Red Strings of Fate

Chapter ONE

Sasori recognized this as a mild threat. He was also slightly amused that the girl had linked him with Suna. He had just killed the Kazekage, the most highest treason anyone could commit.

"Wherever." He replied. "I am looking for something eternal." His eyes began to glow as he talked of his passion. "Art is eternal beauty, and staying in this village limits this." He paused. "I grew tired of it."

"Oh." The girl shifted in her makeshift chair. "Father told me of the outside a few times." She said slowly. "He said that there was much more beyond the sand. He said I can go out once I'm strong enough."

Sasori briefly wondered what 'strong enough' had been in the eyes of the Third.

"I wish the time comes soon." The girl admitted. "I want to go out."

"Why do you want to go out?" Sasori asked, finding the point he needed to press.

Prodigies bred to be emotionless and skilled were good in combat. However, Sasori knew better than most that human curiosity wasn't something that could be suppressed over time. Being taught only what they needed to know would make them loyal by default, but it would also make them vulnerable to lust for knowledge.

He appreciated knowledge too, and so, he knew exactly which buttons so press

"Why?" The girl blinked at him. "Um...I want to see..." She trailed off.

"Aren't you curious?" Sasori pressed. "Come with me. I can show you more than just sand. True beauty you can appreciate."

"Beauty." The iron sand she had been fiddling with fell to the ground.

"Your father is no longer there to stop you, is he, doll?" Sasori asked.

The girl blinked up at him, hesitating a little. Finally, "Sakura." She said. "My name is Sakura. Nice to meet you, Akasuna no Sasori."

Sasori smiled.

  -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-    

Sasori's puppet shot out mouthful after mouthful of poison-laced senbon, his opponents running out of projectiles long ago. They hit their marks and the handful of Puppet Users fell to the ground, dead or dying.

Sasori glanced at the girl silently following him the best she could to match his stronger, faster strides, noting that she didn't seem to feel anything for the death of her fellow Suna shinobi.

Instead, she stepped up to an ANBU and crouched by his dead body. She untied his hitai-ate and glanced over at Sasori's slashed symbol.

"What is the cut for?" Sakura asked.

"It shows that the wearer has cut all ties with their village."

Sakura frowned for a second, before scratching through the metal plate in her hand, then tying it around her forehead.

Sasori watched on in amusement.

In reality, Sasori hadn't expected for the girl to agree to go with him so quickly. He had half expected for the girl to try and alert the guards while she kept him distracted, or at least ask for a day or two to think things through.

Sasori sealed the bodies of the dead shinobi. He would either dispose of them or turn them into puppets. Either way, leaving them on the roof where anyone could come across them, would be a bad idea.

By tomorrow, shinobi would have noticed the disappearance of the strongest Kazekage in the history of Suna and his daughter. His would be noted down as well.

If things went well, he wondered how long it would take for them to notice that he had defected.

He slowed down just a little, unsure of what had compelled him to do so, when he noticed that she was struggling to keep up with him. Which reminded him...

"You are yet to attain the rank of Genin?" It wasn't really a question. He was just curious.

"No." Sakura said. "Rank doesn't necessarily define strength. I don't attend the Academy either. My father tutored me himself." She paused. "True strength can only be obtained by those who deserve it." She said, most likely quoting her father. "Staying back with those who aren't at my level or above will only hinder my progress."

Sasori knew that the Third Kazekage could probably back up these words, and he probably would have been able to drive his own child to his level too.

Well, it seems like this job would fall on him.

  -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-    

The two of them had arrived at the foot of the village of walls, when suddenly, ropes of sand grabbed onto Sasori.

The Ichibi Jinchuuriki.

Sasori pulsed chakra through his limbs, matching the chakra frequency so that he could break through. Like any other Suna Shinobi, he had been warned about the dangers the Jinchuriki could become should he ever lose control.

"Gaara." Sakura murmured.

The Kazekage's son stood on the roof of the closest building, staring down at them. His eyes were wide, and his teddy bear was clutched tightly under an arm.

"Sakura?"

The pinkette tilted her head a little.

"Where're you going, Sakura?" Gaara asked. "Beyond the wall is outside, Sakura. You aren't allowed to go there."

"Outside." Sakura repeated. "I want to see this outside."

"But..." Gaara's frown deepened. "You aren't allowed..."

Sakura spread her arms and Gaara's eyes brightened a little. His form broke apart into sand, before coming back together right in front of her.

"Are you going, Sakura?" He asked.

Sakura nodded, and a faint but gentle smile appeared on her face. "I wanna see." She said. "Don't you?"

And Sasori would soon come to know, that the extra package he had picked up at Suna would be one of the best things that had ever happened to him.