A/N: Okay, I know it's been too long since I've updated, but I went straight from being sick into the first exams of the school year, so I didn't have much time to write or update anything. Anways, I'm already working on the next chapter of this, so hopefully the next one won't take so long.
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Chapter 40: The 'Raid' and Astair's Painful Past
Evil eyes narrowed on the young woman in the test tube. She was starting to deteriorate at a more rapid pace now. The souls were seeking a way to be free. He would have to up her maintenance to at least once every two months if the signs of decay continued the way they were. That would not suit…
Inside the tube, the semi-conscious Lotus knew something was wrong. Her body was not healing the way it should and she knew it. Normally, when this occurred, she was completely unaware. Maybe that was the reason for her lack of healing? She gave herself up completely to unconsciousness, sinking into the black void where Raidu usually awaited her. However, she dare not go to him in case her brainwaves were being monitored.
Madara gave a satisfied smile. The healing was working the way it was supposed to. He looked up at the woman that he was using to heal his Lotus. She had mussed hair on one side and immaculate hair on the other. He scoffed. It was almost like she had an OCD split personality. While the thought of such a person amused him, she had been the only female they could catch that was strong enough to heal Lotus.
He smirked, remembering how they'd found her. She was robbing a battered women's shelter of what little money it made. In his own twisted mind, he'd done society a service by taking this woman to her death. She had fought them, too…until Madara himself had stepped into her line of sight. She'd whispered his youngest son's name and fainted.
He grinned evilly again and watched the progress on the monitors. The vitals of the captive became dangerously low while the vitals of the experiment became stronger. When the captive flatlined, Madara nodded.
"Get rid of it and take Lotus to her room. I don't want anyone disturbing her while she recuperates…no one…" his engineers nodded and carefully removed Lotus from the tube. She was limp in her unconscious state…it made lecherous thoughts enter Madara's mind, but he knew that could only come after he'd destroyed the Haruno.
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Temari, Ino, Kiba, and Shikamaru were lounging around, watching the twins play together, when they felt a presence behind them. The young adults turned and found Sakura and Gaara behind them. Sakura looked serious, something that didn't happen that often. She was the happy go lucky type and was only serious when she had to be. This must be important.
"I know what you guys are going to do and I know your thoughts on the children's safety. I agree with you that we are no longer safe where we are. However, it would take longer than we have to build a place that would be large enough for everyone and still inconspicuous." the two women were about to protest when Sakura held up her hand. The two women clamped shut and waited. "With this being the case, I have suggested to Gaara that we start construction on a home in a safe location, while we live in a temporary residence. Well, more like several temporary residences close together. I won't have my unit separated." the two women looked shocked, but happy nonetheless.
Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and regarded the area. "At the same time, I think it's time to ensure Gokuraku is more protected. I don't like the fact that Morgan and his men were able to get here so easily. The village can easily be seen by aerial surveillance and that's no good. This is a safe haven…it should be protected as one." the others nodded and Sakura sat by them, her sketchpad showing them various ideas of how to shelter Gokuraku. Temari flipped the page and found sketched floor plans for a large house.
"Sakura-chan…what's this?" Temari noticed the blush on the other girl's face and smirked. Sakura twiddled her thumbs and looked at the table.
"It's floor plans for the house I'm intending to build for my clan." she said quietly. Temari arched a brow and was about to ask her 'what clan?' when Gaara stepped behind the young woman. Temari blushed as she realized the clan Sakura had been referring to was the two of them and any children they would have in the future.
Ino looked at Sakura and noticed the way that the girl was nervously twisting her hands together. This was very unlike their leader. "Sakura-chan…what are you not telling us?" Temari looked surprised as the other blonde picked up on something no one else had…except maybe Gaara. Sakura glanced nervously at them and then at the floor plans.
"That is the central branch of the house. There are other sketches...behind that one…" she started out nervously and looked at them with nervous eyes. The two women couldn't figure out why she seemed so nervous. "I've been thinking for a while about this…ever since I took Ino in actually." the two girls nodded, wondering what was going on. Shikamaru looked around and noticed that several people were looking at Sakura, their faces reflecting her inner unease. Sakura's nervousness was reaching out to everyone and they wanted to sooth their savior.
Shikamaru decided to change the subject slightly. "Sakura, where are you intending to build this 'clan house' of yours? We've already established that Konoha is no longer safe and Kagure would attract too much unwanted attention. There's a small town, just south of here, but with it's small size, we would be easily found." He thought about it and pulled a napkin close to him and pulled a pencil from his pocket. He drew a miniature map of their country. He put dots where the three cities were located, and then a star where Gokuraku was located…it was in the center of a triangle all three cities made.
Shikamaru gasped and looked up into the eyes of his boss. Those green eyes shown with intelligence and she nodded. "A pinnacle…you located the village at the center of a natural pinnacle barrier…" he said with utter disbelief. This could only mean one thing…
"I'm going to activate the barrier…when I go to Suna. I have placed the symbols in the very foundations of both Konoha and Kagure…Suna is the last city I need before I can activate it and make Gokuraku inaccessible to outsiders." that news was dropped like a bomb on them.
"So…so we're building the house…here?" Ino asked, still not looking up from the sketches. Sakura shook her head, her eyes nervous.
"No…this is too far from civilization. The children we are taking care of will need an area closer to civilization. The kids in Gokuraku need the solitude of this place. The clan house has to be somewhere between Konoha and Kagure." She pointed at the dots that were marked Ko and Ka.
"As the bottom of the triangle made by the three cities, Konoha and Kagure are closer together. Commuting from one to the other from the clan house should be the same distance either way." the people gathered nodded in agreement. Sakura went on talking about locations for a while when Gaara finally spoke.
"How many houses are in the clan house, Mitsukai-chan?" Sakura blushed and looked down, not really willing to talk about that part.
"Well…I had planned on your siblings living there, what with Kankuro being with Karin now. And of course, Ino and Hinata. They are under my protection. That brings in Kiba, Naruto, Neji, and Tenten. Neji will not have his cousin living anywhere he can't be with her to protect her." Sakura could feel her blush getting redder and redder as her companions looked at her.
"And of course, we have to take the children into consideration. The twins need to be together, that's another reason Ino and Temari have to live in the same house. Akouji will be with us, and the two twins that Naruto and Hinata have adopted. On top of that, Hidan has requested that Natalie be allowed to train under me. He says she needs to learn her powers and to learn to protect herself. That would put Natalie and Sora living with us, Hidan occasionally visiting. And I haven't even gotten started on what to do with Sai, Shino and Kuro." She looked stressed and worried and Gaara put his hands on either side of her face.
"Mitsukai-chan…breathe…everything will be fine." he said gently, kissing her lips tenderly. She took a deep breath when he released her and put her forehead against his.
"I just don't know how to protect them all without putting everyone under the same roof. It's not fair to everyone to do that to them. There'd never be any privacy." she said quietly, trying to use her highly developed brain to figure out a solution. Her savior came in the form of her sister's boyfriend. While they had been discussing things, Karin and Kankuro had slid up to talk to them.
"There's some undeveloped land twenty minutes from Kagure and fifteen minutes from Konoha. It's a large, wide open space that is inviting people to build large homes. Maybe a cluster of homes, instead of one large home, would be better. That way everyone would have their privacy, but outsiders would be recognized immediately." Kankuro took another napkin and drew a small sketch. There was a large plot of land that was backed into the mountains that made a border from their country to the one next to theirs.
"If we built a central house, say Gaara and Sakura's, and built the other houses around it, and then sold the lots to interested builders, we could make it seem completely normal." Kankuro smirked and looked over at Karin, who put her opinion in now.
"Sakura and Gaara's house could be built back into the mountains, providing a hiding place if we need it. We could spread the houses out in a way that would block anyone from building between them, but also to give us a place to train and the kids a place to play." she drew a few lines on the napkin and pointed at them. "We can install privacy fences, if we need to, to block out nosey neighbors. Also, to prevent incident, the people who buy the lots would have to undergo inspection from Sakura, to make sure they don't have ulterior motives." Sakura seemed very impressed with the two and smiled at them.
"Those are very good ideas. As a matter of fact, I approve wholeheartedly." She smiled and put her hand on her hip. "As a matter of fact, I think that Kankuro and Karin should head up the land acquisition. I know Karin has had plenty of practice in that field." Karin blushed and looked away from Sakura, who was smirking. "I knew from the get go that you recommended those land purchases to your father and how much to offer. You also did it in a way that it seemed his idea. You'll be fine." Karin smiled shyly and nodded. Kankuro soon led her away from them so they could discuss prices and what was the most they'd offer on the majority of the land.
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Neji was looking around, making sure that everything was as it should be. He noticed several soldiers that were at attention behind one of Sakura's spies and a young woman with black hair and golden eyes. The girl suddenly stood and the soldiers were immediately tense, ready for action. Neji wondered if the girl was their leader. When she looked at them and nodded, they relaxed once more.
He regarded the girl carefully. She didn't look like military…current or former. The large man at her side cursed harshly as she led him into the large house the cookout was taking place at. He saw a woman sitting on the porch, knitting, with a large wolf by her side. He recognized that wolf…making his way to the woman, he was stopped when several young boys and girls suddenly crashed into him. They landed on top of him, whining.
Neji glared up and immediately the kids skittered away, fear in their eyes. Neji realized these were the new kids that Sakura had just saved from the center. He smirked and shook his head before dusting himself off and standing. They stared at him, fear in their eyes.
"Don't worry kids. He's harmless, for the most part." came the sweet, husky voice of his lover. He turned and found her leaning against the tall tree that stood by the house. The kids looked from her, to him, and nodded. They all relaxed, he noticed, when Tenten was around. It was the same way for him. With a smirk, Neji walked over to her and ran his fingertips up her side, making her squirm.
He smirked again when she grabbed his hand, heat burning in the depths of those chocolate eyes. He noticed the kids blush and then take off again, in the opposite direction. He chuckled and pulled her to him. He inhaled her scent and groaned. "Damn, I wish I could find somewhere we could be alone for about an hour and a half…" he growled. She giggled and looked up at him.
"You really think it would take that long to sate you?" She asked with amusement in her voice. He rolled his hips against her roughly and smirked when she gasped…he knew she had no doubts now. With a heated glance, Tenten tugged his hand. He gave her a curious look and she just smirked. Trusting her, he let her lead him away from their friends and out into the woods, heading towards the mountains.
She giggled and let go of his hand before turning to him. She winked at him and smiled. "You have to find me, Neji-kun!" she giggled again and disappeared right as he leaped at her. Neji looked around for a second before smirking. He didn't even need his Byakugan to track her…he could smell her scent. It lingered on him and made visions dance through his head.
With a slight growl, he took off deeper into the woods, pursuing his woman with anticipation. He heard her giggling and fought the urge to activate his limit and find her quickly. This was a game and he knew it would arouse her for him to chase her. He smirked as he ran, thinking of the things he would do to her when he caught her.
He was so busy thinking about the things he wanted to do to her that he missed her sharp turn and how she was rounding on him. He was startled when she slammed into him, her eyes blazing. He looked up at her and noticed that she had the leather cord again. It was then he realized she hadn't removed the cuffs since their first time together.
He scowled at the cord as she attached it. She wrapped it tightly around the root of the tree nearest them and looked down at him, a lusty gleam in her eyes. She never said a word, just laid over top him and started kissing his neck, licking and nipping occasionally.
Neji groaned and arched into her, encouraging her to continue. She smiled against his neck and pulled back to look down at him. He knew his eyes were glazed with lust and his body burned for her. He wanted her now, no foreplay, no waiting. He groaned when she trailed her lips down his neck to his chest and started lower.
He was expecting sweet torture, instead, he felt her unzip him and then nothing. He opened his eyes, wondering when he'd closed them, and looked up at her. He gasped when he noticed that she was almost completely naked now. The only things she had on were her own set of leather cuffs and a pendant he vaguely recognized. He lifted his upper body to look at her.
"Tenten, what are you-AH!" he let out the gutteral scream as she impaled herself on him. His eyes were wide, his breathing was heavy and ragged and his hips arched against her. He heard her moan and tried to get his breathing under control. When his vision cleared, he saw her moving against him, her head thrown back, eyes closed with lashes fluttering delicately, and her mouth slightly open.
He felt the heat creep up his neck and into his face as she rode him. The ragged lust building in him was making him crazy. He strained against the cuffs, but they were secured tightly to the root. So, instead, he concentrated on the root, trying to pull it up. He moaned as she rode him, distracting her from what he was doing. He felt the root give a little and bit his lip.
With one more violent jerk, the root broke through the earth, freeing him. Tenten squeaked and tried to get away, but Neji wrapped her up in his arms. He pinned her to the ground, his chest to her back, and pushed himself into her. She screamed and her nails dug into the dirt. After a few forceful thrusts, he pulled her up, holding her against him as she sat in his lap while he thrust into her.
Her struggles turned into gyrations of her hips as she attempted to help him penetrate her deeper. His grip on her tightened as he held her against him tightly. One hand held her breast, kneading it, while the other rubbed against the area of their joining. He was whispering to her, making her squirm when he licked her earlobe. She screamed when his already hard thrusts turned nearly violent.
He thrust into her with as much power as he could muster in their current position. Wanting more, he pushed her onto her hands and knees, one hand on her breast, the other on her hip, as he thrust into her violently. He nipped the skin at the nape of her neck, thankful that the cord attached to his cuffs was long enough to accommodate their love play.
She was panting and it was turning him on even more. He released her breast and put both his hands on her hips, pulling her back against him as he thrust into her. The first time he did, she screamed, her back arching and her eyes widening as she stared sightlessly up at the sky. He smirked as she pressed her upper body flat against the ground, her nails digging into the soft ground beneath them.
Neji could feel the heat coil inside him, wanting release. He thrust as hard as he could a few times and white light flashed behind his eyes. He felt her muscles beginning to spasm around him and he pushed a few more times, despite the energy draining from him. He gave a satisfied smirk when he heard her gasp and the muffled scream she gave. Her muscles clamping against him this soon after his own climax had him shuddering again, spilling his seed a second time.
He choked and pressed his chest against her back, trying to catch his breath. He moaned her name, nuzzling her shoulder and almost purring with satisfaction. Tenten was panting beneath him, wondering if this was what it would be like every time he got loose and took her…she hoped so. With a tired laugh, she just laid there, her consciousness slipping away slowly.
Neji tried to breath evenly as he watched Tenten slowly fall asleep. He smiled and reached down and caressed her cheek before he laid down, slightly on top of her, and kissed her. He then followed her into unconsciousness.
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Lacey looked over at Lee as the young man held the two little girls while they were in line for food. Lacey fixed the plates of the two little girls, giving both small proportions. She led the three over to a table with no one at it and sat the two plates down. "Lee, you sit with the girls. I'll be right back." she smiled at him and he smiled back, nodding his head. She knew he was nervous about staying with the two little girls. He had no idea how to take care of two children.
Quickly and efficiently, Lacey prepared a plate for herself and one for Lee. She'd been able to glean his likes and dislikes from his mind. Doing so, however, made her feel like she'd violated him somehow. She shook it off and made her way back over to them. On her way, one of the soldier's she'd taken notice of blocked her way.
"Why hello there, ma'am. You here all by your lonesome?" Lacey gave him a droll stare and lifted her head.
"No, I'm here with my husband and children." she said bluntly. As if on cue, both the little girls ran over to her and latched onto her legs.
"Mommy, Mommy!" they said in unison, looking up at her. She smiled down at them and then looked back up at the soldier. The man looked like he'd seen a ghost. Lacey's eyes changed as the man stared at her little black haired daughter.
"I think it would be best if you left us alone. My girls have been through a lot these last few days, what with their great grandmother dying." The man continued to stare, but Lacey herded the two girls over to where Lee was sitting. Lacey glared at the soldier over her shoulder for a second before turning back to Lee.
"That man was staring at Tori…I don't like it." she said in a low, dangerous voice. Lee's eyes immediately changed, but there was no other indicator of what he had planned. Lacey helped the girls and when she turned to say something else, Lee was gone. She looked around frantically and found the man that had stared at Torayu was gone as well. Lacey gasped and looked around frantically.
Without thinking, Lacey's Serleena veins reacted to her state of extreme agitation. The girls looked up at their 'mother' with frightened faces. They huddled to her, knowing that something was wrong if her defenses were up. Other people regarded her warily as she huddled protectively around the girls. Suddenly, there was a loud crack and everyone turned to see a man in uniform hurdling towards Lacey. Her eyes changed immediately and she put herself between her two girls and the man.
She caught the man with her Serleena and hissed at him. "Why are you staring at my daughter!?" she demanded. The young man groaned but shook his head, touching his jaw gingerly. When he managed to talk again, his eyes were sad.
"I had a little sister that looked exactly like her. She died when we were little. I was just thinking that, had my sister grown up and had children of her own, that's what they'd have looked like." Lacey's anger dissipated immediately. Lee appeared by Lacey's shoulder, his eyes softer than before. Lacey put the young man on his feet and bowed.
"I apologize for the rude behavior. However, my children are very special and are targets for a madman. I am very suspicious of anyone I don't know." the man laughed and waved it off.
"I would have thought you a bad mother had you not. Your little girls are beautiful. They will be heart breakers when they grow up." he smiled and knelt down to look the girls in the eyes. They both clung to Lacey's legs. The man chuckled lightly and smiled at them.
"You two be good and listen to your mommy and daddy, alright? They love you very much." Lacey blushed and looked over at Lee, who was smiling slightly, a barely there blush on his face. Lacey felt the little girls nodding against her legs and she smiled down at them.
"It's alright, girls. He wont hurt you, mommy would kill him." she noticed the man sweat drop and look up at her, but her eyes told him she was very serious. The two girls seemed oddly comforted by this and relaxed. The young soldier laughed nervously and retreated to his previous post.
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Gaara was sitting in his chair when a sound caught his interest. His eyes narrowing, he disappeared. He reappeared at the highest point within the valley and looked around. His eyes were glowing black and gold, his inner demon on alert to a threat to his mate and his 'family'. His ears pricked and he looked up. Just as Sakura had feared, there was a helicopter passing overhead. A lens caught Gaara's eye and he reacted immediately. Sand encased him as he threw out his arms.
Long sandy extensions shot up towards the helicopter. It tried to evade, but failed. Gaara caught it easily, fouling up the rotors and causing it to fail. He held the large metal bird in his over sized sand paws and carefully brought it to ground, well outside the village. He noticed that there was only one figure inside the cab. However, the closer he got to the machine, the more sure he was there were two people in it. One was a scent he vaguely recognized and immediately had his hackles raised.
He stayed well away from the machine and ripped the doors off from a safe distance. He still only saw one person. He approached the machine cautiously. He felt a chill go up his spine and watched as waves started crashing towards him. He jumped high into the air and looked down. He noticed a body form as the waves died down. His eyes narrowed as he remembered the man that had cornered his mate in the Center and what he'd learned about the man.
He's a water shifter. His body is made of water. Another one of Madera's 'failures'. A failure the man may be, but he still had an advantage. Sand clumped together and was basically useless when it got wet. He was at a clear disadvantage right now. He felt a stirring in his mind and knew Sakura was looking for him. He shut his mind to her, not wanting her to see the man invading her safe haven. He felt her hurt that he'd closed his mind to her, but he put it behind him.
With a growl, he allowed the change to take him. Soon, he was a large tanuki made of sand. He noticed the two men regarding him warily. The larger of the two men stared at him dispassionately, while the water man's eyes were wide as saucers. He heard the two talking to one another.
"You think Madara knows there are monsters like that around?" the water shifter asked. The other man made no move to answer, just stared. He knew the moment the other two jinchuuriki realized what was going on, because Sakura's chakra skyrocketed, as well as Naruto's. He looked in the direction of the village, which was still a bit away from where they were, and noticed the village was now empty.
Gaara smiled inside as he processed what was going on. Sakura was going to allow the fight…monitoring from a distance, of course. He nuzzled her mentally and he felt the sharp rap of her fist against his head, in their minds of course. He gave her a look and he noticed the tears she had in her mind. She'd been worried about him. His eyes softened and he nuzzled her again, his way of apologizing to her.
He could feel the violence in Naruto. He knew the feelings were triggered because Hinata and the twins they had adopted were here, and these men presented an obvious danger to them. Gaara was also surprised at the single minded hatred Shukaku directed at the water shifter. However, he welcomed it as he glared down at the two men. The water shifter was the first to make a move. He took a large sword and attacked with it. Gaara just watched with amusement.
With a comically annoyed growl, Shukaku lifted one large paw and flicked the water shifter. Much to both their astonishment, the man disappeared as soon as the sand came into contact with him. A chill had Gaara looking above him. He saw the arrogant man standing on Shukaku's head, right above him. His mind whirled at the idea of how he got up there when it hit him…the man was made of water…he could travel through the sand!
Instantly, Shukaku withdrew, sand dropping all over the forest. The man had wide, shocked eyes as he started plummeting to the forest below. Gaara was being let down slowly by a thin stream of sand, not daring to keep too much around for the man to absorb into. Gaara cursed his luck and looked around for something to defend himself with. He cursed his lack of foresight.
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Everything was quiet in the village. All the villagers had been evacuated to safe houses thanks to Sakura and the other agents. One young woman was pacing back and forth. Something wasn't right…something bad was going to happen. She kept looking around, waiting for the bad. A howling scream made her jump. The bad thing had happened. The girl hissed and raced towards the exit. A pair of arms grabbed the girl, startling her. The arms turned her and she came face to face with Hidan. He looked just as shocked as she did. "N-Natalie? What's wrong?" the young woman was squirming uncomfortably. Hidan looked concerned.
"I don't know, Hidan, but I have to get up there. Something's calling to me. I can't stay down here." Hidan noticed she was sweating and shaking. He cursed and put his hand to her forehead…she was burning up.
"Let's go." he took her hand and they disappeared. But not before a certain dark haired young man noticed them. He followed them.
Natalie could hear the howling of some otherworldly creature. It sounded like it was in a lot of pain. Another howl answered it, this one enraged and frightened at the same time. Yet another howl had both Hidan and Natalie cringing. They jumped when someone appeared behind them.
"Shouldn't the two of you be in the safe house?" the voice was neutral, but the look on his face was reprimanding. Hidan wrapped his arms around Natalie.
"She's in pain. Something up here is calling to her. I can protect her." No sooner had the words come from his mouth than Natalie gripped her head and started screaming. She started floating and then suddenly disappeared. Hidan and the man exchanged looks.
"Don't you say a damn word Raidu." Hidan hissed and disappeared, looking for Natalie. Raidu shook his head and headed after them again. This time when he appeared, it was to an astonishing sight. Natalie was floating in the middle of several people, her eyes crackling with power. Raidu regarded the situation carefully. There was a man with a large sword in front of her, a larger man with strawberry blonde hair behind him. Behind her, was a severely injured Gaara. Raidu's eyes widened as he noticed the injured sand jinchuuriki. This spelled trouble.
As he thought it, the ground began to shake. The trees groaned in protest, their leaves falling all around. The wind picked up, blowing angrily all around. The large man that had been in the background had his eyes on Natalie as he made his way forward. It was the first time anyone had seen him make a move on his own.
His armed companion watched as the large man came within a few feet of the young woman. Suddenly, she pulsed, and everyone was sent to the ground. Raidu tried to lift his head, but it was hard work. He was panting as he managed to look at her. Light was erupting from her, power swirling around her like fireflies. Raidu sensed a powerful something moving towards them…rapidly. Another power, similar to the one heading their way, reached out and tentatively pressed at their minds. It was coming from the village. Raidu shook his head and noticed the large man was almost on top of Natalie. Just as the man reached out to touch her, she pulsed again, sending the man flying a good seven to eight feet from her.
Raidu noticed the man with the sword was still standing, but his sword vibrated with each pulse. Had it not been stuck in the ground, there was a good possibility it would have been knocked away. When Raidu squinted for a closer look, he realized who the two intruders were…Suigetsu and Juugo. He growled and crawled towards the water shifter angrily.
Raidu was now at Natalie's feet, Hidan was there as well, trying to get up, but failing miserably. "What's going on? What happened to her?" Raidu yelled above the wind and thunder that was rumbling. Hidan shook his head.
"Don't know. She just snapped!" the platinum blonde yelled back, looking at her with large, worried eyes. A crack brought their attention back to where Gaara was. Both gasped when they saw Sakura standing there, staring down at the injured Gaara. Suddenly, Natalie began rising up into the air, very high considering no one was controlling her. She curled in on her self as she got higher. Hidan and Raidu noticed something bright, glowing, and gold on the forest floor below them.
Suddenly, beams of light hit Natalie, illuminating her. Both men tried to find the source of the beams. They were coming in from three different directions. As soon as all three were on Natalie, she screamed, throwing her arms and legs away from her. Hidan noticed that her chest arched upwards, making her legs and arms dangle below her helplessly. A beam shot straight up from where they were and landed on her. In seconds, the light show was over, the wind died, and the force holding them down dissipated.
Hidan was up and running towards where she'd been. She was falling and he intended to catch her. When he caught her, he noticed her skin was no longer feverish, but kind of cool, like marble. He pressed his face to hers and murmured thanks to all the gods he knew for her safety. Hidan stiffened when he noticed that the sun began to become duller and duller. He looked up and found something spreading across the sky. He wondered what it was.
Natalie was still unconscious, so he couldn't ask her. Gaara was trying to keep pressure on his wound, so Hidan couldn't ask him. He was sure Raidu didn't know, and the other two didn't seem to have anything to do with this…except being it's trigger. He was about to demand why they were there when everything went still. There was no forest noises, no wind or thunder, the ground wasn't shaking anymore, and he could barely hear himself breathing. He slowly looked over his shoulder to see Sakura now glaring at the two men that had invaded.
Her eyes were silver…and narrowed dangerously. He could hear her hissing agitatedly. When she spoke, it sent chills up and down Hidan's back and he noticed the shiver that shook Raidu, who'd just managed to get to his feet. "You've injured my mate…" Hidan noticed that the man just smirked at the angry feline jinchuuriki. He kind of felt sorry for the guy. However, Sakura did not attack. Instead, she turned to Gaara and knelt beside him. Hidan heard her purring at him and she reached down and kissed his forehead.
Hidan heard the red head hiss in pain and then he was attempting to stand. Sakura growled at him and crawled over him, pinning him down. A few grunts and growls passed between the two before the red head leaned back against the tree again and just glared. Sakura had one hand up, as if lifting an injured paw, and looked over her shoulder. Her silver eyes landed on Raidu.
"You have a score to settle with that one, no?" she asked, her eyes flickering to the water shifter. Hidan looked at Raidu, who had electricity swirling around him. Hidan arched a brow and looked at Sakura, who was now crooning over the red head, who had a slight blush now. Hidan shook his head and sighed.
"I'm taking Nat back to the village. See you guys later." he then disappeared, leaving behind no trace. Sakura regarded where he'd been and chuckled slightly before turning her attentions back to Gaara. She licked him on the cheek and sat on his lap. Raidu noticed the angry glint in the water shifter's eyes and he smirked. So, the guy had developed a crush on Sakura…how cute.
Raidu charged up and put his hand out. It was about that time that the water shifter rushed the jinchuuriki couple. He didn't get far because one of Raidu's bolts made contact, sending him flying back towards the other man. The water shifted was hissing in pain as he looked up at Raidu, who had a maniacal smirk on his face. Raidu threw another bolt at the man, who dodged. Sakura looked over at them, then back at Gaara, and again at the fighters. There was a large man in the very back that was just watching, waiting.
Sakura growled and leaned closer to Gaara. The man was staring at Gaara, she could tell. Sakura looked at the wound in Gaara's abdomen and growled. It wasn't a normal wound…there was something wrong with it. It would take 'special' healing, and she knew it. With a growl, she turned to Raidu. Normally, she had no problem with things like this, but she did not want the electrical youth doing this alone.
Sakura stood to her full height and stared at the two intruders. However, it was the man standing back from them that had her worried. He was much more dangerous than the water shifter. Sakura reached out and touched his mind. What she found made her cry out and fall to her knees. The eyes of the large man were instantly on her, as if he knew she'd been in his mind. The water shifter just looked over at her.
He smirked, but was soon sent flying by another bolt of electricity. He noticed the girl back up and disappear, leaving the red head open. However, when the water shifter turned his attention that way, a menacing glare burned holes in his back.
'Touch him and I will tear you limb from limb, human. Not even your water shifting will save you from me.' that voice was thoroughly inhuman and, if he admitted the truth, thoroughly frightening. He looked at the woman at his back and noticed that she was looking at him from the corner of her eye. Where her eyes had been a shocking silver before, they were now glinting sterling death. He noticed Juugo take a step towards her, but her gaze never left him.
"Why are you here, water shifter? Why have you brought a cannibal into my colony?" the young woman heard a growl and looked back at the large man. His eyes were no longer the calm golden orbs he usually had, but the maddened red orbs that appeared during his feeding frenzy. Sakura noticed with a hint of interest the activities in his mind that led up to his transformation. There were markings burning their way up his face, like a disease spreading.
Sakura ran towards the large cannibal and jumped into the air as he swung at her. She managed to get one of her hands on his forehead. He roared and knocked her away, but she was smirking when she landed on her feet in front of Gaara. She was holding her side, as if in pain. She grunted and spat on the ground, revealing bloody saliva. She smiled outright and stood, her silver eyes glowing.
"You are trying to kill Madara. You blame him for your frenzies." the large man was panting, all his energy drained from that one touch. He stared at her…he'd never been this at peace with himself and the things around him. She'd done that, with only a touch. He stared at her, wondering if she could cure him of what Madara had done to him. Sakura chuckled and he knew she'd heard his thoughts. This mildly upset the large man.
"You know what I'm thinking, so just answer the damn question." he growled. His companion just stared. The water shifter had never heard the large cannibal say so much. He turned back when Sakura grunted and spat again.
"Yes, I do know what you're thinking, but it's not because I'm reading your mind. Anyone with a hint of telepathy could pick up your thoughts right now. You're broadcasting…very loudly, I might add." she said with annoyance. She rubbed her ribs and they noticed her wince and then glare at the large man. She put her hand over the spot and it glowed green for a few seconds before she was on her feet and moving normally once more.
She spat again and it was clear, much to their shock. She wiped her mouth and glared at the water shifter. "You're the one that cornered me in the Center. Snake bastard's evil human twin." the water shifter glared at her and then stuck his nose up in the air.
"Not my fault Madara is fond of altering people's appearances once he gets his hands on them." the said snottily. Sakura hissed and threw up her hand. The water shifter went flying into a nearby tree. He noticed Sakura slowly transforming. She was growing ears, and a tail was twitching behind her.
"Do not patronize me, human. You were born looking that way. The only thing unnatural about your looks is the teeth. I can see into your mind and I know what Madara did. He crossed you with a piranha and the crystal gave you the ability to liquefy yourself to escape danger." she hissed and looked at Raidu, who looked ready to fry the man. She smirked and shook her head.
"So, Suigetsu, why are you here? I can understand why Juugo would seek me out, but you enjoy what you are. You feel no remorse for what you've been turned into." she noticed the man shrug and take out a water bottle, taking a long swig before he answered.
"Juugo can not go anywhere on his own. Madara will not allow it. I agreed to help Juugo destroy Madara." he thought back to their encounter and couldn't help the shiver that ran up his spine. Sakura chuckled as she caught the thought and looked at Juugo.
"I know it is an appealing thought to eat him, Juugo, but you can not consume any part of Madara. There is a being inside him that would infest you, much like the thing inside you that triggers the frenzy. I can help you control the frenzy, but you have to promise never to hurt humans with what I teach you." Sakura noticed the look that crossed Suigetsu's face and wondered at him. "What's wrong with you, water shifter?" she noticed his annoyed look and he sighed.
"What you just said…it reminds me of that girl. The one that Madara killed." Sakura looked at him funny and he shook his head. "It's nothing, it's just…Madara's business partner brought in a young woman…a beautiful young woman. She was unconscious from the looks of it. I was in my holding cell. They brought her in and strapped her to a machine. They ran experiments on her and then threw her in a cell by mine. She was the only one that ever talked to me. She wasn't afraid of me. She was so kind…she said that Madara was insane to be doing such horrible things to human beings…" he sighed and shook his head.
"That was the last thing she ever said. They came in late one night and took her away. She never came back to her cell. I heard some of the scientists talking about how they'd failed yet another experiment of resurrection. I raged, inside my watery prison, but there was nothing I could do to get out. They dumped her body in my prison, thinking I would jump at the chance to consume the fluids from her body." Sakura saw him shiver and cringe. He shook his head. "I kept her body submerged, so that she would remain beautiful forever. But one day, they came to my cell and took her from me." his eyes were angry and he looked up at her with accusing eyes.
"They said she was going to be used to draw 'the Haruno' to the Center." Sakura's breathing stopped completely. She knew exactly who he was talking about.
"You're the guy she was talking about…" Sakura breathed and took a step back. She shook her head as he stared at her with confusion.
"What are you talking about? You can talk to spirits?" Sakura's mind was blurring…the resurrection…the girl…Sakura put everything together and it made her stomach hurt.
"No…she's not dead. At least not anymore." Suigetsu was staring at her and his eyes suddenly darkened dangerously.
"Don't play with me, little girl. It's dangerous when my emotions become involved." Sakura sat on the ground and shook her head, not believing what was going on. She laughed, rather hysterically, as she stared at them.
"This woman that you befriended…her name was Astair, was it not?" Suigetsu just stared at her. That name…he'd not heard it in years. Even now, it sounded so sweet to his ears. Tears pricked his eyes and he looked down.
"Yes…her name was Astair." he said and looked up at the shocked faces of Sakura, Gaara, and Raidu. Raidu was the one that managed to choke a response.
"As in the Astair that cares for Gokuraku's orphans?" this had Suigetsu's attention. He looked at Sakura, who was shaking her head, dazed.
"When I found Astair, she was nothing but a shell. I managed to bring her back, but I had to have an anchor to keep her here. The kids are her anchor. But…if she had a more permanent reason to stay…" she looked up at Suigetsu, who's eyes were wide with shock. Astair was alive?
Suigetsu ran up to Sakura and stared in her eyes. "Take me to her…please…I beg you." Sakura nodded, hoping this worked.