Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Given The Chance ❯ Sayonara Iwate-san ( Chapter 32 )

Chapter #32

Sayonara Iwate-san

 

 

Disclaimer: (Damn, this is redundant) I do not own Naruto and Co.

 

Hooray for snow days!!! I haven't been to school since the end of exams and I love it! I have enough Pepsi, writing, and photoshop drawings to keep me busy for days!!

 

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With all the useless thrashing and screaming Gaara was starting to worry that, even restrained by sand, she would somehow hurt herself further. Cassie hadn't stopped screaming for a moment since Neji and Gaara found her, and she'd drawn quite a crowd inside the where other patients were trying to sleep. Even with all the yelling her voice didn't seem to get hoarse, and she was far from tired out.

 

“Let me go! Don't touch me! GET AWAY FROM ME, DAMNIT!”

 

“When is Sakura going to get here?” asked Gaara impatiently.

 

“She'll be here any minute,” Neji responded with a glance down the hallway. Since arriving they'd taken the first empty room with the fewest patients sleeping nearby, but even so, Cassie's voice was carrying well. They heard a few bystanders that passed by whisper something about wondering if Gaara was trying to murder her. The Kazekage promptly ordered that the patients in that wing of the hospital be moved.

 

Two sets of heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway and Gaara glanced out the door hopefully. Unfortunately they were two people he didn't really want to see for one simple reason. They were the two people who would take Cassie's condition almost as badly as Gaara was - Gaara is a bottled up person anyway.

 

Daichi had an odd combination of anger and worry written all over his face as he forced his way into the room, “What on god's green acre are you doing to her?! Kami, I can hear her screaming from all the way outside! First that brother of yours comes and tells me my daughter is missing, and now I find my daughter in here screaming bloody murder with you restraining her!”

 

“Call off the sand,” Hale demanded, “it sounds to me like she just wants you to let her go.”

 

Gaara's hand twitched slightly but he maintained his cold exterior, “I found her screaming like this. I had to restrain her to prevent her from hurting herself.”

 

“What happened to my daughter?” asked Daichi in a particularly venomous tone.

 

It was a stroke of luck for everyone that Sakura, Kankuro, and Temari finally showed up. Sakura hated difficult relatives of her patients, and she had little tolerance for those who only made the situation more difficult to deal with. So Sakura did what she always did, she reached up and grabbed both men by the ear, and then proceeded to forcefully escort them out of the room.

 

“I realize this is hard on you Daichi-san and Hale-kun, but you have to accept the fact that this isn't Gaara's fault. As I've been told, Cassie is under some form of jutsu, and having you make it difficult for those who are trying to help isn't doing your daughter any good.” Once they were out of the room Sakura gave a sympathetic look towards the father and son, “Please, go down to the waiting room. I'm a top medic in Konoha, so I promise to you I'll find out what's wrong. You don't need to worry.”

 

Hale's eyebrows furrowed, but he knew Sakura somewhat from their trip, and he knew her reputation as Tsunade's apprentice, “We want to be updated the moment there is news. Good or bad. You got that Sakura-san?”

 

Sakura waved them off, and turned to the others, “Gaara-sama, can you please use your sand to place Cassie in the restraints on the bed. The only other person I need in this room is Neji because he's going to be my eyes for this examination.”

 

The look in Gaara's eyes was an obvious no for leaving the room.

 

The pink haired medic-nin stared him right in the eye, “Gaara-sama, please. I need as few people in here as possible, if I could actually see the seal as well Neji wouldn't be here either, I just need you to wait outside the door.”

 

Gaara's fist was clenched so tight his knuckles were slowly turning a shocking shade of white. His mind was obviously struggling between his natural stubbornness, and the common sense that Sakura was the medic and probably right about wanting as few people in the room as possible. Eventually the Kazekage walked briskly towards the door, deciding that leaving Sakura to do her job was what would get whatever was wrong with Cassie fixed. After closing the door he leaned against the wall right beside the door and glared daggers at the opposite walls.

 

[It's not going to melt no matte how much you glare at it you know.]

 

Rubbing his temples the red head gritted his teeth and tried his best to ignore the voice of his demon.

 

[Fine, ignore me all you want, but I'm not going away. You should be used to that by now. I'm just here to say this was going to eventually happen, baka kid.]

 

`Shut. Up.' Gaara seethed inside his mind.

 

He could hear Shukaku's laugh, [Did you really think you'd be able to protect that girl? Did you think it was really your chance to find someone that loves you? People like you don't find love, and thinking that just trying to protect her is what's going to save her you're wrong. The girl is doomed, and when that seal takes full hold she'll be gone forever.]

 

Sea foam eyes widening slightly, Gaara probed the demon, `What are you talking about?'

 

[Believe me when I say that you failed in protecting that girl the moment you let that one twin from the forest touch her. You may not be able to see it, but what has been placed on her is a soul transfer seal. It's used for wondering souls like a target of where there next victim is. That particular seal can only be placed on a body through physical contact, so her body has been marked for it ever since then, it was just a matter of time until they repaired the damage you did to that container you broke.] Gaara could even feel the Shukaku smirk, probably because any damage done to his mental state put the demon more in control, [There is actually a slightly modified version of the same technique used by human souls, but of course it's not as effective. Can you think of no one you know of that used a similar forbidden jutsu?]

 

`A powerful jutsu that allows transfer of a soul from one body to the next…?' Gaara thought back, all the way to when he was still a Genin, and suddenly it came to him, `It's like Orochimaru's jutsu!'

 

[Now picture that jutsu without limitations. There doesn't have to be years between transfers, and once the jutsu takes over there will truly be nothing left of the original soul.]

 

Inside the room Cassie was struggling for dear life against the restraints. She was kicking and thrashing around, desperately screaming for someone to get away from her.

 

Neji, Bayakugan activated, was examining the invisible chakra seal on her forehead while Sakura gently tried to probe her body with chakra to heal her self inflicted injuries.

 

Sakura cursed, “Something is rejecting my chakra, and I can't even do a physical because it might be dangerous to make contact with her...”

 

“The seal is trying to spread,” Neji watched the spidery pattern crawl across her skin like vines, but sometimes when she screamed they would draw back again sharply, “but she's doing a hell of a job fighting it…”

 

“But the question is, how long can she keep fighting it, and when will it do to her when she can't?” Sakura scowled and tried to think of some kind of solution, but with no real knowledge of what the seal did, or even seeing first hand what was going on, she couldn't think of a thing. On top of that Cassie couldn't keep fighting it forever, so time was quickly running out.

 

Cassie is certainly stronger than looks, because with one good pull her hand was finally free from the restraint. Even in her panicked state she was able to use her free hand as quick as possible and rip off the others before Neji or Sakura could stop her. She jumped off the bed and landed hard on the floor, adding to the number of new bruises, and tried to get up and make a run for it. No matter how hard she tried she was definitely not faster than Neji, who caught up to her before she reached the door.

 

Using his ever handy `chakra needles' Neji pressed a pressure point on Cassie's neck that made her entire body go limp. She would have hit the floor again if Gaara's sand hadn't slipped under the door to cushion her fall. Cassie's screaming quieted to persistent and stubborn muttering as she finally drifted to sleep.

 

`It's like Gaara's sand instinctively protects her like it does for him,' Sakura sighed, “I need every journal written on forbidden seals, and anything associated with them. Put Cassie back in restraints and have someone watching her at all times. Neji, I want you to monitor that seal and alert me to any changes. We're going to figure this out, and we're going to fix this.”

 

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`What's going on,' Cassie's constant running suddenly ceased and her body fell to the ground with a soft thud. Starting from her fingers, everything began to go numb, until eventually the cooling sensation penetrated her heart and all motor skills shut down. All she could do was lay there and listen to Faceless's calm footsteps draw nearer. It was just like being trapped inside her own mind.

 

“So those friends of yours are good for something after all,” Faceless's cold chuckle drew nearer until her icy, boney, hands were resting on Cassie's shoulder. “Out of every other body I've taken, you've fought the longest, and I have to admit that `m impressed. I'll show you some kindness and I'll allow you some happiness before our souls completely become one.”

 

`NO, NO, NO!!' Cassie's own scream screeched inside her mind but her lips wouldn't move. She couldn't so much as twitch a finger or a toe anymore, and she had no idea why.

 

“Sleep, Iwate-san,” Faceless cooed as she placed one skeleton finger on her forehead and the numbness began spreading across her very consciousness, “Sleep and I'll grant you good dreams.”

 

Cassie's eyelids begun to drop, `…I'm so tired … I - I want to sleep, I want to have good dreams, and I don't want to fight anymore…'

 

“Sayonara, Iwate-san,” whispered Faceless.

 

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Hours dragged on and the sun begun to rise and bring the desert heat along with it. Heat and tense situations never go well together. Sakura locked herself away in the nearest air conditioned room with a formidable pile of text that she thought would help even remotely with the situation, and it was a good thing too because everyone outside would have driven her completely insane. Hale and Daichi were becoming a handful for the nurses and receptionist with their pacing and demanding to see Cassie. Neji was beginning to get headaches from the heat - he was obviously not well suited for desert climate - and was doing everything possible to get a hold of some aspirin. Kankuro was ordered to keep an eye on Gaara, and ever since his little conversation with Shukaku his death threats were becoming ever more frequent. The hospital was turning into a real mad house…

 

Meanwhile one of the nurses was asked to keep an eye on Cassie while Neji searched for his pain killers. The young nurse glanced at the frail looking girl fast asleep, and tied down with the restraints they only used on shinobi visitors.

 

“Unbelievable, all this over this girl,” the nurse whispered as she slowly examined the girl's body. “She's so young, just a child, she doesn't even look sixteen.”

 

The nurse was under strict orders not to touch the girl, if she woke up or moved she was to called Neji or Sakura, so she was stuck there staring at all the self-inflicted damage. Her arms, legs, and feet were covered with darkening ugly purple bruises, her skin was raw from wind burn - something common in the desert - and there were scratches all over her that, as far as she could tell, were made by her fingernails.

 

With a sigh the nurse glanced longingly out the window and hoped her shift would end soon. She did this just as the raven haired girl's eyes fluttered open.

 

“Oh my,” the nurse shot to her feet and walked over to the restrained girl. She was about to go do her usual nurse's duties like talking to the patient and making sure they were comfortable, but then she remembered her orders.

 

She walked to the door to fetch Neji when a firm hand grabbed her by her hair, “Ouch!”

 

“Quiet down and quit making a fuss, we're in a hospital, honestly.”

 

The nurse's eyes widened and her eyes wondered up to the face of the very girl she'd been told to watch, `How did she get out of those restraints? How on earth did she get over here so quickly?!'

 

She opened her mouth to call out for help, but her head was forced against the door frame. Stars danced in front of her eyes, and she quickly passed out.

 

Cassie gave an apologetic smile to the woman, and set her body aside, “You made it difficult for yourself, miss. I can't have you bring the shinobi in here. That would be most troublesome.”

 

Cassie turned to one of the reflective bed pans and held it up to examine her face. Her delicate fingers grazed over her soft round cheeks, and she admired it despite the few tiny scrapes that were present. “What a cute face, I don't think I've seen a face like this on a teenager before … I might just keep it when I'm finished.”

 

Setting the pan aside she held up her hand in front of her face and flexed it thoughtfully, “Tsk, tsk, Iwate-san you have such suppressed chakra, but I have to admit your body has a bit of a kick to it…”

 

The smile on her face was a little unnatural to the face, and it held no warmth like it normally would.

 

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“Stop pacing,” Gaara grumbled to Hale and Daichi. He needed a change of scenery during his hours of waiting, and since Kankuro was craving vending machine food they ended up in the waiting room with Cassie's father and brother. It soon proved to be a bad choice. Temari and Kankuro watched the beginnings of many an argument unfold.

 

“I don't see you doing anything,” Hale growled in response.

 

Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously, “What do you suggest I do?”

 

Hale ground his teeth for a moment before spitting out his answer, “Something, I expect someone to be doing something.”

 

“Ok, I don't want to separate you guys like children, but I damn well will,” Temari snapped. “Gaara, get a hold of yourself and calm down before you cause a scene. Hale, Sakura and Neji have been working their asses off all night so show a little respect and give it up will you?”

 

“We don't need this,” Daichi slumped over in his seat and shook his head, “We don't need to go through this, again. I don't think I can stand this … it reminds me to much of Rita.”

 

Kankuro just munched on his chocolate bar and glanced out into the hallway towards the reception desk. It was nine-o-clock by this time so people were starting to come in for their routine appointments. Out of sheer boredom Kankuro's eyes followed the people in and out of the doors until he spotted a curtain raven haired someone whom he thought was still under observation.

 

“What the hell…” Kankuro took a step out for a closer look, “Hey guys, I think our little Cassie-chan is trying to make a run for it.”

 

Everyone looked up, and Gaara and Daichi got to their feet to follow her.

 

“Cassie,” Daichi called as he ran up to his daughter. She didn't turn around or give any other sign that she even heard him.

 

[Watch it, kid. You're not talking to Cassie anymore.]

 

Daichi's eyebrows drew together in concern, “Cassandra, are you alright?”

 

“Oh yes, that's right,” Cassie stopped in her tracks and tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Iwate Daichi, you're my father, I'd almost forgotten. How careless of me!”

 

She chuckled, but it sounded strange to Gaara, it sounded very different from the sweet sound she usually made. Then she spun gracefully on her heal to face the group, “Well, I shan't make that mistake again. Being sloppy was what caused all those nasty little problems in the forest before, and we don't want an incident like that again now do we?”

 

`Her eyes,' Gaara's jaw clenched together. It was Cassie's face, but it seemed all wrong. Her smile was out of place, it wasn't gentle at all, and her eyes … they weren't even green anymore, they were narrow and black.

 

She smiled that darkened smile once again when she saw the surprise written across everyone's face, “I'll be checking myself out now.”

 

 

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