Chapter 2 – Beneath the Sun

AN: Still don't own Naruto. I hop you'll like this chapter; it took me a while to find a flow to follow. Enjoy!

After releasing the class early, Hayate called an emergency meeting. The highest of the Jonin and Anbu gathered. Asuma and Kurenai were talking together near the doorway, serious looks on both their faces. Might Guy walked about the room, making conversation with anyone he ran into. The only person he really needed to see was the one he hadn't found yet, Kakashi. He was the one man who could answer Hayate's questions.

"I guess you're looking for me, Hayate-sama."

Hayate turned on his heels to face Kakashi. At about six feet with a ripped body, Kakashi was one man that no one dared mock. He wore his platinum hair spiked, his Leaf Village headband slanted and over his right eye, hiding his greatest secret.

"I suppose it's time I asked you what the hell you were up to." Hayate stood toe to toe with Kakashi, locking eyes with him. Everyone in the room was now facing the two men, worried looks on all their faces.

Kakashi stared right back at Hayate. There wasn't much that he couldn't take. "What ever do you mean, Hayate-sama?"

"I mean that young woman you put in my honors class! What were you thinking putting her in there with all of those guys? Not even my greatest kunoichi have ever made it into those ranks!" He clenched his fists when Kakashi gave him a smug look. "What is it that you know about her that we don't?"

"There's nothing to know. Besides, she did hold her own in the battle with Gaara, did she not? I think she even made him bleed, as well." He spoke his words in a matter-of-fact tone.

Might Guy took a step forward then. "What do you mean 'she even made him bleed'?" His eyes were bright with both concern and disbelief.

"It was inhuman…" Hayate's gaze hit the floor. "Every move he made, she had a counter. She had the strength and speed of which I've never seen before, even in Lee." He turned toward Guy with hesitation. "It was as if she wasn't even human but a hybrid between demon and human. Though she had the form of a young woman, her chakra was almost as 

great as that of a Biju."

Asuma stepped forward along with Kurenai. "Should we capture and investigate her? Do we even know where she came from?"

Kurenai spoke up next. "He's right, Kakashi. She could be a spy for the Akatsuki or Orochimaru. We should trap her and interrogate her immediately."

"No one will touch her!"

The room spun around to see Tsunade standing in the doorway with Shizune. She walked into the room with the grace and dignity of the leader she was.

"Mistress Tsunade, what brings you to us this evening?" Hayate gave her a slight bow.

Tsunade looked about the room before answering. "You will not touch the girl. She is to be protected at all costs."

All eyes and ears were now to the leader of the village. Guy stepped forward.

"Mistress, we have no idea if she is a threat to the students or the village. How are we expected to trust an outsider that has arrived with no information on where she even came from? All we know is her name and the name of the creature with her. We don't know if she is even human."

Tsunade gave him a calm and calculating look. "I know it may be hard for you to understand, but she is extremely priceless. She was sent here by her dying mother, who is one of my dearest friends. Her mother has done much for me in her time, and there is no need for distrust in her daughter."

"Then what village is she from?" Kurenai held her hand on her hip, suspicion deep in her ruby eyes.

"Right now would not be the time to discuss those matters, as it is none of your concern." Tsunade couldn't afford to blow the young girl's cover just yet. She knew that they would never understand her because of what Izumi was. All that mattered was that she be protected at all costs necessary. "Now, Izumi-Chan will need to be placed in the home of the strongest we have." She looked to Kakashi. "As of right now, Gaara would be the best candidate."

Hayate snapped up immediately at those words. "She can't! Did you not see them this morning? They'll tear each other's throats out!"



"Then they'll have to get over it. She needs to be protected, and the strongest ninja we have here is Gaara-kun. He could more then well do the job, and you know it Hayate." Tsunade turned to leave when no one spoke out. "It is done then. Kakashi, find Gaara and the girl and send them to the caves beneath the Forbidden Forest floor. There is a small cottage hidden inside. They will be provided with all of the necessities they need. If they want fresh meat however, they will have to hunt. It may even bring them from their animosity toward each other into a mutual liking. Now go." With that, she left.

Izumi sat on a rock at the edge of the small waterfall she had discovered on her way to the village. She watched as Yuri padded through the water, mewling and playing. If only she could be as joyous. Instead, she lifted her small hand, bringing water from the stream up with it. She rolled her hand around until the water had formed into a glistening orb. With the light of the setting sun, the orb gave off a very soft red glow.

"I guess it was just my destiny to be hated by everyone and everything." She toyed with the orb, watching the glittering water swirl. Unshed tears filled her eyes as a bittersweet sorrow filled what heart she still had left. "Fine. I don't need anyone…I don't need anything from this world!" She crushed her hand into a fist, sending the water that formed the orb flying in all directions.

Izumi stepped down from her rock into the cool water. Yuri padded to her, rubbing against her calf. She smiled gently, before picking the little leopard up and setting him on the rock where she had been. "Maybe I could use a bit of a bath. I do need to calm down I suppose." Turning back to the waterfall, Izumi began slowly removing her clothing. Picking them up, she laid them beside Yuri, who was lying in a ball with his eyes closed.

Taking a quiet step into the water, Izumi sighed at the feel of the cool liquid around her. She walked on into the water as she begin to sing softly in the light of the now rising moon. As she began singing louder, animals of all sorts began to drift out of the darkened woods onto the waters edge. They all followed her melodic voice as she began dancing in the water, spinning and bending like a ballerina. One wolf began to howl softly, a fox mewing along with her voice. It was a sight to be seen as the girl danced about the water with birds and butterflies surrounding her. A beautiful symphony only the forest could sing beautifully.

Gaara was about to head back toward the town when he heard a faint musical note in the air. Curious as to the animalistic singing that flowed through the forest, he followed the 

singing wind until he came to the waterfall by the caves. When he reached the forests edge, he stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw.

It was the girl, in all her naked beauty, dancing and singing in the waters of the stream. It was breathtaking the way her body moved along with the soft lyrics she sang to the animals around her. He looked around to see wolves, foxes, birds, squirrels, rabbits, deer, and many more forest creatures dancing and yipping along with her. It was like seeing the great Artemis herself among her forest children. She looked so….happy….

Gaara took a step forward, mesmerized by the beauty of her naked body in the light of the pale moon. Combined with the light reflecting from the stream and the glistening of her bright eyes, Gaara was at a standstill in time. He'd never seen something so enchanting. It even made him forget the entire reason he had been looking for her in the first place. He went to step quietly forward, but stepped on a twig, snapping it.

Izumi turned to where she had heard something crack to find the boy, Gaara, from earlier. They locked gazes, freezing her in place. As she stared into his pale eyes, she could see a longing so deep she thought it would drown her in its sorrow. Izumi could do nothing other than stand there, water dripping down her body as she stared into the eyes of a lost soul. She could almost connect with him in his emotions…Until Yuri mewled in protest and the animals began to melt back into the forest. She spun around, grabbing her clothes and running.

As her feet hit the trail, she struggled to pull her shirt and skirt on, skipping along the way. She nearly tripped several times over small rocks in the way. When she thought she had outrun Gaara, Izumi stopped to catch her breath. She turned and leaned her back against the nearest tree, taking in quick breaths of air. She didn't even notice that her shirt was half unbuttoned, exposing the majority of her ample breasts, or her twisted skirt that left her silky legs bare to view. Her hair was tousled; her cheeks flushed pink from her hard run. Izumi closed her eyes, finally catching her breath and relaxing a bit.

In her out-of-world relaxing, Izumi didn't even react to Yuri's loud growling before she opened her eyes to find Gaara pinning her to the tree. She went to push him away, only to have him grab her wrists, pinning them beside her head. Her heart pounding out the rhythm of her worry and anger, Izumi lifted her sapphire-emerald eyes to Gaara's teal ones. What she saw in them was not the anger and hatred that she thought would meet her. Instead, they were filled with a heady lust that seared into her skin like lightning. Her tongue darted out to moisten her full lips.

Gaara stared down at the girl called Izumi. She was beautiful for a woman with her heritage. It was an unearthly beauty that you would only expect to see in an angel or angelic 

being. As he looked her over, he saw that her lush breasts were almost bare to his gaze, her legs were slightly parted against her crooked skirt. Gaara locked gazes with Izumi, lowering his head until he was only inches from her full, wet lips.

"Why are you here, little princess? Why travel so far from your broken kingdom of long forgotten demons?" He whispered malice against her soft lips.

Izumi had no idea what to say as she stared into the face that was so close to hers. Did he really know about her parentage? No, he was trying to intimidate her. "Who ever said that I was a demon? Maybe I was searching for somewhere to go and I'm just lost…" She stared up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

Gaara knew he was lost when he began to drown in the sapphire of her eyes. He could tell that she was hiding something that worried her as her eyes began to swirl into a deep blue that enveloped the emerald around her pupils. She looked so helpless against his grasp, her face flushed with color as she looked up at him with those big baby blues. He felt himself reluctantly growing hard.

"I know you're not lost, little princess…. How would you have the protection of the Hokage if you were?"

Izumi instantly began squirming against Gaara, trying to get out of his grasp. "Let me go! You know nothing about me you bastard!" She shook her head from side to side, fighting against his strong hold. She thrashed against him, spitting and snarling like a trapped cat. As Izumi was about to give him a good kick in the groin, her legs went out from under her, sending her falling into Gaara's arms.

"I hate you….I fucking hate you all!!" Izumi began to cry out, tears falling fast down her pale cheeks. She raised her fist to punch Gaara in the chest, only to find that he caught it in his own hand..

Gaara caught Izumi's falling hand in his own large one. He stared down at her as she cried; cursing someone or something he couldn't understand. He could feel the sorrow and loneliness radiating from her chakra, her sense of being lost. And it pained him somewhere within himself he thought had never existed.

Izumi lifted her head to meet Gaara's confused gaze. "You didn't even let me say goodbye to him before you slit his throat." Her eyes swirled with and eerie emerald and pale blue. "I hate you all…."

Before Gaara could even get an explanation from her on her hate-filled words, his gourd 

busted open, the sand inside surrounding them to form a wall as something impacted against it.

Izumi was set softly on the ground as Gaara turned with a menacing glare in the direction of the attacker. He searched the area around them, trying to lock on to whoever was hidden in the trees. Just as he caught sight of movement in the foliage, another kunai was sent flying in their direction. Without any thought, his sand flew from his gourd to wrap around Izumi before the kunai could reach her.

Stunned, Izumi stood completely still as she felt the coarse sand cover her body before something smacked into it. As soon as the sand receded back into Gaara's gourd, she lifted her nose to the wind, taking in as much information as she could. She knew exactly who was in the shadows as soon as the scent filled her lungs.

"Yuri," Izumi turned to find her target in the trees, "you know what to do!" She leaped into the air past Gaara. "Please, you may hate me, but I still don't want you caught up in my battles. Just leave!" It didn't matter to her that he was the son of the devil incarnate himself, she wasn't about to have more blood on her hands.

A dark blue chakra swirled around Izumi's small hand. "You might as well come out Takiji, I know you're there! Let's fight fist to fist!" She waited as the figure stepped out of the darkness to stand in the light of the moon in a branch above them.

Gaara waited for what he thought would be a strong, giant man to show himself. Instead, he found himself staring at a young man about the same age as him. The boy, Takiji, wore what looked similar to an Anbu suit. Black pants and boots covered his bottom half. His chest was mostly bare, with only two thick black straps filled with kunai and grenades. Black and silver gauntlets covered his fists, giving him a knightly look. The boy's gaze rested on Izumi.

"Long time no see, my little kitten. Have you missed me?" Takiji's dark ember eyes shined with a demonic glow.

Izumi glared up at her once child-hood friend. "I never was, and never will be 'your little kitten' you filthy bastard!" She watched him closely. "Why have you been sent here Takiji? To try and redeem the honor you never had?"

Takiji stared down at Izumi, licking his lips. "You know, you've filled out quite nicely, little kitten. It's a shame poor Katara will never be able to see how beautiful of a Queen she's made ever again." He gave her a wicked, malice filled smile. "Poor old cat…."

Izumi saw red at the mention of her mother's name. "How dare you ever speak of my mother you worthless son-of-a-whore! You're nothing but a lowdown, mixed breed that never 

had a place in the lair!" She shook with the rage in her blood. "How could you ever speak of her this way when she was the one who took you in and made you part of the family!?" Unshed tears burned in her eyes, her balled fists trembling with her fury. "I should have never asked if you could be my brother…. We should have left you in the mud where your slut of a mother dropped you!"

Gaara watched the display of dramatics with disinterest. The only thing that even struck any of his attention at all was Takiji's comment about Izumi's body. He didn't know why, but it gave him a stab of jealousy in his stomach. A feeling of protectiveness; but he couldn't be quite sure. Whatever the feeling, he dismissed it as hunger. Stepping forward, Gaara stood between the two arguing.

"I'm tired of this foolishness. Go. Or I'll kill you." Gaara stared up at the newcomer with nothing short of hatred in his eyes.

Takiji grinned down at Gaara, who stood protectively in front of Izumi. "Well, well. Now what do we have here? You didn't tell me you had a lover, kitten. If I would have known I had such powerful competition, I would have brought my swords with me." His glowing amber gaze swept over Gaara. "Ah… the world-renowned Sabaku no Gaara. Son of the biggest bastard ever created."

Gaara glared right back at Takiji. "I don't know what you're rambling on about, but if you don't get out of my way, I'm gonna tear you apart."

Takiji gave a twisted, maniacal laugh at Gaara's words. "Don't worry, I'll be going soon. But not until I give her a little gift." He brought his hands together and began to make signs, creating a diagram in the air. "This should keep you down for a while, little kitten." Chanting in a language Gaara couldn't understand, Takiji sent the diagram down to wrap itself around Izumi.

Izumi let out a blood-curdling scream as the energy field tightened around her body. She felt her body begin to burn, her limbs crackling, contorting, and fur ripping through soft skin, muzzle and teeth erupting in her mouth until she was in the form of a giant were-leopard. She roared into the Heavens as her body burned and throbbed under the force of Takiji's spell. The field wrapped tighter around her until it painfully forced her back into her human form, where she saw Gaara watching her with deep teal eyes. The world became hazy, and as her air seemed to be cut off from her lungs, she fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Gaara watched as Izumi shifted forms before her body went limp. At the same time, Yuri began to shift within a dark blue flame until he was a giant, grotesque black leopard. His skin 

was pulled tight against his bones, some of which were showing through torn flesh. His heart-beat was visible, his eyes a deep glowing red. Yuri roared into the night before large, bat-like wings erupted from his back and he flew strait for Takiji.

"I'll be back for her, Shukaku. And next time, I'm taking her." Takiji leapt from his branch into the darkness.

As Takiji went to flee from the large demon's attack, the energy field around Izumi disappeared, sending her falling to the ground. Before she smacked into the dark brown earth, Gaara's gourd opened; sand spilling out to create a soft blanket for her to fall into. The sand pulled itself back until Izumi was a few inches from his chest where it cradled her. She lay there on the sand, never moving her or setting her down, as if pushing her toward him.

Gaara stared down at the face of the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered in his life. She looked so innocent and vulnerable lying there with her clothes all torn and her hair spilled out in a tousled mess. Anger raced through his blood at the thought of someone taking advantage of such innocence, though he honestly didn't know why. He looked up toward the sky, for the first time confusion in his eyes. "What are you asking me to do, Mother…" Gaara reached out and lifted Izumi into his arms, pulling her to him and cradling her to his chest, her head resting in the crook of his neck. The sand lingered in front of him for a moment before it slowly receded back into the gourd on his back. As Gaara looked down at Izumi's small frame in his arms, he couldn't understand why he even took her from his sand. The tattoo on his forehead began to burn, pain rippling somewhere within himself he never knew existed.

A loud roar sounded through the forest, sending birds of all kinds flying into the dark sky. Gaara turned to see the demon-cat, Yuri, crash through the canopy of trees onto the forest floor. The demon raised its dark head, red eyes staring strait at him. Gaara braced himself for an attack. Instead, the large creature stepped forward, rubbing its nose against Izumi's cheek, making a purring sound as it caressed her gently. The demon never took its eyes off Gaara, however. Yuri stared up at him, looking at him with intelligent eyes.

"You will take care of her, human…."

Gaara couldn't have been more shocked had the grotesque creature licked him. He stared at the huge, horse-sized demon. "How do you speak, demon?"

"You will take her, human, and you will protect her."

"I don't like being told what to do, demon. In fact, I should just leave her here for that wannabe ninja to take."



Yuri roared deeply at Gaara, wind whipping around them as he did so. All creatures around them fled in fear of the bigger, fiercer beast. "I would have no problem at all taking your life you pathetic excuse for a living being!" He began to roar again, only to stop at Izumi's soft stirring. The demon stared down at her, his eyes swirling with emotions Gaara could never begin to comprehend. Yuri looked back up to lock gazes with Gaara. "You will take care of our princess, and one day make her queen…and will not fail….if you value your own life, Sabaku no Gaara…."

Gaara watched the demon was engulfed by the dark blue flame, leaving the small, leopard-like version of the creature in the place where the hell-cat had stood. The little cat gave a small growl towards Gaara before nipping his left ankle. Satisfied he had done justice, Yuri began walking in the direction of the caves beneath the waterfalls.

Looking down at Izumi's pale face once more, Gaara decided to follow the little fur-ball. Hell, what good was an unconscious opponent? He'd just make her a fire and leave her some food before he headed back to the village. It wouldn't kill him….

AN: Well, I hope you liked that chapter enough to keep on reading. Please review, it helps a lot!