because of how differently their chakra works they are completely powerless in a fight."
"Ohhhhh."
Sakura stirred in my arms and I looked down at her in alarm. Her eyes were twitching and she looked as if she could wake any second.
"Listen," I said, looking around urgently, "When Sakura's inner nature took over she wasn't consciously aware of what was going on and when she wakes up she won't remember anything that happened. And it has to stay that way because if she knows anything, anything at all, it will be easier for the Danakians to find her in her dreams, which would mean that more of them could find her in the physical world as well. We have to tell her that she fell and hit her head or something. She cannot know what happened."
"But what about us? We know; does that mean that the Danakians can find us too?" said Naruto.
"They're not looking for you." I said, the frustration leaking into my voice.
"Alright alright." Naruto said, putting his hands up, "We won't tell her, will we guys?"
Around the circle there were sounds of agreement from the boys.
"And you," Naruto added, "will be teaching us. Starting when?"
Sakura's eyes began to flutter open, "Tomorrow," I promised, "We'll start Tomorrow."
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Sakura's POV
Ugg...I hurt all over...What happened?
I don't' know...I think someone's holding us...?
I opened my eyes and looked up, blearily blinking. I saw red and I blinked again and Gaara's face came into focus.
"Gaara!" I said in surprise, "What are you doing here? And wait...why are you holding me again?"
I sat up in Gaara's lap and looked around. Sitting in a half circle in front of us were all the boys and they were watching me attentively.
"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, "We were so worried about you!"
"You idiot," Sasuke said, "You were sliding down the stair rail again and you fell over backwards."
"You could have been killed!" Kiba and Deidara exclaimed together,
"Don't ever do that again young lady, do you understand me?" Itachi said fiercely.
I smiled weakly at them, "Oh is that why I hurt all over? I'm sorry for worrying you guys; I won't do it again, I promise." I looked back at Gaara, "Not to be rude, but why am I in your lap?"
"Gaara's the one that found you." Naruto said, "He picked you up off the stairs and hasn't put you down since."
"Oh...thank you Gaara." I said, smiling warmly at him at him.
"You're welcome." he said stiffly as usual. But then he looked down and met my eyes and I saw how worried they were.
"Don't worry Gaara," I reassured him, "I'm fine, see?" I stood and started stretching out my limbs. "Ouch, oh, I'm just a little sore that's all."
Gaara jumped to his feet and pulled my arms down from their stretching. "Don't do that!" he said, "You might have pulled something."
"Ok, no stretching then, just working." I said as I took a step towards the closet.
I felt a hand lock around my wrist and I looked back to see Gaara's hand gently holding onto me.
"You're not working today." he said, as he gently pulled me back from the closet.
"But-!" I protested, "Who's gonna do my stuff?"
"I will!" the boys all cried. I looked back at them and saw the worry still on all of their faces.
"You took a pretty nasty fall Sakura," Itachi said kindly, "Why don't you rest for the day?"
"You sure? Cause I feel fine..."
Itachi crossed his arms, "We're sure Sakura"
"Ok," I said dubiously, "If you guys really insist."
"We do!" they said firmly.
I smiled at them; they really take such great care of me! "Thanks guys," I said, "you're the best."
Gaara started walking away, gently tugging me behind him, "See you later guys!"
"Bye Sakura!" they chorused as they disappeared around the corner.
I smiled down at the hand encircling my wrist, "Thanks Gaara" I said softly.
"hn"
I looked up to find myself a few inches from his back. I froze, blinking in shock, and did a double take. His navy shirt was in shreds that hung loosely off his body and there was, o my god, was that blood?!
Wait, WHAT!!!
Holy shit man Holy shit!!!!
It was blood!!!!
"Gaara!" I exclaimed in horror, "what happened to your back?"
He tugged me forward causing me to stumble up to his side, putting his back out of sight. I waited for a moment but he didn't respond
"Gaara seriously are you ok? What happened?"
He kept walking and looking straight ahead, "Nothing happened."
I stopped and tried to pull out of his grasp. He stopped a couple steps ahead of me but didn't let go of my wrist.
"Let go Gaara."
"No."
"Let go Gaara."
"No."
I gritted my teeth but didn't try to keep pulling; if that was how he was going to be there was no way that I would be able to pull free. Instead I stepped forward and gently touched the skin under the rags that hung from his shoulders. The skin beneath the fabric was smooth and warm and completely unbroken, so the dark damp liquid the stained his shirt couldn't be blood...could it?
To be sure I leaned forward, putting my nose up to the fabric and took a deep sniff. I gagged at the smell; it was definitely blood.
"Gaara please," I begged softly, "please tell me what happened."
Still stone silent he dragged me forward again and walked briskly through a pair of doors, leading us outside and into the sunshine. I squinted against the sudden glare and didn't fight him as he guided me firmly and gently past the children's playground and toward the elementary section of the building.
Suddenly he broke the silence, "Your little sister," he said, "her gymnastics class ends now does it not?"
"Yes..." I said, a little thrown of by his formal speech, "why?"
Gaara stopped; we had come to the front of the school where, a hundred yards away, a small stream of mothers and little children in stretchy outfits trickled through.
He jerked his head towards them and I looked to see my mother, little brother, and little sister all standing together, my mom talking to another one of the parents.
"Go home Sakura" he said, finally releasing my wrist.
I felt a burning feeling rising in me. It filled me like hot gas and my ears started to ring, go home? He wasn't going to answer my question, wasn't to tell me what was going on, didn't care that I was worried? He was just going to drag me around and then tell me to go home?
"No."
He turned back to look at me his blue eyes flashing like steel and I glared back up at him, daring him to try and do something and see where that got him.
"Go home Sakura." he said slowly, in a deep frightening voice that made me tremble and recoil. I felt some of the hot resolve suddenly seep out of me in a whoosh.
NO!
I stiffened my spine, feeling the heat suddenly expand to fill me again, and stood as tall as I could. "No! I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!"
Gaara looked at me steadily, "Nothing's going on Sakura, now go home."
"No!" I screamed, enraged, "I am not going to go home! You can't just drag me around and tell me what to do and then go and lie to me 'nothings going on' like I'm some little kid! I'm not a child Gaara!"
He watched me, remaining silent even after my out burst. I waited for him to say something, anything. Tears started to roll down my cheeks and I wiped them away angrily.
"Please Gaara," I said, my voice breaking, "please don't do this. Please don't shut me out."
His expression was blank, unreadable and uncaring. It cut at my soul until I felt just like his shirt; shredded and covered in blood.
Suddenly he turned around and began to walk back the way we had come, "See you on Monday Sakura."
I stared at his back in shock-he was leaving? He was just going to walk away?
"Fine," I sobbed, "Just walk away then. See if I care!"
He kept walking as if I had said nothing. I stared at his retreating rag clad back, a burning clawing feeling scraping away my insides. It pushed and slashed until suddenly a dam somewhere inside burst. Wrenching my eyes away and I turned and ran the other way, sobs ripping out of my throat.
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So yes as you can see there was ALOT of change in this chapter
which also made it longer which to me is always a good thing:)
but I realized after I wrote and published this chapter the first time that there was a really important flaw to it
that Gaara's shirt was no longer ripped and bloody or that somehowSakura never even notices
and on top of that him smiling after all that seemed off to me
that's actually what got me thinking about this chapter in the first place and then I was all "Omgosh I totally screwed that up!'
people you gotta tell me when I do stupid things like this!
goodness....