A/N – Well, Here we are, second chapter! I enjoyed writing this one, hope you approve!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!! (cries)
'Shukaku'
'thought'
'normal speech'
flash back
Chapter 2 - In Need of Aid
It would seem that the removal of the demon had not only damaged Gaara in the process, it had also hurt Shukaku himself…badly, well that at least is what Gaara reasoned as, since his return, he seemed completely changed. No longer did the Demon crave blood continually, no, that Gaara could have dealt with. Now he seemed…interested… in other things. Continually watching in the shadows of his mind as Gaara went about his daily routines, it was like a running commentary on his life with the damned demon deciding to remark on little things, giving him advice on all aspects of, well, everything. As if Gaara could take the advice of a Demon! Although, he had to admit, sometimes he did get things right…
Over the last year, however, he had gradually come to accept this change, slowly getting used to the strange wit that Shukaku possessed, though it had come as a great shock at first.
Gaara awoke in the hospital, recognising his surroundings, and immediately tensed,
'Shukaku…?' He sensed the other presence within him but it was slightly different than he recalled, the murderous intent had faded, almost as if the years had worn it away until it was a ghost of its former self.
'Hey there my little Tanuki, awake at last? It's been a while…what, no welcome home party?Kukuku, I'm disappointed…'
'y…you are talking to me?' What was going on, Gaara was shocked to say the least, the demon had spoken to him directly, all he had ever heard before were faint whispers "kill…killll…yesss…" but there was none of that now, why?
oOo
Shortly after Gaara's return, while he was still recovering in the Hospital, two separate villages decided that it would be an opportune time for them to attack. Gaara had suspected that something of that nature would occur while he was 'out of action' and had made sure that most of the higher ranking Ninja were in the village at the time, he had not however, anticipated a double threat.
On his sixth day in the hospital Temari had arrived to bring him a further update upon their defensive situation when a loud explosion was heard all throughout Suna, the enemy were closing in having almost made it through the great stone walls surrounding the village by using a host of explosive Jitsu. Suna Ninja were suffering greatly as the numbers of wounded rose and, due to the lack of trained Medic Nin; the wounded were being healed at a painfully slow rate.
Gaara had had enough, within seconds he had escaped from his bed sand teleporting him directly to the gates of his beloved village, what he saw caused him to roar up in anger. Wounded Nin were everywhere, and the few still unharmed were desperately trying to protect the fallen from an onslaught of enemy Ninja who had just managed to push through the last of Suna's defences.
Quite suddenly all movement stopped on the field as hundreds of eyes turned to the Kazekage, waves of murderous intent rolled from his lean figure as he looked upon the enemy, in their gazes he saw pure fear.
Shukaku's powerful Chakra ran through him wild and free, yet Gaara controlled it, moulding it seamlessly with his own to create something tangible in the air around him, a deep red haze enveloping his figure, causing the surrounding Nin to shudder at its force.
Shukaku watched through Gaara's eyes fully aware that he could overwhelm the boy in his angered state yet, strangely, he felt content to watch the scene before him, enjoying the desperate screams of the enemy as they fell before the awesome power that the boy controlled, sand flowing like liquid through the air weaving gracefully around the field.
'Sabaku Kyuu!' Gaara commanded, and the sand quickly complied creating dense coffins around each of the enemy, a couple of the more powerful Nin tried to escape but Gaara merely had to twitch a finger towards them and the sand obeyed gripping them firmer, choking them slowly constricting their blood flow until they lapsed into a deep unconscious state. He knew it would have been simple to kill them, the hundreds of Ninja that dared to even contemplate attacking his village, just one command and they would disappear '…Sabaku Sousu' he had used the command many times before… But no, that was not him, not anymore.
Instead he simply used the sand to move the Ninja to a point far into the desert, if they died it would be by the sun, not his hand. And if they lived…if they lived they would know to never return, for if they did they could be sure that they would never leave again with beating hearts.
'Well played Kit, I would have liked a bit more action though, shame really…when did you have to go and get morals?'
'When I realised there was more to life than death'
'Shame really…well, looks like you have some cleaning up to do'
Gaara sighed inwardly as he looked again upon his fallen comrades, noting the extent of their injuries and the severe lack of aid on the field.
'What can be done? We are in desperate need of aid, I cannot even contemplate handing out high ranking missions if this is all the medical prowess our village has to offer, I cannot allow any more to die needlessly'
'Kukuku…looks like you will be seeing your pink haired friend sooner than you had anticipated…'
'I have no idea who you are talking about…'
'Baka, I'm in your mind…or did you forget…'
oOo
'It must be done' he stated plainly to the Elders for what must have been the tenth time, irritation clear in his voice.
'We all agree, we do not want anything of that nature to ever occur again Kazekage-sama, but really! Do you think it wise to bring in someone form another village? How are we to know they can be trusted?' this woman was the most persistent, and so by Gaara's standards, the most annoying. He glanced at her wrinkled face, framed with a few strands of wispy grey hair briefly, a look of distaste clear on his otherwise passive face.
'As I have said already, we need help in this matter. The village in question is our strongest ally and I would, and have, trusted this Ninja with my life twice already, something that I would not do lightly. I assure you.'
The Elder woman glanced around the room desperately seeking for some form of support, but when none of the other elders would quite meet her gaze she slowly turned back to Gaara, his features again passive as always.
'You have put forward a compelling argument Kazekage-sama, I will agree to your decision, however, I want you to keep a close eye on this Ninja, if anything should happen…'
'It would not be your responsibility, am I correct?'
'Hai, Kazekage-sama'
'Then you are all dismissed, I must begin the arrangements'
There was a general murmuring of assent around the room and the elders slowly filed out until Gaara was finally left to his own thoughts on the matter.
It was apparent that the only hope he had of preventing any future medical failures was to call on the Kunoichi widely known one of the top Medic Nin in the field. He knew this as soon as he had seen the injured men and women around him all that time ago, no matter how he tried to deny it.
Sakura's reputation had only grown stronger over the years, a reputation that she most certainly lived up to and perhaps even surpassed. She was easily the only candidate worthy of training Suna's future medics to a standard accepted by Gaara and so he had little choice but to seek the aid of the very person he most wished to avoid…
It had taken a whole year to arrange everything and finally persuade the Elders, he could truly put it off no longer. Slowly Gaara ran a hand through his rust coloured hair and pulled a scroll towards him, taking his ink and brush he began to write the letter that would ask the Hokage of Leaf to send Haruno Sakura to Sand for a very long mission indeed he just hoped it wouldn't be too long.
A/N: okay, thanks for reading!
I hope to update soon, next chapter will be Sakura's viewpoint on everything so far!
If you have any Constructive Criticism on this chapter please feel free, I wish for all the help I can get to improve my writing!