NEW STORY!

ALL OTHERS ON HIATUS!

Don't ask why, please.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT, ALYSIA TSUKADA AND ITSUKA NOGI.

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Falling On

She staggered across the sand dunes, gasping for air. Her brown hair whipped around her face. The sand storm threw the fine rocks into her green eyes, making her rub them in frustration. The temperature was unbearably warm, making her sweat. Her golden haired friend collapsed in defeat.

"Itsuka!" the girl cried out, forcing her way over to the other girl.

"I told you this was crazy, Alys! Because of you, we won't survive, let alone collect the bounty!" The blond's words were harsh, stinging the brunette's already wounded pride.

"Lier! If we can just make it through this, we'll make it, get our victim, collect the bounty and be on our way!"

"That's a pretty damn big 'if', Alysia!"

"Damn it, Itsuka! Just get up! Do you really want to admit defeat now? Being defeated by sand? Make some water or something!"

"All we have is a water bottle! It's not like there's any water in the air!"

"God damn it!" She collapsed, hugging herself. 'Stay positive, idiot! All we have to do, is survive. That's all we've ever had to do. Why is it so difficult now? Right! The desert is his playground, so if he was worried, he could make a sandstorm to protect himself right? That means we just have to get through this, and we're good.' "Itsuka! Come here!" The other girl dragged herself over.

"What?"

"Take my water bottle. Cancel out the storm."

"Then you'll die from dehydration."

"It's better than being pitted by the sand to death! Look, he could be controlling it! Someone could have tipped him off that a couple of bounty hunters were after him."

"Like who?"

"Remember when we got drunk and decided to take on this crazy mission?"

"Yeah."

"We were talking pretty loudly."

"You were, you mean."

"Whatever, regardless."

"I get it. Give me the bottle." The brunette handed the blond the bottle. The latter did some seals then dumped the water on the sand. "Suiton: Ame!" She slammed her palm into the water. It took a few minutes, but soon, they felt water break through the sand walls around them. They started running again as the sand began to fall, the rain washing away the sand from their skin, hair and clothes. Soon the desert saw a torrential down pour cascade towards the main village, Sunagakure, at the heels of the two young women.

"We weren't that far!" the brunette called to her friend.

"My cat like senses didn't fail me then!" the blond called back.

"Stupid chimera."

"Stupid human." They laughed.

******

The red haired man stood on the roof of his house, his cerulean eyes narrowed at dark clouds, and the sheets of water pouring down them. He watched two figures emerge from the rain, and continue running at top speed towards the village. He called upon the sand to take him to the front gate to wait for the semi expected visitors. The two figures, if they were who he assumed they were, were to be immediately arrested and put in jail, possibly put to death. As the Kazekage, he had a job to do, and that job was protect his people and his country, and himself, from any danger. It was part of an oath that he took when he took the job, and he would keep that oath no matter what.

******

"I never thought it would be that easy," the brunette murmured, slowing to a walk. The blond glanced at her warily, slowing to a walk as well. "The target is standing right there, waiting for us."

"I noticed. What should we do?"

"I'm hurt."

"What? No, you're not."

"Actually, I am. My lung illness, remember?"

"That's sick, Alys, not hurt."

"Okay, fine, that. Regardless, I can't breathe right now. So, I'm going to collapse, and you're going to carry me about twenty feet, then you're going to collapse from exhaustion. Or you can collapse first, and I'll carry your heavy ass."

"Go ahead."

"Okay." Alys grabbed her chest, where her heart would be. "Itsuka... I can't breathe." She collapsed into the sand.

"Alys!" The blond ran back to her friend. "Alys? You're faking this right?" Alys was deathly pale, her breathing very labored "Alys? This isn't funny... Alys?!" Itsuka looked around frantically, then seeing the village was only about 30 feet from where they were. She slung Alys's arm around her shoulders and half carried, half dragged her about 20 feet then, suddenly collapsed as well. "Damn it... I can't make it." Her sight was blurry and she couldn't stay awake. She heard some shouts, then fell asleep, her arm still wrapped protectively around her friend.

******

He saw them slow to a walk, the one collapse, the other run back to her, and carry her, then collapse as well. He signaled for some jounin's to go out and get them and bring them to the hospital.

"Gaara!" a young woman's voice called out. The red haired man turned, to her. "Who are they?"

"We'll find out when they wake up." His voice was low, deep, dangerous. The brunette's unconscious face flashed into his mind. Her lips had been slightly parted, a slight grimace of pain, her face tight. She had been pretty, but her friend was stunning. Golden hair, a gentler expression on her face. A spatter of freckles had graced both their faces, but the blond's were more noticeable. Where the brunette was pale, the blond was tan. Where the brunette was a little on the heavy side, the blond was slim. His brother would be enamored at the sight of the blond, and Gaara supposed that he should be as well, if he was to be considered more normal, but, as we all know, Gaara wasn't normal. No, he wasn't, not in the slightest. He turned to the woman, holding back a sigh of frustration at the fear in her eyes. "Temari, I'm going to the hospital." He turned and started to walk away. The woman stopped him.

"Why?"

"I'm the Kazekage." He vanished in a cloud of sand, just as the rain hit the village. He reappeared just outside the hospital. He walked in, and held himself back from hitting the woman in front of him, who couldn't hold back her gasp of fear. "Where are the two strange girls that were carried in here?" He asked the nurse.

"Th-th-this w-way, s-s-sir," she stuttered quietly, ducking her head. She led him to a room, where both the foreigners were laying, covered only by sheets. He dismissed the nurse and walked over to the brunette's bed. There she laid, covered only by a thin sheet, yet she was sweating, her breathing still labored. Suddenly, she gasped for air and sat up, the sheet falling to her waist. Gaara averted his eyes, after getting an eyeful of her, her breasts, and the peculiar scar on her stomach. Her eyes were wide, and her chest heaving, she looked around, and seeing him, pulled the sheet back up, covering her breasts. She tried to speak, but ended up coughing.

"Are you okay?" Gaara asked, wondering why he'd say something so odd. She nodded her head, trying to catch her breath.

"Too much sand," she choked out. Her voice was rough from coughing. "Could I get some water?" He looked around for a pitcher of water, and upon finding it poured some into a glass and brought it to her.

"Here." She took the water and drank it slowly. When her glass was empty, he poured more water into it, shocking both himself and her.

"Are you the Kazekage?" she asked after finishing her second glass. He nodded. She looked at him surprised. "For someone who's rumored to be an evil, psychotic, cold blooded monster, you sure are being nice to me." He noticed that her voice, now that it was more audible and smooth, was very calming, but slightly boyish. Still, he glared at her for her words. "However, that's a relief. I was a little leery on coming here for my illness, because of you. My friend was dead set against it. But she came anyways."

"Who are you?"

"Me? My name is Tsukada Alysia Call me Alys. It's more relaxed than Alysia My friend is Nogi Itsuka. We're from Amegakure. Our passports are in my bag, if you were able to retrieve it from that storm."

"What are you sick with?"

"A recurring lung sickness, where my lungs periodically fill up with fluids and I can't breathe. It's rather uncomfortable."

"I can imagine."

"What's it like not sleeping?"

"What's it like sleeping?"

"Relaxing. But, why don't you sleep? It's not like Shukaku can take over you anymore. He's not even there."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'd sense the demon if he was there."

"The demon is right in front of you."

"You're not a demon. You're the sandman. The sandman is not a demon. Just the one who puts everyone to sleep with his gift, his power."

"Alys... You talk too much," a groggy voice muttered from the other bed.

"Itsuka! You did survive! I told you we'd get here!" Alys started coughing again. The blond sat up, covering herself and looked at her friend, an expression of worry on her face. Gaara noticed that the worry didn't reach her eyes. "Shit..." Alys muttered. Gaara turned his attention back to the brunette. "I need a doctor. Now." Gaara smelt the blood on her hand before he saw it. He looked at her then disappeared in a cloud of sand, then reappearing with a frightened doctor. He pointed at the brunette, then pushed the doctor towards her. The doctor straightened himself and looked at the pale girl, noticing that her breathing was getting worse, and that there was blood on her hand. He pushed her down, then took out a stethoscope.

"Breathe in for me as deeply as you can." She did, but it caused her to cough more, getting blood on the doctor's face. The doctor flinched, then said, "Again, but not as deep." She nodded. "You have pneumonia."

"I already knew that. Can you explain the blood please?" Her voice was hoarse again.

"Open your mouth." She did. "Your throat is raw. Don't talk for a while."

"That's asking the impossible," Itsuka muttered. "There's more to it than that. Her lungs periodically fill up with fluid to the point where I'm amazed that she's still alive. This is the second time that blood has come up. The doctors in Ame told us to come here, because you are some of the best and Konoha's Hokage is well, not likely to help her. Alys is one of our best shinobi, possibly the best tracker this world has ever seen. However, with her illness, what ever it is, she can't fight, can't help our country, or anyone else."

"I can help her. I just need to put her into a different room. She won't be able to travel for at least a month."

"A month? Are you serious?"

"You can return to Ame if you wish," Gaara said, annoyed with the blond's words. 'How can she be so callous. This girl is supposed to be her friend.' He thought about the one person he thought of as his friend. The blond from Konoha. Naruto. The one who taught him a very valuable lesson. A lesson he would never forget. In the years since he first met the jinchuriiki, when they were only 13, to now, at 19, Naruto was the first to defend him, even gave the old lady extra chakra to bring him back from the abyss. He always had a smile for Gaara, even when they saw each other now. Naruto tried to include him in everything when they met now, from sparring, to chasing girls. He looked back at the brunette, noticing the pained look in her eyes. Her eyes caught his attention. They were green with golden flecks, and expressive. They were the one obvious physical beauty that out matched the blond's plain brown eyes.

"Sukey, go home," Alys said, smiling gently at the other girl. "I'll make it back fine when I'm healthy."

"Are you sure?" Itsuka seemed confused.

"Yeah. Rest a couple days, then go home."

"Rain or sound?"

"Rain, my dear chimera. Always rain."

"Well... Okay then. Don't call me that."

"Sukey?"

"No. Your dear chimera. It's kind of weird."

"Whatever."

"I told you not to talk," the doctor admonished.

"And she told you that's asking the impossible."

*************

Well, that was fun. End chapter one of Ego Brain. I swear the title will be explained at one point or another. But yeah. I hope you enjoyed. Alysia has a few issues to work out in her system, then a few issues to work out in her mind. Itsuka is a bitch. Plain and simple. I like her. If I don't get at least 5 reviews, I'm not updating. Muahahahahahaha!

...

I'm going to try and not do that again...