Extermination

Chapter One

-Carnage-

"Mommy, where's Daddy?" a small pink haired girl with sparkling jade eyes asked from her high chair, sticking her fork in the mashed potatoes she'd been given. There was another pink haired girl beside her, both looking exactly alike in every way aside from the slightly depressing demeanor of the silent one.

"Daddy has to work late tonight Natsumi. He won't be home until after bedtime." Sakura told her daughter as she ate dinner with her children. She looked over to her son then, who was an almost mirror image of Gaara, though his eyes were a darker shade of jade. "Toshiro, please stop playing with your food and eat your squash. It's good for you."

The six year old frowned, stabbing the offending vegetable with his knife. "But I hate squash."

"I know, but I only put six pieces on your plate, that's two less than last time." The elder woman pointed out. "So please eat them. It will make mommy happy."

He sighed and looked over at her, an expression seen on her husband's face many times when she got her way. Reluctantly, the boy began to eat the squash while the less talkative twin watched him closely, before picking up her fork and focusing on him once more, attempting to imitate her elder brother.

This made Sakura smile, and she picked up her fork and took a bite of her chicken. "Thank you sweetie." She said.

The family ate together then, the talking being mostly Natsumi asking Sakura odd questions about the things she'd learned for the day. When they had finished, Sakura began to do the dishes as her son led the twins upstairs to help them get ready for bed, since his father had yet to come home.

When she finished the dishes, Sakura put the leftovers away before making her way upstairs. She went into her son's room first, walking over to his bed and sitting on the edge of the mattress. "Goodnight honey." She said softly, brushing some of his bangs from his face.

"Goodnight Mom. Sleep well. I'm sure Dad will be home soon." He nodded, bringing his covers up.

"I'll send him in here to see you when he gets home." She said, leaning over and kissing his forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too." He smiled beautifully and then turned on his side to try and fall asleep.

She rose then and left his room, closing the door behind her before going across the hall to her daughters' room. The twins had identical beds that were next to each other, a single table between them. She walked between the two beds and sat down of the mattress of the elder one. "Goodnight Satomi." She said softly, stroking her daughter's cheek.

"Night Mommy." She said sleepily, staring up at her mother's face and trying to stay awake. "Can we have pancakes tomorrow morning?"

"Of course baby." Sakura smiled. "I'll tell your father when he gets home that that's what you want." She leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Now sleep."

She nodded and looked over to her sister before closing her eyes and yawning loudly. "Mommy." Natsumi said softly, shifting her gaze to the elder pink haired woman. "I don't like when Daddy isn't here when we go to sleep."

"Neither do I." Sakura said, moving over to her youngest child's bed. "But he'll be home soon. I'll send him in here to see the two of you when he does. Okay?" she asked, stroking her cheek the way she had Satomi's.

She sighed and turned away from her mother, staring at the wall. "Ok…"

"Goodnight Natsumi. I love you." The elder woman said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "Sleep well."

"Love you too." She mumbled.

Sakura rose and left then, closing the door to her daughters' room as she left. She walked down to the end of the hall, entering her and Gaara's room. After showering and getting ready for bed, she crawled beneath her covers. Her gaze moved over to the window to their balcony, and she sighed. It was getting pretty late. This was actually the latest that Gaara had stayed at work in a while. "Darling, come home soon." She whispered, before snuggling into the covers and drifting off to sleep.

Natsumi stirred in her bed and let out an aggravated groan. She couldn't sleep. No matter how hard she tried she could not fall asleep in this house without her father home. So, wanting to feel better, she crawled out of bed and left her bedroom to go to her mother's. She opened the door and peeked inside, listening for the sound of breathing. When she heard it, she ran in and crept over to her father's side of the bed.

After pulling herself onto the mattress she moved closer to her mother and snuggled beside her beneath the covers. Sakura groaned and moved, twisting her body so her front was to Natsumi. "What are you doing out of bed?" she asked sleepily, pulling Natsumi into a protective embrace.

"I can't sleep. I'm scared."

Sakura smiled, and pulled her closer, nuzzling her youngest. "It will be alright. You're always safe in mommy's arms." She assured.

Natsumi smiled and snugged against her mother, already feeling much better. The two fell asleep once more, until Natsumi awoke again, this time in need of the restroom. She slipped from her mother's grasp and got off the bed, going into the bathroom and closing the door. In attempts not to disturb her mother, Natsumi left the light off, the glow from the moon being enough from the window in the bathroom.

She was just about to turn on the sink when she heard a noise from the bedroom. But it didn't sound anything like a sound her father would make, and he was usually silent. Natsumi moved towards the bathroom door and cracked it open, thankful that it made no sound.

But when she peeked through the crack her blood froze in her veins. There was someone in the room and he had not the build of her father, but of someone menacing. Before she could utter out a screech, he pulled out a katana and stabbed down into the bed right where her mother was, over and over and over again.

She tried not to scream, or make any noise. But it seemed to go on forever before he moved away and out the door. The young girl moved further into the bathroom, and as silently as possible, got into the shower and sat down, her arms around her knees as she tried to become as small as she could.

Everything felt cold as she waited there silently, not knowing what to do. And when she could no longer take the solitude and its icy embrace around her, she got up from the tub and looked out into the room. There was no one there, and she could hear nothing from within the house.

So as quietly as she could, she snuck into the room and gripped the sheets, using them to crawl up the bed. Feeling something oddly moist, she lifted one of her hands and in the dim light saw her pale skin stained with something she could not identify. The covers had been pulled over her mother's head, and with much reluctance Natsumi gripped the comforter and pulled it down, her eyes widening at the massacred sight. The sheets around them were soaked with the dark substance, and her mother's white nightgown was tainted with the spots.

"Mommy…" she called hopelessly, moving beside her and gripping her shoulder in attempts to wake her. When she received nothing in response she shook her once more, a bit more forcefully. "Mommy? Please wake up." She called, tears beginning to stream down her face. "Wake up!" she screamed, sobbing out, her tears spilling onto Sakura's blood splattered face.

But she did not wake up, and as the time passed the warmth was slowly leaving her body as Natsumi cried over her, curling against her and trying to keep her warm with her own body as well as the covers.

Natsumi heard the door to the room open and her whole body tensed. Had the man heard her and come back? Fear shot through her and she tried to remain as still as her mother, and breathe as softly as her fright would allow. And when she felt the safety of the covers ripped off, she buried her face in her mother bloody bosom and cried.

"Natsumi?" she heard a familiar voice and looked up instantly to see her father.

"Daddy!" she yelled out, breaking from her mother and wrapping her arms around him in need of any kind of warmth to make this terrible nightmare be bearable. He held her close to him, but his gaze was transfixed on the body behind her.

"S-Sakura…" he said hollowly, his grip on his youngest daughter tightening painfully. When she let out a small noise of pain he tore his eyes from his wife and looked back to her, sorrow the only thing visible on his façade. "Natsumi…I'm sorry." He breathed out, holding her to him tightly as she did the same.

"Mommy won't wake up." Natsumi sobbed out, crying into her father's shoulder. "I tried to wake her up. But she's all wet and cold and she won't stay warm." She choked, trying to wipe away her tears. Gaara pulled away slightly and gave her once over, assessing that she was alright. Then his eyes widened.

"Oh my God." He breathed out, attempting to pick up his daughter and leave.

But Natsumi struggled from his grip and collapsed back beside Sakura, gripping onto her bloodied clothes. "No! We can't leave her all by herself!"

Gaara stared at his daughter and then his wife, trying to remain calm. But he could feel no one else in his house, other than Natsumi. Without a word, he left the room and ran down the hall to his son's room, bursting in to find nothing but a disheveled bed.

He left the room then and went into his daughter's room, seeing both beds empty. "No!" he yelled angrily, tossing the beds and both rooms to make sure they were not just trying to hide. But he found nothing. He came back into his bedroom to see Natsumi still over Sakura's body, trying to right her clothing where the holes were.

"Come on sweetheart. We need to leave." He came over to the bed and attempted to pick her up.

"No!" she screamed, latching onto her mother's body, her face streaked with tears and smeared blood. "We can't leave her!"

The Kazekage tried not to look at the sight and break down. He felt as if his world had been turned upside down and shaken. Two of his children were missing, and his wife was murdered in their bed. Rage overwhelmed him. He needed to find his children, if they were even alive. And he needed to avenge his wife.

Everything he had promised her was worthless. He had said he would always protect her and now she was gone, lifeless in the place where he thought she was safest.

He walked over to the bed and kissed the top of Natsumi's head, "I love you." He told her, getting a nod in return. "I will be back." He assured, moving to his knees and looking over his wife. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, running his fingers through her hair. "I will avenge you." The redhead whispered to his lost love before standing and leaving the room.

He would take Temari and go after this murderer, find his children, and kill the intruders. Because they had made a grave mistake by coming after him and his family.