Chapter 3

True to it's name, Temari found Area 44, The Forest of Death, to be hauntingly creepy. On the other hand, she reflected, she probably wouldn't have been as wary if she weren't on a team with her Jinchuuriki brother. He made it all the more deadly and she was more afraid of him than any man-eating centipede or scorpion hidden in the soil. Only in the deepest recesses of her mind did Temari allow herself to admit she loved her youngest brother

Not five minutes into the second exam and the screams began to echo--voices of a team of genin she couldn't be bothered to remember. Gaara became agitated at the noise, his bloodlust no longer suppressed.

They were in no rush to reach the tower that was their goal. Gaara had been growing more and more aggressive since they left Suna; he'd been anticipating this like a child anticipating a birthday. In the words of her puppet-wielding sibling: "Better them than us." Nevertheless, they had every intention of collecting the other scroll and reaching the tower long before nightfall. Spending a night camping with Gaara was something avoided at all costs, even outside the Chuunin Exams.

The Chuunin Exams themselves were ingeniously planned. She hadn't truly known what to expect, only that she and her brothers, her team, had to make it through. Failure was not an option; their father ordered it.

Their first test, a written test, was certainly unexpected, but proved to be a very effective method, though she was loathe to admit she was impressed. Their current test was more predictable- more of a "catch-the-flag" sort of deal. Still, she thought, that didn't mean people were supposed to be idiots about it, and the group of Rain-nin trying to stare them down were certainly doing an impressive job of being idiots.

The leader, an older character with part of his mouth sewn up, seemed to have the biggest ego. "Kids from the Sand challenging us straight on is quite foolish."

Temari resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Forget big, this guy had an ego the size of a blue whale. She could feel the bloodlust rolling off Gaara in waves, though the Rain-nin seemed oblivious. She wondered if the man could back up his big words.

"Hey, kid." The Rain-nin continued, sparing Gaara an arrogant glance. "You should be more careful in picking your opponents. You're all going to die."

Gaara seemed almost amused. "Shut up, old man."

"Hey, Gaara." Kankuro spoke up boldly, looking at his younger sibling. "Shouldn't we follow and gather some information before we fight? If they have the same scroll as us, there's no need to fight."

Temari glanced over at him. She wasn't fond of Gaara's bloodbaths either, but she could tell that he needed to kill or he might come after them. He wasn't allowed to kill any civilians while they were in Konoha and the Chuunin Exams were his only outlet for the time being. Also, in all honesty, there more people that died, the less competition they'd have in the exams.

Kankuro continued. "Unnecessary fights are…"

"It doesn't matter." Gaara interrupted. "I'll kill everyone we encounter." The icy chill in his voice almost made Temari shiver. Yes, he really needed to kill something right now.

The lead Ame ninja scowled. "Then lets do this!" He said, pulling six umbrellas off from his back, three being quickly tossed into the air. "Take this, kid! Rain of Senbon!" The umbrellas began spinning rapidly, creating a deadly shower of. "This strikes from all angles, there is no escape!"

Gaara only looked bored, and he glared at the man as his sand effortlessly blocked the barrage of needles. "Is that it?" The enemy gaped, his mouth flapping in disbelief before trying and failing again. "A rain of needles, ne?" Gaara murmured. "Well then, I'll make it rain blood instead."

The Ame-nin gave it one more go, charging them mindlessly, and he paid for his lack of tact: he was crushed into oblivion by Gaara's sand within seconds. Temari squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. The two remaining nin shrieked, crying for their lives, but as always, her youngest brother was deaf to their pleas. The sound of crunching bones and the smatter of hot blood across the ground reached her ears, and it was only when their voices came to an abrupt end that she looked back upon the earth with gem-colored irises.

"It's the scroll of Heaven!" Kankuro declared, grinning. "How convenient!"

"I'm not satisfied." Their redheaded sibling growled

Temari stiffened, swallowing thickly. This was quickly growing dangerous.

Kankuro frowned. "Let's stop, Gaara."

The youngest narrowed his black-rimmed eyes and fixed his elder sibling with a hard glare. "Are you afraid, coward?"

Kankuro frowned more deeply and took several steps forward. He was putting his foot down on this one "You might be okay, but it's dangerous for Temari and me! We only need one set of scrolls. We don't need any more."

'Don't bring me into this!' Temari screamed mentally. She struggled to remember when the next full moon was.

Gaara stretched out a hand threateningly. "Slacker. Don't order me around."

Temari's eyes widened when Kankuro went so far as to grab the front of Gaara's clothing. "Cut it out! Why don't you listen to what your older brother says once in a while?!"

"I have never thought of you two as my siblings." Gaara said coldly. "If you get in my way, I'll kill you." Gaara held out his hand again and Temari felt panic rise in her chest.

"Gaara, stop. Don't be so cold. This is your big sister asking you." She pleaded. "Okay?"

Kankuro looked disgusted.

The redhead moved his hand and sand began to gather. He moved to clench his fist. Temari panicked.

"Gaara!" She cried.

Kankuro's eyes were clenched shut, waiting for the deathblow. However, it never came.

"Fine." Gaara said, placing the cork on his gourd. Temari sighed in relief and placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. Gaara had heeded her words. She followed.

-

Sleep was slow in coming that night. Her body was too tense, mind too wound up, full of questions about that person. She tossed and turned for what felt like ages, and even resorted to meditation in an attempt to calm her raging mind, and still sleep evaded her.

She toyed with the idea of sneaking out, but quickly discarded the idea. It wasn't worth going back through the Forest of Death. That left her wandering the maze of halls that spider webbed through—and underneath—the tower. Underneath was what she currently found herself exploring. Not bothering to move along quietly, the sound of her footsteps was her chosen companion. Doors dotted the hallways, doors upon doors upon doors, and nearly all of them locked. The only one she had found unlocked so far was a janitorial supply closet, which served to be no help at all.

It wasn't just a midnight stroll; Temari was seeking out information. She wondered if it was fated, or just a bizarre stroke of luck that the next door she came across, already oddly open, led to a library of all things.

The room's vast ceiling remained black, despite the number of burning candles piled on the few tables. Sitting at one of these tables was a tiny, very white-haired old man. Temari froze, feeling like a child caught stealing treats. However, instead of demanding to know who she was and what she was doing here, the old man merely adjusted his enormous spectacles at her.

"Hrrm! Another one, eh? Been a while, been a while. Can't find what you're looking for in the new library, can ya? Well then, what can I do you for, sir?"

Temari looked down at her nightclothes and concluded that the old man's eyesight was something awful. A man was something she did not look like. However, scanning over the impossibly high shelves, she decided that she wasn't about to correct the pint-sized elder. Opportunity had presented itself.

"What books do you have on demons, old man?"

"Happenings?"

She felt rather dismayed. The old man was as deaf as he was blind. "Demons!" She persisted.

"No men?" The man gasped suddenly. "Are you telling me Konoha has been wiped out, my good man?!"

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. 'Not now, but, oh yes, it will be soon enough, you old mouse-man.' She bowed down to his level and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Books! About! Demons!"

Now his skin color matched his hair. "Demons have destroyed the village? Oh that's terrible! Terrible! I will find you some books on those nasty critters right away! You'll be wanting to know as much as possible in order to fight back, hrrm, yes?"

He paused in front of a shelf of large scrolls covered in dust as thick as shrimp tempura crust He adjusted his glasses and looked through the scrolls. "Hrrm, now, lets see here… Demons, demons… Ah ha! Here it is!" He reached up, dragging a green scroll out of the pile. It was either very heavy or the old man was just weak since it slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor loudly. Dust billowed up into the air.

"Oh, oh dear!" The man squeaked, holding his robes in front of his face. Temari coughed and placed a hand over her mouth and nose, wondering when was the last time this library was in use.

It took several minutes for the dust to finally settle, leaving the old librarian to apologize and ramble profusely. Temari waved him off with a fake smile. Leaning down to pick up the yellowed tome, she brushed off some of the lingering dust. She set it on the table, sat down, and began to read.

End Chapter 3