City of Night

Chapter 15

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.