Huh. Well then. Yah. Um, howdy and welcome to the next in the Family of Demons series. Thanks to everyone over the years who's given me so much support for this series. What can I say? Kizuko-chan and Shinosuke are kinda loud. And that's how we come to this particular story.
Oh yeah. Disclaimer Dance: All belongs to Kishimoto, Viz, Jump, etc. etc. The sandbox isn't mine, I'm just playing in it with some toys I brought along. Kizuko-chan, Shinosuke, and the other OCs belong to me, but I'm totally willing to share if asked.
Note: I've been very fortunate to never have had my parents go through the situation below (y'know minus the ninja-ness), so I'm mostly going by observation and imagination. I apologize if I offend anyone. So yah. Heads up.
They were fighting again.
They fought a lot; they were a kitsune and a tanuki after all. But generally it was just small arguments that ended in an apology and a smile. Although, sometimes it was different. Sometimes it got so bad that they would destroy parts of the apartment or have to take it outside. Those times didn't happen as often, but they took longer to reconcile.
And it looked like this was one of those times.
She whimpered and hugged Kon-Kon tighter, sliding a little further down the wall.
THUD CRASH
Gaara threw a tendril of sand out, hitting the blonde man directly in the chest slamming him into the wall, causing the pictures hanging there to crash to the floor.
THWACK THUD
Naruto jumped to his feet, snarling. He threw kunai forcefully at the redhead, only to have them deflect off of the sand shield and embed in the wooden beams of the apartment's kitchen.
"Your aim leaves much to be desired, Uzumaki. Here and in other places."
"FUCK YOU YOU TANUKI BASTARD!!"
"I recall you screaming what little brains you have out last time that happened!"
"YEAH, WELL IT WAS A MISTAKE! JUST LIKE THIS WHOLE LEAVES DAMNED RELATIONSHIP!"
Kizuko sobbed a little into the back of her stuffed fox as the battle raged. She squeezed her eyes closed. If she was a little braver…maybe…maybe she could speak up and they would remember she was there. Maybe she could make them stop….maybe….maybe…
"RASENGAN!!"
Gaara flew through window of the apartment as the ball of chakra hit him. The sand took the brunt of the impact and damage, but it still hurt. And the fall was going to hurt more, particularly with the blonde fox carrier on top of him. He was falling far too quickly for Sabaku Fuyuu to be usefully employed. And really…it just pissed him off at the blonde even more.
They fell to the pavement below, landing hard and making a small crater. Of course neither the fall nor the landing really slowed the two. Once they got going simple things like pain were easy to ignore.
The little blonde peered down through the hole in the wall her fathers had made. She saw them land and continue to fight. Papa's eyes were red, his whiskers were darker, and he had claws. Which meant that Kyuubi was coming out….which was bad. Gaara looked slightly worse for wear, but the thing that scared her most was the way the sand was gathering around him. It was gathering near his arm and forming thin-vein like lines on his face. That meant…that meant… the scary one…the voice…that horrible high pitched giggling voice…it was coming.
She had to be brave. She had to do something. With a deep breath, she gave Kon-Kon one last desperate squeeze before setting him down and jumping out the hole.
"Fuckin' bastard! What in Hokage's name ever made me think we could be together?!"
"I'm asking myself the same damn question, furball. I left my village for you? You were beneath my notice at the chunin exam and you should still be beneath it now."
Naruto snarled, malevolent chakra flood over him and forming a shell. Gaara's sand was starting to form and compact around his arm, and he was drooling a bit as his fangs grew.
"Then let's end it here."
"My thoughts exactly, Uzumaki."
They both drew back, preparing for one last strike, when a black and yellow blur darted between them.
"NO!! PAPA! GAARA! PLEASE! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!"
Both snarled, but stopped as their kit stood between them tears making wet tracks down her cheeks. Kizuko looked at her parents, relieved that both of them seemed in control enough to recognize her and stop.
"Please…Stop it. Look around. Look what you've done to the village. Stop…before someone gets hurt. Please." She gestured around to the property damage the two had caused and the incoming crowd of ninja that were responding.
Gaara forced himself to breath. To calm down. To force Shukaku back into the recesses of his mind. He glared at the kitsune vessel across from him.
"Very well. We'll end it."
"Thank you, Gaara."
He spared Kizuko a quick, pained glance before turning his anger back on Naruto. The blonde man growled low in his throat but made no move.
"We're done, Uzumaki."
"Good riddance, you psychopath."
"Wait, wha?"
The redhead turned and stalked back towards the remains of the apartment. The little blonde looked from her Papa to Gaara and back, confused. Naruto remained stubbornly still and glaring.
"Gaara…Gaara where are you going?" She chased after him.
"Home." He replied tersely.
"But…but…"
As they made it back to the apartment, she watched in horror as he grabbed a duffel bag and began shoving his things into it. A sand tendril would occasionally snag out and retrieve an object. He did not look at her. He looked everywhere but her.
Once everything that was necessary had been shoved forcefully into the bag, he slung it over his shoulder opposite of the gourd. He then jumped out the hole made in the wall and walked resolutely towards the entrance of Konoha.
"I'll pay for half the damage. Your Hokage knows where to send the bill."
One of the chunin who was accessing the damage with a weary look nodded. Property damage near ninja households was a common thing. Usually not from the same particular source as this and rarely to the same extent, but common enough that no one tried to stop the redhead. Of course that could also be because of the impromptu display of power that happened.
He didn't spare Naruto a glance as he stalked by. The blonde continued to glare, his arms folded.
"Good riddance." The blonde mumbled again under his breath.
Kizuko ran past, following Gaara. He couldn't really be leaving could he? He couldn't! What would she do? What would Papa do? Who would help with her genjutsu homework? Who would show her how to do calligraphy properly? Who would…who would stay up with her at night when she couldn't sleep? Help her understand?
"Gaara! Wait! Don't go!"
If anything, he sped up. She tried to run a little faster.
"Please! Gaara!"
He sped up again, jumping up to a branch and traveling by tree. She hopped up, still attempting to follow. But he was too fast and she ended up tripping, falling to the branch below.
"GAARA! PLEASE!! DON'T GO!"
She sobbed after him, yelling one last time.
"DADDY PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!"
But he was gone.