Gaara stood on the balcony overlooking Suna from his apartment. There was a knock on his door.
He walked through the room and opened the door to find one of the ANBU operatives he sent out all those years ago.
"Kazekage-sama." the man breath out. "We found it."
Gaara grabbed his gourd and left with the man to the place Shukaku was being kept. The ANBU told him the coördinates and Gaara transported the two and they arrived in the village hidden in the mist. They stood in front of a warehouse guarded by men wearing the Akatsuki robes. None of them were high-ranking, but they would have easily defeated eight ANBU ops.
Gaara stood up and the man went to go with him but Gaara held out his hand.
"This is something I must do alone." Gaara said.
"Hai Kazekage-sama." the ANBU responded.
Gaara walked up to the guards.
"Halt!" one of the men said.
When Gaara didn't hey started throwing Kunai and anything else they could get their hands on, but the sand had hit everything out of the way a few of them rushed the sand wielder.
Gaara had become one of the most proficient Taijutsu users since his fight with Lee. The low ranking Akatsuki men didn't stand a chance. Gaara walked past the bodies towards the rest of the men who all took their fighting stances. Gaara smiled, one of those sick, twisted, I'm-going-to-kill-all-of-you smiles.
Sand began pouring out of his gourd. It snaked out towards the men and began inching up their legs until each of them were almost fully encased in sand.
"Stop! We will do whatever you want!" the men begged, but Gaara held no love for the Akatsuki. Except for one man anyway. Which in this moment only seemed to make him a angrier.
He paid no heed to the men's cry as he began slowly crushing every bone in their body. His no-killing policy extended only over his own citizens and Konohas. Every other village had allied themselves with the Akatsuki.
He watched with a sick satisfaction as the men were crushed by the sand.
He walked into the warehouse only to be met with darkness, and then a voice spoke in his head.
"I've waited a damn long time brat. What took you so long?" It was Shukaku.
"Where is your anchor?" Gaara asked.
In the left corner of the room" Shukaku responded He had waited for the redhead to find him for years now. He thought he would go crazy without his redhead to verbally spar with.
Gaara walked over to the corner of the room and found the chamber pot Shukaku was sealed into.
He placed his fingers on the seal and undid it with little to no effort. He spoke the words.
"I seal you within my self Ichibi no Shukaku." and there was a blinding light and then Gaara found himself surrounded by his ANBU operatives.
"What happened Kazekage-sama?" the men asked helped the red-head to his feet.
"We enter the war effort tomorrow." Gaara said. "You go back to Suna and get some rest. I will escort a group of twenty of ANBU operatives to Konoha in the morning." Gaara said. And transported the nine of them back to Suna.
He walked through the streets of Suna.
"It feels good to be back here." Shukaku said.
"It has been too long huh?" Gaara said, he was quite pleased with himself.
He walked into the Kazekage building and sat down in the council room with all the prattling old men.
Gaara held up his hand and they all quieted.
"I will lead a small force to Konoha and you will only send me the reinforcements I require until I call for the full use of our military." Gaara said.
This seemed to please the old men. They all agreed with his decision so he left and let them rattle on amongst themselves.
He called for 20 ANBU operatives and when the best of the best showed up he told them the plan.
Hours later Gaara laid on his bed. He wasn't sure if Shukaku would let him sleep.
"Well look at you brat, you're just as strong as I am. You're chakra levels have doubled since you sealed me inside you." Shukaku was clearly impressed.
"It has been quite some time my friend." Gaara responded.
"So I've looked through your memories." Shukaku started unsure of how to continue. "I see you have quite the crush on Deidara-kun." he giggled.
"I am not having this conversation." Gaara said.
"Fine un." Shukaku said before breaking out in maniacal laughter. "Get some sleep, I won't do anything." He said in honesty.
"Thank you." Gaara hissed in his head.
The last thing he heard before falling asleep was Shukakus laughter.
