{Authors' Note} okay so this is chapter 7 and so far its page 34! Really glad that people are liking this (I hope) and I just wanna say that I really really appreaciate all readers that I have to the fullest extent! And I also apologize for all spelling errors cus im pretty bad at spelling (and grammar) so sorrrrrrrrry! I am really happy though with how long this is and that I feel it is a great story (my best so far) so please enjoy!
DISCLAIMOR: I do not own naruto or any of its characters that I use, all are property of Masashi Kishmoto since 1999 .
Chapter 7
Evidence
Trips outside of home were becoming more of an occurrence, just like little stops to resteraunts and flowershops, parks and museums. Slowly working it all up to buying a train ticket out of Konaha to Suna to visit old friends. Packing only a small suitcase and taking with her only 400 ryo she left home for a small weekend trip. (400 ryo = 4000 yen = around $40 dollars American cash)
Old, worn red velvet rubbed against the thin cotton sundress that she wore. Its small metal fasteners poking at her neckline and back. The small and delicate lace rubbed against her thighs and itched as the train went clacking over metal rails and small stones. In truth she could have simply gone on her own, hiked or walked, to Suna but she felt it more comforting to take the train. Ever since their argument about a week and a half ago, she felt it more and more painful to be in that house. So she left, and soon it became a frequent thing for her, to come and go as she pleased. No longer burdened by the worry of her husband, seeing as he hadn't talked to her since their argument. At first it bothered her, to not have him stop by to say goodbye in the mornings, but soon she found that she didn't want the comfort of someone who would so quickly decide that she was cheating on him after six years of a loyal and faithful marriage. If anything it should have been Sakura who accused him of deceit and wrong-doing. Always off doing who knows what, more then half the time she never even met the associate or consumer at these dinners he would have with them. Not that she would need to, because this whole entire time she had been the one who never doubted him. If he was late one evening, she never assumed it was because of some girl he was seeing, in fact she never once asked why he was late so long as he was fine. She never questioned him when he came back days later then he said he would, or how he never talked about his dinners after he had them. She was always sure he was doing whatever it was that he claimed to be doing and nothing more. And how was she rewarded for all of this? Being locked up in a room like some fairytale princess, whose captor was her thought to be prince charming? To have him her a rumor from an obvious wolf in sheeps clothing about his wife and believe them over her. Was this really how it was to be?
Had she married anyone else, she could leave them, devorce them, but not Sasuke. No the Uchiha had her and wouldn't let her go even if he hated her. He had built himself too high a perch to view the world on, covered it with one too many jewels. The most prized of all was the one he kept closest to him, never letting it out of his sight, always being sure it looked its best, so that he looked his best. If it were ever to leave an empty space would take its place, showing the simply wooden perch itself, a course, rigid, ugly thing that just covered itself up. He could try to put any other jewel in its place, a red one, a blue one, even a yellow one, but none would look as good or fill such a great need as the pink one. And so devorce was simply out of the question.
'at least I'm out of that house for the weekened' she thought to herself as she lay back on the seat and stare out the glass window. Trees and fields blurred by her as grey and white clouds soared overhead. She sighed to herself.
An hour or so later the train had made its first stop- Suna and Sakura walked off in a cloud of other people, each hustling through and trying to get on. She walked out onto the platform and removed her large straw hat. Flipping it over she checked the brim for her identification and continued to walk out of the station.
"ID please" a simply man behind a glass window asked.
She nodded and slid the small booklet through the whole in the framing. The man pulled out a large blue stamp and slammed it against a blank page.
"How long will you be with us miss?" he asked as he searched his desk for a pen.
"Three days two nights" she said simply.
"Okay now, have a good time." He said as he scribbled down something on the page and buzzed her through the gateway into Suna.
Walking through she felt so at home, the streets still covered with vendors and small children playing, old couples talking, and others out. Going down the main drag she recalled everything, what each building was used for during the war, where she was stationed, everything. She made a left at the end of the block, right next to a small stand selling dango, it filled the air with a sweet scent as she walked by.
Though the war was short and ended 12 years ago, there were still many damages that were left to the village. Some streets were found missing buildings, or were filled with victums asking for help or just dying in the street. When they saw her, they looked upon her with grief and hatred. She could hear light echoes of what they were saying about her as she walked by.
"Konaha lass, you can tell by how she walks, she just has that kind of 'superior' attitude about her"
"She couldn't even stay and cure people after the bomb, what a great help she was"
"I heard she caused the death of Tsunade, by throwing her out to the bomb on a foolish errand."
"What is she still doing around here?"
"No one wants her here"
The farther she walked away from them, the more the comments seemed to follow. They were wrong, she knew that, these horrible rumors were all just lies, but still. The pressure they put on her, the amount of sheer blame they rubbed her name in was cruel in itself.
Straight down she went, walking the streets with a single suitcase in hand. She removed her hat yet again and searched the other end of the brim, there she found a small card with an address written on it.
'112 Sandview Ave' she thought to herself as she scanned the streets for a street sign.
"Well I'm on Sandview but I can't find an address." She said to herself as she walked up to a most familiar looking building. It was less beaten up then the rest of the buildings on the street, still having its railing on the stairs and most of the front door this apartment complex seemed to be the only thing on this streets that seemed able to live in. Admiring its' stamina over what must have been the last few decades she had found the address, 112.
"This can't be right" she said aloud as she dashed inside and up the stairs. It felt just like yesterday that she and Tamari were running up these very steps with Gaara and Sasuke following close behind.
'fourth floor, first door on the left' she thought as she knocked on the framing of the withering door.
"Hello? Tamari?" she chimed away.
"She's not here" a load angered voice spoke.
"Well can I come in?"
"Who is it?" they called back.
"Can't you recognize my voice?" she called sweetly.
A rush of footsteps came towards her as the door flew open. She was greeted by a nostalgic looking Gaara. Their eyes met and a smile grew on his face, as he welcomed her in.
"What brings you to town?" he asked as he walked to the kitchen.
"Just needed to get out and see some friendly faces is all" she sighed. He motioned to her an offer for a drink but she waved her hand and calmly reclined.
"Don't you see them all the time at home?" he asked jokingly.
"Actually no, I haven't" she said as she played with her fingertips, weaving them together to a mesh then pulling them apart.
He looked at her and frowned. Discarding whatever it was he was doing in the kitchen he came and sat next to her.
"Sakura look at me" he said seriously "What did you mean by that?"
A solemn silence swept through the room.
"I meant nothing, it was a joke a really bad joke." She beamed, but her lie was to no avail.
"What's going on Sakura?" he asked her sternly "What happened?"
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with gloss, and hands quivering.
"Everything was going fine, for six whole years I had an average marriage, then one day our maid said something about me to him-" she cried "and he thinks I'm cheating on him! Me!" she cried louder.
"What? Did you tell him you weren't?" he asked as he stroked Sakura's back.
"Yes, yes of course but the fool won't believe me!" she hunched herself over and sobbed into her palms. "He told that he doesn't care if I cheat that I just can't get caught because he doesn't want his name tarnished by one of my stupid mistakes." She mumbled out into her hands.
"What a fool he is." He said glancing over the womans' form "How- how was he treating you before Sakura? Tell me what you meant by 'average'"
she wiped her face with her palms and took a deep breath, after a few whines she was able to speak.
"He would work all week, and I would see him off in the mornings if he needed me to sign something. I would ocationally see him at breakfast, we would chat about idle things, then he would leave." She stated.
"What about you? What did you do?"
"I, well, I would..." she stared at the floor "I would wait for him everyday, all day. He said I wasn't permitted to leave the house while he was away but I could have friends over, that it would be good for me."
"That's-he's" he fumed "He can't do that to you! He is locking you up in your own house!" he yelled "I'm surprised you haven't divorced him yet!"
"That isn't an option I have that's the only reason why I haven't" she said.
"What do you mean isn't an option? Did he tell you that?"
"He doesn't have to say it in words, he has made it perfectly clear that I do no have the luxury of having such an option open."
"Of course you do!" he yelled back "And you always will"
She looked up at him with sore eyes.
"Do you realize where I stand at all in this? He practically owns everything. In the whole village he owns about 86-97% of all of it. If I were to even try to get away do you know what would happen? I would move out and try to find a place to live, odds are I won't be aloud in anywhere because he will hold some kind of power over it. And if I try to get a job you know what would happen then? Nothing, that's what, nothing. No hospital would take me. So what could I do?" she said as she shook her head "I go and so goes my life."
"What life would you possibly have if you can't even leave your house? That's not a life but imprisonment!" he told her.
"I don't know what else to do Gaara, and I am so tired, so very, very tired of it all." She mumbled.
All the while a pale man with long brown locks sat outside the door, listening, writing, collecting everything that was said among the two, just like he has the past two weeks. His pen slid over the small pocket book scribing the details. His fingers were worn and dry, peeking through the rather large cuffs of his cotton, grey, loose fitting shirt. His back arched in perfect contentment against the door frame. Every few minutes turning his head to the side so he could see through the thin cracks of the wooden door, how the two were positioned, and just how close Sakura was getting. He peeked and his eyes grew as he watch Sakura lean in to the mans ear and whisper something.
"Worst of all, I have come to suspect that he has hired someone to spy on me the last few weeks. Even now I am sure that just beyond your door someone is listening in, writing everything down" she whispered to Gaara as he too leaned in to her ear.
"Should we go to another room?" he asked while still keeping his composure.
"It won't do any good, it'll just give Sasuke the wrong idea." She said.
"I see" he said as he stood up and walked to the door. A shuffling sound could be heard just outside as the man hurried to his feet. Slamming the door open and clutching fast to his collar Gaara pulled him to the wall just across the door.
"What are you doing!" he yelled at the ease dropper.
The man just looked at him with a bit of annoyance and groaned to himself as he slapped at the wrist that held tight to his shirt.
"My job, and you sir and making it rather difficult." His dull lavender eyes were sucked into a now violent storm in the usual calm blue eyes of Gaara.
"You know, here in Suna there is no law against shooting a man for being on your property, and I do believe that as long as you are in this building you are in my property." He said crudely.
"I see, well is there a law in Suna against a women having an affair with several men behind her loyal husbands back? I would certainly hope there was. I mena getting away with the same sob story about how mistreated she was until they felt bad for her that they comforted her is one thing, but with so many people, well its just a wonder as to how she was found out now." He said as she glanced over at a red eyed Sakura. "I mean of course if you people have morals."
"Leave now." Gaara said adruptly.
"Not without-"
"Now" he said one last time as he clenched his fist.
And off scampered they man with his dignity still partially intact.
"Gaara-" She was cut off.
"What did he mean by that?" he said as he turned to her.
"W-what?" she looked shocked.
"Is any of what you just told me true? Is this really happening to you or are you just looking for another person to use?" his heart was heavy as the words passed his lips.
"Gaara no, not you too. I never would do that, you know me, how long have you known me? Can your heart really be swayed that fast? With such obvious lies? Please say it can't" she looked at him, dried tears on her cheeks and her body quivering.
"Your just like her aren't you?"
"Gaara, what are you saying?" she reached a hand towards him as she stepped closer, only to have it slapped away.
"Tamari! She did the same thing! Why should you be any different!" she screamed at her. "You two just have a great life and have to mess it all up don't you? One guy that loves you just isn't enough so you go for another, and another and another, until you're found out. Then what do you do? You try to play on old memories that people have of you, the only thing that still has credibility. The only thing you haven't muddied up with your lies." His voice grew horse. "You wanna know why Tamari isn't here? She was killed, and she pulled Kankuro along with her."
Sakuras' eyes grew as she held her red hand to her chest.
"She was engaged to a general of the Konaha military service. He loved her very much and for a time being so did she. They had gone out for the last three years and everything was going great, then she got involved with this Sasori fellow. They were 'close friends' she said, I still love Shika she said. Soon she started to be missing more and more from Shikamarus' life, she would come home late and he would ask her where she was, then they would argue. Slowly the arguments lasted longer and longer until they just didn't seem to be close anymore. She was then left by Sasori, with a broken heart and no one who loved her. So she started to draw people in with stories about how she was mistreated, she would find a man and hold onto him for a while. Either they left her or they loved her and she grew bored of them and looked for another. Finally after a long while of this Sasori wanted her back, said she was a 'hot commadaty' told her how everyone wanted her. He said he was a fool, so she played him like one. She wouldn't take him back and he just wouldn't let that be, so he got drunk one night. Searched for her all over town, and he found her with Kankuro just two blocks away, they were walking home. She ran up and yelled at her, saying that she was 'at it again with everyone.' How 'one just wans't enough was it?' so he shot her down and shot Kankuro down too. The police found him the next morning, crying his eyes out about what he did and how bad he felt. That it was something he never wanted to do. The police thought he was some rambling drunk and never took him seriously." He said solemnly as he inched closer to sakura.
"You know what else?"
She shook her head as he body filled with worry.
"Even when they saw the bodies they never arrested him, he got away with it. He even came by tow days later to apologize to me, to set things straight. He told me everything about Tamari. She told me how she was mistreated and abused and I believed her, like a fool I did. Her murderer had to tell me who she was, because I was too blinded to see for myself. Filled with anger I did the only thing I could do, I shot a man who was on my property that day."
She looked at him and edged away slowly, getting closer and closer to the door.
"Gaara, I'm not Tamari, and that doesn't sound like her. I'm sorry I truly am, but you know me, look deep and you know I am not your sister and never will be. So don't let her mistakes mark me as a person." She said calmly as she waved goodbye. He looked at her and they locked eyes, he reached out and grabbed her wrist pulling her inside and throwing her to the couch as he turned and closed the door.
Tears swelled in her eyes as the thoughts of what he would do next.
His form turned back and looked at her figure as her body shook on the cushions. 'please no, please no, nooo' she thought to herself as her eyes stayed fixed to Gaara. He walked over to her and leaned over her body as a sad smile crept onto his face.
"Sakura, I have wanted to know you, for so long. Ever since I met you that day, I have wanted to see you, know you…" his voice drifted away as he looked her body over "inside and out " he said as he pinned her down.
"No!" she screamed as she tried to push him off. "Gaara please no! I thought you, at least you wouldn't do something like this please! Stop" she screamed as she struggled from under him.
He grabbed her wrists and held her arms down, his smile faded and tears fell from his eyes onto her cheeks. They were hot and trickled down her skin. He let her go and slid off of her.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He said "I-this, I never want to hurt you Sakura, I couldn't bear it." He slumped over on the ground and whinned. Biting her lip she stood herself up and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"I know, I know" she cooed as he let himself get absorbed in her hold.
From the corner of her eye she saw a small flash go off from behind the door. ' a camera' she thought as she nuzzled herself in his shoulder.
The man stood up from behind the doorframe and smile to himself. He slipped the camera back into his pocket and walked down the stairs a small cloud followed closely at his footsteps, it trailed up his leg to his pocket and sunk itself into the lens.
{Authors' Note} OOOOOH GAARA YOU GOT SOME SPLANIN TO DO! What a perv scare right people? Jeez, I would never tarnish gaara's name so don't worry. And I would never have sakura molested so you can breath easy now to okay? oh wow so that was a loooooong chapter. 11 pages actually counting this one, ooh and this whole story so far has a word count of 11336 words! My longest story by far and I am proud to say my best! Hope everyone likes it so far and I appreaciate all my readers! Keep reading and maybe reward me for all my work by giving me some reviews? Maybe? No biggy if ya don't! oh yeah and does anyone recognize that seemingly anonymous little cloud? Hmmmmm? I know someone does well keep reading and well see what happens next! Until next time bye!