I drew some crappy art of what Sakura looks like now, links in my profile.
Look at it before you review and leave some comments on it! I like to
provide visuals for my readers. It's mostly just her hair and the sand
right now, everything else is generic. And go figure, I want to either be
a mangaka or an animator when I get older. XP
More notes at the end of the chapter.
~*~
Sakura washed the silvery goop out of her hair, watching most it go down the drain of her bathtub. She stuck out her tongue and scrunched up her nose. The smell of ammonia was overpowering in the small room. Grabbing a comb and fluffy towel, she ran out of the smelly air as soon as she could.
The sand had been idly scrubbing away at her skin as she had showered, gently exfoliating and lifting the dead skin away from her body. Now it served as an insulator for her rather sensitive breasts, keeping away the biting cold. Sakura opened the towel and looked down at the little particles. A little smile found it's way to her lips, turning into a leer when the sand took the form of two very familiar hands.
When the hands started to massage, she gently stilled them. Writing onto the back of one of them, 'Not now, Gaara-kun. I've got to finish drying off so that I can leave before the sun rises.'
No reply was sent, but the sand gently wove its way back down her body to plaster on her stomach, curling its way down her thigh. Possessive. Sakura blushed at the gesture. A blush of happiness, of completion. She'd find her place with Gaara, she was sure of it. She'd be his special person. A bed warmer as well, but what did that matter? All the more fun for her!
The sky was beginning to lighten, turn to an odd shade of bright green- gold, threads of sunstreaked orange weaving up and over. It was a cold sky, the beginnings of a pale slate blue already starting. Not a cloud in sight. In that instant, her eyes aged a thousand years. Naruto. Sasuke. One, or perhaps both, were dead. She knew, she knew the colors of their chakra, and she'd been able to see it as far as the horizon. There was a mysterious lack of color in the deadened forest now. Nothing but deep black green trees as far as the eye could see, their chakra a depressing gray.
She looked in the glittering mirror to her right. Her eyes were the same color as they sky. A deep, ageless green mixed with gold, molten pools of jade. They began to glow and sparkle unnaturally as she wept for the death of her childhood. Her deep brown knapsack was tossed onto her bed, her red zippered dress quickly following it. She was standing in the middle of her room, her black bandeau undergarments connected by black mesh stark against her pale skin. She was shaking. It was because of sadness, of anger, indignation and most of all, loneliness. How DARE they leave her! How DARE they die?!
Angry, she wretched open her closet door, almost throwing it off it's hinges. The light was flipped on violently, dresses and outfits thrown over her shoulder until she came to the appropriate one.
THAT dress.
The one that Naruto and Sasuke had given her together.
'If we...one of us, or both...should die during a mission, we want you to wear this.'
'Yeah, Sakura-chan, I thought it'd look pretty on you. And we'd both like you to be pretty at our passing. Something for us to look at while we fly to heaven! A sparkling diamond...'
'Sakura, we want you to wear this.'
Wear this.
At our funeral.
Wear this.
After we're dead.
Wear this.
While you mourn.
Sakura gripped the dress.
They were dead, she knew it now. She couldn't cope, she couldn't...
Ever since that fateful day, she'd never looked at it. Taken it home and firmly shoved it to the back of the closet, the back of her mind, the back of her life. No funerals, not until they were too old to walk and their grandchildren had to come and take care of them. Not until everything was peaceful. Not until she and Sasuke had gotten married.
Now, she pulled it out. Out of the back of the closet, out of the back of her mind, and situated it in the front of her life.
It would normally be considered a very pretty dress, one that would flatter Sakura in every way that Naruto, and silently Sasuke, would appreciate. To Sakura, it was horrible. A mild shift of while lace, leaving her arms and collarbone bare, and her leg from mid thigh on down. White, purity. White, not grieving. White, an unspoken, yet firm, command to not mourn. It had been somewhat thoughtful, if yet morbid, gift, but now that it was to serve it's purpose, she doubted that either ninja would appreciate it much.
Slipping it on, grabbed her knapsack firmly once more and jumped out of her window, leaving her old life behind.
She got as far as the Hokage monument when a firm hand grabbed her arm. The sudden force made her squeal and almost fall. The tight grip would have supported her, but she really didn't think that Gaara would appreciate the bruises.
She looked up slowly, not really wanting to face her captor.
Kakashi was staring at the sunrise.
"You're leaving."
She was stunned. How could he have possibly known that should would leave today? Right now? And this path? "...Yeah, I am."
"Naruto and Sasuke are dead."
A wince, either from her or Kakashi she couldn't tell.
"I already knew."
He stared down at her, his one visible eye piercing her soul. He looked...so lonely. So lost. And very determined. "You aren't leaving me too."
Her eyes widened, and she could feel the anger of the sand. "Yes I am, Kakashi-Sensei. I'm going to meet someone. Someone precious to me. Someone to protect."
"You're taking me with you."
She sighed. "Kakashi-Sensei, the person I am about to meet...I think that I might be considered a Missing-Nin for what I am about to do."
"Gaara of the Sand."
It was deadpanned. It was straightforward. And it broke her heart.
"You guessed it too. So, you see, that's why you can't come with me."
That one eye again. This time on fire. Burning, passionate. "He'll have to learn to share."
And then his mask was down and his lips covered hers.
~*~
GODDAMMIT!!!
I really did not mean for that to happen!! Grr...STUPID SEXY KAKASHI!!!! XP Well, it's now officially a KakaXSakuXGaara ship now.
That was really out of character for Kakashi, which makes me want to smack myself. And there was next to NOTHING in this chapter. Oh well. I'll just have to pick it up next chapter.
OMG, I really did not mean for this to happen. I never wanted it to; I wanted this to be a Gaara/Sakura only. However, my fingers have other plans...
Well, votes! Who thinks that Sakura should slap Kakashi next chapter? What about Gaara? Should the two actually SHARE Sakura? I love Kakashi to death, and I adore the thought of Sakura and him together, but I don't know...It's starting to sound like a good idea!
Short chapter, I'm sorry! Keep looking at my profile for new additions of fanart and suchness.
More notes at the end of the chapter.
~*~
Sakura washed the silvery goop out of her hair, watching most it go down the drain of her bathtub. She stuck out her tongue and scrunched up her nose. The smell of ammonia was overpowering in the small room. Grabbing a comb and fluffy towel, she ran out of the smelly air as soon as she could.
The sand had been idly scrubbing away at her skin as she had showered, gently exfoliating and lifting the dead skin away from her body. Now it served as an insulator for her rather sensitive breasts, keeping away the biting cold. Sakura opened the towel and looked down at the little particles. A little smile found it's way to her lips, turning into a leer when the sand took the form of two very familiar hands.
When the hands started to massage, she gently stilled them. Writing onto the back of one of them, 'Not now, Gaara-kun. I've got to finish drying off so that I can leave before the sun rises.'
No reply was sent, but the sand gently wove its way back down her body to plaster on her stomach, curling its way down her thigh. Possessive. Sakura blushed at the gesture. A blush of happiness, of completion. She'd find her place with Gaara, she was sure of it. She'd be his special person. A bed warmer as well, but what did that matter? All the more fun for her!
The sky was beginning to lighten, turn to an odd shade of bright green- gold, threads of sunstreaked orange weaving up and over. It was a cold sky, the beginnings of a pale slate blue already starting. Not a cloud in sight. In that instant, her eyes aged a thousand years. Naruto. Sasuke. One, or perhaps both, were dead. She knew, she knew the colors of their chakra, and she'd been able to see it as far as the horizon. There was a mysterious lack of color in the deadened forest now. Nothing but deep black green trees as far as the eye could see, their chakra a depressing gray.
She looked in the glittering mirror to her right. Her eyes were the same color as they sky. A deep, ageless green mixed with gold, molten pools of jade. They began to glow and sparkle unnaturally as she wept for the death of her childhood. Her deep brown knapsack was tossed onto her bed, her red zippered dress quickly following it. She was standing in the middle of her room, her black bandeau undergarments connected by black mesh stark against her pale skin. She was shaking. It was because of sadness, of anger, indignation and most of all, loneliness. How DARE they leave her! How DARE they die?!
Angry, she wretched open her closet door, almost throwing it off it's hinges. The light was flipped on violently, dresses and outfits thrown over her shoulder until she came to the appropriate one.
THAT dress.
The one that Naruto and Sasuke had given her together.
'If we...one of us, or both...should die during a mission, we want you to wear this.'
'Yeah, Sakura-chan, I thought it'd look pretty on you. And we'd both like you to be pretty at our passing. Something for us to look at while we fly to heaven! A sparkling diamond...'
'Sakura, we want you to wear this.'
Wear this.
At our funeral.
Wear this.
After we're dead.
Wear this.
While you mourn.
Sakura gripped the dress.
They were dead, she knew it now. She couldn't cope, she couldn't...
Ever since that fateful day, she'd never looked at it. Taken it home and firmly shoved it to the back of the closet, the back of her mind, the back of her life. No funerals, not until they were too old to walk and their grandchildren had to come and take care of them. Not until everything was peaceful. Not until she and Sasuke had gotten married.
Now, she pulled it out. Out of the back of the closet, out of the back of her mind, and situated it in the front of her life.
It would normally be considered a very pretty dress, one that would flatter Sakura in every way that Naruto, and silently Sasuke, would appreciate. To Sakura, it was horrible. A mild shift of while lace, leaving her arms and collarbone bare, and her leg from mid thigh on down. White, purity. White, not grieving. White, an unspoken, yet firm, command to not mourn. It had been somewhat thoughtful, if yet morbid, gift, but now that it was to serve it's purpose, she doubted that either ninja would appreciate it much.
Slipping it on, grabbed her knapsack firmly once more and jumped out of her window, leaving her old life behind.
She got as far as the Hokage monument when a firm hand grabbed her arm. The sudden force made her squeal and almost fall. The tight grip would have supported her, but she really didn't think that Gaara would appreciate the bruises.
She looked up slowly, not really wanting to face her captor.
Kakashi was staring at the sunrise.
"You're leaving."
She was stunned. How could he have possibly known that should would leave today? Right now? And this path? "...Yeah, I am."
"Naruto and Sasuke are dead."
A wince, either from her or Kakashi she couldn't tell.
"I already knew."
He stared down at her, his one visible eye piercing her soul. He looked...so lonely. So lost. And very determined. "You aren't leaving me too."
Her eyes widened, and she could feel the anger of the sand. "Yes I am, Kakashi-Sensei. I'm going to meet someone. Someone precious to me. Someone to protect."
"You're taking me with you."
She sighed. "Kakashi-Sensei, the person I am about to meet...I think that I might be considered a Missing-Nin for what I am about to do."
"Gaara of the Sand."
It was deadpanned. It was straightforward. And it broke her heart.
"You guessed it too. So, you see, that's why you can't come with me."
That one eye again. This time on fire. Burning, passionate. "He'll have to learn to share."
And then his mask was down and his lips covered hers.
~*~
GODDAMMIT!!!
I really did not mean for that to happen!! Grr...STUPID SEXY KAKASHI!!!! XP Well, it's now officially a KakaXSakuXGaara ship now.
That was really out of character for Kakashi, which makes me want to smack myself. And there was next to NOTHING in this chapter. Oh well. I'll just have to pick it up next chapter.
OMG, I really did not mean for this to happen. I never wanted it to; I wanted this to be a Gaara/Sakura only. However, my fingers have other plans...
Well, votes! Who thinks that Sakura should slap Kakashi next chapter? What about Gaara? Should the two actually SHARE Sakura? I love Kakashi to death, and I adore the thought of Sakura and him together, but I don't know...It's starting to sound like a good idea!
Short chapter, I'm sorry! Keep looking at my profile for new additions of fanart and suchness.