A New Ninja
"Is so hot," Kari whined as she continued to trudge through the desert. The sun was high in the sky. It fell down on her with fierce determination to fry her like an insignificant egg. Her throat was just as dry and scratchy as the sand beneath her feet. "I'm going to die out here." Reaching into her cloak she pulled out her water canteen. She opened it and took a good drink. The water was warm and did nothing to satisfy her thirst. "Just great. I really am going to die if I don't get out of this stupid desert. Why did they have to be here of all places? Why not in a nice cool forest? Or up in the mountains?"
She moved forward. Her legs throbbed, begging her to sit down and rest. But she knew if she did she wouldn't be able to get back up. She would just lay down and die right there. Part of her wanted to do just that. Unfortunately she couldn't do it. She couldn't die right now. Not when she had already came this far. She had to finish her mission before she died.
A dark mass in the distance caught her attention. She blinked, unsure if she was really seeing what she was. "Is that it? I'm there? Can it be?"
A spark lit up in her mind. She could feel it. Her target was close by. A new strength rose inside of her. She bolted for the mass in front of her. " All right. Let's hope this really is it."
…
Gaara sighed as he flipped through the stack of papers on his desk. There was so much stuff he had to do and he really didn't feel like doing any of it. His eyes then landed on a piece of paper with a picture of a girl with long black hair pulled back in braided pigtails and bright baby blue eyes. He couldn't help but stare at the picture. Something about the girl caught his attention. Below her was a description of who she was and why she was coming to the village.
Kari Tsume Age: 14
Highly experienced in defeating Chakra Serpents. Will be arriving in village soon to deal with the chakra serpents.
Suddenly he heard screaming outside his window. He stood up and walked over to the window. There, weaving between the buildings was another chakra serpent. The sun glinted off the red gem on its forehead. A clear sign it was a chakra serpent and not something else.
This was the third time this week that the chakra serpent had appeared in the village. Over all it had appeared a total of nine times this month. And each time it always destroyed more buildings. They were nowhere near being able to kill it. At times it appeared to move without purpose. If it weren't for the split second pauses, to look at what he didn't know, he would assume it was moving without purpose. But that clearly wasn't the case. They only didn't know what it was looking for. They started rebuilding the buildings it destroyed but he was starting to wonder if it was even worth the trouble if they were just going to keep coming back.
Turning from the window, he grabbed his gourd and headed outside to join the fight. Once outside he allowed his sand to gather around him and it lifted him into the sky. Reaching the battle he glanced down to observe it.
"Great here we go again." A tall brown haired girl, known as Mia, sliced at the blue green serpent with her sword. She was becoming one of the most skilled ninja wielding a sword. The serpent's skin split open then immediately closed. "When will it end?"
"I was beginning to wonder that myself," Kankuro said. His puppets launched forward at his command.
"I don't get why this thing keep attacking the village," Temari's said swiping her fan at the serpent. Gaara continued to watch as none of their attacks were working against this serpent. "What do we have to do to get rid of this thing?"
The serpent hissed and knocked the three of them several feet away with its tail. The serpent charged at them. They lifted up to defend themselves but moved too slow. Gaara shot out his sand. He formed a wall of sand around the three to protect them.
The brown haired girl, Mia, blushed. "Gaara. You saved us."
"You serpents are starting to become a real pain," Gaara said. He wrapped the sand around the serpent and squeezed. The sand smashed the serpent but it just gathered back into its original form. The serpent shook its head then roared at Gaara and once again charged at them. This time the serpent went straight for Gaara. He defended with the sand but the serpent's body shifted. Arms and claws formed from its body and went right threw it and grabbed him. Its claws pierced into his sides and blood began to run out of the wounds. He gritted his teeth at the pain.
"Gaara!" Mia yelled and charged at the serpent with her sword.
Suddenly a black blur flew by her and cut the serpent's arms off at the body. "Bad serpent. Let him go."
Gaara dropped down to his feet then to his knees. His eyes lifted up to the one who saved him.
Temari and Kankuro joined him by his side.
"Gaara? Are you all right?" Temari asked.
Gaara didn't reply. His eyes remained locked onto the black haired girl who saved him. She stood facing the serpent with a boomerang in her hand and no fear on her face.
"You're a pretty weak serpent," she said. "How pathetic. I'm not even going to work up a sweat with you. But perhaps you can tell me where your mama and papa are. I'd really appreciate that."
"Who's that?" Mia asked.
Gaara knew. It was Kari, the girl who dealt with these chakra creatures, who could destroy them.
"Look!" Temari shouted and pointed at the serpent. "Its arms and claws didn't form back on the serpent!"
"No way! How? Our attacks couldn't even scratch the stupid thing!" Kankuro added.
Gaara continued to watch the girl. He wondered what she had done different than the rest of them. Why was she able to kill it so easily while they had a hard time with slowing it down?
The serpent snarled at the girl. She raised her eyebrows at it. "I guess I'll just have to keep looking then."
Gaara couldn't help but noticed she spoke to it as if it answered her back. But that wasn't possible. Was it?
The serpent charged. Kari smirked and threw her boomerang at the serpent but it was too high. The weapon sailed right over the serpent. "Oh crap! I missed!"
The serpent plowed right into her. She grabbed it around its mouth. With her hands on its upper lip and her feet on its bottom lip she held it open so it couldn't take a bite of her body. "Man. This is just great."
The sand ninja just watched. Kankuro said, "We should help her."
"Right! I'm on it!" Temari pulled out her fan.
"No." Gaara held up his hand to stop her.
"But she…."
"Give her time," Gaara said. He knew she could do this.
Temari nodded and looked back up to the girl.
"All right. I've had enough of you. If you won't tell me where your mama and papa are then I have no use for you." Kari flipped up onto the serpent's head. She pulled out a second boomerang and slammed it into the red jewel the serpent wore on its forehead. The jewel popped out. The serpent let out a cry before disappearing. Kari grabbed the jewel and crushed it with her boomerang. "Another one bites the dust."
Kari looked down at the ground. Her eyes widened. "Oh crap!" She was several yards off the ground. She didn't even noticed how high she was or she would have gotten the serpent closer to the ground before destroying it. "Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!"
Gaara saw the mistake she had made before she even killed the serpent. With a sigh he shot his sand out to her. She landed on it with a thud. He stood up with his siblings. His hand went to his bleeding side.
Her confused eyes fell down to the sand underneath her. "Un. Huh? Sand?"
Gaara brought her back to the ground, a few feet in front of himself and his siblings. She stared at the ground for a minute then looked up at them. Something shifted inside of his chest. An unfamiliar feeling that he shoved aside.
"Oh, um, hi," she said before her eyes dropped to Gaara's side. His blood was staining his shirt. She stood up and walked up to them. Her eyes remained on his bleeding side. "You're wounded. I can take care of that. We should get inside though."
"What are you talking about? We have plenty of doctors here," Mia said. "They can take care of it."
"It's no big deal," she said. "I can heal this easily enough."
"But-" Mia started.
"Fine. Let's go inside," Gaara said cutting the girl off.
"All right, come on Gaara. Let's get you back inside." Kankuro led them all back to Gaara's office.
Gaara glanced back at the new girl. Her eyes were darting all over the place. He wondered if he was remembering everything for escaping purposes or if she needed to attack them. He quickly dismissed the thought of her attacking. She was just one person. There would be no way she could take them all down.
Once inside Gaara's office he sat down in his chair and took off his shirt without hesitation. He stiffened up when Kari knelt in front of him and placed her hands over the wounds. He wasn't use to having people this close to him. It shocked him a bit that he allowed a stranger to get so close so suddenly. The uneasiness faded when her hands started to glow a warm blue green color. His eyes flickered up to the others in the room. His sister and brother were curiously observing the new girl while Mia glared at her.
Kankuro rubbed his chin. "So she knows how to heal wounds. That's incredible."
"No. Not all wounds," Kari said still looking at Gaara's sides. "Just wounds that are made by the chakra serpents."
"I see." Kankuro nodded.
"Just who are you?" Temari asked.
"Oh I'm sorry." Kari looked back and smiled at her. "I'm Kari Tsume."
"I'm Temari. These are my brothers, Kankuro." Temari pointed at her brother standing beside her then to the one Kari was healing. "That's Gaara. And this is our friend Mia."
"Nice to meet you all." Kari's smile grew bigger and brighter.
Gaara tensed up when she turned her eyes back to him. Her eyes were shining full of life and interest. It made that strange feeling from before reappear. He shifted uncomfortably. He wanted her to look away. Then she did. And it disappointed him.
Her eyes fell back to his side. He looked down as well. His wound had closed up and the blood disappeared.
"There all better. How does that feel?" she said.
"Fine." Gaara pulled his shirt back over his chest. "Thank you."
"Don't worry about it." Kari smiled at him.
Kankuro saw a piece of paper on Gaara's desk and picked it up. "So this is you?"
"Yeah." Kari nodded.
Temari looked over her brother's shoulder. She said, "So I guess our father sent for you before he died. Those creatures have been bothering us for a while now."
"Yeah. They had a hard time finding me. That's why I just got here," Kari replied. "Sorry about that."
"So where are you staying?" Kankuro asked.
"I guess at the hotel in the village," Kari replied with a thoughtful look. "I should have enough money to do that."
"The hotel was destroyed." Mia smirked. "I guess you'll just have to sleep outside."
"Sounds fine to me." Kari smiled earning another glare from Mia. "I like sleeping outside. I get to look up at the stars while I fall asleep. It's a lot cheaper too than having to spend money on a place to stay. Though I'm not a fan of your desert weather."
"We couldn't let you do that," Temari said.
"I don't mind. I often sleep outside any ways with all the traveling I do anyway." Kari smiled at her. "Towns can be far and few in between at times. And paying for a place can be rather expensive."
"You could stay with us. We have a spare bedroom," Kankuro suggested looking at Gaara. "If that's all right with you, Gaara."
"No, I couldn't. I don't mind sleeping outside." Kari waved her hands at him. "Really. I don't mind."
Gaara studied the girl. She seemed a bit panicked about staying with them.
"Really. It's no big deal," Temari said.
"You heard the girl. She wants to sleep outside." Mia popped up behind Kari and started to push her to the door. "So you better get camp set up before it gets dark."
"Sure ok," Kari said raising an eyebrow at her.
"Kari Tsume will be staying at our house," Gaara suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned and looked at him. He was shocked to find himself speaking but kept his express unreadable.
"Really I don't mind to-" Kari stared.
"It has been decided. You will stay with us," Gaara said with a voice of authority. Kari stared into his eyes. He wondered if she was going to challenge him. "We asked you to come here and help us with this problem. The least we can do is give you shelter while you're staying here."
"Alright then." Kari smiled.
"Temari, get her settled in." Gaara, satisfied with her answer, looked at his sister.
"Yeah sure. Come on, Kari." Temari headed for the door.
Kari shifted her bag and cloak before followed her.
Gaara watched the two women go. Again he saw Mia glared at Kari as she followed Temari out the door. Feeling someone's eyes on him he looked to find Kankuro staring at him. "What's wrong?
"Uh, nothing," Kankuro said. "I just find it a bit odd. You've never invited someone over before."
"I spoke the truth, did I not?" Gaara said. "She has no other place to stay. And I won't let her sleep outside when we have a room for her."
"Of course." Kankuro nodded.
Mia frowned.
"You two should go." Gaara waved his hand at them. "The village needs your attention.
"Right the village." Kankuro remember they needed to get started on rebuilding the village. He headed out the door with Mia following him out without a word.
Gaara leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "I'm not sure either why I told her to stay with us."
…
"Kankuro why don't you get off your butt and give me a hand here for a change?" Temari growled at her brother. She stood at the stove with Mia as they prepared their dinner.
"No way! I can't cook!" Kankuro propped his chin on his hand with his elbow on the table. "Besides that's women's work. Not for a man."
"You jerk! Take that back!" Temari grabbed him in a headlock.
Mia laughed as she watched the two.
Kari smiled as she watched the two siblings arguing back and forth. It wasn't something she wasn't use to seeing. And she found it rather amusing. Her eyes then drew to Gaara. Ever since he came home from whatever it was he did, he didn't say a word. He just sat quietly with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He was definitely different from his two siblings. But she had no idea why that was. She turned her attention back to the nosier siblings. "Can I help with anything?"
"No, you are a guest here," Temari said returning to her cooking.
"Really. I don't mind. It's the least I could do for you guys letting me stay here," Kari replied. "Please? I insist. I feel a bit odd sitting here like this."
"All right then if you really insist. Will you set the table?" Temari asked holding up some dishes.
Kari nodded and took them from her then began to set the table.
"Thank you for inviting me to dinner." Mia said.
"Don't worry about it," Temari said. "We're glad to have you here."
Kari stepped in between Gaara and Kankuro to place plates down for them. She had almost forgotten about the other girl in the room with them.
Kankuro leaned closer to her. "Yeah right. She invited herself. But she is scary so I couldn't say no," he whispered. Suddenly a cup flew through the air and hit him in the head. "Hey!"
"I heard that!" Mia growled.
Kari giggled as Kankuro rubbed his head.
"You know you're welcome here any time," Temari said. "Kankuro's just being a jerk."
"Thank you," Mia said. "You're so nice compare to Kankuro."
"Hey! I am nice!" Kankuro snapped.
"Are things always like this around here?" Kari asked Gaara. She locked eyes with him again. Both stared at each other. Her heart flittered a bit. Something was definitely different with him. There was an obvious trace of loneliness in his eyes. She had no idea why it would be there. This guy was the leader of his village and had fun siblings. He was always surrounded by people. He wasn't like her at all. Suddenly there was loud clanking of dishes. It made her jump and her thoughts vanished.
"So Kari. Tell us about these chakra serpents," Mia said glaring at Kari once again. "We need to know all about them."
"Well, ok. Let's see where to start." Kari sat down across from Gaara. She tapped her chin in thought.
"How about where they came from?" Kankuro asked. "That would be a great place to start."
"Well, they were made by a clan in a small village north of here at the base of the mountains. The village was very small and didn't have many talented ninja in it. A couple of other villages were at war with each other; they wanted this small village to become part of their territory. But the small village didn't like either side. They wanted to remain independent and separate from the other two. This village held the Serpent Clan. There was this legend about how a blood red jewel could bring chakra to life in the form of a serpent. It was said that the jewel was somewhere inside of the mountains. So the Serpent Clan went in search of those crystals in hopes to build a defense to keep the other two villages from taking over. Well, one day they found it and started to make chakra serpents." Kari explained. "Everything was fine to begin with but suddenly the serpents began to act on their own. They went off and looked for people with strong chakra. They would attack who ever was the strongest and steal their chakra from them and they got stronger and stronger."
"Is that why they came here?" Kankuro asked.
"Probably. I can tell that Gaara is the strongest in the village." Kari looked at him but he turned away. She thought that was odd since he would always look back at her. She turned away from him. "Anyway two of the charka serpents showed that they could produce offspring like they were real living serpents."
"So how do you stop them?" Temari asked. "Nothing we've tried has worked. And there could be thousands out there."
"Well, it is hard to tell how many babies there are but…" Kari tapped her chin again. "It might be possible if I destroy the parent serpents it might cause a chain reaction and the babies would die too."
"How would that be possible?" Mia asked.
"Well, it's because of the jewels. The power of the jewels get passed down to the babies," Kari said. "That's why they all have one on their foreheads."
"So the babies power is linked back to the parents powers. If the parents die then the babies die," Temari finished.
"That's my theory anyway. The only way to know for sure is to kill the parents. But I haven't had any luck finding out where the parents are hiding. So I had to spread the word about being about to destroy those chakra serpents. When someone comes to me with a job of getting rid of one I go and see if the parents are somewhere in that area," Kari said. She picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of fish. "So good. Thank you for the food."
"Wouldn't it be better just to get someone with a lot of chakra to power up and bring the serpents to you?" Kankuro asked.
"I did think of that a few years ago. But I can't find anyone with enough power to draw the parents out." Kari sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway. If I did destroy them all in one shot like that then I wouldn't have anything left to do." She smiled. "I'd get bored."
"Wouldn't you go back home?" Mia asked with a shine in her eyes.
"No," Kari replied and the shine left Mia's eyes. "I don't have a home to go back to."
"What happened to it?" Temari asked. "If you don't mind me asking."
"The serpents destroyed my home and my family when I was seven," Kari replied. "With the serpents no longer there to protect them everyone who survived decided to leave so the warring villages wouldn't take them over."
"Sorry," Temari said.
"Don't worry about it. I don't think I could stay in one place to long anyway. I'm so use to traveling around now. It would take something pretty drastic to get me to stay in one place. But since I can't find the parent serpents I'll just continue traveling around and figure out what to do after I do find them," Kari said.
"So how many serpents do you think are outside the village?" Kankuro asked.
"Well," Kari said while thoughtfully chewing. She swallowed. "It's hard to say. Usually I just stay in a village until the serpents give up on whose ever chakra they are after and move on or until I destroy them."
"So you don't know how long you will be staying here." Temari took a drink of tea.
"Nope. Could be anywhere between a few days to a few years. It really all depends on Gaara." Kari propped up on her left arm while dangling her chopsticks between her fingers and smiling at Gaara. He finally looked at her again. "If his chakra is as great as I think it is then they will want to get to him really bad and more than likely won't give up until they get it. His chakra might be enough to get the parent serpents to come out."
"Hm." Kankuro looked down at his food.
"So you're stuck with me until the hotel is finished. I'll move into it then," Kari said.
"You don't have to," Kankuro said.
"You can stay here as long as you want," Temari added.
"That's ok. I don't want to impose," Kari said.
"But you-" Kankuro started.
"Oh, just let her go if she wants to," Mia butted in. "She doesn't have to stay here if she doesn't want to." Everyone looked at her with an eyebrow raised. She shrugged. "What? It's her choice. If she doesn't want to stay then she shouldn't have too."
"She stays." Everyone turned to Gaara when he spoke. He stood up and looked at Kari. "You will stay here until her mission is completed. No excuses." He then turned and left the room. Everyone exchange confused glances.
"That's odd," Kankuro said.
"Yeah, he's never done this before," Temari added.
"What do you mean?" Kari asked.
"Oh nothing," Temari and Kankuro said waving their hands at her.
…
Kari sighed happily as she laid down on the bed she had been provided. It was soft, incredibly soft. A lot softer than the hard ground she had been accustom to sleeping on. And her body was relaxed from the nice hot bath she had taken. "Maybe this won't be so bad. I'll be able to sleep comfortable therefore I'll be able to kill the chakra serpents sooner." Another sigh, a sadder one, escaped her lips. "It's a shame I won't be able to get to know Gaara better. He's rather interesting." She shook her head. "What am I saying?! I can't do that! I have a job to do. And then I have to leave. All right." She nodded. "It's settled. Now get some sleep."
She closed her eyes.
...
Author's Notes: Wrote this sum years ago. Not going to be the best story out there but wanted to edit it and post it anyway.