**note for the reader. 1st please ignore the grammar! im terrible with grammar so just try to bear with me. 2nd this story presents Gaara with a slightly softer personality but still maintaining his self hatred/murderous qualities that we all love. 3rd there is a new character/species that is introduced in this story who quickly becomes Gaaras love interest. 4th I haven't actually sat down to write something like this in a looonnng time so I apologize if the writing itself sounds eh cheesy? but im really proud i actually did it and let my motivation drive me this far. Criticism is always appreciated but please try not to beat me over the head cause i CRy EaSIly

thanks!**

Whats lost sometimes can not be found, but it can be recreated

After the battle with Kimmimaro; Kankuro, Temari, and I met up in an uncharted forest hidden just outside the leaf village. It was a place i'd never been to before and i could tell it was uncharted by the lack of human traces. Severly overgrown brush and plants surrounded us in every direction as well as an abundance of fruit. Mango and pineapple trees were around every curve and there were bushes smothered in berries of all varieties. It seemed finding food in this area would prove to be no problem at all, however, with the lack of paths to define our way in or out getting lost in here would not be difficult. We would need to be careful so as not to lose our way but thankfully due to our many years of training our sense of direction had been sharpened far beyond most. The forest contained an extensive amount of life. It was odd coming across it just now, considering every other area we had walked was merely flat grass land, but right here, in the middle of nowhere, we were surrounded by beauty. Flowers larger than any i'd seen before were sprouting carelessly in all directions, though the raw and untamed nature of the forest would make it fit to be seen as chaos, there was also a certain type of pattern to it, a graceful anarchy and even I couldnt help but to be in awe of the power. After my last fight much of my energy had been depleted and i needed a place to regain my strength. Considering i couldnt sense any other chakra in this area it seemed fair to assume no allies nor enemies would disrupt us during this period of rest. We set up camp near a quiet fresh water spring with a grove of large oak trees to our left and just across the river bank was a silent waterfall. I sat down under the shade and rested my back against the trunk of one of the large oaks. Before doing anything else i wanted to try to connect to the energy of this place. I could tell just by walking in here that this forest possessed some type of healing quality that i couldnt understand. It felt very pure and open as if it harbored its own medical ninjustu. How strange i thought. Jutsu could only be controlled and manipulated through chakra energy possessed by shinobi so how was it that this forest seemed to contain it's own? Kankuro and Temari too were observing our temporary residence for the night. They both looked exhausted from their fights as well. It seemed this new found alliance with the leaf was proving to take our energy in more ways than one. I sighed and got up to gather some water from the spring. it was was clear as crystal, I scooped a large handful into my palms and began to drink. I could feel it flowing through my body and as it coursed its way down each ache in my muscles began to settle. It was healing me. This confirmed my previous assumption. The forest did possess a mending energy on its own and each taste of the water seemed to heighten my sense of it. with every sip the feeling got stronger. it was emanating from the plants, the flowers and fruits, even the soil. incredible. there had to be a source for this. I understood plants in general had their own energy flow, but this, this was much too strong, much too concentrated to be generated by any natural habitat alone. As i stood by the spring i could see just how clean and pure it was. The only thing blocking my vision of what was within was my own reflection, yet another sad reminder that no matter how good the energy of this forest felt, on the inside i would always be a monster. even those i was attempting to forge an alliance with still feared me, and with good reason. I was still a junchuriki. Host to the 1 tailed shukaku. i still murdered people in cold blood for no other reason than that they were standing in my way. worse than that i enjoyed the killing. Others have always hated me since before i was born due to this beast i had trapped inside of me and for that reason i was never given the opportunity to understand what love was. I was ridiculed since birth, no matter my efforts to make friends i was rejected and spit on. My eyes narrowed, in the mirror of the water i could see the scar on my forehead put there by my own hand. The kanji symbol for love. The love i would never get from others, not even from within. So i decided if i could never be worthy of that feeling then i would only live for myself, destroying any one who got in my way. i shook my head in anger and threw my fist into the spring below. my reflection had been distorted by the disturbance. Love was not a word i knew the meaning to. the only love i understood was the sand i controlled, the sand which contained the protective spirit of my mother, and that was all i needed in this world.

When i got back Kankuro was sitting under the shade of a large oak tree debating on whether or not to build a fire for tonights dinner. Creating destruction in a place of life felt wrong, so instead i suggested we feed off the fruit trees. They agreed, Kankuro somewhat reluctantly, but Temari went to gather an assortment of mangoes and pineapples while he decided to fill up on berries. I was left alone in the quiet to keep guard. My thoughts were still battling me, i was torn inside. I was nearly killed when defeating kimmimaro, but what puzzled me most of all were the feelings i harbored towards rock lee. After seeing how devastatingly injured he was from our last fight i couldnt help but feel remorse for him. it was odd, i had never really experienced feelings of care towards another person before but when approaching that battle i had this strange urge to..protect him. I shook my head for clarity but still couldnt ignore the confusion dancing inside so without straying too far from our site, i decided to take a walk. I needed to think. I began to follow the grass parallel to the stream and was surprised about how much i could see in the forest. Despite the brush that surrounded me there were many areas in the distance that appeared to be very clear. The whole forest was really quite beautiful and i couldnt understand why no one had chosen to reside here before. I walked towards a small stone perch that was sticking out over the spring and stopped there for a moment. It was still so interesting to me the amount of energy that was contained in this soil. I could tell just because of my natural connection to the sand that the ground here was extremely fertile and had a capacity to bear life that was exponential. Impressive as it was, the feeling just brought me back to the sad reminder that i could never bear anything of that magnitude within the sand i manipulate. It is much too dry and lacking of the elements necessary to grow anything of value in it. My sand, though a force to be reckoned with, was a means to attack and protect. Nothing more. I sighed. These are things i already knew and processed many times over, but being here in all of this beauty seemed to make the difference between the darkness within myself and this place full of light all the greater. I placed my hand on the ground as an attempt to make a connection to the energy underneath and was surprised when i felt a response. I felt shifting in the minerals, as if something was sprouting from the soil excitedly, with how rapid the movement was i could tell this was not natural growth and my eyes narrowed in confusion. If this was not natural, then someone or something was producing this. The source. suddenly i jumped up and began scanning the forest, i couldve sworn we were alone here, but the reality was we were not, the energy from this forest was so great it appeared that this place was just developed differently, however the truth was this forest was not born this way, it was created this way. The energy had been planted here, much like the flowers and the trees. that was why id never felt it before anywhere else, it was simply cause i had never come across the creature with the ability to harness chakra like this.

Frantically i turned my head side to side trying to find this intruder. Or more so, trying to find who i was intruding on. It felt odd the sense of urgency to prepare a defense in this place. This forest felt like warmth and comfort, but it was still home to another. And others usually dont come bearing kindness to the likes of us. In my panic and inability to see my not-yet enemy i heard a noise behind me. A soft chiming, like laughter. I turned immediately and began to follow it. There was a large bush ahead of me, as i walked towards it the feeling in my hands grew stronger, it was a strange sensation like tingles in my palms. the tingling would tighten and relax as the ground moved in different ways, it was almost pleasure. When i got closer i could see behind the bush there appeared to be a pond and then finally at the edge of the water was a small clearing.

And there she was, the source, the light. Her chiming laughter bounced off the leaves of the trees and the colors of the flowers until it sang to me. She was a creature unlike any i had seen before. And this was the reason no humans called this place home. Because it was hers, it seemed wrong to take something so beautiful from something like her. Her hair was shoulder length and red, darker than mine but somehow brighter. The color was much more intense and sunlight radiated off it allowing the rest of her to shine in its rays. She had thin shoulders and arms that went down towards her curved hips. Her fingers were gracefully long and pointed down towards her bare feet covered in skin that was a pale peach color with hints of yellow and green. she had a petite pointed chin to match the strong structure of her face. And her back, small yet muscular, had four insect like wings sprouting from it. their color was unique, clear, yet they reflected rainbows at different angles when the sunlight hit them. She was glorious. the sight of her was a breath of fresh air. she was the reason everything here felt of life, of healing. Just being in her presence overwhelmed me with feelings of purity and i almost collapsed under the weight of it. I couldnt take my eyes off her, and that was the one thing i couldnt yet see. Her eyes. For she was focused on the earth around her. Jumping and dancing gracefully with the flowers and the wind. She placed her hands on the ground and laughed as 2 large pink azaleas sprouted at her command. And the connection was transferred again into my palms, i could feel her pulling them through the earth as if i was the ground producing . I sighed slightly and fell to my knees with a soft thud. She heard me then and suddenly jerked her head to face me. Finally i could see them, her eyes. Piercing me with their colors, even from this distance i could see the blue and green dancing in them. I could see a bright ring of orange surrounding her pupil like a halo from the sun. her expression was a combination of emotions, surprise, curiosity, and.. fear. Yes there was fear there as well. I could not blame her, she did not know i was here watching her, nor did she know my family and i had set up camp in her still i had to remind myself her fear was merely that of surprise, i knew nothing of her species so it seemed fair to assume she knew nothing of me either. She could not know i was host to the 1 tailed shukaku. However, if i could feel the light energy of this place produced by her it would be to reason she could feel the darkness within me just as well. And in an instant with all these thoughts crashing over me i began to feel discouraged. the time that had passed between us from when she first looked at me was less than a second or 2, yet these fears came bombarding as if they had been preparing to run a marathon against me. She had yet to look away ,nor change her expression, but suddenly her eyes lit up crinkling at the ends and she smiled. Such a warm welcoming smile, as if i was just like her, nothing but purity. I could do nothing in response, i felt paralyzed by her stare and my mouth gaped open at her. She looked next to her and picked a dandelion then extended her hand towards me as if the flower was an offering and she blew. a large breeze picked up in that instant brushing across my lips and face, pushing my hair back and revealing the scar on my forehead. The breeze got stronger the harder she blew and i could feel the seeds of the dandelion landing on my cheeks and palms. I closed my eyes letting the feeling wash over me. It was as if i was being caressed by her breath. the wind seemed to be controlled by her blowing, as well as the ground heeding her commands to produce life. So it was ninjutsu, not only was she a healer but she could too manipulate the elements to do as she wished. i had never met someone who used their abilities as it appeared she did. The breeze began to die down and she giggled. Opening my eyes again i could see her playful, enticing smile. A smile was an unfamiliar motion to me. It seemed impossible for my lips to form that expression but i found myself wanting to try. before i could attempt to share this feeling with her her eyes narrowed and quickly shifted to the right, "Hey Gaara!" Kankuro announced loudly, catching my attention "Gaara we've brought back dinner, now whered you go?!" he shouted, i could feel his feet pressing against the ground and running in my direction. Immediately i looked back at her but she had vanished, gone. I gasped slightly and the sound seemed to hold feelings of pain with her absence. Suddenly i felt the same as i did before. It was just me, just Gaara. It seemed her presence had brought with it a feeling of joy i had never experienced, and her absence took it with her. Though i was still the same as before having known that energy of goodness, i suddenly felt less than without it. I shook my head and began to stand to meet back with my family, Before walking away from the perch i scanned the bushes and trees once more for her, and though it appeared she was gone, i couldnt help but feel like i was being watched.

I walked back to the camp site in a daze. It felt sort of like i was trying to pull myself out of a dream. Kankuro and Temari were both emptying their sacks of fruit on the ground for us to share and they looked startled as i approached. Judging by their faces it seemed my recent experience with her had not yet faded from my expression and with how confused i felt I had to wonder if it even happened at all. "Hey, you all right man?" Kankuro asked. "Yeah, Gaara you don't look so well, do you need to lay down?" Temari Echoed. they both exchanged concerned glances. I shrugged as i sat, "Yes, I'm fine, i just thought i saw something is all." I responded while turning back behind me to stare again at the stream. I looked up at them, their faces still slightly agape "Let's eat." i stated as i reached for a mango infront of me and bit into it. They exchanged another look but didn't push it. They knew not to nag me for answers, i was naturally a very reserved person and it didnt take much for me to take something like concern and turn it into a challenge. We ate mostly in silence with Kankuro making occasional grunts and smiles at the food. He was not usually a fruits and vegetables kind of person but even he couldnt turn away from the sweet nectar these treats offered. Mangoes were my favorite, but being from the village of the hidden sand our soil was much too dry to produce trees like that. Mangoes were a few and far between delicacy that were only attained when shinobi returned from missions with them after visits to much more fertile lands. Even so, these mangoes were more delicious and satisfying than any id ever had before. I made a mental note to take some with me as we left. It made sense considering the high life energy this forest contained. The flowers, trees, everything here was grown with much more intensity in color and flavor than any other place id been. i inhaled again. incredible. Kankuro and temari both let out exasperated grunts and laid back against the trees. They were full indeed. "Ahh," Kankuro sighed "Now THATS what i call dinner." He chuckled while closing his eyes. "Yes," Temari continued, "We must take some of the fruits with us when we go, hopefully theyll make it back to the sand village without spoiling." she commented thoughtfully. I nodded. Temari and I had always been on the same page, when it came to our taste for fruit atleast. Unlike Kankuro we both enjoyed very tropical flavors so a dinner like this Temari and I would consider fine dining. Temari laid back against the trunk of another oak tree and closed her eyes to rest. I felt oddly wide awake despite how i should feel considering my battle with kimmimaro. And the episode i had with the creature had put me in such a daze i may as well have been sleeping all day. I decided to stretch for a little bit to help process dinner so i got up and began to explore our surroundings. I still wasnt sure whether or not she had even happened. The whole experience had been very surreal but, if it had happened, i was also hoping to see her again, to push my boundaries and attempt to open myself to her energy.

I hadnt been walking long when i felt it again. Her chakra. She was nearby but i couldnt yet see her. it was so strange. This entire forest felt like purity, As soon as i walked into it my body responded to the healing energy. I'm sure this feeling didnt go unnoticed by Temari or Kankuro either, but it made up just a fraction of the feeling i had when i was near her. She was the core charging it all, the light within the life. I shouldnt want to understand it but i did. I knew it was something fleeting, and if i truly did want to know her I'd have to learn quickly. After all, Temari, Kankuro and I would be leaving this place the following day so my timing was limited. I frowned at the situation, how odd id find myself wishing to stay in a place id never even looked into going. I looked down at my feet, my hands, myself, This feeling is the closest ive ever experienced to peace within. If i'm to develop an alliance with the leaf shinobi and others id need to learn how to cope with whats inside of me. For years i'd spent my time hating the world and everyone in it, after accepting that no one in this world would love me for who i was, I put myself first, doing as i wished and murdering anyone who tried to stop me. my life was full of hatred and sorrow. But then i fought Naruto Uzamaki, a leaf shinobi and jinchuriki like myself, he had known the same pain i had, the constant feeling of being alone we shared and he cried for me, his enemy. Ever since then i'd been working on trying to redefine the ties i had with others but i never thought i'd be able to redefine the tie i had with myself. And now that i had the opportunity to i'm about to lose it forever,it felt like i was cursed, like some unholy god was using this as a way to punish me. angrily I struck the ground with my fist. "Why? Why was it always me?" i cried to myself, and collapsed onto my knees "i dont understand what i did to deserve such a cruel fate." my tears began rolling down my cheeks and dripped onto the dirt below me. i shook my head trying to rid myself of these feelings but the words kept echoing in my head, refusing to relent. "I don't understand! I never wanted to be a monster!" I shouted again, watching as the salty liquid began soaking into the earth beneath me. My breath came in heaves and i fell into myself. I didn't pick this life, i thought. this was forced onto me. it wasn't fair. I inhaled deeply trying to calm myself. While catching my breath i felt it again, the same sensation as before,tingles in my hands, moving earth. A tiny fisher in the dirt opened up next to my palms, where my tears had fallen, and slowly up sprouted a small dandelion. I froze, my eyes went wide as i stared at the flower in shock. a dandelion. an offering just like before. My mouth gaped open and in that instant a breeze picked up, this time i didnt close my eyes. I watched the flower dance and sway as the wind moved it and one by one the seeds began washing over me. landing on my cheeks, clinging to the trail my tears had left, they fell onto my palms, my lips. it was her. I slowly lifted my head, and there in the distance, i could see her

standing. She was in the water up ahead. Her back was to me but her wings and hair were glistening in what was left of the sunlight, the stream came up to her hips and what she had been wearing when id first seen her, a very thin, soft green cloth, was gone. She was naked. Her chin was turned in my direction and she was still. her blue eyes met mine softly and i could read in them the understanding, the sorrow. She was mourning for me. she knew nothing of me and yet she mourned for me. I gasped, again my body was paralyzed by her penetrating stare. Neither of us moved. It was only seconds passing by but the connection between us in that moment felt infinite. what was she? i looked down, seeing as she was not on the ground i couldnt make any connection with her through the minerals in the dirt, but i could atleast give her a gift of my eyes always watching her, i reached around to my back slowly and took the cap off my gourd. As i started using my chakra to move the sand within i felt an odd sensation. The cap was still held between my thumb and finger, yet as if it was being pulled by a magnet, it slowly drifted from my hand towards hers out in the middle of the water. I stared at her stunned as it landed softly on her palm and she held it close, rubbing it with her fingers. The gourd, the cap, the sand,it was all me and for that reason i could feel the connection between us. I could feel her hands as if she was touching me. I shuddered, the softness of her skin and her warmth was pure pleasure. She continued to rub the cap then pulled it close to her lips and whispered. I couldnt make out the words but I could feel her breath on my palms, heating them like velvet and i closed my eyes . I didnt want her to stop. her touch, though indirect, was the closest thing id felt to genuine human contact. Emotions swelled inside my chest, so many at once. It felt like a mixture of what i assumed was pain and joy coming to the surface. I wanted to collapse into the feeling and unleash it. Before i could move she released the cap letting it float slowly and come back over the water to land in my palm. My eyes were opened wide staring at her, her face was angled towards me but the rest of her body remained the same. I could see nothing else but those beautiful wings and eyes. The cap still seemed the same on the top when i looked at it, but the bottom had a new addition. Instead of the cork like material that it was originally made from, there was now a clear, shimmering film covering the area of the circle, similar to that of her wings. I angled it in the sunlight, and yes, rainbows too danced off it. My eyes met hers again intensely, this time not with surprise, but with wonder and desire in them. i needed to know her. I caressed the bottom of the cap with my thumb and My breath caught when she reacted to it. She looked down as if i was rubbing her palms instead. I was touching her. Of course, she had binded us, my sand to her skin. a permanent connection made through the center of the cork. a slight sigh escaped my lips at the realization: she wanted to leave part of herself with me. Her fingers began to twitch at the touch, like she was trying to catch my hand. My breath came faster then, i watched her intensely. she closed her eyes and I saw her chest rise as she sighed at the stroking of my thumb, smiling pleasantly. I couldn't stop. she liked the way my touch felt, she wanted it. i gasped. So many thoughts ran through my mind at once, not the least of which was to wrap her up in my sand and take her with me. She was a treasure and needed to be kept safe. I stroked the cap faster at that point, pressing my thumb harder into it as if i was pushing it directly into her palm. my breathing got heavy. she wanted my touch, i thought again and i wanted to give it to her. No one had ever desired to be near me much less touch me and yet here she was, craning her neck in pleasure at the connection we had between a simple piece of cork. God, she was perfection. before my thoughts could get carried away I felt Temari's steps in the dirt near me. "Gaara!" She shouted pulling me out of my reverie as i looked reluctantly in her direction "Gaara where are you?" She chimed again, I was about to speak when i suddenly heard the sound of water splashing, then immediately a flutter of wings moving rapidly. I quickly looked back towards the stream and she was gone, Again, just as fast as she was there. My eyes widened with grief, it felt that if i could see my face, my expression would resemble terror. "No." I whispered to myself, distraught. "no." I glanced down and tried to shake the pain of her absence. it wasn't fair that she even existed, to bring me feelings like this, just to take them away. Temari found me at that point and stopped a few feet back looking at me with those same concerned eyes. "i'm fine" i answered slightly annoyed before she could even broach the question. She said nothing in response and waited as i got to my feet. I fastened the cap back on my gourd then stood slowly to catch up with her. we walked back to the camp together in silence with her eyeing me curiously the whole time.

Dark was falling when we got back, and out here in the middle of the forest we had a clear view of the night sky. Without light in this area the stars were perfectly visible. There were so many of them to see twinkling brightly in the distance. It was incredible. Kankuro had been awake when we arrived and had started rolling out the sleeping sacks. I took up a space near one of the large oaks closest to the stream. Kankuro took the outside tree leaving Temari in the middle. I rested my head on the grass and stared intensly at the water, begging to see her again. The cap of my gourd was clenched tightly in my palm and i started rubbing it for her. I knew, wherever she was, she could feel it, my fingers were soft as i stroked it intending to gently caress her hand. I imagined the layout of her palm and used the map i had in mind to run my thumb up and down each of her fingers slowly. I wondered if she was sighing pleasently in response. The thought of her gasps made me shiver in unfamiliar ways and i kept stroking her until i fell asleep. That night i dreamt of beautiful images. Flashes of light and color, Insect wings and red hair. I could hear laughter and feel the wind on my face. There were smells of fruit,mangoes and pineapples, sweet flowers, and.. smoke.

smoke. I awoke in urgency to the scent of something burning. It was still pitch black outside and other than the starlight, i could see almost nothing. Kankuro and Temari still appeared to be fast asleep. I straightened upward and looked around to find the source of the foul odor. I peered through the trees and down towards the water, in the distance was a brilliant glowing orange. It was fire. intruders. Immediately i jumped to my feet "Temari! Kankuro!" I shouted startling them and pointed in the direction of the light "Theres Fire!" without hesitation I grabbed the sand gourd next to my sleeping sack and ran towards the stream. My siblings dazed voices were trailing behind me but i could here Temari's rising with urgency as she fastened my brother awake. "Kankuro!" She yelled, and i heard the swat of her palm smacking him in the head "Kankuro! let's go!" she shouted again and soon enough they were both right behind me. Kankuro had made sure to bring his battle puppets, and for good reason, it appeared we were going to need them. There were no bridges to make our way across the stream but i could see towards our right, near the stone perch i had sat on earlier was a trail of rocks faintly lining their way across the center of the spring. We jumped onto the stones getting water on our clothes with the urgency and continued across quickly. Once we landed on the grass of the other side i began hearing it, voices, musical screams of terror and pain and.. Chiming. Chiming, like her laughter. It was her. They were attacking her. "No!" I screamed in rage and pushed myself harder than i had ever run before, leaving my siblings behind me as I pursued her. I could see 2 large fruit trees burning ahead and right beyond them was a clearing that was currently hosting a battle. This was not caused by her, I could tell by the use of her abilities that she did not fight. So what is a battle when one side is refusing to push back? Its.. Torture. They were torturing her. Absolute rage coursed through my body. I would kill them. I would make them suffer and writhe under the pressure of my sand. She was too good, too pure to deserve a fate like this. And Yes, Yes im a monster, let her see me for who i am when i murder these intruders and make it rain with their blood. They will not touch her. And if they have, I will chew their bodies apart piece by piece until death is a gift they beg for. I busted between the trees in that instant and checked my surroundings. The intensity of the fire was everywhere, all the beautiful flowers and trees that had captured my awe earlier in the day were turning to ashes before my eyes, the life energy of this place was no more, and in its absence was the overwhelming blanket of death. It was crushing. My ears were ringing with the shrill melody of screams, And for the first time i saw she was not the only one of her kind. All around me were decaying bodies of her village, her family. They lay motionless on the ground, with their wings torn from their backs and holes burned through their torsos. Dead. All of them Dead. On my right I could see one of the villagers crawling towards me, she was an older woman, a mother. Her brown hair had been pulled up in a pony tail and was now spilling down to cover the ashes on her face. Her legs had been butchered off and she was screaming in agony as the tears ran down her cheeks "please!" she begged me "Please save her!" She shouted pointing behind me but i couldnt take my eyes off her. Pain, and helplessness surged with the rage inside me. I had already lost, I hadnt even fought and yet with all the death that had accumulated upon these pure, light souls, I had already lost. "Please! save my daughter!" She shouted again pulling me from the despair of my thoughts. In that instant I looked behind me towards the direction she was pointing and.. It was was lying In a small corner surrounded by trees that were not yet burning. The warm smiles and laughter from earlier in the day had been wiped from her face, for now her eyes were wide with terror. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was screaming a piercing, treachorous melody. She had her arms wrapped around one of the other villagers. He was a young boy who looked very similar to her. It appeared this was her brother. she placed her hands on him frantically stroking his face and shaking him as if she was trying to find any sort of life in his deceased agony crippled me, such an innocent creature to deserve a fate like this. Her wings had been torn, still attatched but ripped vertically down from the top making them unusable. So she'd lost her ability to fly making escape impossible. Her body was badly wounded, there were cuts all along her arms and torso and she was bleeding heavily. Multiple puddles of red surrounded her petite frame, and the color of her skin, no longer a beautiful peach rainbow, was now near white. She was losing too much blood, she would die if she didnt get medical attention. I refused to let that happen. Despite all the anguish i felt, seeing her so broken made my determination grow stronger. I would save her, I would fight til it claimed my last breath to save her.

Temari and Kankuro had caught up to me at that point. They bursted through the clearing and gasped at the horror that surrounded them. Kankuro noted the setting, he saw the death and decay and made himself aware of the distinct difference between the villagers of this land and ourselves. he was wavering on the battle. "Garra." He called calmly through the ferocious scene. "Gaara, this is not our fight, these are not our allies. we should leave before we end up the same way as them." I clenched my teeth and looked back at him with eyes sharp as daggers. He flinched at my penetrating gaze and stepped back fearfully. Slowly with seething rage flowing from my jaw i stated "These villagers have supported this land, they are the reason for our healing and our eating, they were aware of our presence and welcomed us." I continued, shouting "they are our allies and we will fight for them!" There was a pause between us as Kankuro processed my words. He knew challenging me would only lead to his death. In that moment his face became stern, he stepped forward and nodded at me. Temari echoed the motion and immediately went to check on the older woman who had spoken to me. She kneeled next to her and placed the womans head on her legs stroking her now lifeless face. Kankuro readied his pulled the mummy off his back and prepared it to fight. I nodded at him and turned back to face her, She still had her arms wrapped around the young boy but now she was staring ahead in horror, I looked in the direction of her gaze and saw, directly infront of her a ball of fire flying rapidly to destroy her.

"No!" I roared and Immediately, like second nature, I threw a wall of sand up to shield her. I could no longer see her which means neither could the enemy. The fire ball made contact with the sand and burnt out instantaneously causing no harm. I Jumped infront of her in that moment and stood protectively as a barrier, preparing to deflect any additional attacks that would come her way. When I found the enemy responsible for her misery, he would be obliterated. I scanned the setting, fire covered nearly every tree in the clearing, and corpses surrounded us, it appeared that she was the only survivor thus far from her village. In the distance, behind the fire and the decay were 3 standing figures. They were dressed in long black cloaks, and their faces were invisible in the contrast of this orange darkness. Their cloaks bore a very familiar symbol of a clan that had haunted and destroyed many villages before this one, an image of a red cloud. The Akatsuki. Rage surged through me all over again, the destruction this clan caused my village coursed fresh through my mind and in that moment all i could taste was the blood i would drain out of each one of them. I clenched my teeth, this opponent would be difficult but i would kill them, murder them in the most horrific ways possible for the tragedy they had caused this village and all the others. As i looked harder at them i could tell these members were unlike any of the other Akatsuki i had seen before. They stood atleast 6 feet tall and each of them had large, feathered, wings coming from their shoulders. Though menacing, they did not look much different from her kind. Was it possible all this horror was caused by her own people? My eyes narrowed with suspicion and anger. I focused my chakra towards the character in the middle. His hands were exercising the symbols associated with fire. It appeared he was the one who attempted to kill her. I spread my feat and planted them firmly in the ground as my eyes made him the target. His death would be blood on my hands and i accepted that gladly. "Kankuro!" I shouted never taking my eyes off the enemy. "you take the one on the left, and Temari!" she looked in my direction then and softly laid the corpse of the woman on the ground next to her. "you take the one on the right. Leave the one in the middle to me" I said menacingly. They both nodded and positioned themselves solidly next to me. "These are Akatsuki," I continued "so be careful." They shared determined looks and shouted in unison "Right!"

The target noticed me at that moment and began preparing another fireball jutsu. My eyes narrowed and before he could finish positioning the attack I threw with intensity two ropes of sand to pierce him. He jumped quickly backwards and averted it. Judging by the speed and movements of how he dodged my sand I concluded he was not prepared for an enemy that would fight back. They must've scanned the territory prior to the attack and decided this village would be an easy land to destroy. I smirked wickedly. This means that if the Akatsuki were planning this to be a quick victory, they would not have sent their strongest members, in fact these members were likely to be the weakest. That decision wouldve been made because they thought these creatures were too weak and pathetic to battle succesfully. How disrespectful. I smiled then, and the expression looked like blood. These worthless Akatsuki, let's see how they hold up with Gaara of the sand. The enemy was still in air from his previous aversion and he started using the intensity of his wings to keep him up, I could see his face under the shadow of the moonlight now and this gave agreement to my previous assumption. His eyes, though black in the iris, had the same orange ring surrounding the pupil like hers. So they were attacking their own people, murdering them on orders given by leaders of this wicked clan. I would kill them i thought again. To hurt your own kind in favor of evil, is absolutely unforgivable. He met eyes with me then and prepared a direct physical attack, He angled himself sharply and using concentrated speed, began charging at me. I prepared my sand and forcefully threw two more ropes towards him, this time i was not aiming for his body, all he had were his wings at that height so that is what i would destroy. He fastened a block to cover his torso and attempted dodging the attack to the right but my sand was too fast and I Penetrated his left wing. He screamed in agony. his body tumbled through the air and I caught him with the ropes wrapping him tightly so only his face was visible and I began to squeeze. His body writhed under the intensity. The pressure of my sand was too great. It would crush him. I brought him towards me to savor the look of fear in his eyes before obliterating him. Slowly his body floated near when suddenly there was movement within the sand and he perfomed a fireball jutsu to escape. My grip exploded and he landed silently just feet infront of me. His body was weak, he was leaning to the side unable to withstand the pain nor the weight of his butchered wing. My eyes narrowed. Again I used my sand to charge him, I clenched at his leg but he jumped backwards weakily narrowily avoiding the attack. he would not last much longer. It must use a considerable amount of chakra to perform his jutsu with one wing. Based off that information alone I can gather most of his energy resides within those feathers. That must be his primary resource for chakra. Without his wings, he is nothing. His hands slowly started moving again, he was attempting to prepare one last attack. This use of justu would kill him absolutely. He was determined to finish what he started no matter the cost. It was a suide mission. My eyes narrowed. I stood firmly, and lifted the sand all around me. this attack would surely destroy him. I threw my hands forward and shouted "Sand Tsunami!" The sand responded quickly and waves upon waves of minerals charged towards him aggressively. The sand rose tall atleast 7 feet and collapsed around him over and over again. i would bury him. He looked frantically around to his other teamates for help but they were currently being kept busy by my brother and sister. It was just him and I, He was alone. The dirt had already covered his feet and he was unable to move as it continued surrounding him. I didn't let up, The waves poured further onto him and he started to sink. His legs were completly covered at this point, He was finished. Suddenly his eyes met mine and the look inside changed. No longer did i see the fear and panic within them for he now seemed determined. I clenched my jaw. So he wasn't giving up yet? His hands positioned themselves for what appeared to be an air attack. Surely this would be his last offense before death. I pushed my sand harder but he was too quick and aggressively sprung upwards forcing the ocean of dirt to release it's grip. My sand receded towards me and he landed again just feet infront of me, nearly collapsing. He was leaning forward breathing heavily and wincing with the pain of his wing. He would die soon, if not by my hand then by his own. Fight to the last breath? He was not unlike myself. I quickly stole a look back towards her, she was now lying on the ground gasping shallow breaths and nearly unconcious. Panic started to surge inside, If i lost her, then this fight would be for nothing. I would have to finish this quickly if i'm to rescue her. My feet stood firm and spread wide preparing fro my final attack. I would kill him, his death would be on my hands for what he did to her, I promised myself again. My eyes narrowed seething with rage and bloodlust. I drew my hands back then clapped them and aimed my final rope of sand. He looked up then and attempted to avoid the hit but I refused to let him get away. His jaw gaped open as he saw the end approaching and before he could make any final moves my sand crawled into his mouth and pushed itself down his throat. His eyes went wide and he collapsed to his knees as the minerals forced their way in. He started clawing at his throat but I didnt stop, the dirt kept flowing relentlessly and the evil inside me was feeding it. I could taste it, His blood soaking into each mineral. He started choking and gargling as he gluttoned himself on it. Sand filled every crevice within his body and he began to expand. His eyes rolled back at that moment and the dirt started pouring from his tear ducts covering his face. I knew he was dead at this point, his hands collapsed onto the ground nest to him, limp but i couldnt stop. I filled him up until the sand poured from his nose and ears, burying him from the inside out. So much rage surged within me as I thought about all the destruction the Akatsuki had caused. Yes, Yes they would pay for all of it. All the pain and death, all the loss, I would be the one to deliver their karma. The sand kept coming viciously when I heard a noise in the background and turned away from the enemy. It was her, she was choking and gasping for air. Suddenly all the reason for the fight in the first place flowed back into my mind. I was doing this for her. The anger within settled under the need I had to save her and I released my hands from him letting his body collapse pathetically onto the floor. My sand receded once again and I walked towards her. I could see Kankuro and Temari were nearly finished with their opponents and would be joining me soon. So my only enemy at this time was death. Her death. She was still lying on her back writhing from the pain, and the agony of watching her suffer was too much to bear. I fell onto my knees next to her. I did not know how much time she had, the leaf village was less than a days walk from here though. They would have the appropriate medicine to save her. While I considered this she opened her eyes and looked at me. Her gaze was just as penetrating as the first time and my mouth fell open slightly. I could see the color in her irises fading slightly, she was losing life. Tears still streamed silently down her cheeks. I wanted to wipe them away with just the tips of my fingers. Seeing her pain, I felt so defeated. Yes we had destroyed the enemy, got carried away with it even, but it was too late. I was too late to prevent any of her sufffering. She still lost everything, her family, her home. She was alone. Pain coursed through me and I had to fight the tears that were attempting to force their way out. I heard her inhale sharply and wince at the pain. her eyes looked away from mine. "Your hurt." she said weakly and my gaze went wide. It was the first time i'd ever heard her speak. Her voice, though almost a whisper, was beautiful. It was as if she only spoke through music. I looked down in that moment and noticed a shallow cut, less than a quarter inch deep on my chest, it had gone through my clothing. I frowned, when had that happened? I didnt recall being hit by any of his attacks but I suppose it could've occured while I was preparing my own. I shook my head, no matter. I was fine, she was the one who needed medical attention. She tried to move her arms towards me, pointing out my minor injury but I put my hand up, "you shouldn't struggle." I said calmly, sternly. "youre body is badly wounded and you need to conserve your energy." she met my eyes again and laid back down on her back. I could see Kankuro and Temari coming up from behind me then. "What is your name?" she asked softly meeting my stare. her breath still came shakily. I paused and inhaled refusing to drop her gaze. "Gaara." I stated, my voice was plain and betrayed the disinterest I had for my self. She nodded and looked up towards the stars "Ahh." She sighed and smiled slightly, "Gaara of the sand." her voice was pleasant as she looked back at me. My eyes went wide, she knew me. "Yes," she continued "I've heard alot about you." many thoughts crossed my mind in that moment. How had she known me? What did she know of me? Did she know about the countless murders? about the 1 tailed Shukaku? I didn't have much time to ponder when Kankuro and temari approached. "Well that was interesting." Kankuro stated humorously, "Those Akatsuki barely put up a fight!" He laughed. Temari looked down at her softly, with those same concerned eyes she always wore and Kankuro met her gaze. I prepared my sand. She wasnt able to move, much less stand. I would have to carry her in my sand to the land of the leaf. Kankuro interrupted my thought process in that moment. "Ah, Gaara?" He questioned softly, "Gaara, I understand your concern for her life but she's not gonna make it. We should leave her and continue on our way before any other Akatsuki members arrive." My jaw snapped shut but he continued "Plus, theres nothing left here for her, even if we did save her where would she go?" "SILENCE!" I shouted meeting his eyes with mine full of daggers, "If you say one more word I wont hesitate to kill you." My voice was menacing. He gulped and stepped back with fearful eyes. "These people are healers, they create life," I explained "All the fruit, and plants you saw earlier, covering this forest, she did that!" I pointed towards her, "Her soul is pure and can bring good things to this world, to the people of this world" I continued my voice nearly breaking as I met her eyes again. "My whole life i've been a monster Kankuro, If the one good thing i do throughout my existence is save her, then i will do it even if it claims my last breath." We paused then, there was a still silence in the air and the heat of the fires behind us burned intensly. we needed to move quickly. My brother and sister both met my gaze then and nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Temari," I stated looking towards her "Put out the fire." "right!" She stated and prepared her jutsu in response. I quickly focused my chakra and formed a ball of sand to hold her in, I wrapped her up gently in two ropes of dirt to lift her into this temporary shelter. Her body levitated easily and landed softly within my sand. I could taste her blood collecting in the minerals and winced knowing each drop she lost was life fading from her. It occured to me as I stood that I never got her name. I atleast needed her name. The promise within myself held strong, I would keep her safe. I would carry her to the leaf and guard her the whole way. In this moment, she was my reason for pushing forwad. As we began to walk out of the clearing Temari finished up the last of the fire with a waterball justu and all that was left behind us was smoke.