The Missing Piece

A/N

This is really just something I came up with while I'm having writer block with my other fics. Might not regularly update and may have serious grammar problems. Also I don't really know what a mary sue is so if my OC happens to be one please tell me cause i seriously have no clue about mary sues and greys.

Other than that just please enjoy it and stick with me till the end ^^.

Prologue

Father o' mine

"Blood does flow from a wound on the body and the wound may appear painful. But as time passes, the pain naturally disappears. By using medicine, the healing is even faster. But what's dangerous is a wound of the heart. Nothing has more trouble healing.A wound on the body and a wound of the heart are slightly different. Unlike a wound on the body, there is no ointment and sometimes, it doesn't heal for one's life. But there is one thing that can cure a wound of the heart. However, this is a complicated medicine. It can only be given to you by another person. The thing that can cure a wound of the heart that is, love. Ryuuya I want you to remember this carefully and do your best as you continue to care for Gaara-sama." Yashamaru said, biting down on his lower lip as he knew this was going to be the last time he saw he daughter again. He looked lovingly down at her face once more, tenderly stroking her pale cheeks as he saw the tears form in her ghostly pale violet eyes.

Ryuuya had never seen her father wear his Anbu gear after he was assigned as Gaara's caretaker and by the slight quiver in his voice the dear 11 year old knew what was to be feared.

Shakily Ryuuya took out the stone Kanzashi out of her hair, loosening her hair bun and letting her long fiery red hair flow down to her waist. She handled it carefully as she gently placed the Kanzashi into her father's hands. "You have to return this to me when you come back or I'll…I'll never forgive you."Her tears fell down heavily onto the Kanzashi as she said this and Yashamaru almost cried himself as he saw his daughter's tears.

However Yashamaru silently held back his tears and grasped tightly onto the Kanzashi, embracing Ryuuya one last time before he headed out to find Gaara. "Ah…I'll make sure to return it. Be a good girl and go to bed early alright."

They parted with a final "I love you." and Ryuuya sat on her bed quietly as she waited for Yashamaru to return, only to be bewildered by the sight of the Shukaku destroying the village.

A loose Shukaku meant an unstable Gaara and an unstable Gaara meant blood and…death. The kunoichi side of Ryuuya wanted to run out to help calm Gaara down while the other 11 year old girl side told her to stay put and wait for Yashamaru. Yashamaru…father! Was he okay, was he with the other shinobi trying to stop Gaara, was Gaara alright, just what made him lose control. Fear and worry overwhelmed Ryuuya as she paced franticly in her room praying for both to be safe.

"Please…come home soon…"

Hours past at it was only as dawn broke that the news that the Kazekage had successfully stopped the Shukaku was spread. Ryuuya sighed in relief. At least one of her worries was gone but she still had no news about her father. He should have been back by now. Did he NO he promised he'd be back. He knows how precious that Kanzashi is to her and he'd make sure he returned it in one piece. With that small hope in her mind Ryuuya waited patiently by the door until hours later Baki's grim figure presented himself before her, informing her of her father's death.

When Baki told her the details Ryuuya couldn't believe what she was hearing. He'd been killed by Gaara during a failed assassination mission which had led to the Shukaku's release. How? Why? Wasn't her father Gaara's caretaker, wasn't he the one who had taught her to love and care for him.

Confusion and sorrow slowly claimed the red haired girl, her ghostly violet eyes growing paler by the second until they were practically like the eyes of a dead fish. She looked lost and almost hopeless as Baki hesitated to inform her that she had to go identify Yashamaru's body.

"Do you want me to carry you?" He asked, crouching down to Ryuuya's height, stretching out his arms to her as he had on the usual occasions she'd gave him her puppy eye look to get him to carry her. Half expecting her to push past him Baki waited patiently until the girl finally toddled into his arms. He felt a few wet tears soak his chest as Ryuuya buried her head into his jacket. Baki knew better to Shunshin in this kind of situation and chose to walk the short distance to the general hospital, trying to calm her down as gently as possible.

This caused them to be a bit late and receive a few glares from Chiyo when they arrived. Baki hesitated to hand Ryuuya over to Chiyo as the teenager was still grasping tightly onto his jacket but as he saw the shadow of the Kazekage in the corner, he reluctantly placed her down on the floor. With that Chiyo gently took hold of the girl's hand and led her to where her father lay.

When Ryuuya laid her eyes on Yashamaru's body her dead eyes grew even colder now with visible tears dropping down her frail cheeks. It was only when she caught sight of her Kanzashi did the girl finally stopped.

The stone white Kanzashi was still grasped tightly in Yashamaru's hands that refused to let it go even after his death. And even though most of his body was covered with his deep crimson blood Ryuuya saw that the Kanzashi was still as white and pure as it had been when she had teary given it to him. She cupped her frail hands over the Kanzashi, letting the tears once again fall down as she bitterly shouted at her dead father.

"Why…you said that we had to protect him and you still...you said you'd return it to me when you came back…OTOU-SAN YOU LIAR!" Tears streamed down furiously as Ryuuya tried her best to hold them back. It was useless, the tears wouldn't stop and her questions would be answered…he was dead and she was alone.

Strong arms tried to comfort her from behind, holding her gently in their chest as they rocked her back and forth trying to stop her tears. Ryuuya didn't know who it was who was holding her but saw a glimpse of auburn as the warmth of the person's body slowly led her to a sleepless dream.

Rasa let out a soft sigh as he saw the girl had finally fallen asleep. He wrapped her long red hair up in her cloak before leaving the room where the body of his trusted right hand man lay. Baki greeted them, hiding his shocked expressions as he saw Ryuuya sound asleep in the Kazekage's arms.

"Kazekage-sama, may I take her from your arms?" He asked carefully.

Rasa shook his head, "She might wake up and from what I saw inside it is better if she sleeps."

"Then may I escort you to an empty room?"

"…That would be for the best."

With a short bow Baki led Rasa to an empty hospital room where he carefully tucked his sleeping niece into the covers' of the bed.

"Baki you may guard from outside the room and inform me if anyone is in need of my presence."

Baki nodded at the order and bowed shortly before leaving the room. With only the two of them in the room Rasa rested his stern gaze into a gentler and almost caring one. He sat himself down beside his niece wiping the remains of her dray tears as a sorrowful tone escaped his lips. "I'm sorry little one. You did not deserve this as neither did my son or your father. I hope you forgive me when the time comes…"

With that he left the room not knowing that a shadow hiding in the shadows heard and wept in silence.

"Anata…"

It had taken months for Ryuuya to recover from Yashamaru's death and more so for her to be retitled as Gaara's caretaker. Technically she was too emotional to be the jinchuuriki's caretaker she was what the council described to be a snotty teenager. But for some unknown reason the Kazekage had strongly pushed it upon Ryuuya as Gaara soon became almost impossible to cope with. After a lot of therapy and countless subscriptions of horribly bitter medicines Ryuuya was finally titled as caretaker of Sabaku no Gaara.

Ryuuya was not happy at this when she was informed of the news. However she wasn't unhappy as well. Her father's last wishes had been for her to continue caring for Gaara and she was not going to just trample over them because of her sore spot. She had loved her younger cousin before and she'd do it again. She'd always known that Gaara wasn't a monster and that it was Shukaku who was doing this to him. With the help of therapy she was now calm enough to once again let that fact bury itself back into her mind.

Gaara was a broken soul, lonely and bricked up from the rest of the world that furiously tried to reject the poor boy. Ryuuya vowed to herself that she'd help Gaara and make him and the rest of the world open their eyes.

"I'll make you proud otou-san, just you wait."