PLEASE READ THIS FIRST. About this story, I wrote the first chapter before i even started watching Shippuden, so alot of things here are a bit off. I kind of made my own way with it. I tried to fix some things, but if you see something that isnt entirely right just ignore it, it's all supposed to be like that in the end. As the title suggests you will see Karura, but only in like 2 chapters or so. Towards the end there will be some things involving her but it's not ENTIRELY about their meeting.

Sabaku no Karura: The Sand Reunites

"Go! Protect the village!" The people of Sunakagure fight to the death to keep the Akatsuki out of the village.

"Inform the Kazekage! We need him here!" A group of Jonin, including Baki, is sent off to find the Kazekage. Moments later they arrive at the Kazekage's office.

"Gaara, we need you. The village is under attack." Baki says to Gaara.

"I know. Go fight. I'll be right there." Gaara puts down a stack of papers and gets up, grabbing his gourd of sand and looking out of the window.

"Gaara! NOW!" Baki says, ordering him like he was still the young Kazekage's sensei. Gaara glares at Baki and the cork comes off of his gourd without him even moving a muscle. Baki notices the threat and runs out of the office. Gaara looks out the window and sighs. He straps the gourd to his back and jumps out the window, gaining distance to the attack quicker than Baki could.

Gaara arrived at the front gate in no time, and was prepared to fight to protect his village. He stood on the wall by the front gate and used his sand to take down a bunch of crows, while the villagers used their own jutsu. Two of the Akatsuki, Deidara and Kisame Hoshigaki, stayed behind with Itachi Uchiha to protect him while he recovers his used chakra. The rest of the cloaked organization snuck into the village, killing everyone in their way. There were so many crows that Gaara couldn't see the Akatsuki entering the village until he cleared enough of them in his path to notice a flash of black and red clothing – the famous black cloaks with red clouds on them. The symbol of the Akatsuki. He jumped down onto the ground in front of them and raised both of his hands, his palms facing upward. Sand rose from the ground under the enemies and created a ditch. The sand that used to be there was now above them. They all just stood there calmly, not even phased.

"It's over." Gaara flipped his hands palms down and lowered his arms abruptly, kneeling in the process and creating small craters in the ground where his hands came down. Sand poured over the Akatsuki and almost buried them alive. Within a few seconds, a figure approached Gaara. It was none other than Itachi Uchiha, user of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Of course he was using it, and staring dead on at Gaara. The young Kazekage got trapped in his genjutsu and fell to the ground. Itachi used his chakra to push out from his body, throwing all the nearby villagers onto the ground. The sand was raised and Itachi's comrades rose.

"Seize him. We leave now." Itachi said calmly. Gaara was barely conscious, so he couldn't move. He couldn't defend himself at all.

Why did you let him get to you? Do you realize now what they're going to do to me? They're going to take me from you. Then we both die. Hopefully, just you. Maybe they'll release me… Hah, probably.

Shukaku, shut up you idiot. It was your fault, you didn't give me warning of his Mangekyo Sharingan..

How was I supposed to know about his Sharingan, being trapped in your body and not finding out for myself?

I don't care, Shukaku. Just shut up and leave me alone!

I know you're thinking of his eyes. They're the same as yours.

You're right. They are just like mine. Full of hatred. He has enough of that. It is what makes him powerful. If only I possessed the Sharingan, then we would both be the same.

Right you are, Gaara. But you screwed up and let that Naruto kid get to you. You became Kazekage. I thought your only purpose was to kill? Why protect those stupid, weak little people?

Because.. I never had anyone there to protect me but you, Shukaku. By sealing you inside of me, my mother gave me your strength. Your defense. I admit I have never once thanked you for that. I do now. Thank you Shukaku. You're what kept me alive all these years…

Hah, you're damn right! You owe me one, Gaara.

Sure.

When Gaara finally woke up, he didn't know where he was. The room was dark – only lit by a few candles. The room was circular and made of stone – probably a cave. What was he doing in a cave? And what were those whispering voices he heard? Gaara slowly opened his eyes, blinked a few times, and saw them. They were gathered in a circle around him, their hands in a tiger seal and their voices chanting, their chakras producing an aura.

"Wha- What is this.." He couldn't quite keep his eyes open, so he closed them. He felt ropes around his wrists and ankles, and even around his waist. He was laying on his back on a stone table in the middle of the room, surrounded by the Akatsuki. They were performing a ceremony for taking Shukaku out of the sand ninja.

So, you're finally awake?

Yeah… What's going on..

I told you before. They're taking my chakra out of you. I can feel my soul slipping away…Gaara… please…you'll die.. If you let me take over, I can get them. I'm dying to kill. You haven't killed a single person in over 3 days, and I'm getting.. hungry.

Alright..

Gaara released Shukaku's chakra and parts of him transformed, and he suddenly opened his eyes and ripped the ropes from his hands and feet. He took a kunai and cut the rope around his waist. All within just a few seconds. He made such little noise that the Akatsuki didn't even notice he broke free, until Itachi opened his eyes and threw a kunai. Gaara's sand shield came into play. His eyes were Shukaku's. Gaara produced sand shurikens and threw them all at once towards each of the Akatsuki without even moving. They all dodged the attack at the same time. Gaara laughed, but it was Shukaku's voice. Not Gaara's. He looked around for an exit, but he couldn't find one. So he made his own. Sand started to penetrate the wall in front of him, digging a hole into the side of the cave. The Akatsuki continued to throw their ninja tools at the demon, but the sand was always there to protect him. Gaara was still heavily sedated so his movement was slower than normal, even with Shukaku controlling his body. Shukaku put so much effort and sand into penetrating the wall in front of him that a poison blade kunai slipped through his sand barrier and cracked his last-resort sand cover. The Akatsuki continued to throw poisoned kunais until one actually reached his skin. By that time, Shukaku had created an exit and ran as far away as he could. He ended up collapsing in a safer spot, where the Akatsuki wouldn't find him. He let Gaara take over and rest.

Shukaku… Why didn't they use ninjutsu on me while I was still in the cave…

They channeled all of their chakra into taking me out of you. I assume they didn't have much left, and were almost to absolute zero. It takes much chakra to take the tailed beast out of its Jinchuuriki. It's also a painful process to the demon inside. I've gone through it before I was sealed inside of you.

I see… Shukaku... I am poisoned... I don't know if I will live much longer... Shukaku, you will die alongside me, my demon. If there is nothing else you can do then comfort me while I die, mother…

Wait Gaara. There is one thing I can do…

What is it?

You're gonna hate me for this. You're going to wish I did it sooner. But it was a last chance thing, it will kill part of me to do it. You will not be as strong as you used to be, even with the help of my chakra. You will no longer have the sand defenses of its own power, you're going to have to use your own chakra to create defenses. Are you sure you want me do to this?

What are you talking about Shukaku? As long as you're inside of me then I will always have the sand and its power.

No Gaara…. Well, unless she can heal you fully and give you her power, you will not be as strong.

She?

Sabaku no Karura. Gaara, it's your mother. I can summon her spirit and give her a form of sand so she can heal you.

You…you can?

Yes, in your shinobi world it would be considered a forbidden jutsu. The only person alive who knows it is Orochimaru.

He can summon my mother?

Yes, he can summon anyone back from the dead. Your mother is of no use to him so he probably has never summoned her before. But Gaara, to do this I need all of your chakra. I need to drain you of it. You being my Jinchuuriki, I need to kill you first.

How do I know you're not just gonna kill me and then leave to go be a living sand demon like you used to be?

If I did, they would only seal me back inside of the tea jar. They wouldn't give me another Jinchuuriki, seeing how I always transform a person into a killing machine.

I see. Well. Get on with it then. I'm not done living and killing, and my people need me.

Yeah, Yeah, shut up about 'your people'. They're weak.

Maybe I shouldn't give you my chakra to revive us both.

Sorry. I take it back. Just hurry up and give me your chakra, boy.

Very well then…

Then, the transformation started. As Gaara released more chakra, the demon inside him grew stronger. He gave him every last bit of chakra he had left. He was so weak, he could barely move at all. Gaara had never felt anything like this, and it made him sad. He felt his soul slipping away from his body, and realized he would die soon. Just in case, he silently thanked his siblings.

Kankuro, my brother…take care of Temari… Don't let anything happen to her… Or my village.. All throughout my life I thought my purpose of living was to kill just to prove my existence… but then I realized, it wasn't to kill, but to protect everyone else even if it means you die. But now I know, I was wrong both times… We aren't meant to protect everyone. We're meant to protect only the ones who come into our lives at some point and change it for the better. The ones who create us. Who make us stronger.

And then, he was dead.

Gaara, honey….. wake up…

…..

….

Gaara!

….

…

GAARA!

I….I hear someone….a voice….a person… but…who is it…who could be calling out to me right now..?

Please, Gaara, my son, wake up!

"My son?" W-who is this? Could it be… Mother?