Chapter 15

"You want us to meet with the Druids?" Temari hissed. Grief was clearly evident in her voice. Dark lines of smudged mascara and eyeliner marked the paths of her tears down her cheeks.

They were standing in Gaara's office, and explaining how Gaara had been killed by Ino and Sasuke to his siblings had been one of the most painful things Sakura had ever had to do. She couldn't help but feel that every time the blonde's eyes fell on her, she was being accused, blamed for Gaara's death, but Sakura ignored it.

Temari wiped her eyes and snarled, baring her fangs, "Druids are vermin, outcasts. Vampires don't associate themselves with the likes of them. They're useless, just like hu-" Hinata and Tenten froze when Sakura went rigid and Temari stopped herself before she could finish, her dark eyes widening in shock as her anger subsided. She looked at Sakura guiltily, "I-"

"Like humans?" Sakura said in a low voice, and a growl escaped her, furious and from low in her throat. Temari stuttered and looked to her brother for help and got none from the silent boy beside her. "No, that's not what I-"

Humans will always seem weak to them.

"I think you're wrong," Sakura said darkly, narrowing her eyes at the blonde and baring her sharp canines "And don't forgot, Temari. Your brother was a Druid. And I am a human."

Or was...

Temari's eyes fell, "I... know," she muttered and fell silent.

"What do you want us to do, Sakura?" Kankuro asked seriously, his pretty face revealing none of the pain Sakura knew he was feeling, and all eyes in the room fell on her.

"Tonight we will meet with the Druid as he requested," Sakura said firmly, still seething and trying to remain calm, "It's that simple."

"Then it will be down," Kankuro said, bowing his head in consent and taking his trembling sister gently by the arm. "You should rest now. We'll meet you by the tunnel at sundown."

"Thank you," Sakura said shortly and stalked out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind her, Tenten and Hinata close at her heels.

The three girls heard the door open again. "Sakura!" Temari called down the hall, her voice anguished, but Sakura didn't turn around and ignored the blonde.

"They're useless, just like humans." That was what she had been about to say. Sakura snarled as they crossed the street and stomped up the steps to her apartment. She could understand that Temari had been angry and grieving over her younger brother, but to say something like that...

"I can't believe she said that," Tenten said in a low voice as Sakura threw the door open violently and stalked inside.

"Anger makes people say things they don't really mean," Hinata reasoned softly, standing beside Tenten in the doorway. "You'll forgive her, Sakura." Sakura stopped pacing the living room and sighed. "Of course I will but, it's just," she gazed up at her friends worriedly, "Are humans truly so weak to all of you?"

"Not to us," Tenten said seriously, "You proved us wrong."

"And trust us, Sakura," Hinata said, her silver eyes large, "No one believes that anymore."

"Go rest yourselves," Sakura tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out looking more like a grimace. The two vampires nodded their understanding and vanished, the door closing behind them.

Now alone, Sakura sank to her knees as her legs gave out from underneath her. Gaara. Now she could grieve in peace. She didn't have to stop the tears this time as she hunched over and wept into the floor, curling up into a ball and wailing incoherently.

Thank you. Thanking you for saving my life.

xxxxxxx

Karin watched the two figures making out in the corner with annoyance before lowering her head to read over the reports spread out across the desk in front of her. She adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

She found Ino's way of showing off her power over Sasuke Uchiha infuriating, especially since the blonde no longer let Karin get anywhere near him. She heard Ino moan softly as Sasuke's lips moved down to her neck and Karin snorted with disgust before standing abruptly, gathering up the files and stalking from the room in search of a less distracting place to finish her work.

"Something the matter?" Mei Terumi fell into step beside her and Karin huffed, flicking a strand of red hair out of her face. "I just don't see how Ino expects me to finish all this paperwork for her with her and Sasuke making out all over the place. It annoys me. It's not like he even actually wants to."

"How vulgar," the Mizukage muttered disdainfully, looking the redhead over, "You seem troubled, youngling."

Karin stopped walking and leaned her back against the wall, holding the reports against her chest, doubt tugging once again at the edge of her mind. Being a naturally cautious person, being in doubt was a feeling Karin did not bode well with. "Something feels wrong," she muttered and Mei glanced at her sharply. "Wrong?"

Karin took a breath before continuing, deciding that it was okay to speak her mind. "It's Ino's energy. It doesn't feel like it used to anymore." Mei frowned, "How so?" Karin shivered. "It's so cold now, and dark. It never used to feel this way. And I don't think she trusts me anymore. She spends half her time whispering things to Sasuke and barely tells me anything these days. She acts like I'm her friend sometimes and then at other times, it's like I'm just a nuisance to her. I can't stand it!" Karin hissed with frustration. "I just don't understand what's happening anymore."

"So it's started," Mei murmured with understanding and Karin looked up at the tall woman curiously. "What do you mean, Mizukage?" Mei patted the girl's head. "You will find the answers you seek soon, youngling. That, I can guarantee." She started walking away. "Feel free to finish your work in my chambers if you need somewhere quiet," She called airily from over her shoulder and vanished around a corner, leaving Karin feeling more confused than before. Does she know something I don't? Probably, she thought bitterly, adjusting the files in her arms and continuing down the corridor to the bedroom she had shared with Ino before the blonde had moved into Sasuke's room instead. The Mizukage had acted carefree, but Karin could tell that the woman had been deep in thought after they had parted ways.

I hope I didn't make a mistake by telling her those things.

Karin yawned tiredly and placed the reports down on the desk in the far corner of the room before changing into a loose shirt and gym shorts before getting into bed. She closed her eyes and saw the Kazekage's face, so stunned and resigned before the image changed to Sasuke with his arm lodged in the Kazekage's chest. The sound of his body hitting the gravel rang painfully through her ears before Sakura's horrified and pain filled face flashed across her eyes. The anguish and despair in the human's eyes was too much for Karin to bear and the redhead shrieked and sat up sharply, sweating as a cold and icy feeling of horror trickled down her spine and through the rest of her body.

She reached up to touch her cheeks and felt them wet with tears. Her chest tightened as it became harder for her to breath and her breaths became frantic as she gripped the sheets tightly and threw them away from her body.

She violently raked her fingers through her hair.

What have I done?

xxxxxxx

Ino handed Sasuke the small red pill and sat down on the corner of his bed, smoothing out the small silk nightdress she was wearing.

"Eat it," She instructed and Sasuke obeyed wordlessly, glancing briefly at her almost-fully exposed body with a blank expression as he swallowed the pill.

Ino waited impatiently and then smirked with satisfaction as the pill took effect and saw Sasuke's dark eyes suddenly cloud over with lust and desire. Desire for her. He took an uncertain step toward her; glazed eyes suddenly glued to her slender body with slight and adorable confusion, and Ino spread her legs teasingly and purred, "Want something, Sasuke?"

He was in front of her in seconds, his eyes hungry with lust. He climbed onto the bed and propped himself up over her before claiming her lips and mouth forcefully. Ino pulled his shirt over his head and allowed her hands to leisurely explore the taut muscle before winding her arms tightly around his neck and drawing him closer to her. Mine, she thought possessively, but the small dry voice in the back of her mind told her, "But he doesn't really love you, does he?"

Be quiet, she hissed but it continued mercilessly. "Do you really think forcing him to love you will make him truly love you in the end?"

Shut up! she screamed, digging her nails into Sasuke's back so hard that they drew blood.

Ino snarled against Sasuke's mouth and pushed the evil voice from her mind. Her hands fisted in his hair when his lips left hers and travelled downwards. "Ino," he murmured into her neck as his tongue and fingers traced fiery patterns across her skin, his lean body pressing hard against hers and making her shiver with desire. "Sasuke," Ino breathed, gripping his hair tightly and moaning as his tongue traced her jaw. She tugged on his hair and pulled his head up to claim his lips again.

Sakura could never make him feel this way, you don't know anything.

"But at least he actually loves her."

xxxxxxx

Mei tossed the vial of deer's blood through the bars of the cell and Tsunade caught it deftly. "How often do they check on the prisoners down here?" The Mizukage asked in a low voice as Tsunade downed the vial's contents quickly before licking the scarlet blood left on her lips. "They don't."

Mei was sceptical. "At all?"

"At all," Tsunade confirmed with a firm nod of her head, tossing the vial back and raising a curious eyebrow as the tall woman tossed her a second vial. "Two visits in a row are uncommon for you, Mei. How have you managed to slip away so easily?"

"The Yamanaka girl is distracted as of late," Mei shrugged, "It hasn't been a difficult task." Tsunade flexed her fingers experimentally. "I see."

"I have news that you may find interesting, however," The Mizukage said and Tsunade looked up at her seriously, recognising the serious tone in her friend's voice and understanding that it was something important. She sipped the blood slowly, wanting to saviour it, knowing that it may be days before the Mizukage found another opportunity to see her.

"The human," Mei said softly, "She has Healer's Blood. Like you." Tsunade choked and spat out the blood currently in her mouth. Mei hissed when a drop landed on the silk sleeve of her gown. "This is going to stain, Tsunade! This is silk," she growled in irritation as her friend sputtered and gasped from the other side of the silver bars.

"She inherited my powers," the Hokage breathed with disbelief, "Do you know how rare it is for that to happen?"

"Extremely," Mei said dryly, catching the vial as Tsunade tossed it back to her before hiding it in her sleeve. "How many have you managed to bathe," she asked quietly and Tsunade bit into the soft flesh of her thin arm roughly and swung it out in front of her so that her blood coated another one of the silvers bars that kept her from escaping. "Three," she replied as the wound on her arm slowly healed and the blood on the bar hissed and evaporated into the cold air.

"So few?" Mei sniffed and Tsunade growled. "I'm weak, Mei. A vial of blood every few days isn't enough for me to be able to bathe them all in one go. I'd ask you to do it but the loss of blood would probably kill you, and I'm too weak to heal you. Healer's Blood or not."

"Is that you, Mizukage?" a soft voice called from a cell further down the walkway. Mei stood and walked to where the voice had come from. "Yes, Mikoto Uchiha," she said softly and the dark haired woman reached out a trembling hand from through the bars. "Sasuke," she whispered, "Is he alive? Is he alright? Do you know?"

"He is alive, be grateful of that," was all Mei said and the pretty woman's eyes widened with realisation as her thin arm dropped back to her side. "My son," Mei heard her whisper over and over as she walked quickly back to Tsunade's cell.

"Not long now, Tsunade. I promise," she said quickly and made for the steps with brisk strides, trying to ignore Mikoto's loud wails of despair.

xxxxxxx

Sakura gasped as she woke on her living room floor, shivering. Her face was still damp with tears. She felt stiff from lying in the same position for so long and stood up to stretch the tension from her muscles and moved to the bathroom to shower.

The nightmares had woken her, just as they did every night, but what disturbed Sakura the most was that this time Karin had been one screaming instead of her.

Gaara hadn't been there to comfort her this time...

She dressed into an identical outfit to the one she had been wearing before and rushed through the Sand at top speed to the entrance tunnel to meet Temari and Kankuro. They were already there, waiting for her. Tenten and Hinata arrived shortly after.

Temari didn't say anything as they ascended through the tunnel but Sakura could feel the blonde's dark eyes constantly on her as they ran. They reached the staircase and the group followed Sakura to the surface. She led them out of the dark and cool carriage and to the spot where they had seen the Druid boy last.

Gaara wasn't there anymore, just as Sakura had expected, but that didn't stop a painful pang from stabbing her chest, leaving a dull and painful ache in its wake.

There was a soft rustle from the bushes in front of them, and the fox slunk out slowly and cautiously. It looked up at Sakura before suddenly; the blonde boy was standing before them in the fox's place, bare chested and barefooted, wearing dark jeans.

Sakura felt Temari tense from beside her and squeezed the vampire's cold hand comfortingly. Temari gave her a grateful and apologetic smile, which Sakura returned before releasing her hand and turning back to the boy.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he said to the group, tilting his had in acknowledgment, a gesture that the group returned. He looked at the two Sand siblings. "Your brother was a very special friend to me," he said sincerely and Temari nodded, and Sakura could see that she was fighting back tears.

"I am truly sorry for your loss," he said softly and Kankuro nodded sadly. "Thank you."

"Come," Naruto turned and began walking back toward the bushes he had appeared from. "I will take you to him so that you may say your goodbyes."

The group stopped in front of the bushes and marvelled at the dark tunnel leading into the ground, completely identical to the one inside the carriage, only slightly smaller.

"Will the Druids allow this?" Temari asked Naruto softly and he nodded, taking her hand and helping her find the steps.

"We are not your enemy."