Author's Note: Just to clarify, Lee and Ten-Ten aren't together in my story but they will come with the Rookie 9 to help when it gets closer to the climax of the story. Also the little girl Sasuke saw in his dream was Sarada for those of you who were wondering. I apologize for my spelling errors. I am just a lowly American who can barely spell some English words let alone Japanese words and because I'm a wife and mother I don't have time to look up everything all of the time.
Onchou skimmed over the paper in her hands one last time before putting both it and her brush down with a sigh. She'd finally finished it, her detailed report on all of Takuma's dealings that she knew of including those she herself had taken part of. Her fingers trembled as she willed the tears from falling, it wasn't just the shame of confessing her crimes on paper, but of knowing the person the report was going to was one of the few people in the world she didn't want to hate her.
"Onchou?" Sai said from where he was seated at the table near her desk. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Oh. No not at all." She replied shaking out her hair. "I just finished writing my report. I'm a little surprised at how big it is." She replied. It wasn't a complete lie. The stack of papers was quite thick surprising almost everyone that saw it. Gaara had asked for all details and she'd provided them so it was only natural.
"You're finished?" he asked standing from his chair as she organized the sheets of paper. She nodded and he helped her put the documents in a folder. "Excellent, let's deliver it now." He suggested.
She cringed at the idea and shook her head nervously. "You can go by yourself right?" she stammered. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea for me to go over there."
"Why not?" he replied. "It's your report, shouldn't you deliver it?"
The violet haired girl sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. "I guess so but the last time I was there I caused a big scene with busting into his office and everything." She muttered.
"Well yes, but you did that to stop the assassination attempt right?" he reminded her. "They couldn't possibly hold a grudge over something like that."
"I don't know. Sasuke seems to hold a little bit of a grudge over how Naruto saved him." She said even as moved with the artist to the door.
"It's not that." Sai protested as he held the door for her. "It's more the fact that their battle proved he's on equal grounds with Naruto."
Onchou sighed and nodded as they walked across Suna to the Kazekage's building.
"Hello Sai." The receptionist said with a flirty smile. "What brings you here?"
"Onchou and I are here to deliver a report to the Kazekage." He replied without skipping a beat.
"Oh, I can take care of that for you." The girl said reaching for the files. Onchou nearly rolled her eyes. The girl just wanted an excuse to see the red head and she knew it from the greedy look in her eyes and her soul song.
"I'm sorry but these documents are classified and have to be delivered in person by Onchou and myself." Sai countered.
"Oh ok." The receptionist replied. "Go ahead then."
"Thank you." He replied before walking with the amethyst eyed girl to the elevator.
They stepped inside and took the lift up to the floor where the Kazekage's office was located and then exited together. After going through security, they approached the door that she'd only gone through once before. She'd been frightened but determined then just like now but in a completely different way.
"Onchou, is everything alright?" Sai asked. "You look pale and appear to be shaking."
"Oh." She replied. "I think I'm just a little tired."
"There's no need to be nervous." The painter replied. "Lord Gaara really cares for you."
"He might not after reading this." She replied softly.
The pale ninja raised an eyebrow at that and then shook his head and knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in." Gaara's voice called out.
Onchou took a deep breath and walked inside the room clutching the thick file containing her report to her chest.
"Sai. Onchou." Kankuro greeted them with a smile. "It's good to see you. Great job at the concert by the way." He said winking at the violet haired girl.
"Oh, thank you." She replied with a shy smile.
"So what brings you here?" he asked.
"Miss Onchou has finished the report Lord Gaara requested." Sai answered motioning to the file in her arms.
"I see." Kankuro said looking at the amethyst eyed girl who had her eyes trained on the ground. "Thank you for all of your hard work. We'll start reviewing it immediately."
She slowly approached the Kazekage's desk and nearly smiled at one of the scratches on it left from her wind chakra. She slowly extended the file to the red haired man her eyes trained on anywhere but his face. "I did my best." She said softly irritated by how much her hands and voice were shaking. "I apologize if I left anything out or if it's difficult to read."
Gaara's hands reached for the file and took it gently from her hands. He opened it thumbed through it quickly before laying it on the desk.
Onchou felt like her heart was going to thunder right out of her chest and the desire to run from the room had tears stinging her eyes. Her hands balled into fists at her side as she bowed to the pale eyed shinobi in front of her. "I'll take my leave now." She stammered.
"Onchou." Gaara said softy as she turned to walk away. "Look at me."
She cringed at his request and lifted her eyes to his hating the tears that threatened to fall as his blue green eyes met hers.
"I know that this was a difficult task for you." He said. "Thank you very much for completing it. I promise you that your efforts will not be in vain. Please take the remainder of the day to rest."
"Ok." She replied quietly. "Thank you for that." She said bowing once more before she left the office with Sai at her side.
"Onchou looked awful." Kankuro said after the door closed behind them. "I don't think I've ever seen her that pale even when she was in the hospital."
"I'm not surprised, given the circumstances." The Kazekage replied opening up the file and picking up the first page.
"What do you mean?" Kuro asked. "What report is that anyway?"
"It's a report detailing all of Takuma's criminal acts, experiments, and all of his know associates." Gaara replied.
The puppet master's eyes widened and then fell as it dawned on him what that meant. "I understand. I can't imagine how tough that must have been." He acknowledged. "To write down everything that your captor did and made you do must be awful."
The Kazekage nodded and sighed. "It had to be done." He murmured.
"I bet it's even harder for her because she knows you're the one who's going to be reading it." Kankuro murmured. "It's clear to me that she cares about what you think of her and having all of her 'sins' on display for you must really be eating at her." He glanced down at his little brother. "You better make this up to her."
Gaara nodded. "I intend to." He said glancing down at the report noting a couple of tear stains on the page in his hands. "Why do you care brother?" he asked.
The sand shinobi smiled. "That girl and Ryuu have grown on me. I can't help but worry about them. Besides, she's brought out a side of you I've never seen before. I kind of like it so I want her to stick around."
The Kazekage glanced at his brother and then shook his head. "Well, shall we get down to business. I sense something strange on the wind and I don't like it." He murmured.
"What do you mean Onchou won't come out of her room?" Sakura asked Ryuu as they sat together along with Naruto and Sasuke under a shade umbrella outside a restaurant.
"She just won't. I stopped by to change my shirt since it got dirty when we played in the sand dune park and she wouldn't come out and talk to me." The child said with a long suffering sigh. "Sai said that she's been like since she gave her report to raccoon eyes. I haven't seen her like that since Akira died."
"I think I might have an idea of what's wrong." Sakura said after a few moments. "That report was the one Gaara asked for containing all of the information she had on Takuma and his organization right?"
The shinobi around then nodded and Sasuke's eyes widened as he followed her train of thought. "That means she had to write down not only the incidents she was involved in but probably her exact involvement in them." He replied.
"She's probably terrified that once Gaara finds out just how much she's done, he might feel differently about her. She's afraid he'll hate her or worse." The pink haired medic mused.
Naruto snorted. "Like that will ever happen. The three of us remember how he was before. There's no way what she did could've done worse than what he did."
Sasuke nodded. "I agree."
"He really was such a little shit back in the day." The Uazmaki muttered with a little chuckle. "She was forced to do that stuff anyway. He knows that too."
"What do you suggest we do?" Ryuu asked. "I don't like seeing her like this. She didn't do anything wrong."
"We know that." Sakura replied. "We're Onchou's friends after all and so is Lord Gaara. We'll figure out a way to help her." She assured him.
The group was startled when Kankuro came running up to them with a box containing his puppet strapped to his back. "I need you to go get your ninja gear and report to the Kazekage's office right away!" he instructed. "Ryuu, you're coming with me. I need you to stay with Temari for a little while."
"Why? What's going on?" Naruto asked getting to his feet.
"A large monster has been sighted in one of the villages nearby. They need our assistance and Lord Gaara thinks it's been summoned by the same person you've been after." He replied.
The Leaf Shinobi suddenly became serious.
"Right." Sakura said her eyes hardening. "Onchou and Sai are at the guest house. You'll want to let them know."
"Onchou has the ability to send back summoned beasts and will be able to tell us if it's the same person who summoned the others." Sasuke said. "We can't leave her behind."
"Understood." Kuro said shortly. "I'll meet you there."
In under half an hour, Team Seven and Onchou assembled in Kazekage's office dressed in their ninja gear and ready to go.
"I assume Kankuro told you of the situation?" Gaara said as he pulled off his robes revealing his own ninja attire complete with the gourd at his hip.
"Yes." Naruto replied. "Are you coming with us?"
Gaara nodded. "I need to see this with my own eyes so that I can better assess the situation." He replied. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get there the better. I don't like the idea of fighting in the dark like we did last time." He turned to Onchou as they left his office and mounted the stairs heading for the roof. "Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked her.
She nodded. "Even if I wasn't I'd still go. This beast is likely connected to the others I've been facing and using my power to send it back is easier and safer that everyone here fighting an unnecessary battle."
"Very well." He replied as they walked to the edge of the rooftop. "Kankuro and I will lead the way. Onchou will make up the third member of our team." He instructed. "Let's go!"
The shinobi quickly leapt their way across the rooftops and then sprinted down the long corridor linking Suna to the rest of the desert.
"I'm sorry about this." Gaara said as he fell behind to let his brother lead matching his pace with Onchou's. "I told you that you could rest."
"It's alright." She assured him. "I'd actually rather be out here doing something. Nothing gets rid of depression better than exercise. Beating people up is just a bonus." She said with a little smile as they moved across the desert.
"See?" Sakura said motioning to Onchou and Gaara. "They'll be fine."
"Of course they will." Naruto agreed.
Hours later, with the sun beginning to dip in the sky as evening arrived the shinobi arrived at their destination. Men, women and children ran around the streets screaming as a giant spider the size of a monster truck scuttled through the streets devouring livestock and the occasionally unlucky person.
"Why!?" Onchou cried. "Why did it have to be a giant spider?"
Sakura nodded. "Seriously, the way they move is so freaking nasty!"
"Would you have preferred a blood thirsty pack of wolves?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.
"Oh yes." Onchou replied at once.
"Definitely." Sakura agreed. "They don't move like that." She said shuddering as the creature clicked its pincers noticing the shinobi.
"So, is this one linked to the others?" Kankuro asked.
The violet haired girl closed her eyes briefly her ears glowing silver and then opened them again. "Yes. The same chakra signature lingers. It was summoned by the same person." She replied.
"Is that person still nearby?" Gaara demanded.
She closed her eyes again and then gasped. "He's very close!" she exclaimed. "He's on his way here too moving fast."
The shinobi shifted into defensive stances as a man materialized on top of the spider's head. "I knew you'd come Princess." He said. "I've been expecting you, though I wasn't expecting you to come with this many companions."
"Kyou." Onchou said softly. "How is it I didn't recognize your song?"
The shinobi frowned and focused on him. Kyou was a man of average height with spiky green hair and blue eyes. He had an athletic build and a pair of massive swords were strapped to his back.
"I've change a lot since our last encounter." He replied with a smile. "I'm not the sniveling coward you met three years ago." He said his eyes blazing. "I'm stronger than ever!"
"There was nothing wrong with the way you were before." Onchou countered.
Kyou laughed. "Listen to you Princess! You're even softer than before. Such a pity."
"How do you know this man?" Sasuke asked.
"How do you think? He was one of Takuma's experiments." She replied. "I only met him once. He spent most of his time in the southern hideout while I was kept at the main laboratory."
"I see." Gaara said. "Leave this village at once!" he called. "You have no business here!"
"Actually I do." Kyou countered. "You see, I was sent on a very important mission by Lord Takuma." He said.
"What mission is that? To cause a ruckus? Because that's what you've been doing." Naruto called out.
"Not exactly. I was sent to retrieve his precious Princess using whatever means necessary." He said pointing at Onchou. "He's got everything set up for his plan you see and you're the last piece of the puzzle. He really needs you now. He said he'll forgive everything if you just come back."
The amethyst eyed girl shook her head. "Did you think telling me that would make me want to go back with you?"
"Onchou isn't going anywhere! She's staying here with us where she belongs!" Naruto shouted.
"What makes you think she belongs with you?" Kyou replied. "Do you have any idea what this girl is really like?"
"We know Onchou. She's our friend." The blonde replied. "We're not going to let you late her back to that horrible place."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Such loyalty." He murmured. "Who are you people anyway?"
"I'm Naruto Uzamaki!" the blonde replied.
"Sakura Haruno!" the pink haired medic replied putting on her gloves.
"Sasuke Uchiha." The dark eyed avenger said activating his sharringan.
"Sai." The painter said his hand going to the hilt of his sword.
"Kankuro." Kuro said his fingers tensing as he prepared to use his chakra strings.
"Gaara of the Desert." The red head sand wielder replied sand swirling around him. "Onchou is staying with us."
The man's eyes widened and a little smile touched his lips. "The Kazekage huh? No wonder you want her. The famous war heroes from the leaf as well. Perhaps your Hokage wants a piece of her too. " He remarked. "I can't deny it, she is quite desirable. All of that raw power and natural talent wrapped up in that gorgeous body." He sighed. "I can't deny that I've wanted you from the day I laid eyes on you. If you want, you can come with me instead of going back to Takuma. I can use you better than he can."
Sand wrapped around the man and lifted him from the spider's head and slammed him to the desert floor.
"She's not an object! She's a person! You don't use people like that!" Naruto roared his chakra flaring making his hair shift.
Kyou chuckled and staggered to his feet. "You're only saying that because you've never witnessed her true power. Once you see it, all of you especially the Kazekage will want to use her like the tool she is. A beautiful tool, but still a tool."
"I'm sick of hearing you talk!" Onchou shouted rolling up her sleeves and looking at the spider. "I'm going to send this ugly thing back now unless anyone has an objection."
"Go ahead." Naruto replied. "We can take out this guy while you do your thing. He's really pissing me off!"
"Come now. I'm just being honest." Kyou replied. "Besides, you didn't think I came alone did you?" he made a motion with his hand and a mass of men came forward.
"How many are there?" Sakura asked Sasuke.
Using his advanced sight he quickly swept the crowd. "Four hundred men." He replied.
"Nothing we can't handle." The Uzamaki replied cracking his knuckles. "Just focus on that mass of ugly. We've got this." He called out to Onchou.
"Right." She said bringing her palms together. "Let's make this quick. I'm already ready to go home."
"Home?" Kyou echoed softly before laughing. "The only home that you will ever have is with Takuma or myself."
"Seriously. Let's shut this guy up." Sakura said balling her hand into a fist.
"With pleasure." Sasuke said as black flames sprung to life in his hands.
Onchou leapt into the air and flipped forward flattening her palm against the head of the massive spider and pushed with her chakra marking it with a seal. She scurried down its back and landed behind it quickly leaping back when it tried to stab her with its stinger. Her eyes closed as she focused her chakra and her ears shimmered silver. "Arachne." She murmured softly.
The spider froze at the sound of its name and studied her with its multiple eyes as its pincers clicked.
"I understand. You don't want to be here either so let's make this quick for both of our sakes." She said focusing her chakra to make a staff in her hand planting it in the ground in front of her.
"It looks like Onchou's already started on her barrier!" Naruto called out using a rasingan to take out a group of men.
"Does she need any help?" Kankuro called out as he directed his puppet against a couple of swordsmen.
"Just keeping these guys out of her hair is what she needs." Sakura replied slamming her fist into the face of her opponent and knocking him back into the crowd.
Gaara directed his sand forward taking out several attackers and watched out of the corner of his eye as Onchou set up five stakes and then focused her chakra and used all five chakra natures in turn to set up her barrier.
Sai drew up a mass of lions and sent them into the fray taking out several soldiers. He drew his sword and clashed with another. "Simpleton." He remarked before tripping the man and driving his blade into the man's back.
"Damn! She's faster than I thought." Kyou muttered moving towards her with his hand on the hilt of one of his swords.
She pressed her palms together as a tear began to form in the sky above the spider her brow creasing with effort as the seal glowed and the beast began to rise into the sky.
"Shit!" Naruto hissed as he blocked an oncoming blow with a kunai. "Someone stop him! She can't defend herself right now!"
"I'm on it!" Kankuro replied directing his puppet so that it stood between him and Onchou. "You have to get through me first." He said as he urged his human looking puppet forward crossing blades with the man.
"Almost there." Onchou hissed as the spider neared the hole. "Thank you for being cooperative Arachne. You've made me change my opinion on spiders."
The beast clicked it's pincers in response and then vanished through the portal. The violet haired girl quickly sealed in shut and collapsed onto the sand floor.
"She got it!" Sakura called out.
"Well done." Sai said as ink snakes wrapped about his opponent sending him falling to the desert floor.
Sasuke nodded and turned his eyes to his opponents. "Now let's clean up here so we can go back" he said forming hand signs. "Fire lotus jutsu!" he exclaimed throwing the flames and shuriken within them at the soldiers advancing him.
"You are so pathetic!" Kyou called out as he dueled with Kankuro's puppet. "In the past you would've tamed that beast and then used it against your enemy! What's wrong with you?!" he demanded.
Onchou struggled to her feet and blocked an attack aimed at her by one of Kyou's men. "I keep telling you people. I wasn't with Takuma willingly. I was never that kind of person. I just acted that way to survive. Now that I'm free, I'm being the person I really am."
Kyou kicked the puppet back and growled in frustration. "Lies! I'll just have to remind you what kind of person you really are!" he snarled pulling something from his pocket.
Her eyes widened as she recognized it. She crouched down her eyes focused on it. "Try it!" she challenged. "I'll never let it touch me."
"Who said I was going to use it on you?" he replied turning. "The Kazakage, he seemed rather protective of you. I wonder if there's a deeper meaning behind that. It sort of reminded me of how Akira was around you. Shall we test it?" he said as he aimed the weapon at the sand wielder battling nearby.
"Damn you, Kyou!" Onchou cried out as she moved with lightning speed towards the Kazekage knocking him to the ground even as the dart pierced her skin sinking into the flesh of her shoulder.
"Onchou." Gaara said looking up at her.
"Sorry. We always seem to end up like this." She said with a small smile on her lips. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Are you?" he asked.
She gasped and gritted her teeth as the medication raced through her veins. "No. I'm not." She replied staggering away from him.
"Gaara! Onchou! What happened?" Kankuro demanded running forward towards the violet haired girl as she fell to her knees.
"Get back!" she shouted her voice coming out a little distorted as she ripped the needle from her skin tossing it to the desert floor.
"What's going on?" Sakura exclaimed quickly scooping it up.
"Don't touch that!" Onchou screamed as she fell forward her hands clawing at the ground. "You have to get away from me now!"
"What's going on!?" Naruto demanded.
Suddenly, Onchou became quiet and rose from the sand with liquid grace her head bowed and her hair shielding her face from view. Low sultry laughter tumbled from her lips as she straightened to her full height, making the shinobi shift uncomfortably. As they watched, the color vanished from her hair starting at the roots changing from violet to stark white and her fingernails elongated as her fingers flexed.
"Tell me what's going on." Sai demanded joining the group.
"Her chakra has changed." Sasuke said softly. "It's been tainted with evil."
"What!?" Naruto exclaimed. "How can that be?"
"It must be whatever was in this vial." Sakura said putting inside her pouch. "She seemed to know it was coming too. We need to proceed with caution."
Onchou's head suddenly snapped back revealing her lips that were curled up into a sneer her eyes now black with red slits where the pupils had been. She lifted her hand looking at it with curiosity and stroked her face before she chuckled.
"Kyou you naughty boy." She said her voice low and sultry. "You stole this from Takuma's laboratory didn't you?" she sauntered towards him her usually fluid, graceful gate now a seductive sway.
The man grinned at her a little blush coming to his cheeks. "I did." He replied. "This is how I remember you. You look just like an angel like this." He murmured. "An angel of death ready to bestow her righteous judgement on this world."
"I see." She replied reaching for him. "You want me that badly?" she said trailing two finger tips up his throat.
"I do." He replied. "You power, your beauty, all of it." He whimpered.
Onchou chuckled again. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this but there's a reason Takuma never let anyone else use this particular drug on me." She whispered. She suddenly grabbed him by the throat her nails digging into the skin as she dragged him towards her. "I can't be tamed." She hissed before slamming him forward into the mass of soldiers.
"Onchou! This isn't like you! Snap out of it!" Sakura yelled.
The white haired girl glanced back at her with her devilish eyes gleaming and the medic staggered backwards. "It's the same." She murmured.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.
"When Naruto and you transformed. You both gave me that same look. I don't think she'll hurt us as long as she doesn't see us as the enemy but we need to be careful." She said.
"How do we bring her back?" Kankuro asked.
"I don't know." She admitted. "It depends on the potency of the drug and her own will power."
"Can you counteract it?" Gaara asked.
Sakura shook her head. "Not like this. I don't know what was in that drug and I don't have a way to find out right now."
"Damn! What do we do?" Naruto asked.
"Stay out of her way and try to contain her at the first opportunity." Sai replied.
"Get her!" Kyou rasped grasping at his bleeding neck. "Pin her down!" he commanded his men.
They rushed forward and Naruto moved to intervene but Sasuke grabbed his shoulder. "Don't. If you get in the middle, things will get complicated. I can see her chakra flaring too. She can take care of herself in this state I'm sure of it."
Onchou smirked and her ears began to glow shifting from silver, to gold, to blue.
"What is that?" Kankuro asked.
"I have no idea." Naruto replied. "We've never seen it before."
The girl began to sing weaving a haunting melody into the air using words that the shinobi didn't understand but made the hair on their skin stand on end. She extended her long slim hand and a pulse of chakra burst from it and moved towards the crowd. The fifty men closest to her suddenly stopped in their tracks. Onchou smirked and then a series of long high notes flew from her mouth and the men dropped to the ground holding their ears as they screamed.
"What is that?" Naruto demanded.
"Incredible." Sasuke murmured. "She cast a genjutsu on all of them using her voice."
"No way! Can you cast a genjutsu that wide?" Sakura asked.
The Uchiha shook his head. "No. It's no wonder her clan could fight on par with mine."
The girl flexed her fingers and the men screamed once more, then went still.
"How… how did you?" Kyou stammered.
"Come now. You knew I was called The Princess of Death." She murmured. "Did you really expect anything different?" she said as she drew a kunai in one hand and took her sword in the other. "Now, who else wants to dance?" she asked.
The shinobi watched in horror as she decimated the small army using her swords and her chakra to slaughter everyone in her path.
"What do we do?" Kankuro asked. "She can't go on like this."
"Onchou! Snap out of it!" Naruto exclaimed running after her.
She ignored him as she electrocuted a line of men and then reduced another to ash.
"That's right. This is your true nature." Kyou murmured. "So graceful even while delivering death."
"You're insane!" Naruto growled. "How can it be her true nature if you had to use a drug to get her into that state?!" he roared using a rasingan on the man and knocking him back several feet. "Who do you think you are messing with people's lives like that huh!?"
"Onchou! Stop! It's enough!" Sakura called out rushing after the teenaged girl. "You don't have to do everything on your own!"
The white haired girl whirled around. "Alone! Always alone!" she screeched pressing her hands to her head.
"Onchou! We're your friends. Let us help you." Sasuke said moving to stand next to the medic. The girl froze and looked at him her eyes briefly flickering back to purple. "It's working. Keep talking to her!" he called out.
"Onchou, we need you to listen to us." Sai called out.
"Come back to us Onchou!" Kankuro said moving towards her. "There are still so many things about the sand village you haven't seen yet. Don't you want to see it?"
"You're wasting your breath." Kyou rasped as he staggered to his feet. "Only Takuma and Akira could control her in that state."
"We're not trying to control her!" Sakura spat. "Akira wasn't either! He was trying to bring her back to her senses because he loved her just like we do!"
"Love?" the girl repeated her eyes flashing purple again.
"That's right." Sakura replied. "We love you Onchou. Come back to us."
"Yeah! We're not leaving without you!" Naruto exclaimed.
The girl began to shake tearing at her own hair as she shrieked. "Please, just go." She whimpered her eyes amethyst as she spoke. "I don't want to hurt you." Another wave hit her and her eyes went black again and a blast of wind chakra flew from her knocking the shinobi back.
Sakura cringed as she got back to her feet with Sasuke's help. "Damn! We were so close too." She muttered as the girl finished off the men with Kyou and turned her attention to the shinobi.
"What do we do now?" Sasuke asked.
The pink haired medic's eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. "She said someone's song snapped her out of her dark place before right?" she said.
"I think I know who's it was." She murmured before turning to face the Kazekage. "Gaara! Talk to her!" she shouted. "I think your voice will be able to reach her."
The sand wielding shinobi blinked in surprise and then thought for a moment. "Onchou!" he called out. The white haired girl turned to look at him. "You said once that the Queen's duty is to protect the King. What are you doing now?" he asked.
Onchou froze in her tracks her eyes flickering from black to amethyst. "Protect." She repeated.
"That's right." He replied. "Isn't there someone you swore to protect? He needs you. Ryuu needs you."
"Ryuu." She whimpered as tears filled her eyes. In a flash she pulled a kunai from the pouch on her let and twirled it twice around her finger before she plunged the blade into the flesh right above her hip bone.
"Onchou!" Kankuro cried out.
"Wait!" Sakura said holding out her arm. "I've seen this work before. Just wait."
The bronze skinned girl groaned and then fell to her knees. "I have people I must protect." She ground out through her clenched teeth. "I will protect them no matter what!" she screamed as she forced all of the tainted chakra to the surface of her being and released it in a ball of angry black and red energy that soared high into the sky and then exploded.
The shinobi watched anxiously as the white in her hair was replaced by vibrant violet and her eyes opened revealing brilliant amethyst with flecks of blue, green, pink and violet near the pupil. She looked at the shinobi standing nearby, then at Naruto who had Kyou by the collar of his shirt.
The Uzamaki smiled warmly at her. "Atta girl. Welcome back." He said.
She smiled weakly in response. "Yeah. Thank you." She murmured before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell forward.
Sasuke, the fastest of the group flashed forward catching her just before she hit the ground. "Hey. You didn't have to go and stab yourself, idiot." He scolded as he eased her down to the desert floor.
"Shut it you stupid Uchiha. I'm sure you've done it before too." She replied a weak smile tinging her lips.
His mind briefly went back to when he was in the forest of death a stabbed himself in the leg to force himself to move after being attacked by Orochimaru. "You're right." He replied.
Sakura rushed to her side and pressed her fingers to the girl's throat feeling for her pulse. "I really don't like that rhythm." The murmured. "Sasuke, get her turned over so she's face up." She instructed pulling off her belt and digging into her medical supply bag. With expert skill, she removed the girl's jacket and cut away part of her shirt so she could better see the kunai and its placement. She gently probed the stab wound with her fingertips and shook her head. "You had to pick that spot. It causes an intense amount of pain for sure but it can be fatal you reckless girl."
Onchou shrugged apologetically. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Obviously! Now please try to stay still. This is going to hurt. I'm going to pull out the blade while healing you simultaneously." She said placing one hand on the girl's hip to hold her down and funnel her chakra into the girl's system. "You've got to be kidding me!" The medic groaned after a few seconds.
"What's the problem?" Kankuro asked kneeling beside her.
"Her chakra network is so raw I'm having trouble getting my own to flow into her." She muttered.
"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked.
"It means I can't do much about the damage. I can only stop the bleeding I won't be able to close the wound fully." She gritted her teeth. "I don't even know if removing the knife is the right move now. She might bleed out before I get a chance to close her up." She slammed into her fist into the ground. "Damn it!"
"Sakura! What's going on!?" Naruto demanded.
"What should I do?" she muttered. A thought occurred to her and she quickly bit her thumb and slammed it to the ground. "Summoning jutsu!" she exclaimed.
A small slug appeared on the ground near her. "Hello Sakura dear. How can I help you?" Katsuyu asked.
"I'm going to remove this knife from this girl's abdomen. A drug I don't know anything about was injected into her and her chakra system is shot. I need you to help me sustain her life if I'm not able to seal the wound and work on cleansing her blood of any foreign chemicals." Sakura said tying her hair back.
"Of course. Whenever you're ready." The slug replied crawling onto the girl's stomach.
"Sai!" she called out.
"Yes Sakura." He replied.
"Get two of your ink birds ready. This girl needs to be returned to the village the moment I get this knife out of her." She ordered.
"Understood." He replied sitting down and preparing his scroll and brush.
"Are you ready?" Sakura asked the girl.
Onchou glanced around and her eyes found the Kazekage. "Gaara." She said softly. His eyes found hers and she extended her hand towards him. "I hate to ask, but will you stay by my side just until she's finished."
The sand wielder nodded and knelt down beside her and she reached for his hand. When she had it held firmly in hers she nodded. "Ok Sakura." She whispered.
Sakura nodded and held the girl's hip down with one hand pouring her chakra into her battered body as she slowly pulled the blade from her.
Onchou gasped in pain her head arching back as her free hand dug into the sand. Her eyes shut tightly as she whimpered a little sob bubbling in her lips. "I'm so sorry." Sakura said softly. "Just hold on a little longer."
The girl could only groan in response as the medic continued keeping her hand steady. "Nearly there." She muttered. "Got it!" she exclaimed as she pulled the blade free and tossed it aside. "Lady Katsuyu!"
"Right!" the slug said moving to cover the spot. "Her body is rejecting something horrid." She murmured. "Quickly bandage her up! I'll keep this spot sealed."
"Thank you." The medic replied wrapping the white fabric around her patient. The girl suddenly arched up a strangled cry falling from her lips as her body convulsed.
"What is this!?" Sakura demanded.
"It seems to be a side effect of the drug." The slug replied. "She needs fluids and a blood transfusion quickly. Anything to get this out of her."
"Right! Sasuke! Get Onchou onto one of those birds. You and Sai are with me!" she called out as Sai created the birds. "Kankuro, you and Gaara take care of what you need to here." Her gaze fell on the Uzamaki. "Naruto."
"Get out of here! You don't have to say it. I already know." He replied.
She nodded and leapt onto an ink bird that Onchou was lying on with while Sai and Sasuke took the other. They soared out of sight in the direction of the Village Hidden in the Sand.
"Come back here!" Kyou exclaimed kicking Naruto in the chest to force him off. He jumped to his feet and formed hand signs. "Sone column jutsu!" he exclaimed creating a series of the obstacles in the way of the retreating ninja.
"No you don't!" Naruto exclaimed forming signs of his own. A ball of air appeared in his hand. "Rasinshuriken!" he yelled as he threw the attack and sliced through the columns. "Are you an idiot!?" he demanded slamming his fist into the man's face. "Don't you realize the gravity of the situation?! She's dying you idiot! All because of you!"
Gaara stood his eyes cast on the horizon as the ink birds vanished on the horizon.
"Brother. I'll take care of things in this village. You do what you need to." Kankuro said tapping him on the shoulder.
The Kazekage lowered his head once and the puppeteer quickly strode away. He turned and knelt down in the spot where Onchou had laid only moments before and his eyes narrowing at the sight of the sand there stained red with her blood. It more than angered him, it enraged him. She'd already suffered so much and this man had forced her into a corner where the only choices she had was to harm herself or harm her friends and true to her nature, she'd sacrificed herself. The sand around him began to swirl as his gaze fell upon the man who was responsible for the terrible state she was in now.
"Naruto." He said softly as a ball of air swirled in the man's hand. "What did Sakura want you to do?" he asked.
The blonde man looked at him his normally bright face dark with anger. "She wants me to give this guy hell for what he did to Onchou." He replied.
"Excellent. That's where I'd like to send this man myself." He replied the sand around him picking up speed.
"You both look so scary." Kyou remarked with a chuckle. "Worried that your weapon of mass destruction is going to die? It's almost like you actually care about that girl."
A blast of sand knocked the man back slamming against a wall remaining from the spider's rampage earlier. Kyou coughed and blood spattered on the ground as he wheezed.
"Keep spouting nonsense and the next blast of sand is going right down your throat so you can't speak again." Gaara threatened his hands clenching and unclenching as his sand moved faster.
"I wouldn't take that threat lightly if I were you." Naruto warned standing beside the sand master.
"Onchou is staying with me in The Village Hidden in the Sand." Gaara declared. "She'll never be touched by the likes of you again."
Kyou laughed as he staggered forward. "You're both fools. That girl is nothing more than a weapon waiting to be used by the right person. You can act noble and self-righteous all you want but in the end all you'll do is use her just like Takuma especially you Lord Kazekage."
"Never!" Gaara shouted slamming the man with a wall of sand. "I would never betray her like that. You'd have to kill me first."
Kyou laughed and then sputtered as more blood poured from his mouth. "It doesn't matter anyway. Takuma will be coming for her soon. He'll never stop hunting her and there's nothing you or the great Village Hidden in the Leaves can do about it. Once he has her, this world as you know it will be destroyed and even the great Gaara of the Desert and Naruto Uzamaki Savior of the World will fall at his feet."
"I've heard enough out of you." Gaara said extending his hand. "Sand coffin!" he growled. The sand swirled around the man and lifted him into the air trapping him in a thick mass of sand. The man's eyes widened as he looked into the Kazekage's ice cold eyes. "What do you prefer? Slow and painful or quick and painless?" he asked as his fingers began to curl in squeezing the man.
"Gaara. Are you sure about this?" Naruto asked.
"His internal injuries are already so severe he won't survive even with Sakura's expert care." The Kazekage replied. "I have Onchou's report on Takuma's exploits in my possession and this man has already revealed more than he was supposed to about their plans. He doesn't have anything more to tell us or he'd be trying to bargain with me for his pathetic life."
Naruto's eyes widened. "How do you know?" he asked.
"I've killed far more people in my lifetime than you have." Gaara replied simply before directing his attention back to the man hovering in the air. "What's it going to be?" he demanded.
"Do what you want. If I can't have her, my life isn't worth living." Kyou muttered.
"Very well then." The Kazekage replied. "Naruto, go see if Kankuro needs any help. We're leaving once I finish up here."
"Yeah. Sure." Naruto replied understanding the true meaning behind his friend's words. He quickly moved towards the village herding all lingering villagers away from where the sand wielder lingered with his prey.
"Naruto. How are things going?" Kankuro asked as he urged the last remaining children towards the village center.
"Gaara is about to finish things up." Naruto replied.
"I see." Kuro said glancing in the direction where his brother was.
"He'll be alright won't he?" The Uzamaki asked.
"As long as Onchou manages to survive, he'll be fine." Kankuro replied. "Sakura has brought both of us back from death's door. I'm sure Onchou will be the same."
"Yeah. I hope you're right. For Ryuu's sake and for Gaara." He murmured.
"How considerate of you to clear out all of the nosy villagers before you take care of me. What a wonderful Kazekage you are." Kyou mocked. "Going to all this trouble over a beautiful monster like her. You must be one yourself."
"You're right." Gaara said his eyes darkening. "Sand Burial!" he growled clenching is fist and reducing the man to nothing but clumps of flesh and blood that rained down on the desert. With quick and steady strides he made his way to the village center.
"Did you take care of what you needed to?" Kankuro said studying him closely.
The Kazekage nodded. "I did."
"Lord Kazekage! Thank you for getting rid of that monster!" a young boy said running up to me. "I want to be a great ninja like you one day!"
"I am not the one who took care of the monster." Gaara replied. "That was the work of another great ninja. If you wish to aspire to be like someone, choose her instead."
"Gaara." Naruto said softly. "Are you alright?"
The Kazekage closed his eyes. "I'm heading back to the village." He declared.
"Wait! We'll come with you!" Naruto exclaimed even as the sand shinobi reduced himself to dust floating away from them and towards The Village Hidden in the Sand.
"We better get going." Kankuro said jumping to his feet.
"Yeah." Naruto said as they sprinted across the desert. "If he's using that method to return to the village, it's obvious that he's not alright at all."
Kuro nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly."
Gaara floated along the wind until he reached his destination. With a push of his chakra he materialized just outside the door of the critical care unit of the hospital and strode inside. Onchou was lying in a stark white hospital bed with a mask over her face and IV's hooked up to her hands. Machines beeped around him as he moved to her bedside. She seemed to sense his presence and opened her eyes and immediately focused on his face.
"Gaara." She whispered. "I'm worrying you again. I'm sorry."
"I'm the one that should be apologizing." He replied. "I wasn't able to protect you."
She smiled weakly at him. "The Queen's job is to protect the King remember?" she replied. "I don't regret my actions. I only wish I could've done something to prevent this situation from happening."
"Even so…" he replied. His eyes widened as the monitors attached to her went wild and she arched against the bed her hands clutching the sheets a strangled cry escaping her mouth.
Sakura rushed in with a syringe in her hand and plunged the needle into the girl's arm.
"Lady Katsuyu! Status report!" she exclaimed. The slug's head rose from where she was situated in the hole in the girl's torso.
"We're ready." The slug replied. "She should survive the procedure now."
The pink haired medic nodded and she glanced at the Kazekage. "Lord Gaara." She murmured. "Onchou wouldn't want you to see this. It would probably be best that you leave. I'm sorry." The girl in the bed moaned as her muscles twitched uncontrollably. "Please."
He nodded and strode out of the room glancing back one last time before the door closed. His brow furrowed as he stalked down the hall and out of the hospital. With determined steps he walked to the training grounds and focused his rage and frustration into power as sand began to swirl around him. It quickly thickened gaining speed as his emotions raged forming a twelve foot tall dust devil around him as a cry of frustration left his lips. Again that woman had put her life on the line to protect him. She was on the operating table because of him, suffering because of him. His desire to protect her was stronger than his desire to protect any other person in the world yet she was the one that had fallen. Her blood had stained the sand red in place of his own. The sand twister grew as his emotions crashed within him threatening to overtake him and send him spiraling into darkness.
"Gaara!" a voice called to him. He knew it well. That same voice had pulled him from the void before.
"Naruto." He murmured reaching for the light his first and most trusted friend provided. The sand around him stopped and then collapsed to the ground and he found Naruto and Sasuke watching him.
"Where is my brother?" he asked Naruto irritated that his voice was unsteady.
"He's waiting for you in your office." The blonde young man replied.
He nodded and took a deep breath as he tried to will the tension from his body.
"You know, we both know what you're going through." Naruto said as he and Sasuke moved closer to him. Gaara blinked in surprise but didn't speak as his friend continued. "Hinata, she's thrown herself between me and danger more often than I care to admit. When Pain destroyed the leaf village, during the war, and even when we worked to save the world from the moon." He shook his head. "That reckless woman."
Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Sakura is just as bad. She's been hurt so many times trying to protect me over the years. It almost makes me want to lock her up somewhere safe and never let her out."
"I know, right?!" Naruto exclaimed. "It sucks because we want to protect them more than anyone else in the world but they feel the same way about us and usually do a better job at it."
The Uchiha gave a long suffering sigh. "It's true. That's just part of having the love a strong woman." He said. "We can't stop them from throwing themselves in the path of danger because that would change who they are."
The Uzamaki nodded. "Exactly. All we can do is try to protect them as best we can and then pick up the pieces when we don't manage it."
Gaara stared at his friends. They did understand how he felt. The frustration, the anger, the guilt, all of it. He offered each of them a rare smile and walked forward putting an arm around each of them. "Thank you." He said. "I'm truly lucky to have friends like you."
Naruto chuckled as the Kazekage pulled away.
"Do you know what you're going to do now?" Sasuke asked.
Gaara nodded. "I'm going to my office. I have a large report to read. I'm going to protect her and the best way I can do that is by putting Takuma in the ground."
The Uchiha and Uzamaki smirked in response as he left.
"We did a good thing." Naruto said crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, I guess we did." Sasuke replied. He bit his thumb and slammed it to the ground. "Summoning jutsu!" he exclaimed. A bald eagle appeared and he took a scroll from his pocket and attached it to the bird who then took off into the air.
"A message for Kakashi?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke nodded. "He needs to know what went down here. If what Kyou said is true, then this Takuma guy is after world domination and that's never good. I'm sure Gaara is going to send him a message as well but it won't hurt to send one of our own."
Naruto nodded. "You're right." He replied. "I'm with Gaara, I want to put this Takuma guy in the ground."
The Uchiha nodded. "We all do."
Sakura collapsed on the roof of the hospital and leaned back against the edge of the bench her eyes closing as her head fell back. "I did it." She muttered. "Somehow I did it."
The surgery had been a difficult one as she tried to repair the effects that the drug, tainted chakra, and knife had on the girl. Her prognosis was now good given her amazing resilience and the blood transfusion that had cleared most of the damaging drug out of her body.
"Long night?" Sasuke said materializing beside her.
She glanced at him and nodded. "It was for you too." She replied. "What's everyone up to now?"
"Gaara and Kankuro are reading through Onchou's report and making arrangements for the village that was attacked to receive the help it needs. Sai is guarding Onchou's room and Naruto is with Ryuu and Temari." He replied.
"I see. What are you supposed to be doing?" she asked him.
"I'm supposed to escort a very talented, but exhausted medical ninja back to her room so that she can rest." He replied standing up and extending his hand to her.
"We'll if that medical ninja happens to have pink hair, you're probably going to have to carry her because she doesn't feel like moving at the moment." She said closing her eyes and shifting a little as her back throbbed.
"Very well." He replied pulling her into his arms.
She yelped and nearly jumped out of his embrace stopping only when she realized they were already moving across the roof tops. "If you'd waited a minute, I would've walked on my own." She hissed as she snaked her arms around his neck.
"If I'd waited a minute, you would've been asleep." He replied landing in front of their hotel and walking inside with her.
"You know." He said as he pushed the button for their floor on the elevator. "One of my only pet peeves about this village is the lack of balcony's." he admitted. "It's pretty hard to get into the windows here because of the unique styling of the buildings."
Sakura laughed as they approached their room. "You're starting so sound like Kakashi Sensei." She commented as he pushed the door open and locked it behind her.
"Should I feel insulted by that comment?" He asked as she kicked off her shoes and groaned.
"That's up to you. I'm going to take a shower." She told him.
"Ok." He replied taking off his own shoes and sitting down in one of the chairs. "I'll stay here. Call out if you need anything."
"Ok." She replied slipping through the door. With a sigh her clothes fell to the floor and she quickly stepped into the shower and let the water wash away all of the dirt, grime, and sweat left from her exhausting nearly twenty four hour day. She stepped out of the water and turned it off quickly wrapping a towel around herself and using another to dry her blush colored locks. After a few minutes, it occurred to her that she hadn't brought a change of clothes in with her and a groan escaped her throat. "Why is this happening to me?" she whined. Putting the dirty clothes back on was out of the question. Asking Sasuke was an option but that would mean he'd have to get her underwear too and that was just… awkward. Frustrated she turned and took in her reflection in the mirror. She didn't look too indecent right? I mean there were ninja who wore less than what she was now out on missions and all of the important parts were covered. She's seen him in nothing but a towel before twice actually so this really wasn't that outrageous right?
Deciding going out to get her clothes was the best option, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Sasuke's eyes lifted from the paper was reading and she felt a sense of smug satisfaction as his cheeks colored at the sight of her clad in nothing but a towel.
"Sakura?" he said his voice hitching a little which only made her feel better.
"Sorry. I totally forgot to grab a change of clothes. I'm just going to grab them really quick." She explained moving quickly across the room. Very carefully, she knelt down beside her bag and dug through it searching for her pajamas and under things.
"I can get those for you." Sasuke said moving across the room. "Just go back to the bathroom and wait."
"No way." She replied. "I don't want you looking at my underwear. It's weird."
"Please Sakura." He said. The roughness of his voice had her glancing behind her and she was surprised to see him standing a couple of feet away from her with his hands balled into fists. "I'm begging you, get back in the bathroom. I'll bring the bag to you."
"Its fine." She protested turning her attention back to her bag. "I'm almost done."
"I tried to warn you." He muttered.
"What?" she asked turning back to look at him. In a flash he was at her side his lips smashed against hers as he grabbed her around the waist and tossed her on the bed. "Sasuke!" she squeaked as he crawled over her capturing her lips with his own silencing her. His hands trailed over her exploring her bare shoulder, stroking up and down her arms and moving further down to trail his fingertips over her naked thighs nudging the fabric of the cotton towel up slightly.
She tore her mouth from his desperate for air. "Sasuke! I'm only wearing a towel!" she squeaked her cheeks bright red with embarrassment, surprise, and arousal.
"That's why I told you to get back in the damn bathroom." He replied moving his lips to her throat. "I don't have nearly as much self-control as you think I do." He growled against her skin as he moved his mouth to suck and nip at her collar bone.
Her heart pounded wildly at his words. He wanted her that badly. Sasuke Uchiha, the legendary ninja known for his expert control of his emotions and coldness wasn't able to keep his hands to himself after seeing her like this. The thought thrilled her and fanned the flames of her own arousal. She had no personal experience in sex but being a medical ninja, she knew all of the mechanics of it. However, nothing she'd studied prepared her for the heat pooling in her belly and the desperate need to touch and be touched.
"Sasuke." She groaned pulling at his shirt. He moved away from her and quickly pulled the garment from his body and then hovered over her again pressing his lips to hers. Her fingers moved greedily over the newly exposed skin feeling every ridge of muscle, tracing every nick and scar as she moved them over his shoulders and down to his hips.
"Sakura!" he hissed as her fingertips slipped under the fabric of his pants. He pulled away from her his eyes nearly glowing with his desire for her and she felt that she might burn alive right there. She trembled as his mismatched orbs both shifted to blood red.
"Sasuke, what are you…?" she questioned. A squeak of surprise left her lips as he reached forward and pulled the towel free letting the fabric fall exposing her to him completely. Her face colored with embarrassment and her hands instinctively moved to cover herself. His hand grabbed hers stilling her movement and her eyes widened.
"Don't!" he commanded as his sharringan enhanced gaze roamed over every inch of her. "You're beautiful Sakura." He said softly his voice thick with love and desire. He gathered her hands together in his bandaged one and pinned them down to the bed as his good hand trailed his fingertips over the exposed skin caressing each breast and stroking over the rosy pink tips drawing a gasp and then a moan from her. He leaned down and kissed one then the other before taking one of her rosy nipples into his mouth.
Sakura arched instinctively against him as a strangled cry tumbled from her lips. He raised his head slightly and smirked at her. "So loud." He murmured.
"Shut up!" she hissed looking away from him as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
He chuckled and laid his lips against her opposite breast kissing down to the nipple. "You are so cute." He murmured before sucking on the rosy bud.
She moaned her hands straining against the one pinning her down. He was setting her nerves ablaze and she desperately wanted to touch him. "Sasuke!" she groaned. "Please!"
He glanced up at her. "Please what?" he asked.
"Damn you! Don't tease me." She whimpered as his grip on her hands tightened.
"But you're so fun to tease." He replied. "Tell me what you want."
"I want… I want to touch you too." She said breathlessly.
"That wasn't so hard now was it?" he replied releasing her hands.
Finally free to move, she yanked his face up to hers again and smashed her mouth against his as her hands dug into the muscles of his back a little smirk of satisfaction of her own coming to her lips when he hissed against her mouth. Using her monstrous strength she flipped him onto his back and her lips and finger tips began to explore his bare torso. Sasuke groaned and panted as she dragged her tongue along the ridges of his abs as she worked her way lower to where his pants still covered his lower body. She licked her lips as she pulled at the black pants slipping them from his legs leaving him in only a pair of black boxers. A little chuckle fell from her lips at the sight.
"So that answers the question fan girls all over the world have asked." She remarked. "Sasuke Uchiha wears boxers. Black ones at that."
"Shut up!" he growled.
"Are you embarrassed?" she murmured crawling back up to hover over him once again pressing her lips to his before she pulled away. "It's alright. I'll be the only one to ever see them after all."
He smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You've had your fun." He replied rolling her to her back again. She tensed as his hand moved lower brushing against her womanhood and a jolt of fear went thought her. As much as she loved Sasuke, part of her was terrified of this act. It was something completely unknown to her and everything was happening so quickly. Nothing would be the same between them after this step was taken. He had just barely come back to her and part of her was still terrified that he'd leave again. If he left after they took this step, it would break her and the thought terrified her. He kissed her softly and then rolled once more until they were on their sides and he was spooning her. She was surprise, nearly shocked. She had felt so sure that he was going to keep going.
"Sasuke?" she asked a little confused at the change of events. He reached for the blankets and pulled them up and over both of them. "What is it?"
"Shh." He replied pulling her tighter to him. "That's enough for today."
"Are you kidding me?" she murmured her anger and embarrassment flaring. "Do you not want me?"
"It's not like that." He assured her smoothing his hand over her hair. "Calm down."
"Then what is it?" she demanded.
"You're afraid." He said softly in her ear. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to deny it but he spoke first. "It's alright." He assured her. "I am too. Just being with you like this is enough for me right now. The rest will come naturally." He brushed his fingers over the curve of her hip letting it rest there. "Don't worry. We'll get there just not tonight ok? Your wellbeing is much more important than anything else right now. Rest."
She sighed and snuggled against him. "Alright." She agreed as a wave of exhaustion hit her weighing down her eyelids. "I love you Sasuke." She murmured.
"I know." He replied lifting his hand to tap her lightly in the middle of her forehead. "Just go to sleep. I'll be by your side when you wake up."
Within minutes, Sakura was asleep and Sasuke smirked. She was beyond exhausted and it showed. After he was sure she wouldn't wake, he slipped away from her and moved to pick up the clothes she'd retrieved. Very carefully, he slipped the top into place taking one last look at her breasts as he did so. Some said that she was flat, but he knew otherwise. Her breasts weren't large and showy but they were perfect. Just a little bigger than a handful and more sensitive than he'd ever imagined. Her top taken care of, he moved to her bottoms and pulled the white lacy panties into place covering her womanhood from his gaze before finally slipping the bottoms over her hips. His task complete, he stalked over to the bathroom and quickly started the shower using the coolness of the water to remind him that he'd stopped for her sake and that waking her just to satisfy himself was selfish and wrong.
In all honesty, he'd wanted her more tonight than he'd ever wanted her before. She'd looked heavenly wearing nothing but a towel with her damp hair sticking to her neck. He hadn't been able to resist. Her naked body splayed out underneath him was everything he'd dreamed it would be and more. He'd activated his sharringan on purpose desperate to sear the image with every detail into his memory. Every muscle, every curve, the soft mounds of her breasts, her rosy pink nipples, the patch of vibrant pink curls between her legs. It was all lovely and all his. He'd been surprised at her boldness flipping him over and taking his pants off like she did. It had aroused him even further knowing that though he could dominate her, that she could hold her own and wasn't completely submissive. When he couldn't take anymore, he'd flipped her over and reached for the place he wanted most and instantly saw the fear in her eyes. It had been like cold water poured over the flame of his desire and he'd immediately realized that though she wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid of how quickly things were going. When he'd stopped to think about it himself, he'd felt the same fear. The moment their bodies became one, there would be no going back and they both knew it. He promised himself then that he would take his time and properly treasure her until that fear in her eyes was gone even if it took a lifetime.
He turned off the water and quickly toweled himself off and changed into a pair of boxers and knit pants not even bothering to put on a shirt as he went back to Sakura's side sliding in bed next to her. She reacted almost instantly turning and curling against him her hand resting on his bare chest. He smiled and put his arm around her and touched his forehead to hers. "Sakura, I love you." He whispered. "This time, it's my turn to wait for you."
P.S. I'm sorry to everyone who was hoping for a lemon and got a lime. It's still citrus though right? Thanks a million for reading, reviewing and such. The rest of the week is going to be a challenge for me since I have family coming into town but I'll do what I can. Thank you!