Shuukaku is silent. Somehow, it's worse. Than before, I mean, when he was screaming, and I was crying. Gaara of the Desert, crying. You'd have never thought that, would you? Mind you….If you're the average ninja, you probably wouldn't have thought a lot of things. Like did you know, demons have mates? And if denied their mate – for example, summoned at opposite ends of the globe, they go crazy? And did you know that jinchuuriki – or 'monsters' have mates too? And that once in a million millions, the jinchuuriki and the bijuu have the same mate.
You've probably twigged, of course, if you're close to one of us. Kakashi got there first, I think. Or maybe Iruka. Possibly because they were having a similair relationship. It was Kankuro, next. Kankuro, I hear you splutter incoherently. Yes. My brother, more perceptive – for all his faults, he certainly cares. After that, Naruto and I – Naruto and I.
I double over suddenly, stopping mid-jump, falling and allowing the branches to hit me. Shuukaku is not guarding me. He understands. He understands. That the pain is needed, that if not another type of pain will cripple us both. Not a word, not a sound escapes us, as we are falling. One of us – I cannot tell which of us does it, reaches out an arm, catching our body. No word passes in thanks, but we both know we cannot harm ourselves seriously. No, we must keep moving. We have to save them.
In Suna, panic rages as the Kazekage is declared missing.
In Konoha, a smaller panic ensues as Naruto's apartment explodes.
It takes a few hours and Temari and Shikamaru to put things together.
They approach Kankuro and Kakashi respectively.
The panic worsens.
The pair – nobody can bring themselves to name them – have taken holidays before.
One of them has even pulled pranks.
But not like this.
Not like this.
It has been three days.
Gaara is still running.
He doesn't want to think about him anymore.
He can't.
Instead, he focuses on Sasuke.
And Itachi.
Shuukaku snarls at their names. He knows too. They did this. They stole him. Our sunshine. He sang me that song once. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Except, he was singing it to me. That's not right. I think I told him that, at the time. Or did I? I don't remember, any more.
It's like my life is fading away, droplet by droplet. Droplet.
.
Someone is staring at me.
It's only then I realise I'm on the floor, and the eyes above me are looking at me in concern.
"It's the Kazekage! Tsunade-sama! Somethings wrong!"
Indeed. Something is definitely wrong.
But for some reason, I don't know what.
I feel empty.
I can't feel anything.
Droplet by Droplet, blood seeps onto the floor.
It doesn't register, any more, when Itachi touches me. It doesn't even register when Sasuke tears out my eyes. They grow back, of course. But Kyuubi doesn't appear to register it. Neither do I. Both of us are locked in something else. The chakra drains, is repleshined. The pain comes and goes, as does the Uchicha brothers interest.
Something is wrong. But I can't tell whether it's me or not.
Is something wrong?
I can't tell.
Sasuke is here….and Itachi.
Is that it? They don't usually come together.
No, that's not it.
Maybe it's the expressions on their faces.
Something different about them.
Something…afraid.
"What's happening! Something wrong! Itachi!"
Indeed. Something is definitely wrong.
But you know, I can't put my finger on it.
Do I even have fingers any more?
I can't feel them.
I can't feel anything.