_Even In Death Chapter One
I ran down the streets of the Hidden Sand, the crowds parting as I passed, as if they'd catch some incurable disease by touching me. I didn't take notice of this however; I was in too much of a hurry. My breath came in panting gasps, but I didn't slow for anything. If I was late, there would be worse punishment than short breath. I stopped at the gate to the village, placing my hands on her legs as I tried to catch her breath.
"It's about time you got here, brat. We were about to leave without you," A guy in a black suit said, arms crossed in annoyance. His face had lines of makeup, and a bundle was carried on his back. Kankuro. "Kankuro, be careful. Don't make him angry," A girl whispered to him, casting a nervous glance to where a redhead boy was standing a few feet away. The girl had sandy blonde hair tied into four ponytails. Temari. The boy, however, was different. He had red hair, hair that looked the color of blood to me, and a gourd of sand on his back. The kanji 'love' was tattooed on his forehead, as far out of place on his body as hatred would be on mine.
I bushed past Temari and Kankuro, and made my way to stand uncomfortably next to Gaara. I rubbed my arm, staring at the ground as Baki walked up, my heart beating fast from her fear. Its strange how you could spend two years with a person, and still fear their very presence whenever you see them, isn't it? I looked up to listen to Baki as he addressed the team, but I didn't listen. I may have a forehead protector around my neck, but I was no ninja. I was here to watch Gaara, despite my dream of being a ninja. My kind did not fight.
I didn't catch much of what was said, because I was watching the clouds move across the sky. I did hear something about the Chunin Exams, so I assume that's where they where going. The Village Hidden in the Leaf, for the Chunin Exams. "Well then, let's get going," Gaara said, and I started. I hadn't expected him to speak, as he is mostly quiet on missions. I took a closer look at him, studying his features carefully. He looked… off. I couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about Gaara was wrong today. I should stay on my toes, just in case the Shukaku made an unwelcome appearance.
With his statement, Gaara began walking, and I stayed close in his shadow. I was probably the only person allowed anywhere near this close, though I didn't know why. Probably because he knew I was too weak to be any threat. The desert sand shifted under my feet, but Gaara and I didn't seem to have as much trouble as Kankuro, Temari and Baki. That wasn't all that weird, seeing as Gaara controlled sand, but what was strange was that he was helping me. He never showed any kindness to me before.
I took a bite of dried fruit, taking my time eating. Everyone, besides Gaara and I, was asleep. Of course, Gaara didn't sleep, so I had to stay up as long as possible to keep him in check, which made no sense. After all, if the Shukaku decided to kill someone, I couldn't very well stop it, could I? The silence was peaceful, and when simply sitting silently under the stars with Gaara, sometimes I had to wonder why everyone was so afraid of him. Then, of course, I remembered my family.
"Gaara… What do you think the Hidden Leaf Village will be like?" I asked quietly, looking at the ground, blushing slightly. I usually never really outwardly spoke to him unless it was absolutely necessary. I'd never been to the Leaf before though, and I was getting excite. Tomorrow evening or the next morning we were supposed to arrive. My stomach got butterflies just thinking about it. "It'll have a lot of trees, I suppose," Gaara said, and I peeked a look at him. He was looking at me, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I never could.
I looked back down, finishing the fruit. Why must I be kind to him? He killed my family, but I hadn't the strength to avenge them. It was pathetic, but I couldn't help it. When I looked at Gaara, I felt both fear and pity, something I shouldn't feel. Shouldn't I be angry, hate him even? While I was lost in my thoughts, Gaara had place a hand on my head, and now pushed my head down to lay on my pack which rested between us, my body laying down to follow my head. I moved my head to look up at him, his hand no longer touching me. "Sleep. I'll keep watch."
Walking through the gates of the Leaf Village, I was shocked at how different everything was. From the way the buildings looked to the way people greeted us as we passed, everything was strange. I took it all in, smiling to myself. I had never been outside the sand village before. I looked to Gaara, opening my mouth to say how he was right, the Leaf did have a lot of trees, when he vanished in a swirl of sand. I looked around, hoping to see him reappear anywhere near. "Gaara!" I called, but nothing. Of course, he wouldn't come out even if I called him. Why should he?
I began running down the street to look for him. If I lost him in an enemy village and he murdered someone, or worse, I'd be held responsible. One thing I didn't want to provoke was the wrath of the Kazekage, Which I would for sure if Gaara got out of hand. I ran swiftly around a tight corner, and bumped hard into something placed firmly in my path. I closed my eyes from the impact, and braced myself for a fall that never came. I opened my eyes, looking at the boy that had kept me from falling, the one I ran into.
He couldn't have been much older than me, despite the size difference. He was considerably taller, maybe an inch or two taller than Kankuro. He was slightly tanned with spiky brown hair, and had a goofy grin. "Well hello there, little girl," He said, releasing me. I could hear the smile in his voice, and it made me want to smile as well. I couldn't forget the insult in his words, though. I was just as old as him! Besides, he had a headband of the leaf, and I couldn't get attached, if I was to focus on the mission.
"I'm no little girl!" I objected, folding my arms. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't keep a blush from rising into my cheeks. The boy laughed a nice, full laugh that I rarely heard in the Kazekage's unhappy home. "I'm not! I'm thirteen," I protested, but he only answered with a disbelieving smile. "Sure, sure. I'm Shizu, by the way. What's your name?" He asked. He was nice, and I would have liked to stay and talk, but I had to find Gaara. "Misora. Now if you'll excuse me…" I said, trying to walk around him, my mission renewed in my mind. He reached out to grab my arm as I passed though, stopping me. "Wait, Misora! Do you want to come have lunch with me? My treat. That is, if you don't mind my team being there."
I looked up at him, mystified. Why would this leaf ninja, a mere stranger, invite a ninja from another village to have lunch with him and his team? I had no time to answer, because Shizu took my stunned silence as acceptance and took my hand, dragging me down the road. "Good! Let's go! You'll love my team, there's Nayumi, a medical ninja in training, and Kenji, but he's really stuck up. Don't worry though, I'm sure he'll love you, too!" Shizu said, sounding rather like a jay, with his endless chatter. I couldn't help but smile, though. Gaara never spoke to me, and everyone in the sand treated me like they treated him. It was nice to be wanted, if only for a little while.
He kept a hold of my hand until we stopped in front of a small restaurant, and I read the words Iraku's Ramen on the shop's sign. "Here we are! The best place in the Hidden Leaf to eat!" Shizu proudly proclaimed, ushering me in ahead of him. "Hey, Nayumi, Kenji, Meet my new friend, Misora," The only other two customers looked up. The girl was dark-looking, with almond colored skin and black hair tied up into a bun. The boy, on the other hand, had white hair, and was pale, his eyes coal black. There was no doubt he was albino. They must be Kenji and Nayumi.
"Shizu! How many times do I have to tell you not to pick up strays off the street?" The albino snapped, glaring angrily at my Sand headband that hung around my neck. "She's even from another Village! Really, Shizu, could you be any more idiotic?" My eyes fell to the floor at his scorn. He sounded too much like Kankuro, who also hated me. Shizu put an arm around my shoulders, glaring at the albino.
"Kenji! How could you be so mean? Just because she's a Sand shinobi doesn't mean we're better than her!" Shizu heroically protested. I have a feeling that he's going to be my favorite. As Shizu and Kenji began a heated argument on whether or not I was desert scum or not, the girl, Nayumi, looking apologetic, walked up to me. She grabbed my arm, whispering in my ear, "Come on, they'll be at this for about half an hour, if we're lucky."
We stood outside the shop, rather nervously on my part. "Sorry about that, they're always going at it. Their personalities clash to the extreme. Also, Shizu is always making friends with random strangers and dragging them around with us. You can understand how that can get annoying, don't you?" I looked up at the taller girl. Her big brown eyes did seem to be concerned with what I thought. Still, Somehow I just didn't trust her, despite her angelic looks. She was just off somehow, but it may just be my bad experiences with people.
I opened my mouth to answer, but the words never left my mouth, for Shizu came running out of the ramen shop, a furious Kenji right behind him. The brown-haired boy hid behind me, though I don't know why. I was no ninja. Still, he held me in front of him like a shield, and for the first time I noticed Kenji had a bloody nose. The argument must have gotten pretty heated. "Ahh! Misora, don't let him get me!" Shizu cried, looking shyly over my shoulder as Kenji pushed against me, reaching an arm over my shoulder to grab at the boy behind me.
"She can't save you, idiot!" He growled as I blushed furiously at my position squeezed tightly between two boys. I could have sworn I heard Nayumi mutter an, 'oh brother', but I would never tell, because two arms of sand threw Kenji and Shizu off of me, throwing each boy in a different direction. I looked up in a panic, though I already knew who it was. As sure as the sand that now settled at my feet, Gaara stood not far away.
"Stay away from Misora," He said, though he looked utterly emotionless, "Or I'll kill you," He turned slightly then, looking at me. "Misora. Are you done fooling around with these worthless Leaf idiots?" He asked me, and I gave him a panicked nod. I didn't want my new friends to be hurt, just because I upset Gaara. "Y-yes Gaara! I'm sorry, I was looking for you, and then…" I let my voice trail away when he gave me a glare, one that was subtle, but I know what it meant. I began to walk over to Gaara with my face tilted to the ground, but Shizu stepped in my way, crossing his arms.
"Hold on a sec! You have no right to tell her what to do! She can stay if she wants to, she doesn't have to leave just because you tell her to," He said, and I dared to take a glance at him. He was determined, and I appreciated that. I couldn't let him stand between me and Gaara, though. I don't fully understand the Shukaku, but what I believe is that the one-tail sees me as his property. That's why he kept me so close, why he never let anyone else so much as look cross-eyed at me. I may be wrong, but this is as much as I tried to understand.
"Shizu... It's alright. I want to go with Gaara," I said, looking to Gaara to gauge his reaction to all this. I didn't want him to kill Shizu. As usual, I could not gauge his reaction, but for some reason, Gaara's gaze was trained on me, not Shizu. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad, though. "Are you sure, Misora? You don't have to if you don't want to," Shizu insisted, grabbing my arm. I looked to the other two, and then him. I could see that Shizu wanted me to stay, and the other two... they wouldn't mind it. I looked to Gaara. His sand was moving restlessly, and his gaze was now fixated on Shizu.
I yanked my arm out of Shizu's grasp, noticing with a sinking heart that he looked hurt from the gesture. I'm sorry Shizu, I silently apologized, and I began walking towards Gaara. "Shizu, I said I wanted to go with him, didn't I?" Even I flinched at my harsh tone. Still, I couldn't allow my only friend to be killed by Gaara, no matter what. I stood by Gaara, but now I felt something different. Before, I was just waiting to for him to kill me, but now… Now it felt like I had something to live for. I had friends!
Hello wonderful readers! Please excuse this note if it looks like crap, which it probably will. I still have problems getting this up. So, first off, I do not own Naruto, or any characters from Naruto. I do however own Misora, Shizu, Kenji, and Nayumi. Oh, and Read and Reveiw! Or you will have to wait even longer for me to update this story! I do have excuses for the late update, by the way. Look forward to some awesome stuff from me and my sis, TeamIDontCare. So, unless you review and give me Muse for this story, i shall contenue to work one not-nearly-done chapters for later stories, and you will have to wait forever. And you don't want that, do you?