Chapter 4

"What do you mean you don't know his history?! How was he admitted into this facility!?" Sakura asked, bewildered.

She had gone to Tsunade's office soon after parting with Gaara, wanting to get his file. Only to discover the only history they had on him was the medication he was being injected with. They had no clue as to how or why Gaara came here. All they knew was that his uncle had dropped him off here in hopes of him being cured. Cured of what? His self-induced insomnia, or his unidentified mental illness. What kind of asylum was this? They should have some kind of records on his past. . . .but there was nothing. Nothing at all.

"I'm sorry Sakura, but that is all we have on file." Tsunade pointed to the manila folder in the pinkette's small hands. "As for how he was admitted into this facility, I've already told you his uncle dropped him off here."

"But didn't you take this to court? A man just can't drop a nine year old off at a mental facility!" Sakura threw her free hand into the air in vexation.

"We did take it to court, but. . ." The older blonde trailed off.

"But?"

"But he was found dead soon after we contacted him about court. .That same day Gaara had escaped from the facility, and came back here late at night covered in blood." Tsunade stated solemnly

"What?" Sakura breathed.

"He wouldn't let us get close to him, and he never talked to anyone for the longest of time."

"When did he open up?"

"I think after his fourteenth birthday. There was a stray dog outside in the courtyard. Vicious thing in my opinion, wouldn't let you near it and would snap at you if you tried. I was going to just let Daichi put it out of its' misery, but Gaara had walked outside right then. He stepped over beside Daichi and stared at the dog."

"Stared?"

The older woman nodded and continued. "We didn't want to disrupt Gaara, so we stayed like we were. After a few minutes, he walked right up to the dog and crouched in front of him. The dog didn't do anything. It just sat down and stared back at Gaara."

"Well?" Sakura asked after a moment of silence.

"He said 'He's just like me.' Then he told us to leave him alone. After Daichi and I went inside, I watched out one of the windows. Gaara had held out his hand, and the dog licked it and lyed down in front of him. And to everyone's surprise, Gaara petted him. He was gentle to it. He had never showed any kind of emotion to anyone or anything before, so it was a shock when he showed acceptance to that mangy mutt."

Sakura had a calculating look on her face as she spoke. "So he can show emotion."

"Since then, yes. He named the dog Shukaku, and every day he went outside with him. He changed after that. He was still cold to everyone, but a little less I guess you could say. To the dog though, he was. . . different. A completely different person."

"So what happened to Shukaku?" Sakura asked.

"He passed away two years ago. Got a aneurysm in his brain, and no one knew about it untill it was to late. I had tried operating on him, but I'm no veterinarian. We didn't have time to find a real one. He died in my office, with Gaara watching. But the funny thing is, before that damned dog died, it rose off my table and lyed down in front of Gaara and put his head on his foot. He died that way, bowing to his master." Tsunade finished with a distant look.

"What did Gaara do?"

"He wouldn't let us touch Shukaku, not even to bury him. Gaara took him outside in his arms and buried him beneath the tree that Shukaku always slept under. It was the closest shelter to Gaara's room."

"Did Gaara go back to his old self?"

"No." Tsunade shook her head. "He was still distant and cold, cruel. But he never went back to what he used to be. And I'm kind of glad of that. Before he had Shukaku, you felt he was killing you by just looking at you with his eyes. It was abnormal, but he is better now."

"Aside from him never talking about why he's here in the first place." Sakura stated.

"Yes." The blonde sighed.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing I am his therapist now, isn't it. I will find out why he is here, I can promise you that." Determination shined bright in Sakura's eyes as she clutched the folder tighter. "If you will excuse me Tsunade, I have an appointment with my patient. And thank-you for the infromation, i'm sure it will help me in the long run."

Tsunade nodded to the young woman, and Sakura turned around and started down the hallway.

"Sakura?" Tsunade called after her.

Said woman turned back to face her boss, curiousity shining in her emerald orbs. "Yes?" she asked.

"Be careful. Though he is better, he is still the most volatile, and unpredictable patient in this instituiton." Tsunade warned her, a serious look on her face.

Sakura stared at the blonde woman before nodding and turning into the hallway once more. As she listened to the soft padding of her nurse shoes, Sakura began to think back over the information she had recieved. It wasn't much, but at least she knew the turning point in his life, and that he had been in the facility for 15 years. It was a wonder he survived. But then again, Tsunade had mentioned earlier that everyone gave him a wide berth, because he gave off the aura of danger.

But she couldn't turn back on him now. Not even if she wanted to, because for one, her will to help to him was to strong to let her leave. And her own curiousness was keeping her grounded, wanting the answers herself, the answeres no one else had recieved. But she would get them. She would find out what had happened to him so many years ago. The pinkette was positive of that.