A/N: Just so we are clear on something...Saiki means wisdom, so she has certain abilities that go with her name. She is also the 'healer' demon (that may not be true for the anime or manga but for me it is). Since she is a demon, she invokes blood rites, sort of like vampires and other 'goes bump in the night' type creatures. Also, the limish scene between Gaara nd Sakura is a foreshadowing, so just be patient. As usual, I don't own anything but the plot and a few characters that came out of the wood work. ENJOY!

CH. 27: Tangled Webs We Weave

Sakura was on her way to her home, Lydia in her arms. Her skin was ashen and her lips were blue with death. Her body was wet and Sakura was terrified that something was going to happen. She stopped as she got closer to her house and saw someone peeping in the windows.

Sakura flashed into her house and startled everyone. She laid Lydia's body on the bed in her room, which had been vacated only moments earlier. She then flashed out again, making Gaara wonder what was going on.

Gaara knew that something was up and that his mate was in no mood to deal with stupid people today. He followed her trail to see her holding a man against her house by his neck. He had grayish blue hair and glasses. Sakura recognized him as Kabuto.

"What are you doing at my house, spy?" she asked coldly. Kabuto attempted to gulp, but her grip was too hard. He tried to pry her hands off as well, but she didn't seem inclined to comply with his wishes. Gaara walked up behind her and scraped his teeth over his mark. She instantly dropped the man and leaned back against him.

Kabuto quickly tried to save face. "I'm a reporter with Kagure's Sentinel and I was wondering-" he never got to finish because he saw the woman's temper flare once more. The red head that had saved him before gave him a cold look, then an even colder smirk.

"We both know you're no reporter, scientist, so stop lying. What are you doing at our home?" he growled at the light haired man. Kabuto thought about trying the reporter bid once more, but knew it was useless. He had heard that the Hatori heir had psychic abilities.

"Okay…so I'm a scientist, big deal. I heard that a genuine psychic lived here and my curiosity got the better of me. My boss wants to prove psychics don't really exist, but I believe they do." the lie slid from his mouth easily. Sakura's temper became more volatile the longer she stood here.

Finally fed up, she grabbed Kabuto's forehead and pressed it back against her house. She let everything that she had picked up from the experiments at The Center flood into him, making his give a choked scream.

"Why don't you have a little taste of the torture you put those kids through when you bring them to Madara? I'm not stupid…I've escaped enough of your kind to know how to recognize them." she hissed and felt the burden on herself become much lighter. She hated going into The Center…there was also so much suffering and pain there.

Gaara saw the young man's eyes bulge in pain and knew he had to stop Sakura before she killed him. He knew she wouldn't be able to deal with that. "Mitsukai-chan…if you hold onto him like that much longer, you will kill him. I know you don't like to kill…that's why you have me. I kill, you save…do not upset our balance, koi." he purred in her ear and licked the lobe to get her attention. Sakura shivered and release Kabuto, only to turn her unadulterated lust on her mate.

She pinned Gaara against the side of the house and kissed him passionately. One other side effect of going to The Center was the amount of lust she absorbed from the scientists and captives alike. She slid her hands under his shirt and rubbed his smooth chest. She purred and nuzzled him, rubbing her body against his. The only thing that kept him from taking her then and there was the honking of a horn as some other teenagers drove by and saw them.

Gaara gave Kabuto a withering glare and held Sakura close to him. He flashed the two of them inside to complete whatever it was Sakura had to do.

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Sai was watching over the young lady his 'mother' had brought in. The young man who'd called him 'ototo' earlier was sitting on the side of the futon on the other side of the room and staring at the young artist. Shino was keep a VERY close eye on this newcomer. The guy jumped when the red head appeared with the female leader. Sakura's eyes were vibrant silver and she was purring like a cat from what everyone could see.

It was only after Gaara growled in what everyone else would have considered an intimidating way that she stopped and went to the girl's body. Suddenly, everything went dark as metal shutters slid down each window and they could hear the slide of metal plates as the doors were sealed off.

Sai knew exactly what was going on and sat at the side of the bed. Everyone was sent to the futon so that they would be out of the way except for Sai and Gaara. Gaara was kneeling behind the young leader, whose hair looked an odd shade of black mixed with pink. What happened next, stunned them all.

Sakura stood and looked up, Gaara kneeling slightly behind her and Sai kneeling on the other side of the bed, holding the girl's hand. Sakura slowly started to transform, only this time it was into something none of them had ever seen. She had the same length hair, but it was a silvery, pale pink. Her eyes glowed sterling, no pupils, and she had two cat ears and whisker marks. Other than that, she looked completely human.

When she spoke, it was kind of scary for them. "I invoke the riteof blood sacrifice. I give of my own free will, so that this youth may retain her life, which was taken before it's time. Sages of Fate allow me this deed, as it is your territory that has been trespassed upon by those who have no rights there." she slit her wrist and dipped a finger in it. She drew a few signs on the girl's face and then leaned down to lightly kiss her lips.

Everyone immediately saw the color return to the face and the deep, gasping breath she took when Sakura, or whoever this was, drew away from her. Lydia's brown eyes opened and she was about to scream when Sakura placed two fingers on her forehead and erased her memory of the last few days.

Sakura returned to normal and slumped against Gaara, who kissed the back of her neck. Lydia just stared up at her. Sakura was covered in blood, but there were no cuts on her, being as the cuts had healed when she transformed. Lydia found it hard to speak. Sakura smiled and told her that they had found her slumped over in a car with a friend of hers who had passed away. What Lydia didn't know was that the friend had died while she was dead and in the cryo-tube.

Lydia cried for her dead friend and then Sakura had told her that it would be best if her and her mother went back to America. She told the young woman that Hetumi was being investigated for the murder of his twin sister when they were little and that both of them were in danger. When Sakura sent Sai and Shino to escort her home, she sighed and cuddled up to Gaara.

Her peace didn't last long as a pulse went through her body, as well as Gaara's, being as he was mated to her. Both jumped up like they'd been shocked and then abruptly disappeared. Shikamaru looked at everyone and just shrugged. They waited for Sai and Shino to get back then followed Sakura's chakra signature.

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Kankuro was kneeling in front of the girl he loved, who was incased in a ball of energy and he could hear her wails inside the sphere, but when he tried to touch her, it burned. Ray was in a state of shock…rumor around The Center was that the subject of Project Crystal, Karin, was a failed experiment, showing no signs of extraordinary talent or intelligence. Seems they had been wrong. Suddenly, a woman with bright pink hair appeared, along with a man with red hair.

With a cry of retribution, the pink haired girl put her hands on the bubble and dispersed it, catching the girl inside and holding her close as she cried. He blinked and the girl's hair was jet black. He shook his head, trying to make sure he hadn't been seeing things.

"Why is she crying!? Who made her cry!?" an angry hiss demanded. He winced when everyone pointed to him and her pupil less silver eyes turned on him with the promise of pain. But it was the red head with the emotionless look on his face that scared him far more.

"Lee…" the red head said, and a young man appeared out of no where. The youth who had just appeared grunted in acknowledgement. "Seems we are going to get to work together. Take Lacey, Ray and myself to your 'office' so that we may discuss the terms of his confession." Gaara walked away from the frightened agent and walked over to Sakura, who was rocking Karin in her lap.

"Mitsukai-chan, I am going to have a little…talk…with out friend over there. Take care of Karin and the others. I will return shortly, my love." he said this quietly and the four of them slipped out quietly. But right before they were out of earshot, Kankuro told them to stop by the bathroom and pick up the other one.

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Gaara looked around the chamber that Lee had introduced as his 'office'. Lacey seemed to be more impressed than either Ray or Gaara. The red head snapped his attention to the mole and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Gaara looked at Lee, who stepped back and allowed Gaara room to work. Lacey merely sat on the edge of the 'desk' and watched.

Gaara stepped up to Ray and glared at the man. Ray looked down, unable to meet the red head's cold jade gaze. Ray jumped in panic when he saw sand coiling up his leg. His gaze snapped up, fear all over his face. Gaara gave him a maniacal smirk (the evil one like from the anime) and continued to allow his sand to creep upwards.

Gaara didn't speak…he didn't need to. He had spent years wrestling information out of his siblings by doings this same intimidation technique…it never failed. Ray's eyes took on a desperate glaze and he finally cracked as the sand covered his entire lower torso.

"ALRIGHT! Madara sent me and the other guy to poison the old crone. Something about wanting the Hatori heiress to come after him for revenge. He wants to capture the alien girl, Haruno and figures the best way is to kill her grandmother. We killed the two original guards a long time ago and have been sleeper agents ever since." Ray watched in horror as the sand continued its slow crawl upwards.

Gaara's eyes were still cold and unconvinced. Ray winced as he felt the sand squeeze him slightly. He knew that the red head wanted him to spill his guts…quite literally if need be. In the corner of the room, everyone heard a loud banging as the poison expert banged on the barreled chest of the puppet. Ray looked confused.

"You're poisonous buddy is in that puppet. I'm guessing that he isn't immune to his own fumes? Guess I'll have to get as much information from him as possible before he croaks." Lacey had an evil smirk on her face. One of a born killer, a born torturer. Ray gulped and didn't envy the man.

Lacey waited for the banging to stop then opened the hatch that she had been shown. She dragged the unconscious man out and to another room. Lee was about to follow when Lacey arched one red brow and gave a short laugh. "My tactics are a little…eccentric. It's best if you stay here. I'll come back to you with any information I get out of him." with that, she left, not looking back.

Lee turned back to Gaara, a frown on his face. "I wonder what she's going to do to him…what she said wasn't very…reassuring." Lee looked over to Gaara, who shrugged. Ray noticed that even though the red head's attention had been diverted, the sand had still been slowly crawling upwards. Lee looked at Ray with an arched brow.

Finally, Gaara spoke, and when he did it made Ray's blood turn to ice. "What is the best way for a woman to make a guy admit something Lee?" his eyes never left Ray. Those cold jade orbs burned through Ray like the hottest poker. Lee thought about it and an odd look came over his face.

"She's…she's going to seduce him into talking?" Lee was flabbergasted. Ray shook his head. He knew how Lacey worked when she was in this mode. Toru would have been lucky had she been that simple.

"No…that's not how Lacey works. She may look innocent, but I've worked with her on enough cases to know she's not that innocent, nor is she that sweet. She has a sadistic streak in her…a big one. She'll start out by making him think she's a nurse, or someone taking care of him. She's real good at making people think she is harmless. When Toru least expects it, she'll shove her vine probes into his ears and extract anything she wants to know…but that's after she's aroused him to the point of pain. With a body like hers, it won't take Toru long either. He always was weak." Ray looked away, embarrassed. He knew her technique from personal experience. He'd never had the vine probes, but he knew what she was capable of and avoided her. He had too many secrets to keep.

Gaara's eyes narrowed and he motioned Lee outside the door. The scarred black haired man followed and they walked a little down from the room that had Ray in it, trapped in sand. "Lee…can you do genjutsus?" Gaara asked in an even tone. Lee shook his head negatively. Gaara sighed and looked away, disgust on his face. "It's obvious that idiot lusts for Lacey, but we don't have time to have her interrogate both of them. I can transform into Lacey, but I can't maintain my hold on my sand if I did. But I can make you into Lacey, but I need your cooperation to do it."

They suddenly heard a scream and a soft laugh. They knew Lacey had struck. Lee shivered and Gaara just raised one non brow. They looked at one another and nodded. Suddenly, Lee was the busty red head and 'she' was smiling at Gaara. "Let's get this over with. I don't much like being a woman." Lee said and adjusted 'her' shirt. Gaara gave an amused smirk, but hid it when Lee turned back to him to urge him forward.

Gaara came back into the room first. Ray looked a bit worried. His eyes snapped open when he saw Lacey walk in behind Gaara. Knowing what was coming and refusing to go through it, Ray spilt his guts. Everything he knew he told. He also told them about several sleepers in Hatori Corp and where to find the main lab where they kept Lotus. Lee and Gaara looked at one another and smiled. Everything went black for Ray after that.

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Toru opened his eyes. He had been trapped in that damn puppet so long his own poisonous fumes had knocked him unconscious. His eyes were bleary, but he could see someone bending over him. That someone was definitely female from what he could see with his blurry eyes.

"Are you alright?" came a soft voice. Toru rubbed at his eyes and looked at the woman standing over him once more. He looked around the room. It was white and had all kinds of medical equipment in it. He looked confused, making the little nurse giggle.

"Where…am I?" he asked, giving the small red headed nurse a hot once over. The little nurse blushed and giggled again.

"The hospital silly. Where else would someone go when they've been hurt?" Toru smirked at the nurse. She had no idea what he was capable of. Maybe he could have a little fun with her. Toru sat up and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. She giggled again and tried to push away, playing hard to get.

Toru chuckled and nuzzled her neck. He felt her giggle and squirm against him. He was becoming more and more aroused the longer he touched her. He lay back on the bed and pulled her on top of him. The little red headed nurse blushed furiously as he ground her against himself. She could feel he was hard.

She cooed at him, asking him if there was anything she could do for him. He smirked and looked down at himself between her thighs. "As a matter of fact…why don't you just slip out of that uniform and give me a good bounce? It's been a while since I've had a good lay." Toru saw her coy smile turn to a smirk of victory. He then noticed that everything was fading. It wasn't until she leaned over him, only inches from his face, that the illusion totally dropped and he saw the red head that Ray had called Lacey.

"As you wish…" She hissed. He suddenly felt something nudge his ears, then he felt a pain in his head he'd never experienced before. He screamed as loud as he could, hoping someone would save him. After a while he was met by blissful darkness.

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This is where the clean up of Hatori Corp starts. After the first part of CH 28, Sakura starts to clean house. She even lets Gaara and the others have some fun, especially Karin, who learns a few new tricks. Tehehe...that's just a little taste of what's to come. I am currently working on a special story that my sister asked I write, so I will be working on this one and that one, but all other stories are on hold until I get this one and the one for my sister written. Nekos, Kitsunes, Tanukis Oh My will resume as soon as one of the other fics is finished.