When Gaara awoke he felt like he'd been trampled by a camel. He couldn't sense Temari or Kankuro's chakra in the room but he was not alone. He turned his head toward the figure sitting beside the bed. He recognized it as a friend of his brother's.
He glanced warily at the man. He was not used to waking up in strange places next to people he didn't know. The man noticed he was awake and introduced himself.
"Gaara-san I am Kato, a friend of your brother's. You are in the hospital due to chakra depletion. I'm going to leave you for a few moments to inform Temari that you are awake."
"Hn" Gaara acknowledged the man with a tilt of his head. As Kato left the room, Gaara took a look around. He had never been a patient at the hospital before. He had seen Kankuro here. At the time, Temari had refused to leave his brother by himself. He wondered why she wasn't there with him. She must have figured he wouldn't care if she was there or not. He vaguely wished she was. He hated to rely on other people but he was feeling disoriented. He couldn't remember everything that happened yesterday. Gaara began to piece together the bits and pieces of conversation he could remember from fighting Naruto. He remembered completely losing control of Shukaku, and he remembered getting punched in the face to wake him up. Shukaku had been full size and full of rage, as was Gaara. 'Who the hell had punched him? Nobody laid hands on him without his express approval.' Naruto. He remembered looking into Naruto's angry face and thinking "I will not cease to exist. I will not disappear. I Won't!" Gaara remembered flying away from the other boy's fist, landing across from the other in a clearing. The words the other boy spoke haunted Gaara's mind. He remembered the other boy's face. There was compassion mingled with resolve in those serious blue eyes.
"It's almost unbearable, the feeling of being all alone. I've been there in that dark and lonely place. But now there are others, other people who mean a lot to me. I care about them more than I do about myself. I won't let anyone hurt them. That's why I won't ever give up. I will stop you even if I have to kill you."
Gaara thought about his own words. "That's it, it's over." He had thought that losing to the Leaf nin would be the end of him. But he found the opposite to be true. In
losing he was beginning to find a part of himself that he had lost -his humanness. He hadn't disappeared, he was fuller. Full of hope. Full of the knowledge that there was someone like himself in the world. Someone who understood. Just that knowledge alone opened the flood gates that hadn't been opened in years. Could he trust others? Would they betray his trust? Temari and Kankuro had gotten him home, back to Suna. Maybe he could start with them.
He could tell he was home from the smell of the sand in the air. Konoha was damp and smelled of moss and trees, but Suna was dry and satisfyingly warm. He could feel the sand call to him. As long as he could remember his relationship to the sand demon had given him an affinity for sand and minerals. He could feel it in Konoha but it was dulled by all the vegetation. Here in Suna it was on the surface and came willingly to his call. From an infant, the sand had protected him with a will of it's own it seemed.
It had saved his life many times from assassins when he was small. It seemed that his sand was the one friend he could count on.
He looked up as Temari rushed into the room; a troubled looked on her face. Her features visibly relaxed when she saw Gaara awake and alert.
"How do you feel, Gaara?" she said, as she walked over to his bed. She brushed his hair back from his brow, checking for a fever and peering into his face. Gaara flinched from the unexpected touch, but Temari just smiled at him in relief. "I was worried about you little brother." Gaara frowned at her as if to say 'Are you out of your mind?' She sat in the chair beside his bed. Gaara saw her give a tired sigh as she sat back in her chair. Temari was a true shinobi, slow to show emotion. Her tired sigh got Gaara's attention.
"What?" he asked.
"Do you remember much about the invasion?"
"No" Gaara replied in his low voice. That brought a half smile to her face. Gaara was the reason the phrase "man of few words was invented'.
"The whole invasion was a fiasco. Orochimaru was just using Sand as a distraction to get to the Hokage. We've lost a large number of men. Orochimaru's
snakes took out part of them. They killed Sand and Leaf ninja alike. The Sound nin weren't there to fight. When one of our captains saw what was happening he detained a Sound nin for questioning. They had orders to rape and pillage and leave the fighting to Sand. They weren't even trying" she said in obvious distress. "Orochimaru dressed up like father and attacked the Hokage. Reports have come back that the 4th was able to cripple the snake before he died of his wounds. Father's missing. He and 4 Anbu haven't been heard of in three days."
"What are the council doing?" he asked.
"So far, nothing" sighed Temari. "That's where I've been all morning. Until Father can be found they are divided on how to proceed."
Gaara didn't know how to reply. What a mess.
"What has been the response of Konohagakure?" he asked.
"They lost their leader also, so they've been on the defensive and not on the attack yet. We've received a scroll demanding Orochimaru's head on a stake, and an explanation for the dissolution of our treaty."
Gaara looked grim. "I'd like Orochimaru's head too" he replied.
Temari smirked. Yes, she'd love to see the old snake within the grasp of Gaara's sand herself. "I hope Father is found soon. We still don't know if he's been injured, kidnapped or killed. Baki left with some troops this morning to see if they can find any evidence."
"Kankuro?" Gaara said in his deep voice.
"He's working with the Missions Dept. on the memorial service for the fallen nin. A couple of them were friends of his from Guard Corp. I think many people will know someone who fell in this battle" she said. "It's stupid because it was so unnecessary. How could Father trust Orochimaru anyway?" she asked bitterly.
"I don't believe the Kazekage has been known for making wise decisions to start with" retorted her brother. Temari nodded silently. Gaara had called their father nothing
but the "Kazekage" since he was six. Temari surmised that he was thinking of Father's decision to seal a demon inside a baby and then try to kill his child when he didn't like how it turned out. She'd never understood how father could help but be attached to her brother, especially when he was younger. He'd been a cute little kid. He'd had a terrible temper though. Picture a three year old that couldn't take a nap.
As the siblings sat quietly, the door opened and Kankuro came into the room. The young man looked really tired. He grabbed a chair from against the wall and brought it over to Gaara's bedside. He leaned back and propped his feet up on the bed. Gaara grunted at him and Kankuro just smirked back. Temari shook her head.
"How are the plans for the memorial service going?" Temari asked Kankuro.
"All set. Heard any word on the Kazekage yet?" asked the Puppet Master.
"Unfortunately no, I haven't heard anything yet" she answered. "Maybe someone will have information by the afternoon council meeting." The siblings could hear voices outside the door. Temari stood up. "That could be the food I asked them to bring to us. I know you 're always hungry" she commented with a smirk. Kankuro grinned back at her. As their sister made her way to the door, it opened on its own and Baki- sensei walked into the room with one of the council members.
A strained quiet fell over the room as the siblings waited for the men to address them. "Gaara-san, I trust you're recovering well?" asked the council member. Gaara nodded his head "Hn." Baki stepped forward. "We have news of the Kazekage." He said somberly. "I'm sorry to say that his body and that of the 4 Anbu were found in the desert in the direction of the Leaf village. It is believed they were attacked on the way to the exams. Orochimaru must have switched places then, before their presence was missed." He looked at the faces of his students. Temari's face crumbled, although she tried to hide it. The boys were both stoic. He had expected no less. The Kazekage had not been close to his children. They were respectful and obedient as they would be to any leader but they loved their village more than they did their father and the former
Kazekage had only himself to blame. "We will be changing the memorial service to include the Kazekage. You will be in this afternoons meeting. Correct?"
"Yes sir." replied Temari.
"We can discuss it then" said the council member. "You have the council's deepest sympathy" he bowed to the young people and turned to leave the room.
Baki looked at his students. "You know you have my support. I'll be here to help." He also bowed and left the room.
The siblings sat in stunned silence for a few moments. As hard as their father had been to get along with they had been unprepared. As a shinobi death can come at any time. The three knew that and yet when the time came it was still a shock. Temari dried her eyes and Kankuro took her hand. "It's what I expected." she said. "I just didn't expect to feel so alone." Their family was down to just the three of them.
"You have us!" said Kankuro. "What more could you want?" he said patting her shoulder.
Looking at both their serious faces, she decided to lighten the atmosphere. "A sister".
Kankuro looked at her in shock, not sure if she was serious or not. A grin appeared on his face. "That would have to be Gaara. I like being a boy." Both siblings broke into quiet laughter at the look on Gaara's face. The youngest brother smacked Kankuro's feet off the bed. "If I had my gourd in here, you wouldn't have to worry about it." he smirked back.
"Ok. I take back my wish." said Temari. The attendant entered with the food they had requested and the room became quiet as they ate their lunch.
"Temari, I really need to go back to the mission's room to help with the changes to the ceremony. Are you going to be ok?" asked Kankuro.
"Sure! Those old men on the council don't intimidate me." replied Temari, her bravado firmly in place. Gaara watched his brother and sister talk. He knew that; Kankuro hated council meetings, the men on the council did sometimes intimidate Temari, and he had just seen her cry earlier. She was not in the best frame of mind to deal with the often times difficult council.
"I'm going to the meeting" Gaara announced. He threw back his blankets and got out of bed to find his clothes.
"What" cried Temari? "You're not supposed to be out of bed yet!"
He held up his hand to stop her tirade before it began.
"I'm going." "I don't trust them." He asserted in his deep voice. That was it. He had made up his mind. Temari continued to protest but Kankuro showed him the closet when his freshly laundered clothes were and he found his gourd in the bathroom, out of the way. In a short time he was ready. He felt tired but his sister had sheltered him when he was knocked out from the fight with Naruto. He would shelter her from the ire of the council.
The faces of the council members were visibly shocked when Gaara accompanied his sister into the room. A few tried to tell him that his presence was not needed and he should go rest, but he was not to be discouraged. "I'm staying." Was all he said in his low voice and the objections were dropped. As the meeting progressed, he was glad he had come. Some of the council tried to belittle Temari even though she was the Kazekage's daughter and had been training on the Diplomatic Corp for some time. Any who tried that soon got a glare from her brother. The sight of him and his gourd brought a more respectful attitude to the wayward members. He could tell that Temari was glad for his presence with the members, but still upset that it took a man to get her the respect she deserved. She was a full fledged konichi and able to take care of herself.
As the meeting drug on Gaara's mind began to wander. No one seemed upset by the death of the Kazekage except where it affected the village. Few held him in regard personally. He was not surprised that his father had no one. His father had not left room for anything in his life but power and greatness. After the fight with Naruto, Gaara began to see that this was the Kazekage's greatest weakness. 'I want my existence to be necessary to others. I want to be more than just a weapon to be feared.' 'I see the wisdom of Naruto's words. I will start with Temari and Kankuro. I believe they are worthy of my trust.'
A/N I would love to hear your reviews. How do you like the story so far?
