Ripples

Chapter 14

                          Abduction

"Is this feeling any better?" Sakura asked, her hands bracketed on either side of Juugo's face as she struggled to keep the touch of her healing chakra as light as possible.

She was trying to influence the hormonal balance of Juugo's body. It sounded easy, but in practice was incredibly difficult. Hormones influenced so much of the body, rarely having just one effect, so she would only risk tipping the balance the slightest bit.

Not to mention, that the collar had decided to remind her of its existence in the form of the light, empty feeling curling behind her eyes.

"I feel...calmer," the blonde man said wonderingly, as though he couldn't quite believe it.

"That's only because Sasuke used his Sharingan on you," Karin sniped, pocketing a few kunai as she prepared to leave the room on an errand. "It has nothing to do with her."

Sakura ignored the redhead but Juugo frowned at her, a shadow of anger flitting across his features. The medic was glad that some of the blonde's usual spirit seemed to be returning – he had been so guilty about attacking her he'd barely been able to look her in the eye when she'd first started working on him.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Suigetsu asked Karin rudely. "Somewhere not here?"

Karin sneered and shut the door with a bang. Sakura privately thought it was a miracle the sound didn't wake Sasuke – his battle with Deidara must have truly exhausted him.

"Do you feel anything other than calmer?" Sakura queried, as though she and Juugo hadn't been interrupted. "Headache? Nausea? Anything that just spontaneously developed while I was working on you?"

Juugo shook his head.

And Sakura beamed. "Excellent! I think we may be on the right track here, as far as curing you goes. I'll be perfectly honest – I'm not sure if I could ever completely cure you, but I certainly might be able to help-"

The medic's words were cut off by a large yawn.

"You might want to take your own advice about that sleeping-thing, Princess," Suigetsu commented. Then, with a flirtatious grin, "Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you'd look hot even with bags under your eyes-"

Sakura giggled. Suigetsu's playful interest in her was good for her ego, as opposed to the constant barrage of 'ugly' from Sai or the continued reminder of Sasuke's disinterest (though that little episode when she was healing him still made her think). Sure, Naruto did much the same thing, but nowadays it seemed to be an action of habit, as opposed to any real desire for her.

As always, thoughts of Konoha brought a painful twinge of homesickness, and Sakura had to forcefully steer her mind elsewhere to keep her mood from plummeting.

"It's this stupid collar," she groused. "If this was off-"

"I'll have another go at it," Suigetsu offered.

Sakura slumped back against the wall behind her, sitting down and letting her head rest on it to allow him access to the lock that had so frustrated him previously.

"Why don't you just try to cut it off?" Juugo asked. "The leather is tough, and quite close to your skin, but as long as you were careful..."