Contract Rules [GaaSaku]
Title: Contract Rules
Fandom: Naruto
Prompt: #12 - Contempt 100_prompts
Character/Pairing: Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2095
Summary: "If she wanted this contract she had fallen inadvertently into to work, she would have to establish boundaries from the very first instant."
Authors Notes: Next installment in the Djinn Series. Continuation of Wrought in Magic.
~~xxx~~
12 - Contempt
“You are sorely trying my patience,” he told her, his tone as abrasive as the sand he commanded.
“I’m afraid I have to correct that statement,” she replied without backing down, “you are trying mine.”
Jade bored into emerald and neither of them said anything for a few deadly moments.
Only the sound of Gaara’s shifting sand could be heard around them as it held five of the Khalif’s military goons up in the air above their heads. They were all wrapped up in a cocoon of sand, half-hardened around them, ready to crush their bodies in a deadly embrace that would bring blood raining down upon the cracked desert ground on which they were standing.
Back at the djinn’s cave, Gaara had informed Sakura that the Khalif’s men had made it into his territory in hot pursuit of the runaway medic. He had dissipated the magical sandstorm once he had brought her back safely to his lair and had momentarily forgotten about her kidnappers; the redheaded jinni was having far too much fun with the antics of his newfound partner to pay any attention to such insignificant idiots.
When Sakura was informed of their pursuit, however, her green eyes had lit up like blazing torches. As the first official endeavour of their newly established partnership, she had declared they would teach the Khalif’s men a well-earned lesson.
The redhead had happily agreed, even though he knew such goons wouldn’t give him much sport. He’d whipped up a cyclone of sand and transported both of them to the spot where the guards were attempting to pick up Sakura’s trail. All they had been able to do was gape unbelievingly as the the incoming whirl of sand suddenly descended upon them.
It had taken no more than a few seconds to capture all five of them and dispose of them.
But Sakura, finally picking herself up from where she had landed sprawled on the ground, had interrupted him before he’d gotten to that last part.
It seemed her idea of retribution was completely different to what he had in mind. Consequently, they were having their very first conflict of interests in their joint venture as partners. They had been bickering back and forth for well over five minutes with the khalif’s men hanging in the air above them.
“I never said you could kill them,” she told him severely.
“That’s ludicrous. When you said you wanted them to learn their lesson, it was clear you meant to dispose of their miserable lives.”
Sakura blinked at him. “No it wasn’t! Where the hell did you get that idea?”
It was his turn to look blankly at her, as if she were speaking a language he couldn’t comprehend. “It’s the natural thing to do. If someone comes after you, you retaliate in kind; simple cause and effect. Destroying your enemies and leaving no trace of them is basic protocol when it comes to teaching people not to mess with you.”
She gaped at his words, aghast at his way of thinking. “But these men didn’t try to kill me, they just captured me,” she countered. “Besides, how can they learn any lesson when they’re dead? Killing them would defeat our whole objective.”
“So now we have an objective?” he asked harshly.
“Of course!”
“And when were you going to be so kind as to inform me of it?” His tone was low, so deadly it sent a chill up Sakura’s skin despite the desert heat. The magic he was emanating because of his mood shifted all around him, rubbing against her like the deadly caress of a snake.
She knew she was daring much by opposing him. The extent of his power was enough to make anyone fall down to their knees and throw themselves at his feet. But she knew doing something of the sort wouldn’t lead her anywhere. If she wanted this contract she had fallen inadvertently into to work, she would have to establish boundaries from the very first instant. She was stuck with him but in a twisted play of fate, this meant he was stuck with her. As a matter of fact, for reasons she could not fathom, he had wanted such a result in the first place. She wasn’t below using this to her advantage to get what she wanted.
Besides, he had promised: he would not use his magic against her. Gaara had given her his word and a djinn’s word was as solid as the ground she stood on. It was a known trait of their race that a jinni always meant what he or she said, their words working as a sort of invisible binding law.
So yes, she was daring much. But she couldn’t afford not to... not when she wanted this partnership to function like it should: with both of them standing on equal ground.
“Well, I was about to tell you when you suddenly whipped up your sand and brought me here!” she exclaimed. “You didn’t even let me finish what I was telling you.”
Gaara glared but his silence was proof enough that he knew she was right. He hadn’t wasted any time in getting them out of the cave. Once Sakura had voiced her intent, he was glad for some action. After being devastatingly bored for so long he wasn’t about to hesitate in any way. Besides, it had all sounded quite simple: a straightforward assassination mission. He’d partaken in enough of those to know how to pull one off efficiently.
How very like the contrary little medic to complicate things. He had no idea why she was blowing this out of proportion but he decided to humour her. It was the least he could do in honour of their newly made pact.
“So?” he asked impatiently, shifting the sand above their heads slightly. The desperate muffled voices of the men wrapped up in their cocoons could be heard through the sand; in response, he shook them abruptly to silence them.
She glowered at his antics before she spoke. “The point I had in mind was for these men to go back to their Khalif, carrying a message. They’re just pawns, doing their master’s will. Killing them won’t solve the problem but letting them live and deliver a warning will.”
Gaara cocked his head to the side, contemplating what she was saying. In a way she was right; nonetheless, he had a better idea of how to resolve the problem permanently: travel to Iwagakure and kill the Khalif himself. That was the simplest thing to do. It would eradicate the very root of the problem. But he had the impression Sakura wouldn’t be too keen on this.
He was starting to get a feel of his little medic and her tendencies. The way she strived for compassion in a world full of viciousness would definitely prove to be highly entertaining.
Nonetheless, Gaara still strove to maintain his position. “Fine,” he told her gruffly. “But you don’t need five of them to deliver the message: killing four of them and leaving one alive will do. It will give your warning all the more impact.”
“No!” she replied severely, almost stomping her foot on the ground, “you will leave all five of them alive.”
The redheaded djinn made a real effort to avoid rolling his eyes.
“Alright,” he retorted, “Have it your way. But then I will be the one to convey the message they are to deliver.”
Before Sakura could protest, he whipped his sand in a swift movement, slapping the cocoons and the men inside them against the ground. A dense cloud of dust lifted from the forceful impact and from within its haze rose the sound of the goons’ desperate coughing as they attempted to breathe air into their lungs.
With a movement from his hand, Gaara dispersed the cloud. He stepped towards them, tall and lethal in his crimson grace, using his magic to enhance the threat in his voice. The tendrils of his power emanated all around the five men, flickering in the air.
“Listen to what I have to say to you very carefully, you worthless maggots,” he began, contempt and lethal intent dripping from each word, “you are to go back to your disease-ridden leader and tell him this: the next time he dares to lay a hand on my medic partner, I will personally tear his heart out from his chest and eat it while it is still beating in my hand. It will not be his illness that will end his life but Gaara of the BloodSand who will bring his wretched existence to an end.”
At the sound of his name, the men quivered uncontrollably; one of them vomited on the hard ground from the effects of the magic Gaara was wielding. They nodded their heads as best as they could. The djinn let the silence stretch out to the point of it becoming unbearable.
Sakura, standing to one side and gulping, was amazingly glad she wasn’t on the receiving end of his deadly attention. The men kneeling in front of Gaara were a miserable spectacle; nonetheless, she couldn’t bring herself to pity them. Not after she had suffered the wretchedness of their captivity.
“Now go,” the redheaded djinn ordered them. He lifted his magic enough for them to feel the lessening of its tension and predictably, all of them scrambled as fast as they could, trying to get away from the deadly jinni. Soon enough they were running across the rocky dunes as fast as their feet could carry them.
Clearing her throat, Sakura came up to stand next to Gaara. “It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but I guess it will have to do. The point was to make the Khalif stop abducting medics in general, not just me.”
He turned towards her, an indifferent look in his eyes. “I don’t give a damn about the other medics. I threatened them because they’d come after you. You’ll find I take rather good care of those I strike a bargain with.”
‘And I’m sure that supposed care involves all kinds of bloodletting and violence,’ Sakura thought grimly but knew better than to say the words out loud. It seemed she was going to have to work on the hostile propensities of her djinn cohort. It would be a tough call but one she was willing to pull off; it would be necessary if she wanted to maintain her sanity during this partnership.
They stood quietly for a while, watching the receding figures of the Khalif’s guards retreat into the desert landscape. It was until the men couldn’t be seen anymore that Sakura spoke, deciding to voice a particular concern that had suddenly lodged itself in her mind.
“You know,” she said, striving for a casual tone, “eating raw meat like that is rather insalubrious.”
Gaara turned to look at her, a frown on his face. “I wasn’t actually going to eat it,” he replied, as if contemplating what a still beating heart would taste like but thinking twice about it.
Sakura coughed nonchalantly. “Well, you sounded pretty convincing to me. I would’ve said you were really looking forward to eating it after tearing it out.”
A mischievous grin crept up unto the djinn’s face. “Did I unnerve you?” he asked.
“Not really,” Sakura replied, placing a hand above her eyes as if to see the landscape around her better. “It just made me think that, as a medic, there were some habits of yours I would have to strive to correct.”
The redhead chuckled darkly with amusement. He was glad he had decided to strike up a contract with this little medic of his; she would certainly never be dull.
“You’ll find yourself hitting your head against a very hard wall if you attempt anything of the sort with me,” he told her, his infernal grin still on his mouth.
“We’ll see,” Sakura replied in slightly patronizing tone, making clear she was not intimidated by him in the least.
Gaara watched her for a few moments, his amusement not lessening one bit. “Where to?” he finally asked.
The roseate haired medic sighed loudly. “Home, please,” she replied longingly. “I really need to take a bath. All this dirt and grime are really getting to me.”
“A bath?” he asked, as if turning the idea around in his mind. “I guess I can do that.”
And once again, without giving her a chance to say anything, he whipped up his sand around them and carried them off.
~~xxx~~
Fandom: Naruto
Prompt: #12 - Contempt 100_prompts
Character/Pairing: Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2095
Summary: "If she wanted this contract she had fallen inadvertently into to work, she would have to establish boundaries from the very first instant."
Authors Notes: Next installment in the Djinn Series. Continuation of Wrought in Magic.
~~xxx~~
12 - Contempt
“You are sorely trying my patience,” he told her, his tone as abrasive as the sand he commanded.
“I’m afraid I have to correct that statement,” she replied without backing down, “you are trying mine.”
Jade bored into emerald and neither of them said anything for a few deadly moments.
Only the sound of Gaara’s shifting sand could be heard around them as it held five of the Khalif’s military goons up in the air above their heads. They were all wrapped up in a cocoon of sand, half-hardened around them, ready to crush their bodies in a deadly embrace that would bring blood raining down upon the cracked desert ground on which they were standing.
Back at the djinn’s cave, Gaara had informed Sakura that the Khalif’s men had made it into his territory in hot pursuit of the runaway medic. He had dissipated the magical sandstorm once he had brought her back safely to his lair and had momentarily forgotten about her kidnappers; the redheaded jinni was having far too much fun with the antics of his newfound partner to pay any attention to such insignificant idiots.
When Sakura was informed of their pursuit, however, her green eyes had lit up like blazing torches. As the first official endeavour of their newly established partnership, she had declared they would teach the Khalif’s men a well-earned lesson.
The redhead had happily agreed, even though he knew such goons wouldn’t give him much sport. He’d whipped up a cyclone of sand and transported both of them to the spot where the guards were attempting to pick up Sakura’s trail. All they had been able to do was gape unbelievingly as the the incoming whirl of sand suddenly descended upon them.
It had taken no more than a few seconds to capture all five of them and dispose of them.
But Sakura, finally picking herself up from where she had landed sprawled on the ground, had interrupted him before he’d gotten to that last part.
It seemed her idea of retribution was completely different to what he had in mind. Consequently, they were having their very first conflict of interests in their joint venture as partners. They had been bickering back and forth for well over five minutes with the khalif’s men hanging in the air above them.
“I never said you could kill them,” she told him severely.
“That’s ludicrous. When you said you wanted them to learn their lesson, it was clear you meant to dispose of their miserable lives.”
Sakura blinked at him. “No it wasn’t! Where the hell did you get that idea?”
It was his turn to look blankly at her, as if she were speaking a language he couldn’t comprehend. “It’s the natural thing to do. If someone comes after you, you retaliate in kind; simple cause and effect. Destroying your enemies and leaving no trace of them is basic protocol when it comes to teaching people not to mess with you.”
She gaped at his words, aghast at his way of thinking. “But these men didn’t try to kill me, they just captured me,” she countered. “Besides, how can they learn any lesson when they’re dead? Killing them would defeat our whole objective.”
“So now we have an objective?” he asked harshly.
“Of course!”
“And when were you going to be so kind as to inform me of it?” His tone was low, so deadly it sent a chill up Sakura’s skin despite the desert heat. The magic he was emanating because of his mood shifted all around him, rubbing against her like the deadly caress of a snake.
She knew she was daring much by opposing him. The extent of his power was enough to make anyone fall down to their knees and throw themselves at his feet. But she knew doing something of the sort wouldn’t lead her anywhere. If she wanted this contract she had fallen inadvertently into to work, she would have to establish boundaries from the very first instant. She was stuck with him but in a twisted play of fate, this meant he was stuck with her. As a matter of fact, for reasons she could not fathom, he had wanted such a result in the first place. She wasn’t below using this to her advantage to get what she wanted.
Besides, he had promised: he would not use his magic against her. Gaara had given her his word and a djinn’s word was as solid as the ground she stood on. It was a known trait of their race that a jinni always meant what he or she said, their words working as a sort of invisible binding law.
So yes, she was daring much. But she couldn’t afford not to... not when she wanted this partnership to function like it should: with both of them standing on equal ground.
“Well, I was about to tell you when you suddenly whipped up your sand and brought me here!” she exclaimed. “You didn’t even let me finish what I was telling you.”
Gaara glared but his silence was proof enough that he knew she was right. He hadn’t wasted any time in getting them out of the cave. Once Sakura had voiced her intent, he was glad for some action. After being devastatingly bored for so long he wasn’t about to hesitate in any way. Besides, it had all sounded quite simple: a straightforward assassination mission. He’d partaken in enough of those to know how to pull one off efficiently.
How very like the contrary little medic to complicate things. He had no idea why she was blowing this out of proportion but he decided to humour her. It was the least he could do in honour of their newly made pact.
“So?” he asked impatiently, shifting the sand above their heads slightly. The desperate muffled voices of the men wrapped up in their cocoons could be heard through the sand; in response, he shook them abruptly to silence them.
She glowered at his antics before she spoke. “The point I had in mind was for these men to go back to their Khalif, carrying a message. They’re just pawns, doing their master’s will. Killing them won’t solve the problem but letting them live and deliver a warning will.”
Gaara cocked his head to the side, contemplating what she was saying. In a way she was right; nonetheless, he had a better idea of how to resolve the problem permanently: travel to Iwagakure and kill the Khalif himself. That was the simplest thing to do. It would eradicate the very root of the problem. But he had the impression Sakura wouldn’t be too keen on this.
He was starting to get a feel of his little medic and her tendencies. The way she strived for compassion in a world full of viciousness would definitely prove to be highly entertaining.
Nonetheless, Gaara still strove to maintain his position. “Fine,” he told her gruffly. “But you don’t need five of them to deliver the message: killing four of them and leaving one alive will do. It will give your warning all the more impact.”
“No!” she replied severely, almost stomping her foot on the ground, “you will leave all five of them alive.”
The redheaded djinn made a real effort to avoid rolling his eyes.
“Alright,” he retorted, “Have it your way. But then I will be the one to convey the message they are to deliver.”
Before Sakura could protest, he whipped his sand in a swift movement, slapping the cocoons and the men inside them against the ground. A dense cloud of dust lifted from the forceful impact and from within its haze rose the sound of the goons’ desperate coughing as they attempted to breathe air into their lungs.
With a movement from his hand, Gaara dispersed the cloud. He stepped towards them, tall and lethal in his crimson grace, using his magic to enhance the threat in his voice. The tendrils of his power emanated all around the five men, flickering in the air.
“Listen to what I have to say to you very carefully, you worthless maggots,” he began, contempt and lethal intent dripping from each word, “you are to go back to your disease-ridden leader and tell him this: the next time he dares to lay a hand on my medic partner, I will personally tear his heart out from his chest and eat it while it is still beating in my hand. It will not be his illness that will end his life but Gaara of the BloodSand who will bring his wretched existence to an end.”
At the sound of his name, the men quivered uncontrollably; one of them vomited on the hard ground from the effects of the magic Gaara was wielding. They nodded their heads as best as they could. The djinn let the silence stretch out to the point of it becoming unbearable.
Sakura, standing to one side and gulping, was amazingly glad she wasn’t on the receiving end of his deadly attention. The men kneeling in front of Gaara were a miserable spectacle; nonetheless, she couldn’t bring herself to pity them. Not after she had suffered the wretchedness of their captivity.
“Now go,” the redheaded djinn ordered them. He lifted his magic enough for them to feel the lessening of its tension and predictably, all of them scrambled as fast as they could, trying to get away from the deadly jinni. Soon enough they were running across the rocky dunes as fast as their feet could carry them.
Clearing her throat, Sakura came up to stand next to Gaara. “It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but I guess it will have to do. The point was to make the Khalif stop abducting medics in general, not just me.”
He turned towards her, an indifferent look in his eyes. “I don’t give a damn about the other medics. I threatened them because they’d come after you. You’ll find I take rather good care of those I strike a bargain with.”
‘And I’m sure that supposed care involves all kinds of bloodletting and violence,’ Sakura thought grimly but knew better than to say the words out loud. It seemed she was going to have to work on the hostile propensities of her djinn cohort. It would be a tough call but one she was willing to pull off; it would be necessary if she wanted to maintain her sanity during this partnership.
They stood quietly for a while, watching the receding figures of the Khalif’s guards retreat into the desert landscape. It was until the men couldn’t be seen anymore that Sakura spoke, deciding to voice a particular concern that had suddenly lodged itself in her mind.
“You know,” she said, striving for a casual tone, “eating raw meat like that is rather insalubrious.”
Gaara turned to look at her, a frown on his face. “I wasn’t actually going to eat it,” he replied, as if contemplating what a still beating heart would taste like but thinking twice about it.
Sakura coughed nonchalantly. “Well, you sounded pretty convincing to me. I would’ve said you were really looking forward to eating it after tearing it out.”
A mischievous grin crept up unto the djinn’s face. “Did I unnerve you?” he asked.
“Not really,” Sakura replied, placing a hand above her eyes as if to see the landscape around her better. “It just made me think that, as a medic, there were some habits of yours I would have to strive to correct.”
The redhead chuckled darkly with amusement. He was glad he had decided to strike up a contract with this little medic of his; she would certainly never be dull.
“You’ll find yourself hitting your head against a very hard wall if you attempt anything of the sort with me,” he told her, his infernal grin still on his mouth.
“We’ll see,” Sakura replied in slightly patronizing tone, making clear she was not intimidated by him in the least.
Gaara watched her for a few moments, his amusement not lessening one bit. “Where to?” he finally asked.
The roseate haired medic sighed loudly. “Home, please,” she replied longingly. “I really need to take a bath. All this dirt and grime are really getting to me.”
“A bath?” he asked, as if turning the idea around in his mind. “I guess I can do that.”
And once again, without giving her a chance to say anything, he whipped up his sand around them and carried them off.
~~xxx~~