Welcome to the second chapter.
I hope that you like it, please don't forget to review.
I don't own anything.
With the failure to eliminate Konahakaure, Suna was about to hit rock bottom. They not only lost the alliance that had helped them for years. But now they were now in a financial crisis. Sunakagure was a village that relied heavily on trade, the environment wouldn't allow most exponential growth that other nations had easily. Konoha had been the main source of trading goods; but is was now obvious that the village would have to look elsewhere for the time being if they wanted to scrape out a living.
That was the last thing on a certain red head's mind.
It had barley been a week since the attack and Gaara was beginning to question everything about his existence. He thought that he knew the answer but after his battle with Uzumaki Naruto once again he was forced to try and come to some sort of conclusion. What was his purpose? He once told himself that everyone needs to have a purpose in order to live but even that was starting to confuse him. It had taken him years to figure out everything he knew so far, only to have that all taken away from him in an instant. So what was wrong and what was right? Did he even know anything anymore? He was starting to become angry and a growl left his throat; his anger was directed towards himself. It used to be so easy to come to conclusions but at the moment it was becoming increasingly impossible. If all he knew before was wrong, then what was the right path to take?
He pondered on that for a while until an all too familiar voice spoke up.
"What's the matter kid. Why are you acting weird all of a sudden. You haven't killed in days".
"Oh it's you again". He didn't sound too pleased. Shukaku's presence had never been a welcoming one but right now all he wanted was to alone with his thoughts. The Shukaku growled lowly in annoyance. Something had definitely changed but he wasn't exactly sure what it was.
"You know what happens when I don't get what I want".
Gaara let out a low growl of his own. He had never come to terms with Shukaku and probably never will. They were almost exact opposites from each other. Over the years he had learned to 'ignore' the vessel but occasionally there were slips and when those happened Gaara was in no control of either of them. "Get lost!" The demon inside of him only laughed not phased at all. "Awww there's no need to throw a tantrum. I've always known what makes you giddy". The red head tried to ignore him to no good. "I've been with you for as long as you can remember; might as well give in and we can both get what we want". An all too unfamiliar sensation started to creep up on him. And he knew at once what Shukaku was trying to do. "No..stop I won't let you". He grasped his head panting heavily. This was the third time so far that he had tried to take over him. Twice he managed to subdue him but only because his siblings were close enough at the time to hear him. This time he would have to deal with this on his own. The sand armor on his face started to crack a bit as the Shukaku began to take a hold on him.
"Stop! No!"
Gaara clenched his teeth as he tried to fight back. But it was clear that his demon wouldn't back down so easily. Shukaku was never one to give up without a fight.
Almost as suddenly as the feeling started it disappeared. Shukaku laughed again before retreating. He had meant for it to be a warning should his host let his guard down. He had done it many times in the past, it was a game that he played to see how far he could push Gaara over the edge. A heavy feeling came over him as Gaara leaned against the nearest wall trying to ease his inner thoughts. At least for now Shukaku had been toying with him. But it was only a matter of time until he came back again.
It took a few minutes before his body finally relaxed and he slid down the wall so that he was now sitting on the floor. The red head closed his eyes for a moment to try and maintain his breathing before once again letting his troubled mind wander. It didn't last for too long because he sensed a presence and his sand automatically went on the defense. "Who's there?!" Kankuro appeared from the door way looking a bit frightened, and Gaara mentally slapped himself. He had been trying to feel comfortable around his siblings and was really making an effort to show them he meant no harm. But old habits die hard, and since Gaara wasn't used to such closeness it was going to take time before he could feel natural around them. He stood up then and the sand retreated; his older brother stared at him and he stared right back.
"Kankuro what is it?"
"Uh..Baki wanted to see us so I came to get you". He cleared his throat before nervously rubbing his hands "Temari is waiting for us so...".
"Ah". His older brother flinched slightly as he walked along side him. This wasn't something that would be easy for both of them. But Kankuro knew that Gaara was trying to make a change for the better and he did want to encourage this new behavior however years of living in fear were not going to disappear overnight. Pushing that aside the two brothers eventually found their sister and Baki in the same room where they were assigned to destroy Konoha. Baki's expression was unreadable and having known him from a very young age all three siblings could guess that he was troubled.
"Before I tell you your newest assignment I have something to share with you".
"What's that?"
Baki looked all of them in the eye. "Under my supervision and stature you have all been permitted to remain in your current household so long as I make sure that everything is taken care of". Temari resisted the urge to smile instead she gave a short nod. At least they could remain in the place they've called home all this time, it had been a kind gesture on Baki's part and she made a mental note to thank him later on.
"I have a new assignment for you three. As you know our village is in a crisis point right now. Our funds are low and we don't have enough military expense to cover the damage that's been done. With the death of your father things are about to get much worse".
Baki was well aware of Suna's royal bloodline and that the three ninja before him were decedents of the Fourth Kazekage. But until an heir could be decided, preparations would have to made to see who would act as a temporary ruler for the time being at least until the three had come of age.
"Neighboring villages have an advantage and could invade at any time. So I'm assigning you three as security guards; each of you will take a position from the west, east and the south. You are too check for any possible leaks that may occur".
It was a simple mission. Just guarding various locations of the village, but Temari was well-aware of how exposed they were at the moment. Suna would need all the help it could get. It would be a long time till the village could recover financially. Baki waited a beat for he continued speaking "We will also begin the recovery of our alliance with Konoha as soon as possible.". Baki had a rather sad look in his eyes "It was probably a mistake from the start and I was too blind to see that". He had muttered that last bit, but it was one that Gaara caught. He was a little surprised from his teacher's confession but that only added to the confusion of the several ideas that were going on in his head.
"Be off at once and report back to me after sunset".
When he dismissed them, Gaara looked a little confused at his brother and sister. This new mission shouldn't seem like anything was out of the ordinary but this would be the first test to show the changes that were awakening inside of him. In the past Gaara wouldn't have cared about this sort of stuff. But he was trying to think in a more positive way. He had made up his mind to become a different person and this would be a good trial to see if he had what it took to make that change necessary for his life. "Alright then I'll take the west tower, Kankuro you can take the south". The puppet master didn't argue with his older sister and merely shrugged. "Whatever nothing ever happens there anyway". That would mean Gaara would be assigned the east tower which was located mostly on the outskirts of the village. For the first time in a long while Gaara was actually nervous he wanted to do a good job for himself. He watched his brother and sister start to leave but before they could be out of sight he stopped them.
"Temari, Kankuro".
The older two siblings turned around not quite knowing what to expect from their younger brother. They were still getting used to the whole change business that was happening. "Y-yes Gaara?"
Teal eyes reviled that he was concerned "Be careful". Their eyes widened a bit from the words that left his mouth; never once had their brother showed any sign of general concern for them. Temari couldn't help but give a small smile at her youngest brother. "You be careful also, we'll see you later". It was then that his siblings went their separate ways and he took his leave as well. As he walked down the streets people ran away cowering from him. Everyone was aware of Sabaku no Gaara; he was the ultimate weapon and nothing escape from him. He would've scowled and engulfed most of them with sand but instead he simply went on his way. He needed to get to the tower as soon as possible.
Sunakagure was not a bustling village like Konohagakure the environment wouldn't allow for it. But he passed a few stands selling fresh fruits and vegetables.
There were not many people out as he made his way to the back roads of the village. The streets were mostly empty but, there were still a few stands selling a variety of goods.
It was when he passed one of those stands that from the corner of his eye he noticed a child. It was a small girl and there were two other children, two small boys keeping what appeared to be a toy of some sort possible a doll away from her. She looked very distressed and while he could've walked on and ignored it something told him to stop a very brief flashback of his childhood came before his eyes and he didn't understand why but he felt something for the child and it might have been on instinct but he found himself walking towards the fray. Almost immediately the two boys froze where they were eyes wide with fear; including the little girl's they knew who he was, and they knew very well what he was capable of doing. He stared at them briefly before he opened his mouth to speak instead the boys dropped the doll and ran away as fast as they could.
Gaara's eyes slowly drifted towards the doll before looking back to the terrified girl. The sand in his gourd moved around till it was in plain sight. The little girl was shaking now her eyes starting to water a bit as she expected the worse to happen, but he surprised her greatly. His sand picked up the doll and set it in his hands the sand immediately returning to his gourd; gently he slowly leaned down and shyly handed it to her. The girl gave a silent gasp as he stared into those teal eyes.
"Here you go".
He waited for her to nervously take back her doll with shaky hands. Her pale blue eyes never left his.
There was a moment of silence that followed for what seemed like a very long time before it was the girl that finally spoke.
"T-thank you". He nodded at her "Your welcome".
A blush danced across her face despite the fact that she was still shaken. Gaara was pleased that he had done something right for a chance. Kindness was not one of his strong suits but he had made a promise to himself to try for the greater good. "What is your name?" he asked, she looked at him in confusion and he waited for her to reply. She hesitated for a minute before finally speaking "Satsu" she replied softly. He nodded again at her. "They shouldn't bother you anymore I am glad to have been of help Satsu". He straightened himself up and started to walk off.
"W-wait!" he stopped and turned his head back. "Yes?"
The girl known as Satsu gulped before shyly speaking "G-Gaara-sama m-may I see you a-again?"
He was very much surprised by her question and his teal eyes widened a bit. Nobody had ever asked that kind of question to him, it made him feel...different. What caused the child to ask him such a thing? Unable to come up with a response he could only nod before she gave him a small smile and ran off. He stood there in shock for a moment before remembering that he had a mission to carry out.
The guards who had been stationed at the east tower had already been informed of his arrival. Of course they had assumed that it would either be Temari or Kankuro, so when Gaara came into view it was a totally different story. There were five guards at the tower and all of them were scared stiff when they came into contact with him. Their first instinct was to run for their lives, but they couldn't abandon their posts; shinobi never back down no matter what.
The tower was isolated from any other source, because of how deserted the outskirts of Suna were. It would be open to any intruders that wanted to enter. Gaara wanted to ask for some information concerning recent reports but at the moment that's when Shukaku made himself known again.
"Enough with playing nice it's time to have some fun!".
A throbbing pain filled his head and he collapsed to his knees groaning in agony. He needed to stop it now before it got out of hand. The guards had now turned pale they were so afraid and Gaara knew this. Already his right arm was engulfed with sand and Shukaku was not going to hold back on him. "Please run away" it was so quiet and he doubted anyone could hear it. Gaara tried very hard to stop the process but the throbbing pain only intensified to a point where he was over the edge. And then everything went black, all he could hear before his mind was taken was the terrified sounds of screams.
He groaned a little before opening his eyes. The aching feeling in his head was gone but his body felt numb, a familiar numbness that happened each time Shukaku took over him. As he stood up the smell of blood filled his nose and that's when he noticed the blood soaked mess. Each guard had been violently ripped apart and their scattered limbs and pieces littered the floor. Gaara could only stare in shock at the massacre that he somehow created; he felt...vulnerable, this was all his doing. But he never intended for it to happen. Deep inside his mind he heard the Shukaku purring with delight. The beast had been very satisfied with the kill. His hand cradled his heart, Gaara was at the moment at a loss for what to do. He had just killed them, all of them. How could this have happened? He fell onto his knees shaking a little. The feeling of guilt was starting to take hold and while it was a new feeling, it was one that he didn't like at all. He had been trying to move on, but it seemed like he was taken one step forward and two steps back.
"What have I done".
The two older siblings were waiting for their youngest brother in the same room as before. It was well after sunset and neither of them knew what was taking Gaara so long. There had been no information regarding the possibilities of any foreign invaders, so it was most likely for now that the village would remain safe.
Temari wasn't exactly sure what had happened in her absence from Gaara, but she knew that something must've occurred. Problem was she didn't know what kind of events could've taken place her youngest brother was feared by many and chances of Shukaku having an influence on him might have very well been the case. She was worried about him, it was her job to worry over her brothers. They were her only family after all; her thoughts were interrupted when the door opened violently to reveal Gaara his clothes were smeared in blood and he looked so guilty, his breathing was heavy and he was clutching his heart.
Baki narrowed his eyes a bit.
"What happened?!"
There was no response and Temari could only guess what had gone on. Gaara had never looked so guilty about anything before. Something had definitely gone wrong.
"Gaara what the hell happened?! Answer me!"
He finally looked up at them, eyes filled with grief. All the color at that moment drained from his face he tried to find the words to speak but nothing came out. He tried again only to have nothing; the room became deadly quiet as they waited for a response of some kind. Kankuro could hear his heart pounding in his ears, whatever Gaara had dome it certainly wasn't good.
It would be another minute before at long last a response would be given to them. When Gaara finally did have the nerve to speak you could almost hear the agony that shadowed it. His eyes filled with regret as he spoke the words that he hated to admit.
"I...I killed them".
I will stop here for now.
The next chapter won't be for a while. But if I have some time I'll try to update.
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Thank you for reading this!
