This is my canon Naruto fanfiction including my OC's from Psychosis. They are all the same, except for a distinct lack of mental disorders... for the most part. I'm hoping you guys enjoy it. Remember, I am more than open to feedback. Think something needs changing? Review and I'll see what I can do about it.

I do not own Naruto. All hail the great and powerful Masashi Kishimoto. I own my OC's and that's nothing to clap about so... Onward!


Shifting Sands

Chapter 1: Inadequate

An overheated dusk was just beginning to settle over the hilly deserts of Sunagakure. Faint smatters of milky constellations began to flicker into existence as the wind took on a slight chill. As it danced through the city streets and across the empty expanse of desert, the sand swirled in small whirlwinds, the rough particles whispering a song into the newly spawned night.

Just at the edge of the city gates, an anxious adolescent paced a rut into the cooling sand. Her eyes flicked to the edge of the skyline every so often, and she nibbled at a too long strand of thin lank hair.

"Come on you guys..." The mission had been simple. Easy enough that a low ranking genin, just out of the newly established school could have accomplished it. That was what the Kazekage had said and yet... here she was. Stranded. While her teammates ran off to do their duty. Without her. Again.

Had she mentioned they had left her?

Maybe I should go and look for them... She thought this hopefully, a grandiose image of her rushing to the rescue- her hair flying, and kunais flashing as she bravely fought alongside the ninja of her cell, briefly entered her mind.

And then she saw the dark smudge on the horizon. The returning forms of her team.

The hopeful thoughts withered and died like a water lilly in a sandbox, and the sting of another disappointment intensified until it had pricked her eyes.


"Oh, God, she's waiting for us." A jewel eyed girl ground her feet for purchase in the hill she had just landed on. The others stopped a mere few paces ahead of her.

"I feel bad for leaving her..." began the other, glancing back at her sister. "It wasn't that hard... Surely she could have come?"

"The mission may have been easy," The leader of this group, a morose boy of seventeen quipped. "But you and I are all fully aware that Lotus' aptitude for even the simplest of tasks is..."

He chose to tactfully trail off.

"Should we try to go around her?"

"No. Let her see the consequences of her weakness." He straightened his legs and prepared to propel himself forward. "Come on."

He darted forward, followed closely by the other two.


Lotus scuffed her foot and hummed softly, trying to avoid meeting their gaze when her friends finally touched back in Sunagakure.

"So... how was the mission, Enma?"

The boy arched an eyebrow, looking down at her through his cold green eyes.

"Fine. The execution was exceedingly simple." She attempted a smile as if she were glad to hear that.

In reality, it stung and made her a little mad. Maybe a lot mad. Maybe pissed.

"Oh... glad to hear it." there was a rock down by her sandaled feet. She turned it over with her toe, trying to focus on the wavy design the ridges of her shoe left in the surrounding sand.

"Um, we're sorry for leaving without you. It's just that... uh, I mean... y'know." Her friend tried to make eye contact, face downcast and more than a little guilty.

"That's okay, Jigoku." said Lotus, peeping up through her bangs at her. "I understand."

There was a very pregnant silence. It rested oppressively over the four of them, dragging on and on until finally, Jigoku feigned a yawn.

"Hah, I'm tired. Come on Izanami. We should really get to bed." She grabbed her twin by the arm, beginning to drag her off down the street. "See you guys tomorrow!"

"Yeah, matta ne!" Izanami called over her shoulder, nearly tripping at the pace of her joint escape.

That left Enma and Lotus. The two watched the twins disappear around a slow corner before Lotus turned a severe, accusatory look on her friend.

"Enma... you can't keep leaving me out of missions like this!"

"I can. I am in charge of this cell, and I decide what's best for us." Lotus glowered at him, her blue eyes smoldering with indignation.

"So, what? I'm not included in "us"?" She spat. "Am I so useless that I can't even be considered a part of this team's collective effort anymore?"

"You can't even keep up with us in our daily training!" He kept his voice steady, but there was a lethal edge to his words. It belied the venomous words bubbling just under the surface, pooling up on his tongue.

"Shut up, Enma. You know that's not-"

"Don't start. I'm not going to tolerate insubordination from you of all people." He took a step foward, his impressive height giving him the advantage of intimidation. "Close in age or not, I was chosen to lead this cell. Friend or not, you will listen to me, or I will have you removed from this cell. Is that clear?"

She fell silent, clenching her jaw.

"Well?"

"What's the point of being on the cell if I don't even go on missions anymore?"

Enma sighed, running a hand through his dark hair and shutting his eyes. "Look, keep practicing, okay? We'll try again tomorrow, perhaps."

Perhaps... Fuck perhaps. She wanted a definite yes or a no.

He patted her lightly on the shoulder and turned to walk away leaving her alone. Lotus stood there a few minutes more, her hair drifting around her in lazy tendrils.

She watched him go, chewing on the inside of her lip and seething. She was tired of being underestimated, tired of being forgotten, tired of being inadequate. Especially since she was working so damn hard. She practiced every day, probably more than she should. It had been a true struggle just to get out of bed this morning.

And for whatever reason, even that wasn't working. As much as she hated to admit it, it was becoming increasingly clear that Lotus was going to need some extra help. Who could she go to, though? Enma wouldn't have time, Izanami was too much of a scatter brain and she would never let her live it down. Jigoku might be a good candiate, but there was no way that the soft spoken kunoichi would be able to help her improve. She was just too nice.

Lotus began to pace, her eyes narrowed almost comically as she tried to force her mind to produce a name. There had to be somebody...

But who?


Gaara leaned back in his chair, expressionless as he took in the visage of the domed ceiling above him. He felt almost certain that he would be able to leave the office at a decent hour tonight. There was a formidable pile of mission scrolls, but he had already determined to assign them tomorrow morning. He had learned that while assigning them ahead of time gave him more time to analyze the best team for the job, it wasn't necessary.

Most of the shinobi in Sunagakure were on par with the missions coming in. The rarely had anything above a B rank these days.

He sat forward and reached for his tea, taking a small sip of the bitter green liquid. He found himself ingesting more and more bitter or astringent iron tasting things to replace the blood he had abstained from since his encounter with the Uzumaki boy.

As much as he hated to admit it, he missed it a little. Shukaku was fond of preying preying on any moments of weakness or, much more recently exhaustion. Best to stop this train of thought now before a loud and fairly constant stream of temptations began pounding through his head.

Aside from the taste, the caffeine usually eased his headaches, another product of sharing his mind with an obnoxious bloodthirsty bijuu.

The door to his office creaked open slightly, putting him on edge. His sand rustled audibly in the calabash gourd, and his head pounded furiously as he focused on the perpetrator. A set of bony pale fingers clutched the thick wood of the door, shielding a frightened blue eye.

"Um, hello, Kazekage-sama?" a thin, pointed face followed. He stared at her blankly. She entered the room slowly, her eyes never leaving his. He allowed himself to relax a bit. She didn't appear to be much of a threat. The aura of fear radiating from her was thick, almost tangible.

Not a threat, he decided. Just a nuisance.

"I believe," he began without much care or interest, "That it is customary to either make an appointment or wait for me to allow you into my office." She cringed slightly, and ducked her chin.

"Sorry. So sorry. Um... I'm just a little... out of my element." Terrified was more accuarate really. She knew of Sabaku no Gaara's fearsome reputation. He squinted slightly, taking her in. She was familiar. He must have assigned her and her team a mission this morning.

He scanned the only document left on his desk while she babbled nervously, applying his signature only after he had deemed it appropriate. That was that. For tonight at least.

As a consequence of this, however, Gaara only caught the last half of her sentence, something about needing help if she ever wanted to be of any use to her team.

He lifted a hand to silence her, his long white sleeve swishing decisively. "What do you want?" She opened her mouth and he silenced her with a harsh stare. "I do not want another stream of incessant babble. I want a concise sentence." he sat back, staring at her intently.

"I want you to take me on as your student!"


So... I'm going to cut it off there. I don't see any need to continue this chapter for now. Hope you like it, please read and review!