Mixing of Snow and Sand

Chapter 43: Gone...

After my dad had left I ended up tossing and turning, trying to get some sleep but nothing coming to me.

By the time I could get any sleep the moon was rising into the sky. No one really came by for the rest of the day other than the nurses and doctors accessing my condition. I pretended I was asleep when they came in, I didn't feel like answering their never-ending questions about myself.

My slumber didn't last long as I slept for maybe an hour before I woke up startled. I wasn't sure what had startled me, but it was enough to make me look around the room. There was no one, only the shadows that my mind made into sinister figures.

My head turned sharply as I heard footsteps coming down the hallway outside the door. In my mind I knew they were probably the nurses checking on some of the patients, but instinctively my heart pounded against my ribcage. The footsteps poured closer and closer, eventually stopping outside the door. My door.

It's just the doctor or one of the nurses coming to check on me. I thought; the handle turned slowly. My heart pounded faster.

"Mia?" A soft, familiar female voice spoke as the door cracked open, blinding my with the hallway lights. I was about to answer when my eyes adjusted to the light. Standing there was my mother, a wide smile across her face.

"Mom?" I mumbled.

"Yes sweetie?" She shut the door behind her.

"Why are you here? How are you here?" I rambled, unsure what was real anymore. Had I died? Was this the afterlife?

"Honey, are you alright? You called me here." She placed her hand against my forehead, just like she used to do when I was little.

"I...called you?"

"Yes." Her hand was freezing, something was off. What was going on? I turned my head to get a better image of her. Her face was too stoic, she looked like a puppet.

Wait! A puppet! The genjutsu faded, revealing the puppet beside me. Sasori standing in the corner of the room.

"Impressive." I turned my head the other way to see Itachi standing next to my bed. I couldn't speak. My body was numb, in shock at the events that were transpiring.

"We need to hurry, Itachi. They'll be making their rounds soon." Sasori stated, referring to the nurses. he said nothing in response, just picked me up. I wanted to break free, struggle but my body was shutting down. They jumped out the open window, night had fallen by now. They quickly and stealthily made their way to the entrance of the village. I shook at the chill in the air.

"To think the Osore is still around." Sasori muttered, staring down at me as they last the entrance.

"She is one of the most proficient users. It wasn't until Shei was sealed inside of her that it was perfected, but even before that she had fairly decent control over it. Now she is the perfect weapon." A weapon? Is that what they wanted? The same as Orochimaru...I was always being used as a pawn in someone else's wars.

~

Gaara's POV

*the next morning*

When morning finally cam I was awoken by loud pounding on the door.

"Lord Kazekage?!" I was surprised that neither Temari nor Kankuro had answered the door yet, so I got out of bed and walked over. One of the nurses from the hospital was standing there. She looked pale. I immediately began worrying about Mia's condition.

"How is she?"

"I'm so sorry. We thought she would be safe with the Anbu guarding her." This made me freeze.

"Wait...she's gone?"

"The Anbu that were guarding her were killed, she was taken during the night." My hands shook.

"Why am I finding out now?!" I demanded.

"Your brother and sister went with some of our trackers. They didn't want to worry you." I rushed past her, heading to Lady Tsunade's office. I didn't care about manners anymore.

"You told me she would be safe!" I burst into the room.

"I thought she was."

"And look what happened! My girlfriend is gone!" She frowned.

"Please calm down, Lord Kazekage." Her assistant muttered.

"She's in the Akatsuki's hands now, who knows what they'll do with her!"

"I understand your concern, but we have the best of the best tracking her. Plus..." She trailed off.

"What?"

"We've done some research on the Osore. We believe that's what they're after. Not Shei. Therefore, they need her alive. They won't kill her."

"You don't know that for certain...none of this would be happening if you had let me stay with her."

"Yes...maybe so. But, we have intel that they need her alive. We will have other chances to get her back if they don't find them." This made me furious.

"Is that all my girlfriend is to you?! Just some expendable pawn?!" She looked like she was about to answer when a messenger hawk flew in the window. She took the message out and after reading it her face went grim. "What?"

"They lost her. They crossed the border."

~

Mia's POV

I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up I saw Itachi still carrying me.

"You're awake." He stated.

"Why...?" I whispered.

"There will be time for that." He was being gentle, friendly.

"Itachi?!" Wind blew us away. I went flying from his arms, hitting the ground painfully.

"Mia!" Temari called out. Okami rushed towards me, but Sasori's puppet pushed him back.

"Okami..." I whispered.

"Give her back!" Kankuro sent two of his puppets at Sasori.

"Kankuro, Temari..." I muttered, feeling dizzy. Itachi used his fire style before grabbing me quickly. He used the confusion to continue onward. We continued until the scenery changed. We had crossed the border, which meant I was theirs now.

~

Temari's POV

They were gone, they had crossed the border before we could catch them.

"Mia dammit!" I punched a tree in anger.

What do we do now?