Chapter One - Stopped By a Pebble?
Gisei, the child I had claimed as my own was now turning six years old, the same age I was when I saved her life. I am twelve years old, and fully capable of supporting her. Our lives were not easy, after Yashamaru's life was taken by myself. My sister and brother, Temari and Kankuro were more resentment towards me, the hate in their eyes intensified until they were forced to make a team with me. In which they backed away, giving me not only space but more fearful of my actions and of course their lives.
What I had found out about Gisei over the years, is that she is not a child born of human parents. She is a neko. Taking the form of a human, half beast, half human. The child shows promise, and I have taken her as my pet so that she is able to travel with me on missions, although I would have done it that way to begin with once she started to get practice in.
Since I found her ears and tail the first time I changed her, she grew older and older and when she turned the age of two, already speaking. I began her training. We were always together, no one could separate us. She shifts from a neko to human all the time, mostly around my family. She's about the same height I was when I was six, her hair beige about the same color as my sand, an attribute I find rather appealing. Her eyes the color of the moon, silver and shining brightly against the moonlight. Though they flash red when in anger or attack mode. Her body already showing signs of adulthood, her body more curved and little bumps indicated that she was already gaining breasts. I looked to her, softly rubbing one of her sand colored ears making her purr. I didn't know what to buy her, clothes wise, and thus gave her something of mine. She didn't mind for one, she just tore what needed to be torn and remade my old clothes into new ones she was more comfortable in.
The blue Suna jumper was now a skirt and form fitting tank top, the robe that I had wrapped her up in was still the same. She refused to touch it, saying it was a symbol of us meeting. Temari's old fishnet stockings were also now hers, clinging to her body fittingly. My old ninja shoes were a little big on her, but she soon grew into them and now they fit snug against her feet. Her tail sways from side to side in happiness. We are traveling to the Leaf village, our father decided that it was time to not only take the chunnin exams, but force an attack on the unsuspecting villagers. I was the trump card and the one that was intended to do the crushing. Excited as I was didn't wish to bring Gisei into the mix, she was the only one I held dear, and I did not wish to get her mixed up in something that would kill her.
Forever, after my commands of her staying home, she disrespected me. Turning into her feline form and wrapping her tail around my neck lay upon my shoulders in happiness and content, purring away. My emotions still scarred from Yashamaru, stared at the neko. It seemed she was not going to leave my side, and therefore brought her along with me.
We were at the Leaf, Kankuro decided to pick a fight with brats that were a waste of time. I watched from far away, not caring about the outcome at all. Gisei secure around my neck rubbed her cheek against my own purring loudly. "Gaara-sama~ don't you think you should stop him? He might hurt the poor child." Her cute little voice rang out as I stared into her eyes for what seemed like hours until she spoke again."Oh, I sense another presence. Gaara." She whined, groaning in defeat, hid my presence and sneaked up on the group. There was Kankuro, the tall but slightly large man stood with a child in his grasp. The purple painted face smirking at their feeble attempts to free the struggling child. Another kid, someone to be about my own age was on the ground rubbing his hand over his whiskered face. Horrendously bright blonde hair stood out like blood on a battle field. Bright blue eyes glared to my brother with full hate and what seemed like... A hint of determination. Temari, my older sister was also standing there, coaxing my brother to let the child go before I came along.
There were more children present. Two seemed to be the age of the one in my brothers grasp, a young girl with hideous hair that stood up in pigtails, a deluded orange color. And a young boy with a bowl cut like hair that was a light brown, glasses and snot continuously running from his nose. Those of the Leaf are one hideous bunch, to flashy and those who don't know how to present themselves right. Although I have no right to complain, I do not care what others think of me, Gisei is the only one I fear would judge me. "Naruto!" A shrill female voice yelled at what seemed to be the blonde, as he stood back up and rushed toward my brother in another failed attempt to get the young boy down. She had ungodly pink hair, pale emerald eyes and a red shirt that seemed to look like a Chinese dress, blue spandex shorts underneath. "Konohamaru! You let him down now!" Naruto yelled.
Gisei and I watched from the sidelines, standing upside down from the branch of a tree. The presence Gisei spoke of was right next to us, sitting and tossing a stone in the air and catching it. He soon threw the pebble at Kankuro, making him flinch and release the boy known as Konohmaru. Kankuro glared up at the unsuspecting boy, slightly surprised if not perplexed. "What are you bastards doing in our village?" His deep voice rang out another pebble being tossed in the air nonchalantly. "Sasuke-kun!" The annoying pink haired woman declared, revealing the young boys name. "Ah.. Another guy who pisses me off." Kankuro almost growled out, his hand twitching. His other I assumed trying to coax it into following orders of relaxing. "Get lost!"
"KYAA! SO COOL! GET HIM SASUKE-KUN!" The pink monstrosity yelled once again. It took every fiber in my being to not wrap my sand around her head and give it a nice slow squeeze to shut her up. My hand lifted up to the cat on my shoulder softly petting the top of her head, calming my fighting spirits. "Naruto bro... You suck... I believed in you." The young boy cried pointing guilty to the blonde ball of sunshine. "No dummy! I could easily defeat that guy!" He smiled reassuring the boy, of course he didn't look to believing. Gisei snickered softly watching the children interact. "Hey punk, get down here." He growled out once again. "I hate show-offs like you the most." Slipping off the wrapped being from his back stood in front of the tree we occupied. "Hey, you ever going to use Karasu?" Temari asked, panicked slightly. I felt it was time to intervene, we just got to this village and I was tired of the bickering. I wanted to just sit and relax, playing with Gisei. "Kankuro, stop it." I sighed out, the boy next to me froze in clear alarm.
"You're an embarrassment to our village." Clearly he was, acting so foolishly by getting annoyed by little children playing in the streets. All looked to me, Temari and Kankuro's stiffness clear that they were uncomfortable. The rest stared in what seemed like amazement. "Ga.. Gaara." Kankuro's lips turned up slightly in what seemed to be a forced and guilty smile. "Losing yourself in a fight, how pathetic... Why do you think we came to the Leaf village?" I asked glaring daggers at my supposed brother. "Listen Gaara, they started it and.."
"Shut up.. I'll kill you." Threatening him with his life, my patience thinning for the scared man in front of me. My time with my pet was getting farther and farther away from me. Kankuro began to sweat as my stare only intensified by his paranoia. "Ok, I'm sorry..."
"I'm also sorry... Really sorry." Temari put in her two cents most likely trying to get on my good side. "Sorry to you guys." I said to the male next to me on the tree. Suddenly wind circled around my and Gisei's being. Staring at the black hared boy with calculating eyes took in the features. His hair stuck up in the back, almost looking like a ducks butt. Deep blue shirt with white shorts and wraps around both his lags and white arm warmers. To be able to hit Kankuro with a pebble... He's good...
"It looks like we got here to early but... We didn't come here to play around." Showing up in between my sister and brother straightened out of my bent posture. Gisei hidden behind my neck almost trying to become one with my gourd. "I know that.."
"Let's go."
"HEY, WAIT!" The shrill voice of the pink haired one yelled out almost making me wince. "What?" I asked getting more and more annoyed by the second, however forbid my face to show the emotions. "Judging from your head protectors, you guys are... Ninja's from the Hidden Sand Village right? You may be allies with the Leaf Village but... It is forbidden for shinobi's to enter each other's villages without permission. State your purpose. Depending on it, we may not be able to let you go..."
Her eyes betrayed the face she gave. Clear fear showed through, but her face continued to stay almost glaringly at us. "Hah, talk about clueless.." My sister retorted almost taking the words out of my mouth, though I would put a few more choice words in there. "Don't you know anything?" She asked catching their attentions at full. "You're right, we are genins from the hidden sand. We have come to your village to take the chuunin selection exam."
"...Chuunin Selection Exam...?" The blond asked and from there I zoned out while Temari filled the stupid blonde in with the customs all nin should already know about.
"Hey you, what's your name?" The boy from the tree asked flashing to stand in front of the annoyingly pink hared female. "Huh, you mean me?" My stupid sister inquired. "No. You with the gourd."
"Sabaku no Gaara. I'm also interested in you.. Your name?" I asked staring straight into those black listless eyes that reminded me of myself. "It's Uchiha Sasuke." And from there we stared at each other, I looked and tried to figure out the male until a loud voice broke me away from figuring him out. "Hey! What about me?! Huh?!"
"Not interested. Let's go." I turned and walked away leaving the six in my wake jumping up and atop the buildings in search of Baki, our instructor and guardian for the time being.