AN: Okies dokies, welcome one and all to the fourth installment of Insomniatic Insanity. Now, just a sneak peak, the title was originaly going to be named Lonely, so I think I did a pretty good job with 'Insomniatic Insanity'. Also, Kairi is my nicname at school, so I based her off of me. Now, I apologize for making Gaara-kun so mean, but it's needed. You see, he doesn't really understand how he feels about her, and he's trying to deal with his protectiveness and confusing emotions in the only way he knows how.

Kairi: But I'll whip him in too shape!

Gaara: Is that another challenge?

Kairi: 0.0

Gaara: Thought so. Anyways, Drunken Chipmunks does not own anything here, and Kairi is mine. Also, leave a review or I'll kill you.

Kairi/Me: 0.0

Chapter Four: Challenge

"I don't want you being around him anymore." Gaara elaborated. We were standing in the room they had cleaned up for me. I was sitting on my bed, a book open in my lap, a jug of chocolate milk on my nightstand and some bars of chocolate on the matress. It was late night.

"What?" I asked. He had materialized just then in front of me. "Who? Why?"

"I don't want you being around Kankuro."

"WHAT?! WHY!!"

"That game became a little less than innocent, Kairi-san. And you know what I said."

"No."

"What?" He was shocked.

"I said no. I won't do it. You can't make me stay away from him. Who's supposed to teach me puppetry?"

"You'll be learning a different art. But you aren't spending time around him, and that's final. I can make you."

"What if I don't listen? What are you gonna do? How are you gonna make me?"

"I'm the kazekage, Kairi-chan. I can get pretty creative. For instance, there's an open mission in the land of waves for twelve months. Even if he doesn't want to go, he wouldn't have a choice."

"You know Gaara-kun," I began mockingly. "This is one reason why people don't like you. You get away with everything. Talk about a god complex, I mean. You just order everyone around, expecting them to listen. Well, listen to me, Kazekage-samma; humans are made to make choices. That's our entire reason for existance. So me and Kankuro are gonna damn well make our own choices, and just because your jealous isn't any reason for us to stop."

"You will watch your tongue around me, Kairi-san."

"Bite me." I retorted. Gaara glared, then an idea flickered in his eyes.

"Allright? You wanted to become a ninja didn't you? How about this? If you train with me for the next month, I'll let you see him. If you quit anytime, you can't see him."

"Is that a challenge, Gaara-samma?"

"Absolutely." He said lowly, then dissapeared in a whirlwind of sand. I sighed, collapsing onto my back.

"Well... If I start training tomorrow, I'm gonna need all the sleep I can get." And with that, I blew out my candle and curled up to sleep.

XXXXXXX

"What?" I looked at him shocked. It was my first day of training and I was in no good mood. Gaara had woken me up at four am, giving me no time to tell Kankuro what was going on.

Thankfully Temari would be coming home today. She said she had some muscle relaxing salve for when I'm finished with training. That and a bubble bath. Yay, bubbles...

Anywho; I was then force-fed several soldier pills and a cup of water and a cup of orange juice and got a ten minute shower. Gaara actually came into the bathroom and turned on the cold water then the boiling water with his HANDS to get me out. Then, he gave me a pair of white shorts and a sports bra for training. I don't even want to know where he got the bra. He then marched me to the training feild on the outskirts of the village.

Now this?

"I said take four running laps around the village."

"I can barely run to the training feild!" I protested.

"Then you're going to start over until you get it done, and I'll add a lap every time you slow down to a walk."

"Son of a bitch," I grumbled under my breath, glaring at him.

"I'd stop insulting me, save your breath, and start running." I glared even harder, adjusted the bra straps, pulled my hat down further, and started running.

God, I wish I had shoes.

After a lap and a half -I was shocked myself- I was breathing heavily, and I fell, tripping over some kids ball they kicked in front of me. In an instant, Gaara was beside me, Using his sand to force me up.

"Start over. That's five laps this time." My eyes narrowed. But without a sound, I brushed myself off, and started running again, shooting a glare to the kid as Gaara tossed the ball back to him.

I would have no surprise if Gaara payed the little brat to do that.

He must love seeing me in pain.

By three laps, I hadn't fallen, but I had slowed down slightly in an attempt to pace myself, but I was breathing heavily, my eyes hurt from the sun, I was covered in freckles -ironically red-heads don't tan, we freckle- and I also got a sunburn on my lower back.

I blame Gaara, and he's gonna pay all hell if he expects me to make dinner tonight. You see, when Temari was gone at the hotsprings, Gaara had me on cooking duty, and turns out they loved it. I had volunteered to do it again, giving Temari a break.

Never mind. I want to cook. I can't wait to burn it.

I collapsed onto my hands and knees, my legs aching and my chest burning. Gaara was beside me, and he stared down at me as I caught my breath, wheezing in and out, I spoke to him.

"Why... Do I... Have... To... Run... So... Much?" I gasped out.

"Because in a mission if you have to get somewhere far away and fast you'll be running all day and night, and you can't fall back." My eyes flew wide. I hadn't even thought of that.

"Not to mention I'm building up your endurance and stamina, you'll need that in a prolonged fight."

"But I can't even fight!"

"We'll do that later. Because, it's better to run than fight. Now get back on your feet and run." I glared at the dirt as I pushed myself up, and continued running.

"AND ITS SIX LAPS NOW!! START OVER!!" He shouted after me. I shot him a glare, but as I did, I ran into something hard. I fell backwards, and groaned. I opened one eye to see Gaara standing beside me. The person I had run into offered me a hand.

When I was back on my feet I looked at them properly.

"Thanks alot," I grunted, not sure if it was sarcastic or not.

"Oh! Naruto!" I exclaimed happily. The person looked at me funny.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

"No, but I've heard alot about the sixth hokage."

"Who... Wait, you beleive me?" I just nodded, smiling proudly.

"SEE SAKURA-CHAN!! SOMEONE HAS FAITH IN ME!!" He exclaimed. I looked behind him to see Kakashi and Sai and Sakura standing behind Naruto.

"Konnichiwa Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-san, Sai-kun!" I said brightly. They all blinked at me.

"Are you related to Kazekage-samma?" Sai asked. I sweatdropped.

"Wha? Um... no... I'm not. Are any other Konoha nin with you guys?"

"Yeah, Lee and Gai are doing some training." Sai answered grudgingly.

"Kairi-san, go find Lee and Gai. See if they'll run with you." Gaara ordered.

"But-"

"Contradicting counts as quitting." He cut me off with a withering glare. I returned it.

"Bastard," I growled, starting to jog off, but Naruto caught my arm.

"HEY! SHOW SOME RESPECT TO THE KAZEKAGE!!" He shouted. Gaara narrowed his eyes.

"Let her go Naruto. Kairi, stop insulting me."

"Or what?" I countered. Everyone froze and looked at me.

"You'll do well not to disgrace me infront of another village's representatives. Now, if you want to see my brother again, you'll do what I tell you without contradiction."

"Holding my tongue wasn't part of the deal."

"Deal? What deal?" Naruto asked. "And is he talking about Kankuro?"

"Yes. Me and Kairi-san here made a compromise. I don't want her around my brother, but if she can survive my training for a month without quitting, I'll let her start her training with him."

"That's harsh."

"I agree. Thanks for being on my side Naruto, but seriously, you're hurting my arm." He grinned sheepishly and let me go. I started running around.

"LEE! GAI!!" I yelled. Suddenly, there were to identical males in front of me. I stumbled backwards, but the shorter one, Lee, caught me by my waist. Gai gave the pose.

"Nice catch, Lee! So full of youth and charisma towards the ladies!" He complimented. I rolled my eyes, laughing, as I straightened up and dusted myself off. I then bowed.

"Konnichiwa Rock Lee, Maito Gai; under orders from Kazekage-sensei I am to ask you to assist me in my training." They grinned.

"We would love too! What are you working on?!" Gai said enthusiastically. I grinned sheepishly.

"Well... I'm not very good, todays my first day of training, but Kazekage-sensei is having me attempt six laps around the village, for my endurance and stamina. I get an extra lap everytime I fail, so now I actually have seven."

"Well, we would love to assist such a beautiful young lady in her training! SEVEN LAPS WILL BE A PEICE OF CAKE!!" Lee and Gai shouted the last part together. I smiled at the absurdity of the two. I reached up on tiptoes, ruffling their hair, and grinned. It looked better ruffled.

"So any pre-running tips I should know about?"

"Breath." Lee said immediately. I grinned, and pretended to right it down.

"Gotcha. Anymore?" I looked up from my 'notepad', grinning.

"Pace yourself. Slow down slightly when you're breathing too hard; and you said you were a beginner?" I nodded. "Why does Kazekage-samma have you working so hard? You should only start with four."

"I did start with four, but I only got to one and a half, and he added another."

"Why?"

"Some kid tripped me. I think Kazekage-sensei payed the brat to do it."

"Hmm... does the kazekage-samma have a grudge against you?"

"Yeah. We made a deal; if I can survive his training for one month he'll let me hang around his brother again."

"Why does he not want you to hang around Kankuro-san?" Lee asked.

"Because I kissed him."

"You and Kankuro-san are... together?" Lee seemed heartbroken. Gai patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, my Lee... Other girls are out there!"

"Yes! Sakura-chan will be mine!"

"Um... guys?"

"Yes Kankuro-san's girlfriend?" Lee asked.

"IM NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!!" I yelled angrily, my fists balling as I attempted to resist to smack them silly. Pimp slap suddenly seemed very appealing, especially if I had brass knuckles.

"What?" They both looked confused.

"Me and Kankuro were playing around, and I was trying to convince him to buy me another chocolate bar, we were joking and he told me to strip and he'd buy me one. I offered to kiss him instead. It was a game; a joke. He's a friend and it didn't mean anything."

"It may not have meant anything to you, Kairi-chan... But what if it meant something to Kankuro-san?" Gai asked. I froze, blinking up at him in denial.

"Kankuro doesn't have a crush on me." I said firmly, shaking my head for emphasis.

"That reminds me! No chocolate for a good running diet! Fruits, vegetables, meat and bread!" Gai said suddenly. I sighed.

"No chocolate?"

"No chocolate." I glared at the ground.

"Fine. Can we run now?" I grumbled.

"Yes, my princess!" Lee said. I rolled my eyes.

XXXXXXX

"Kairi?" I looked up at him. We were on my fourth lap, I was slowing down slightly, and breathing hard, it was my third try again, so I now had ten laps to do in a row, and Lee had been telling me all kinds of tips and stuff Gai-sensei had taught him.

"I apologize for 'hitting' on you earlier." I blinked, then remembered. Me and Lee had been flirting shamelessly earlier as I was recovering from running into a brick wall. I had a cut on my forehead from it and puked my breakfast from the run-in.

"Why?" I breathed heavily.

"Because I don't like hitting on other mens girls."

"What?"

"Kankuro has staked a claim, yet so has the Kazekage. I don't like that kind of competition."

"So?" I stopped running.

"What if I like you, Lee? I don't like them like that. If anything, Kazekage-sensei is a brother. Kankuro is a friend, we just enjoy teasing eachother and playing games. It's all innocent fun."

"It doesn't seem innocent to play with peoples emotions. And do you really like me like that?"

"I think you're attractive and funny, and marriage and dating material, but no. I don't like you like that."

"Then why can't you like Kankuro or Gaara-samma like that?"

"Because I can't." And I started running on my now eleven laps again.

XXXXXXX

By the end of the day I had accomplished doing five laps in a row around the village. Gaara-samma had refused to talk to me, after he showed all of the Konoha nin who were to help with harvesting out to their duties, and then sent me home with a glare. I still owed him fourty laps in a row. I groaned to myself, thinking about the number as I walked in.

"Hey Kairi-chan!" Kankuro said brightly. I glared at him, massaging my shoulders. "Are you allright?"

"Just peachy!" I growled, still glaring at everything in sight. He flinched.

"Um... did you just spend the day training with Gaara-samma?" I nodded, shooting a glare to Gaara. "What did you guys do?"

"I had to run. Alot." I said, running my hands down my calves. I closed my eyes, letting out a gasp as my muscles spasmed from being overworked till they were in shreds. Kankuro sighed, and hefted me up bridal style.

"What?" I hissed, looking up at him.

"C'mon, Temari's got a bath ready for you and some dinner. She said you would need it, and I see why. Afterwards I could give you a massage?" He offered. I flushed, and looked down at his arms wrapped tightly around me. I reflected back to Lee's words.

"Kankuro has staked a claim..."

I flushed further, and shook my head.

"Nah thanks..." I murmured.

"If you say so."

It was just innocent flirting... wasn't it?

I sighed, rubbing my temples since my head hurt with all the adreniline and confusion and emotions as Kankuro sat me down in a chair beside the bubble bath. The tub was the hot tub in the pool room. Temari was allready relaxing, so once Kankuro was gone, I stripped and climbed in.

After a thorough scrubbing and washing of all the grit, sand and sweat, and brushing my teeth and massaging my muscles. I got out, wrapped myself in a robe, and sat down at a table to eat the food. It was a salad, with every topping I could desire and thousand island ranch.

My favorite.

There was also an apple, a peice of garlic bread and -yipee! She does love me!- a cup of chocolate milk. I smiled. My first day here, Temari had spent dinner time listing all of my favorite foods, including salad toppings, and had narrowed it down to training foods I could have. I love that women.

XXXXXXX

After I finished eating I dragged myself to my room, not even bothering to say goodnight to anybody, and collapsed a few feet from my bed, sleeping soundly.