AN: I couldn't help it. I love Gaara and have been toying with several ideas for a while now. My muse finally gifted me with this. I'm looking at about sixteen chapters right now, all of which will be at least a thousand words. Please let me know what you think, as I play with Naruto's timeline like crazy.
They were just inside Fire territory when it happened. A glowing pink dome snapped up and around the Three Sand Siblings, trapping them in a jutsu unlike any they'd ever encountered. Gaara narrowed his eyes as the dome floated up and shot off in a different direction, effectively separating them from the rest of the Sand nin. None of their attacks affected it-even Gaara's sand was rendered useless the moment it touched the dome.
Soon, the three found themselves in an outdoor arena, several people watching soberly as they descended. Gaara quickly analyzed the group, dismissing all but one as not worth his time. The only interesting person there was the young girl with glowing pink eyes; obviously the one who controlled the trap. Sniffing, Gaara flexed his fingers at the sweet scent of power radiating from her. Oh, he wanted to fight her. Something inside him was riveted by her; drawn to her with a strength he'd never experienced.
"What have you done to the One-Tail?" the old man standing before the group demanded.
That was not what they'd been expecting. Blinking, Gaara stepped closer, nearly touching the dome.
"He's sealed in me," he sneered, seeing no reason to beat around the bush about it. "Who are you?"
The man frowned. "I am Aito Higurashi and this is the Higurashi clan. We've waited long years for Lord Shukaku to return to us. Why…why would you do this to him?"
Temari's brows furrowed. "Wait, your clan likes Shukaku?"
"Of course. He was a guardian of our village-our clan-until one day he disappeared. We have slept until the time of his return neared so that we may once more welcome him."
Temari gaped and even Gaara was startled by that. When he turned his mind to the demon, he found Shukaku unnaturally sober. Instead of taunting him, the tanuki looked away and sighed.
"I was welcomed with them as I was nowhere else. I protected them and they provided me with healing and power boosts. The Higurashi clan is great healers with only one or two warriors in each generation. Kagome, the girl with the pink eyes, is one of them."
Focusing on the girl now that he had a name, Gaara noticed her watching him steadily. Deciding that he would like to know more about a clan that could give him more power and seemingly earn the loyalty of Shukaku, Gaara answered Aito's question.
"Shukaku has been sealed inside me since before I was born."
Kankurō scowled at his brother just giving up the answers. Gaara paid him no heed, fascinated by the way Kagome gasped, tears filling her eyes at that news. Aito paled and motioned to her.
"Kagome, can you separate them without killing either?"
Approaching the dome, she paused directly in front of Gaara. A foreign chakra washed over him, leaving a soft, tingling feeling behind. It ripped a growl of pleasure from him. Her eyes widened and she leaned forward instead of running as anyone else would have.
"Kagome?" the leader asked, bringing her attention away from him.
Gaara snarled at Aito when Kagome stepped away. She stilled and then shifted closer once more, surprising him.
"I cannot. The seal damaged both of their souls such that they are dependent upon each other." She looked back at Gaara. "I'm sorry."
Unnerved at her genuine remorse, Gaara only nodded. Her gaze stayed on him a moment before she brightened.
"But, I can merge you!" she exclaimed. "I can heal your souls by merging them. The seal will fall away and neither of you will have the…instability that you do now. Since Lord Shukaku is literally made up of chakra, I can guide you two together."
"What?!" Temari shrieked.
Aito's expression turned thoughtful as Gaara wondered at such a possibility.
"What effect would this have on them otherwise?" the old man asked.
Kagome bit her lip. "What's your name?" she softly asked Gaara.
Teal eyes focused on her. "Gaara of the Sand," he replied, taking in her reaction, all his senses trained on the one presenting the most interest to him.
"You would most likely keep your humanoid form, Lord Gaara," she told him. "However, I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to access Lord Shukaku's true form, too."
"Release the demon?" Kankurō shook his head adamantly. "No way!"
"It is not your decision," Aito rebuked swiftly. "What would you choose, Lord Gaara, Lord Shukaku?"
The idea was tempting to them both for various reasons. Shukaku saw this as another step in increasing his power and Gaara wanted to fully control his own body. Keeping his eyes on Kagome, the red headed boy silently marveled at her control and power. She had yet to waver in holding the dome. Shukaku whispered a word to him that had him straightening.
"Fight me, priestess," he rumbled. "Fight me and I will let you do this if you are not as weak as your clansmen."
Blindsided, she frowned at him and tipped her head to the side. "You'll leave us as soon as you're merged if I do."
Reaching out, Gaara pressed his hand to the dome, hissing at the pleasure/pain of it. "If you can stand in the end, I'll claim you and your clan."
"Gaara!" Temari recoiled, flabbergasted. "You can't promise that! Their village is in Fire territory."
Aito shook his head. "Our village has long remained independent of anyone but ourselves and Lord Shukaku. Very well, Lord Gaara of the Sand, if you merge with Lord Shukaku and guard us as he ever has, we will give our loyalty to you. We will continue the pact our forefathers swore with him."
Stepping back, the man nodded to Kagome. With a quick flick of her fingers, she released the dome, her eyes turning a deep cobalt blue as the pink power faded. She drew back to the other side of the arena, listening to something one of the clan Elders whispered hurriedly to her.
Kankurō and Temari swarmed Gaara, protesting this course of action once more. He shot them a look that had them shutting up quickly. Frustrated, they moved to stand with the spectators as Aito held up a hand.
"Do not fail me, Kagome," he warned.
Bowing, Kagome acknowledged him and then slid into a defensive stance just as a gong rang out.
The fight that erupted was long and very brutal, Gaara reveling in the rush of the challenge she presented. He'd never faced anyone who could keep up with him the way she was-her spiritual powers proving a successful counter to his sand.
"Your blood smells divine," he taunted her as she skidded back from a blow he'd managed to land.
Kagome panted and narrowed her eyes at him. Reaching up, she buried her fingers in the wound in her shoulder before flinging the liquid at him.
"Try a taste of this then. Blades of Blood!" she called as the droplets shifted into weapons that cut through nearly anything.
Barely dodging them, Gaara laughed in delight. "Yes! Show me everything you have, little priestess!"
A blast of her power had his sand falling.
Temari watched it all, nervously biting her lip as Gaara became more and more unhinged the longer Kagome was able to fight him. The younger girl shook her right arm, something that looked like white liquid metal slithering down it to end at deadly points on her fingers. When Gaara once more attacked with his sand, she flickered out of sight. A moment later, his sand fell as it hit a barrier.
"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Kagome snarled, appearing slightly above Gaara and bringing her reinforced hand down to slash at him.
He managed to avoid the worst of the blow, but it'd been so quick and so perfectly timed with her distraction, that Kagome did still catch his upper arm. Leaping away, Gaara stared with wide eyes at the wound, fascinated by the sight of his own blood, having never experienced such. His ultimate defense had failed in the face of her reiki.
Inside him, Shukaku was laughing maniacally, elation surging so forcefully, Gaara was hit with it as well. Turning calculating, intrigued eyes on the priestess, he let the insanity crawl across his face.
"Again," he demanded, gathering his sand and plucking her from the air when she leapt away. "Again, priestess! I want to feel your power! Why should I claim you?"
Grunting, Kagome flared her reiki, dissipating the coffin that had caught her. She landed on one knee and looked up in time to see another barrage of sand coming at her.
"Wind Scar!" She yelled, sweeping her reinforced arm up and sending out a jutsu unlike anything the Suna nin had seen.
It split Gaara's attack and hit his shield so hard it cracked. Breathing heavy with excitement, Gaara let Shukaku come to the front of his mind, his sand moving to form part of the tanuki's body.
"So strong," he growled. "But, can you fight the One-Tail as well?"
Kagome froze in shock. "Lord Shukaku?"
Sand struck out at her, snapping her attention back to the task at hand. Temari was a bundle of nerves by the time Gaara-or Shukaku-finally ended the battle by trapping Kagome under the sheer weight of his sand. To her astonishment, however, he didn't smother the girl-even after Shukaku was once more sealed. Crouching beside Kagome's head, Gaara grinned wickedly and leaned over to lick the blood off her cheek.
A pleased growl spilled from him as he savored the flavor. "Your power saturates every part of you, pretty little priestess."
Kagome shocked Gaara's siblings by relaxing at the bizarre action. Gaara pulled his sand back into his gourd, allowing Kagome to breathe and try to recover. A woman hurried into the arena, healing chakra at her fingertips. Gaara growled viciously at her, making her stop and bow her head obediently.
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and painfully clawed her way to her feet. It looked like it took every bit of strength she had to bow to Gaara. Even her strange weapon had disappeared.
"Lord Gaara," she gritted out, holding her wounds, "are you satisfied?"
His sand spilled out and wrapped around her, picking her off her feet. Kagome didn't struggle, only watched him expectantly. Gaara crossed his arms as he noted her instinctively relying on him to support her, now that the fight was over. That confused him, as did his restraint at the end. He could have killed her with that final attack, but he'd given her the opportunity to satisfy his demand.
"Higurashi is mine," he declared.
Kagome smiled before passing out, having fulfilled his conditions. Gaara brought her closer and examined her features curiously. Absently, he motioned for the healer to approach and allowed her to set about fixing the priestess. Strange that he no longer desired her blood to be spilled. With her power drained, he should find her repulsive in her weakness. Instead, he was finding it fascinating how small she was compared to how much of an opposition she'd proven to be. She was strong enough to withstand being claimed. Gaara wondered at Shukaku's insistence of that point, but acknowledged that the new pact would need a binder.
"Lord Gaara? Would you allow me to heal you as well?" the healer asked respectfully.
Glancing to her, he agreed, realizing just how battered he was after that fight. It made him want to lick Kagome again, just to taste the evidence of her strength.
Next Chapter: Merging!
(Also, Happy Saint Patrick's Day!)