Kankurou's POV

My head is too narrow for the amount of pain perpetrated upon me by the black spiders inside my stomach, inside my blood vessels...They roam and roam; their small legs, multiples of eight, leave burns wherever they touch. I can see them spitting venom that dissolves all matter. It hurts so much! They stop and eat whatever remains, replacing the world with a new one: a world of death. I am not ready to meet God yet. I haven't done enough to earn my salvation. Please, God! Give me another chance.

A white spark pushed the darkness away little by little. I felt a hand pull all of my misery out. The light grew and grew until it blinded me and my ears were bombarded with blasting noise coming from various voices around me. Am I alive?

I didn't understand much after I had woken up from the coma except for the fact that nobody in the room thought I had a chance of healing. What did that Sasori of an uncle give me? I wondered before sitting up on the bed. Sakura forced me to drink something. Bitter.

"You have to drink it to the bottom."

I forced myself to do it because she didn't seem to be giving up, so I would rather get it over with.

I choked and coughed in the end, but I felt better. I looked to my left, where my sister had previously sunk down to the floor. She seemed in shock, but not injured.

"Kankurou-sama."

"Ba-ki." I tried my best to collect myself so I could ask the most important questions. "My brother?"

Sakura's was all ears.

"Kazekage-sama was not harmed. He's resting, praying for your recovery."

I felt the tension in the room dissipate.

"Akatsuki?"

"They're dead."

"Both?"

"Yes, sir. Deidara took his own life while Sasori was killed in battle. Unfortunately, Chiyo-sama has also died on the field of battle."

"I see. We'll settle a proper funeral for Lady Chiyo."

"Yes. As you command…What should we do about the remains of Sasori?"

"His heart was the only live part of him, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Bury it."

"But, Kankurou-sama, he can't be subjected to a proper funeral. No one who commits suicide is. God gives life, God takes that life."

"I know. Wrap his heart in a white sheet and bury it without a ceremony. God will judge him in the afterlife." Baki said that because Sasori must have let Chiyo-sama kill him. There is no way an old woman could have taken down such an extraordinary opponent who even had possession of the deadliest poison I have ever come across, a poison so deadly that only God could save me. "Bring me his body. I will add it to my collection of puppets. Bury his heart in the same grave as Deidara."

"I am afraid that's impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"There is nothing left of him."

"I understand."

Baki bowed and left. Sakura was already gone by the time we finished speaking. I gently rested my hand on my sister's shoulder and smiled. She looked up to meet my eyes.

"Thank you for your prayers."

"How do you know about that?"

I only grinned and Temari was relieved. I don't like seeing her upset.

…..

Sakura's POV

As soon as I heard that Gaara-kun is alive, I escaped from the room unnoticed. I want to see for myself so my heart can be at peace. I didn't ask him where he was because I felt the thrill of finding out for myself, so I hung on to it. It didn't take long before I realized he must be in a tall building from where he can see the entire village. He adores looking at his land, his inheritance. I feel bad that I made him worry the last time we spoke. He never replied back to me. I wonder if he is annoyed or upset. Did I do something wrong? Is this why he hasn't talked to me? With every question that bugged me, my steps slowed down more and more. What if he doesn't want to see me? I asked myself while staring at my sandals in the sand.

"Just how long do you plan on making me wait?" a warm, cheerful voice rang in my head.

"Gaara-kun!" My energy level boosted and he gave me just the right impulse to run after him.

He told me where he was at. I climbed the steps of a tall tower, just like I had predicted and when I opened the wooden door, out of breath, there he stood, tall and straight like an arrow. His hair was shining like the sunset. His face broke into a smile and he welcomed me.

I grinned at first, but then I gave my best to keep my composure. Gaara-kun looked at me quizzically when I walked towards him slowly before stopping next to him to look through the same window the body was facing. He smiled, but decided not to push me and see where this was going.

"I am happy to see you are well. I am sorry I couldn't make it when you called me."

"Please don't worry about it. I am the one who should apologize. Because of me you must have been hit because Shukaku talked to me instead of you."

"What did he say to you?" Gaara-kun asked in a serious tone.

"Just that you aren't available. I knew at that moment that something went wrong. I was afraid you died."

"But here I am." He said happily before wrapping a hand round my shoulders.

"I am sorry. I must smell bad. I didn't have time to wash the blood off since I was busy trying to save Kankurou's life because I know how much you care about him. Plus, Temari asked me to and I couldn't say no to her."

"I didn't even notice your clothes are stained until you told me."

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't care about bad smell or anything."

I smiled.

"How is Kankurou?"

"He's alive, thank God."

"Thank you, dear."

"You really don't have to thank me. I was powerless. Nothing I tried worked fast enough to save him. His heart was already poisoned. A miracle is the only explanation."

"I see. Then I have to thank God twice."

"Huh?"

He kissed the top of my head.

"Before Deidara gave his last breath in an explosion, Shukaku had already taken control over my body."

"Oh, no!"

"As soon as he felt endangered, he retreated into its shell, leaving me completely exposed."

"Oh, my God! Are you hurt?"

"Thankfully, no. I felt a warm hand as big as the earth shield my body and attenuate the fall. Warm light encompassed me and I heard a lullaby."

I hugged Gaara-kun and giggled.

"Your prayers worked. God had mercy on all of us."

Later that day we met again on top of the hill that's situated West of Konoha. I stared into space, imagining myself walk the distance home. Gaara-kun brushed a pink strand of hair away from my face. The back of his fingers brushed my cheek. His smile only lasted for 2 seconds before it was gone.

"Please tell me what happened to you."

I knew he meant what had happened with Sasuke. I briefly told him the story. However, instead of being angry or upset, Gaara-kun was unusually calm. I wonder why…

"By the way, where is he? The last thing I know is that is that he was unconscious when I felt the underground tunnels."

"Don't worry about the Uchiha. He's been taken care of."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

"I see. I hate taking lives, but it had to be done because he would have never stopped trying to kill me."

"You are free now." Gaara-kun took my hands in his. "Free to marry me."

"Of course. But Sasuke wouldn't have had how to stop us from getting married anyway."

"Ugh, let's not talk about that person anymore."

"Sorry."

"I want to have the wedding as soon as possible. What do you say about this spring?"

"Yes, that would be great!"

"Perfect! We'll sort out the details as soon as we get back on our feet."

"Of course. Whatever is necessary."

"I have to repair the gate that Kankurou fought at; I also have to fix the tunnels."

"Sorry about those."

"They're fixable. I don't care about things. I care about people. I care about you."

"Aww! You're sweet."

"And then there's the whole spider web that I have to clean and bury the bodies of the heroes who died protecting our nation, hold proper funerals, take care of their families, make an inventory of the weapons we still have and are usable, order new one to replace the ones we have lost…All in all, it's going to take about a month to get everything back to how it originally was."

"Only one month? Gaara-kun is such a capable man, that it doesn't take me by surprise. I want to stay by your side forever."

"You will have to wait until spring to be able to make that promise."

"Hi! Hi! Gaara-kun is right!" I said while hugging him tight, so tight that he released a grunt. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It's only love." He laughed.

"Gaara-kun, don't say something so embarrassing."

"Why not?"

My face was all red, so I hid it in his chest. He wrapped an arm around my back. His other hand caressed the back of my head.

…..

Gaara's POV

"Gaara-sama, we have him!"

"Whom?"

"That rogue Konoha ninja who dared to attack Temari-sama and Sakura-sama. What should we do with him?"

"Where is he?"

"We locked him in the cells."

"Are you crazy? He has the sharingan."

"He is unconscious for now. We put him in a straitjacket and wrapped a cloth around his eyes."

"Perfect. You did well. Now here is what I want you to do in secret. Nobody else has to know, understood?"

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir."

I told them to keep him wrapped up just like he is now, but standing up. I put a chakra suppressor in the room to make sure he doesn't muster strength to escape. I had someone surround him with a wall made of bricks, so there is no room for him to sit down. I told them to leave an opening in the wall so they can feed him. He is going to die drowned in his own feces and urine eventually. The Uchiha has tortured Sakura and I long enough. Now he has to pay for it.

...

Notes: All of you support me so much! Thank you! I am sorry I made you wait again, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait. We're getting close to the end. The issue of Ino vs Sakura has to be solved and also the issue of Sakura's parents. They haven't been in Konoha for a while. Maybe Gaara and Sakura should visit. Or do you think it would be more suitable if they are visited in Suna? Are you satisfied with Sasuke's death?

I am grateful to all of you for reading and leaving reviews:D

God bless you!