Something was wrong.  Naruto knew this to be true, sensed it from the depths of his soul.  Even the Kyuubi seemed to be whispering warnings in the back of his mind.  And, on the third day Sakura had been absent from training, Naruto realized that she was the cause of his anxiety.  

“Teme!”

The dark haired youth glanced over from where he was standing to shoot the unusually tense blonde a glare.  Naruto’s blue eyes were wide with panic and sweat slid down his face as he panted to catch his breath after running over.

“What’s the matter, Dobe?”

“Sakura-chan!”

Sasuke was clearly growing irritated at the nonsensical answers the idiot was flinging at him.  With a roll of his eyes the Uchiha asked what Sakura had to do with anything.

“She’s missing!  Teme, her parents haven’t seen her in days!  She could be in trouble.  We have to help her.”

Naruto hadn’t been this serious since that incident with Haku and Zabuza.  And when the typically cheerful blue eyed boy was speaking with such deadly conviction it was usually best to listen to him.

“What exactly do you think happened to her?”  Because, regardless of what he said about their pink haired teammate, she had always been reliable and sensible.  She’d have told them if she were leaving.  And she certainly would have informed her own parents of her departure.  But she had not.  And suddenly the paranoid ramblings the blonde had just been spewing became very real fears.  

He was about to ask what they should do when he noticed the shocked expression Naruto wore.  The blue eyes were trained on a spot behind him and he frowned, before turning to see what could have not only stunned the blonde but also caught his attention when there was a possibility that their precious “Sakura-chan” had been injured.  

He felt like a fool when he caught sight of the pink hair fluttering in the breeze.  Here they were getting all worried about her well being and she was walking around seemingly without a care in the world.  It was really rather… annoying.  Just like everything else about Sakura.

“Sakura-chan!”  The loud, high-pitched, shriek beside him caused Sasuke to wince slightly (in a very manly and cool way, naturally).  In seconds the blonde had hurtled himself at their teammate, preparing to capture her in one of his patented hugs.  And Sasuke almost smiled with relief that she was alright.  She wasn’t kidnapped or hurt or dead.  She was there and fine and still their Sakura.  

But Sakura wasn’t smiling at Naruto.  She didn’t look angry either.  In fact she watched his approach with a dull sort of indifference that Sasuke almost envied in its completeness.  Despite this admiration there was unease.  Because this was not a reaction either of them were accustom to when it came to Sakura. Naruto paused in his attack, coming to a halt before her.

“Sakura-chan?”  The blonde intoned hesitantly, “Are you alright?”

“She’s fine.”  

The new voice that had answered in Sakura’s stead surprised them both and they turned sharply to stare at the person neither of them had paid attention to since the appearance of their missing friend.  

Sakura turned her dulled eyes to her companion and moved one slender hand to the sash at his waist.  She tugged lightly, like a child would her mother’s dress, until the boy turned his attention away from the remaining members of team seven to the girl at his side.

“Gaara?”  Her voice was a hell of a lot softer than usual, and it actually left them feeling vaguely unnerved.  Sakura, while physically weak, had always had a strong personality.  

The redheaded boy smirked and tilted his head at the two males staring speechlessly at him.  “Uchiha.”  He didn’t even glance in Naruto’s direction simply turned and began to walk away, continuing in the direction he had obviously been headed before being impended by the two boys.  Sakura retained her hold on the sash and obediently followed behind the redhead as he left her teammates behind.  She didn’t look back.

“Wait!”  Naruto was after her instantly, moving to grab hold of her arm in some sort of halting measure in order to keep her from walking away from them again.  Naruto’s fingers didn’t even get the chance to brush against the flesh of her arm before his wrist was caught in a vice like grip.  Fingers held tight and firm, bruising in the fierceness of the grasp.  

Startled blue eyes turned to clash violently with glaring green as the redheaded sandnin tightened his grip further.  Naruto spluttered indignantly before turning his wide eyes to Sakura.  

“Sakura-chan, what?”

“Do not address her.  Do not touch her.  It is advisable that you mind your distance from your betters.”

It was the most he’d heard the strange nin speak since they met a few days ago.  Furthermore, he remembered that meeting.  He remembered that the redhead, Gaara, had paid attention to Sasuke, had hardly glanced at Naruto.  But Sakura… he hadn’t even noticed her existence; she’d been completely beneath his radar.  He also remembered that Gaara had not been beneath Sakura’s.  She’d been petrified the moment she’d seen him and Naruto knew it.  So why was she now clinging to him?  It made no sense.  

“Sakura is our teammate,” Sasuke spoke up, tone cold and hard as steal, “she may speak to us and we may speak to her whenever either sees fit.  We are equals.”

They were not equals.  Not in Sasuke’s mind certainly.  He had always seen her as beneath him, as weak.  But Sakura had caught the eye of a ninja they all recognized and acknowledged as being elite.  She had caught his eye and he now seemed to regard her as his own.  As his property.  And that was something that neither Naruto nor Sasuke seemed particularly keen on accepting.  She was their friend, though Sasuke was loath to admit it, and they would not allow her to be subject to someone who was clearly abusing her in some shape or form.  Besides, if there was one thing you did not want to do it was order Sasuke Uchiha around.  He didn’t take to it well.  

“Sakura-chan…”  Naruto tried again, and the grip on his wrist increased in pressure, “your parents are worried… they don’t know what happened to you…”  

“She is staying with me.”

“Hey!  Why not let her answer!”  Naruto hadn’t really meant to snap at the more advanced ninja.  But the bastard was treating his Sakura-chan like some sort of… well he wasn’t really sure HOW he was treating her, but he knew he didn’t like it.  Whatever had happened had stolen the very light right from her eyes.  And to Naruto that was the same as killing her.  The bastard who was responsible was going DOWN.

“She need not speak to you.  She is my ‘Sakura-chan’.” The redhead cast a smug glance at the glowering Uchiha and added, “She always has been.”

“That’s a lie!”

“Naruto.  Be quite.”  Sasuke wasn’t much happier with the situation but he knew better than to make a scene.  The correct course of action would be to go to the authorities with their information.  The sand brat was here for the exams, as a guest, he would be expected to act accordingly.  Kidnapping wasn’t something you did when you visited someone else’s village as a political grace.  

“Come on Naruto.  We’ll speak to the third.”

“But Sakura-“

“Naruto.”  The blonde shut up, lips protruding in an obvious pout.  He didn’t look the least bit pleased with the situation but there was no helping it.  They would have to leave Sakura with the sand bastard until they could have her properly removed without causing any political problems.  This was a difficult matter.  If only the bastard had been from Kohona.  Then Sasuke would have no problems beating the living hell out of him and returning their friend to the safety of her home.  

“I hope for your sake that nothing happens to her while we’re away.”  He finally grit out as he led Naruto away.  The red head just watched him with an expression that clearly stated: I haven’t hurt her yet, retard, but I could if I wanted to.  Sasuke hated that look.

Sakura watched them go apathetically.  She didn’t care.  She watched until they were out of her sight before returning her gaze to Gaara who was eying her carefully.  She smiled at him and waited for his nod in return.  Once she received it she obediently followed after him.  She looked up at the sky and smiled.  What a nice day….

Gaara took her to the woods.  He’d done that yesterday too.  She liked the woods.  It was so pretty, smelled clean, fresh.  The woods smelled like innocence.  She liked that.  He told her to sit down in a clearing.  Like he had yesterday.  Sakura did as she was told.  She always did what he told her.  It was only fair.  Only right.  She’d traded her existence to him for a flower and now he’d come to reap the profits.  Now that she was older she realized that it may not have been her best decision, but she would live with the consequences.  

He sat opposite of her and stared for some time.  She allowed it, her gaze wandering with her mind as the silence stretched on.  He brushed the hair away from her face and she returned her attention to him.

“Smile for me.  Like you used to.”  Never mind that she only smiled briefly in their abrupt meeting as children.  Forget that most of the expressions she’d sent his way had either been pleading for that damnable flower or one of blazing female fury.  She’d been breathtaking in her anger… but Gaara doubted he’d ever see such expressions again.  

Sakura smiled.  Because he told her to, and Sakura always did as she was told.  Yes she did.  Sakura was a very good girl.  Gaara’d said so.  When they were all alone in his bed and he held her close.  It seemed to comfort him immensely to simply hold onto her as she dreamed the night away.  As though, if he didn’t, she would slip away.  But Sakura wasn’t going anywhere.  She’d promised to stay with him and so she would.  Forever.  Because she said she would.  And now her mind was going in circles and Sakura forced herself to calm down, to slow her thoughts, to just make everything go beautifully, blissfully, blank.  Because, if she really thought about it she’d realize that she hated this and that would kill her.  So she smiled and leaned into the hand he placed on her cheek.  She wanted to please him, and she would.  All she had to do was smile.  

“Gaara.”  He turned to look at the blonde, his assumed sister and glared.  He glares because he knows exactly what she has on her mind, can tell by the way her eyes lock on his hand in Sakura’s.  She doesn’t approve, not that he cares.  His sister is an enigma, she has no regrets about him slaughtering or murdering but damn if she permits him to find enjoyment in something that doesn’t involve killing.

He thinks he loves Sakura.  Loves her because he can.  He owns her, she’s his and she would never disobey him.  She is a possession that he may use in any way he pleases.  And the things you own cannot hurt you, betray you, kill you.  He loves Sakura because he can trust her not to hurt him.  And isn’t that what love is?  So why isn’t his sister, who at times claims to love him as a brother, happier for him?

“What is it, Temari?”  He’s not in the mood to discuss it.  Temari knew it, she can tell by the glare she’s at the receiving end.  But then she spied Sakura peeking at her from behind her brother’s back and she stiffened her resolve.  She wouldn’t let him hurt this girl the way he was.  This went far beyond just killing someone.  This is torturing their very souls.  And she’d be damned if she allowed Gaara to become so much of a monster that he is capable of such actions.  Because even when he kills he tries to make it painless.   There’s still some humanity left in the creature staring at her now.  She would like very much to preserve that.  That’s what big sisters are for.

“You shouldn’t be doing this.  It isn’t right.”  She’s said this many times now.  It sounds faded and pathetic even to her own ears.  And the blank stare Gaara levels her with proclaims how unimpressed he is as well.  She’ll have to try harder in order to convince the boy to let the girl go.  Never an easy task, made even harder by the boy being who he is.  Stubborn little fool.

He moved to walk away, Sakura trailing after like the obedient pet she is.  It makes Temari sick.  Women shouldn’t be so meek.  Especially not koenichis

“Gaara she has a family!”  Another weak excuse.  One that Gaara once again refused to respond to.  After all, the men they all kill have families as well, and none of them ever stopped to consider that.

“Damnit Gaara!  You’re both just kids!  You shouldn’t be doing this sort of thing!”  As soon as the words left her mouth she knew she had made a mistake.  It was one thing to give Gaara orders on behalf of Suna.  It was quite another to be telling him what to do in any other situation.  Not to mention that if the two of them weren’t actually doing “anything” then she had just given them the idea of it.

But Gaara simply increased the intensity of his glare and glided past her with the natural grace that always surrounded him.  It was the grace of a stalking predator, and suited Gaara impeccably.  And Sakura, oh Sakura made the most splendid prey.  Temari turned away from the dead green eyes of the girl and felt shamed.  This was wrong and she was too afraid of her psychotic younger brother to stop it.  She was such a gutless coward.

Upstairs in the confines of the room Gaara was allotted Sakura sat in the only chair in the room and watched her keeper as he paced violently back and forth.  Her gaze followed him listlessly even as the terrifying mumblings he uttered reached her ears.  Somewhere, beneath all the fear and acceptance she had built up to protect herself, Sakura sat and believed with all her heart that her boys would save her.  They had always saved her in the past, why should this be any different?

Because truly the promises of children should never be upheld, for all children were fools.  And, perhaps if circumstances had been different Sakura would still be a child with childish dreams and the stupid belief in promises.  But Gaara had swept back into her life and he was no longer the stubborn and yet somehow endearing boy of her past but a boy with a monster bubbling somewhere beneath his skin.  And he scared her.  

“Sakura…:

She blinked and focused on the boy who had moved from the center of the room to kneeling directly before her.  His hands (so much larger than the tiny hands of the past… where had that poor little boy gone?) gripped hers and he looked up at her imploringly.  

“Sakura… you’ll never leave me, will you?”

And she smiled despite all of her traitorous thoughts of escaping him and running away and of other men.  She smiled at him and told him that no, she would never leave him.  She was his until the end of time and nothing would change that.

The boy with the wild green eyes actually smiled back up at her and shook his head before the expression dropped swiftly from his face.  His eyes darkened and his features sharpened with hate.  Sakura winced as his grip became painful but remained silent.

“That damned Uchiha… he’ll try to take you away from me…”

She attempted to deter his anger.  She soothed away his pain and rage with gentle coos and promises of eternal loyalty.  And, as usual, it was enough.  Gaara rested his head in her lap and stared vacantly off into space.  It was the only rest he dared indulge in and Sakura was always more than happy to assist him in any way she could.  She brushed his hair from his face absently and hummed an old lullaby her mother had sung years ago.  She rocked her monster and watched the moon rise through the open window.  

Gaara had a habit of wandering about the village during the day.  He did it at night sometimes as well but Sakura was not made to go with him then.  He seemed to have an odd fascination with the mannerisms of the people he saw.  In his village everyone reacted to Gaara with hate, fear, and mistrust.  He’d told her so and Sakura believed him.  But here in Kohona he was only subject to the same mistrust that any other foreigner received.  It seemed refreshing to him to not be considered a monster by every person he passed.  And the following day the two of them made their way to the village once more.  

It seemed that Gaara was developing a new habit.  Their encounter with Sakura’s teammates the day before seemed to have upset him more than he’d let on.  It was as though he feared they’d steal her away (and she secretly hoped they would).  Therefore he’d taken to clutching her hand tightly as he strode passed establishments and people.  If someone were to look at Sakura with more than a quick glance Gaara’s grip would tighten and she’d be tugged closer.  Or the grip would change from her hand to her upper arm and he’d cling to her as though she were the teddy he’d discarded so long ago.  

“Sakura…”

She turned and glanced at him as they past the school that Sakura had so recently graduated from.  He returned her gaze levelly, the feint frown he always adorned still upon his continence.

“They call you Sakura-chan… but they shouldn’t… it’s too familiar… they should call you Sakura-samma.  It’s only right.  Don’t you believe so Sakura?”  

She wanted to tell him that no, she didn’t think it was overly familiar.  That Sasuke and Naruto were her teammates if nothing else and they could call her whatever they wished.  It wasn’t as though she were above them in any way.  Gaara wasn’t either for that matter but she wasn’t about to tell him so.   

Instead she just smiled slightly at him and lightly squeezed his hand.  “It’s alright… don’t worry.  I’m yours, all yours.  They won’t get me because I belong to you.   I’ve always belonged to you.”  And she had.  It broke her heart to realize that no matter what feelings she may have had for Sasuke it wouldn’t have mattered because sooner or later Gaara would have come for her.  He had sworn he would and Gaara was a man of his word.  

“Gaara… the Chunin exams are coming up and I… I was wondering if you’d let me enter…”  he gave her a sharp look and she winced but she had to keep trying.  She wasn’t worthless and she deserved this chance to prove herself.  It was her right!  

“Please Gaara!  I promise I’ll be careful!  Nothing bad will happen… my teammates take very good care of me… and if anything too bad happens you’ll be there… please!   Please I need this chance!”

If he had been anyone other than who he was he may have denied her the opportunity.  May have protested violently and ordered her to stay wherever he told her to stay.  But Gaara was a man (no… a boy… they were all only still children) who valued power above all else.  And if Sakura craved more power than he was more than willing to aid her on her venture.  Although he would much prefer to train her himself in a more confined area in which to better assure her safety but he was confident that he could keep her relatively undamaged and still complete his objectives.

“Very well.”  And the hug she inflicted upon him made the entire situation worth it.  The physical contact he shared with Sakura was always a pleasurable experience and he relished them all the more for their rarity.  It wasn’t often she instigated the contact on her own.  He usually had to order her to touch him, which hurt far more than when she didn’t touch him at all.  

The day of the exams Sasuke would be ashamed to admit that he was surprised by Sakura’s presence.  She’d arrived with the creepy sand brat and had yet to leave the other boy’s side.  Naruto and he had approached and they had all enjoyed a rather intense staring contest while they awaited the beginning of the exams.  The redhead, Gaara, had left very little space between his body and Sakura’s, a silent announcement of his ownership.  Sasuke wanted nothing more than to punch the bastard in his smug face.  But surprisingly Sakura had glared at him in a rather menacing way and latched onto Gaara’s arm protectively.  She was so annoying.  

They filed inside and found a rather large group of ninja outside a door, fighting what seemed like a pair of bullies for entry.  Sasuke saw Sakura’s eyes sharpen and narrow from the corner of his eye and knew that something about the scene wasn’t right.  Sakura was, after all, very adapt at noticing such things.