Gaara x Sakura

~Ep 10~

Get out of here! They will kill you to release the Tailed Beast and use it as a weapon!"

"I'd never leave you."

He wrapped his arms around the woman's smaller frame and pulled her close, wrapping his hands in her wavy, shoulder-length locks. The woman sobbed into his shoulder, fisting his shirt in her hands.

"I can't do this to you," she sobbed. "Please, just leave!"

"Your family will suffer the consequences if I leave," he murmured into her hair. "Everything will be okay."

The sounds of angry screams were getting closer, and the male released her to prepare for the fight ahead. There were three swift kicks, the third one flinging the wood door open so fast, it made a loud crack as it slammed against the wall. There stood the villagers, the most ruthless of them all standing in front. His long dark spikes and red orbs bore into the man in front of him.

"You are an enemy to us, One. You'll never get the chance to hurt us!"

"I wouldn't harm anyone!" the man yelled. "You're just a coward willing to sacrifice people from your own village. You're fucking pathetic."

His persecutor signaled for the attack as a blood-curdling scream echoed through the air.

Sakura woke to the sun's bright rays and shifted the covers over her head, but it was too late. She could now hear the birds chirping and her mind was going from groggy to awake. Damn it, why was it when she wanted to sleep in her body refused. As if to mock her, Sakura's stomach grumbled and her bladder instructed her feet to the bathroom. The ninja cursed to herself before sitting up and stretching. Sakura rubbed her eyes and stood up, slipping her feet into her slippers. It was time to grocery shop with the earnings she'd gotten from her mission.

Trudging towards the bathroom, Sakura closed the door behind her hand stripped herself of her clothes. She used the bathroom and turned on the shower. Within minutes, Sakura was underneath the warm embrace of the water. Sakura held her head underneath the stream to soak her hair and lathered shampoo into it. Her thoughts wandered to that red-headed menace. To Sakura's irritation, Gaara would stand off in the shadows close by. His presence may cause a scene if her friends ran into her with him

Despite that, Sakura realized she had questions. Was the story of him slaughtering thousands of people true? Who picked her for Gaara and why? That thought made her temperature rise. Who thought she needed someone's constant help? Sakura was one of the most powerful kunoichi in the leaf. The next time she saw Gaara, he would explain what the hell was going on.

After rinsing her hair and giving her body a good scrub, Sakura stepped out of the shower and dried off. What did she want for breakfast? When she exited her small house, Sakura swung by the Yamanaka flower shop to see if Ino would like to join her for breakfast. She wasn't in the mood to hear the latest Konoha gossip, but eating by herself just seemed too lonesome.

During her walk to the flower shop, Sakura enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her skin. It was so nice during this time of the year and she wished it would stay like this year-round. There was nothing better than the smell of the trees and the colorful flower blooming, making the surroundings pop. Nature itself was just a beautiful thing that Sakura enjoyed. It had been a while since she watched the sunset from the top of Hokage Tower. It would give her time to clear her head of her current situation with her stalker/protector guy.

Soon the small shop was in view and Sakura let herself in, a little bell dinging when she stepped in. Her eyes fell on Ino's father. He gave her a gentle smile before asking was she looking for Ino.

"Is she awake yet?" Sakura questioned while looking over the gorgeous bouquets of roses lining the right side of the entrance.

Inoichi chuckled. "I didn't have to drag her out of bed this morning. She's in the back sorting our new shipment of flowers. Go on back."

"Thank you," Sakura called as she headed towards the back of the store.

She opened a heavy door and looked around for her friend, enjoying the earthy smell that was permeating from her surroundings. The foliage made her want to try gardening again. Sakura had always wanted to grow her own fruits and vegetables. Too bad she never remembered gardens required up-keep. Hers always died from lack of water and weeding. One of these days she would get it right. She refused to get tips from Ino so she could tease her about lacking a green thumb.

"Hey, pig!" Sakura shouted. "Want to get breakfast?!"

"Stop calling me a pig, Mega Forehead!"

Sakura blinked in response. Well, that was a new one. Into came from around a corner, apron smudged with dirt along with her gloves. Her blue eyes sparkled at Sakura while she removed her gardening attire.

"Weren't expecting that, huh?" she teased, bumping her shoulder against Sakura.

"Oh hush," Sakura muttered. "Are you coming to breakfast or what?"

Ino tapped her finger on her chin. "Where did you want to go?"

That was a good question. Ino saw the confused look on the pinkette's face and laughed. "How about the eatery by the hospital?"

"What's that place called again?"

"Hell, if I know."

Sakura huffed. "Well, wash your grubby hands first."

Ino responded by rolling her eyes and heading towards the sink.

Once they got seated in the small outside shop, the two girls ordered. While they waited, Ino filled Sakura in on what's going on with Tenten and Neji. They were expecting their first child, and it outraged Neji's clan about having a child out of wedlock. It shocked Sakura to hear Tenten was pregnant at twenty, but she and Neji had been dating since they were teenagers. Sakura pondered on what that was like, tuning out Ino's banter. Sakura could see the love between her two friends whenever they looked at each other. Though Neji's his facial expressions remained constant, anyone could tell that she meant everything to him.

Sakura envied them. The one person she had ever loved did not share her feelings. True, he wouldn't mind her bearing his children to rebuild his clan, but Sakura refused to just be a baby factory. When he brought such a preposterous idea to her, she slapped him, something Sakura had never pictured herself doing. She put Sasuke on a golden pedestal in her life. As Sakura got older, she realized it was an obsession. She wanted to save him from the horrible path he was going down.

Ever since Sasuke had returned a year ago, Sakura could count on her hands the number of times they had encountered each other despite all the times she had tried to spend time with him. She tried to show Sasuke he wasn't alone, that he didn't have to shoulder all the pain he had bottled up inside him by himself, but it was too late. It corrupted him and although he was back in the Leaf, Sakura knew he'd leave again. The Konoha ninja life wouldn't suit him for much longer and this time, Sakura could live with him figuring out a life outside the village.