A/N: Hello folks, so this is my very first story EVER I published even thought I got like hundred of unfinished story's on my computer.
Most of them of course different kind of fan-fiction ^^ I'm not really good at computers and that kinda stuff so I have been having problems with figuring how you publish your own stories in here...I know their are guides to it but I'm also bad at that. Not to mention that English isn't my original language, not my "birth" language...wish it were ;-( But I'm danish so, too bad.
But I will stop writing nonsense now before someone knocks me down, just gonna say that I hope you like the story and PLEASE review! I really want feedback, no flames please but criticize is welcome if it how to make it better. Of course praise is VERY welcome ^^
I do not own any of the characters in Naruto, they belong to the brilliant Masashi Kishimoto. But if I did I would want to own Gaara SO much.
But I do own my own characters.
Prologue
Memories...is the dairy that we all carry with us, the one where we store our precious moments and from those moments we draw experience and our feelings. From our feelings we have in our memories we draw strength, we draw hope for tomorrow to see those who is in our memories.
Memories helps us to see right from wrong, some are maybe better forgotten. The painful and hurtful ones that tries to push us in the wrong direction, eating us up from the inside.
But whatever if they bring joy, pain or sadness it is those memories who help us grow.
Help us to understand the world and the people in it, to shape into the person we are.
But if that is so, if memories is the dairy's that we all carry within us...then it is a dairy I lost.
What does that make me? A human without neither feelings or hope?
The hole in my heart and mind where the memories should lie and help me on my way in the world, is as empty as the dessert is of water.
The funny thing about memories is that it is relative to truth, but not its twin. So what is memories worth? Is it worth risking your happiness? The safety that a house with walls can provide you with?
Is it worth risking your life for? The lives of both people you call friends and the ones you haven't even met yet? Will the truth set me free? Will I feel complete once I find the memories I lost?
I have no answers for those questions, the path I'm walking on have no light behind me and I can't see what is lying ahead. But it is the path and road that I am walking, I don't know where it will lead me but I know that I will make new memories to put in my new, blank page of life.
Chapter 1: Memories lost in the Ocean
Pain. The only thing I could feel was pain. Even if my eyes were closed and my mind clouded with darkness, I know without looking that my body is filled with open wounds. Aching and hurting so bad that I almost just want to die, die right here wherever here is.
But my lungs were the worst, they are burning. Burning like if someone have set it on fire, but fire needed air to survive and I was faintly aware that I'm wasn't really breathing.
Something is stuck down in my lungs, keeping me from breathing. Then suddenly my body jerked up and some kind of liquid travels fast from my lungs, to my throat and to my mouth.
My back shoot up again before it landed and rolled on the side, I began to gag.
The liquid was icky and gross, the taste of salt and slime filled my mouth as I threw it all up.
Then I launched into a coughing fit, coughing so much that it felt like my inner organs tried to come up with the slimy liquid.
It burned so bad, not only my lungs but also my throat. It was like every cough was ripping it to shreds from the inside. I tried to open my eyes, to see where I were but the coughing and pain made me close them shut while I tried to calm my body down.
It took minutes before the coughing was down to a minimum and for my body to stop shaking,
I could now feel the ground beneath me. It wasn't solid like dirt or wood, it was grainy and warm.
I felt something wet that kept coming back and fourth in some kind of rhythm, I could feel the sun warming my body with it's rays of light. Then sounds, the sound of water cascading and hitting land. The sound of gulls shrieks, the wind rustling in the foliage.
The smell of salt and seaweed filled my nostrils, also the faint smell of trees and dirt.
I was on a beach, a beach that was near a forest. My before glued together eyes slowly opened, the sharp light hurt and I closed them again. I tried again, this time having a hand to block some of the light. At first all I could see was shadows and colors, but then they took forms.
I was where I thought I where, without knowing where I was.
I was lying on a beach, the waves keep soaking the lower part of my body that was lying in it reach.
The rest of me was also wet but not completely, the sun had partly dried me off.
But now when I was fully awake I could feel every wound that was covering my body, long, deep slashes and other more bland scratches. The clothes I was wearing that had looked like it had been some kind of black jumpsuit was torn and only protected my chest and my lower part, my arms, legs and stomach was fully exposed. The salt water made the wounds sting, even the small ones and the sand gnawed in the open wounds. Both fresh and dried blood was in rubbed into the unwounded skin, the water had washed most of it away but it had also prevented some of the veins to close and stop the blood from spilling. I was sure that I had lost enough already.
The wounds hurt so bad, why was I hurt so bad.
When I tried to remember it I realized something that terrified me, I couldn't remember.
Not just how I got hurt, I couldn't remember anything. Where I came from, who my family was, who I was, not even my own name! I had no memories of my past, of my growing up course I knew that I was no longer a child. A teenager, that was what I was. But everything about myself, my birthday, my age, my childhood, my home and name...it was gone.
Why couldn't I remember? Had I gotten amnesia? How did I end up here, on the sea shore?
I didn't have time to figure it out now, I had to find a safe place where I could tend to my wounds.
Slowly and unsteady I got on my feet, my wounded legs screamed for me to lie down again.
The pressure and movements reopened some of the open gashes on my legs, I could feel the blood seeping down my legs, coloring the sand. My bare feet seemed to had gotten away with minor injuries, which where lucky so I could walk. I didn't get as far as I wanted, I reached the first tree where I collapsed. Leaning up against the rough trunk I tried to catch my breath, the short distant had already tapped me almost empty of strength. This was bad, I was to exposed and I had nothing to protects myself with. I had to find shelter, shelter for wild animals and enemy's.
I didn't know why but I was positive that I had enemy's, who it was or why I didn't know but the fact that I was so much out in the open, so vulnerable for attacks raised a bit of panic in me.
With a great deal of effort and the support of the tree trunk I managed to get on my feet once more, this time the pain had both increased but also I felt numb. I knew my body would soon shut down,
it was only natural. I was forcing it to withstand so much pain without any real strength, it would shut down to rest and heal but I couldn't faint out here. A place high up and hidden would be the best place, but even if I found such a site I doubted that I would have enough strength to reach it.
I staggered deeper into the forest in about two minutes before I found a place that had to do, a tree trunk where a lot of bushes was growing around and up against. I could see a place where I could fit if I didn't lay as long as I were, I headed towards it.
Black spots began to appear on my eyes, the dizziness became worse and I only just made it to the spot before I collapsed. I wanted to scream as my body hit the ground but I only allowed a muffled gasp to come out, attracting attention was the least thing I should do.
Gasping and panting I raised my upper body just a bit, so I was lying up against the trunk of the tree again. The dark spots became bigger and it kept growing, the numbness also grew. It wouldn't be long now before I lost conscious, I could very well be dead before I woke up.
A animal could find me and eat me, the blood could easily be smelled by them with sensitive noses such as almost all predator's had. Or maybe a thug or some other person would notice me and kill me of the thought that I could be a spy or an enemy.
In the moments I couldn't care less if I lived or died, the only thing I could feel was pain and it was also the only thing about my past I could remember. Pain, anger and hate.
With that as the last thought my mind slipped and the darkness consumed me as my eye lids closed.
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"Naruto!" the pink haired Sakura yelled with a pissed off look on her face, her bright green eyes burning with fury. The unfortunate blond haired that kinda spiked boy, was running as if it was is life on the line...which it probably was. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan!" he hollered as he was running.
I sighed, the two of them never changed, keep walking calm I observed them.
Even when they were kids they behaved like that, Naruto would say something stupid and Sakura with her short temper would either hit him or chase him and then hit him.
Kiba of course just grinned big over the scene that he was probably more used to, his giant dog Akamaru just barked from time to time but his tail was wagering like crazy. Indicating that also the dog took great pleasure in watching the two of them goof around, the two other Konoha females that had tagged along had different opinions about their friends.
Ino the other medical ninja beside Sakura, she just huffed over the sight clearly thinking they were childish and immature. The other female was Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuuga family with the the eye ability of Byakugan. She had a worried look in her eyes as she watched Naruto get beat by Sakura, my siblings walked beside me and watched too. Temari also sighed but she couldn't conceal the small grin on her face, Kankuro didn't hide the enjoyment of the scene just like Kiba.
"If you're done playing around, we could maybe continue?" I asked blankly as I walked passed the two of them, Naruto with a lump and a black eyes looked up with a goofy grin and said.
"Sorry Gaara" Sakura let go of him and also apologized "Sorry Gaara-sama"
Naruto was the only one beside my brother and sister that I allowed to address me without any title, he had after all saved me not only once but twice. First from myself and the loneliness, the second time from the clutches of Akatsuki and even helping me back to life after they had sucked Shukaku the One Tailed Beast out of me.
Beside that I considered him the closest friend I had, the other were friends as well and I would protect them just as I protected my village but Naruto was different.
He had taught me that strength didn't come from only fighting for yourself, but when you had something to protect you could push yourself way further to keep it safe.
The smell of seaweed and salt that the wind brought along became stronger, we had to be close to a beach. The seagulls that screamed up in the sky also made it clear that we're were near the ocean,
it was only a couple of days from Suna The Hidden Sand village that I was Kazekage to.
As we reached the end of the forest Naruto became ecstatic, ran to the edge were the water could just reach his sandals.
"Wuah, the wind feels good here" he exclaimed as he stretched his arms above his head, even if I didn't say it out loud like him I agreed. The wind brought in from the ocean was refreshing and cool, we decided to take a small break and Naruto of course was the first to take of his shoes and roll up his pants so he could farther out in the water.
Temari just sat on a rock and polished her giant fan, Kankuro adjusted the straps that held his summoning scrolls on his back. Hinata and Ino settled on sitting on a rock that was a bit out in the water and dip their feet in it from there, Sakura used this break to drink water and what looked like figuring out what she had left in her bag of supplies and weapons and Kiba also ran out in the water with the dog hot in his heels.
I just stood on the sand and looked over the ocean, the laughter and shouts of Ino when Naruto splashed water on her and Hinata was only a background buzz.
The wind ruffled in my red hair, making it sway slightly. Then something caught my nose, the smell of rust and iron. Blood.
I looked down my left where we're were headed, the water had mostly washed it away but I could see blood and the markings of someone who had been lying down.
It wasn't animal blood, it was human blood painting the sand in a fading red color. I knew the smell of it, having dealt with it so much when I was younger. Before Naruto saved me from myself and my killing, also I could see foot prints. They were smeared by both the water and the wind but it was the feet of a person, the blood was leaving a trail towards the forest.
Whoever it was, the person seemed to be hurt badly.
But it could be a trick or an enemy, I walked back to the others.
"What's going on Gaara?" Temari asked, she stood with her fan folded together but in her hand.
She knew the look on my face meant something was up, emotionless but serious I said.
"There have been someone here recently" I made a gesture towards the blood on the sand and ground "And whoever it is, they are hurt"
Temari looked at the blood, her eyes widen a bit. "Get everyone together, we don't know if its a enemy or a hurt civil"
She nodded and went to do what I had told her, mean while I began to follow the trail slowly and examining it. It seemed that the person wanted to get away from the beach, maybe to hide but then why the blood trail? It could be that the person was hurt to badly to take care of removing the evidence, it seemed to be a couple of hours old. If the person was as badly injured as I thought it was very possible that he or she was close by, the first tree I met confirmed my theory about how server the injuries had to bee. The trunk was smeared with blood and the ground was painted by the red color, the person had sat here. Leaning up against the trunk of the tree, but the person would still be very exposed and in the vulnerable state everyone with a little logic would seek shelter.
I sensed as the rest walked towards me and Temari came up beside me and asked me "What do you want to do Gaara?" I thought about it for a second and then gave my answer "We investigate, we split up in two teams. Temari, Kankuro, Ino and Kiba you will take the tree tops. Naruto, Sakura and Hinata is with me we will stay on the ground. Hinata?" I turned to the indigo haired girl, without asking she knew what I wanted from her. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together and whispered
"Byakugan!" her before smokey gray eyes with a tint of lavender now had markings in them and on the side of her eyes, chakra veins became very visible.
All eyes were on her, the Byakugan had the ability to see 360 degrees around. Also seeing other beings chakra or 'life force', it was very useful for locating living beings.
"About fifty meters straight ahead, hidden behind some bushes" Hinata unfolded her hands and stopping her eye jutsu, her eyes returned to normal and so did her face.
Now we had a location but we still didn't know if the person was dangerous or a regular villager in need, no matter what we had to check it. I didn't like loose ends.
"Okay, locate the person but do not attack unless the person shows signs on attacking, understood"
"Hai!" It came from all of them and we took off, Temari and the others in the trees and me and the rest on the ground. Even without Hinata's Byakugan we're had been able to find the persons hiding place, the blood trail was obvious and it seem to only become worse as we went.
That's when we arrived, if you didn't know where to look and there were no blood trail the place the person had found would had been pretty good hiding place. It was concealing and the many leafs helped cover up but it didn't help with us, but when I came closer I was surprised, almost shocked.
Hidden by the bushes laid a girl up against a tree, she seemed to be the same age as Sakura and them but it wasn't her gender or age that surprised me. It was the multiple wounds she had all over her body that was except her chest and lower part exposed, small streams of dried blood were coming out of a lot of the wounds on her legs. It impressed me that she had made it this far before she passed out.
I looked closely at her, her hair was chocolate brown and reaching to her chest. It was tangled and messy and seemed to had been wet recently, her skin was tanned much more then any of us.
Not very tall and it was clearly that her whole body was adored with muscles, she could very well be a ninja. But beside the torn clothes that looked like it had once been a jumpsuit similar to the
Rock Lee wore, but black and not that ugly she wore nothing.
I could hear the whisper of Sakura, as a medical ninja she was shocked that the girl had even been able to move and it was obvious that she wanted to heal her but we didn't know yet if she was an enemy. Then the loud snap of a twig was heard, I snapped my head in the direction to find a broken twig under Naruto's foot. All eyes were on him for a second before he gave a apologizing grin, Sakura sighed and so did most of the others. Stealth mode was not always Naruto's best, I didn't reveal the slight irritation as I looked back on the girl.
But this time, she was looking at us as well. Her amber colored eyes was wide open and her whole face was pulled up in a snarl, she looked ready to jump up if any of us showed any kind of hostility.
Much like a wounded and cornered animal, which could make her even more dangerous even if she was hurt that bad.
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Dam-da-da-da... He he, well what do you think? Was it good? Did my writing suck? I will apologize if there are some confusion about the writing form, past or present, I really suck at that. It have always been my weakest point in English, it stands on all my reports in English class -_-
So sorry about that, please correct me.
And Please Review, that would make me soooo happy :) And stay tuned for next Chapter XD