A/n: Sorry that it took...a while to update. I own nothing but my OC Yuki (she gets paid in candy and manga).

Chapter 7 Win or Lose (Normal POV)

In a small cave in Suna's outskirts, Deidara was patiently waiting for the red head Kazekage to come. It may be just the first day, but he doesn't want surprises. Waiting with him was Sasori who was keeping watch over Yuki. Her hands were bound together on her back and her feet were tied together as well. The blinding bomb used against her last night did leave her eyes look slightly red, but the painful stinging sensation died down to an irritable itch. She was conscious, but didn't want to talk to either of the Akatsuki members. 'I have to get out of here...'

"You're very quiet our little Gobi. Cat caught your tongue?" Deidara asked with a smile.

"No. I don't want to talk to miserable jack offs."

Sasori got up and put on a threatening face with eyes glaring at her. "Listen, you're lucky that Deidara made this idea. We would have you begging for mercy if he wasn't feeling so generous. How about you be a nice girl and tell us why you keep most of Rin's chakra in that pretty little thing hanging from your neck."

Yuki took her eyes off of the ninja and looked off at a different part of the cave. "Like I would tell you."

"You will tell us. That gem keeps most of Rin's chakra and that's not good if we intend on taking her from you in the condition she had years ago. Tell us, or we can easily find those doting relatives of yours and me and my partner can have a great time torturing them in front of you."

"You wouldn't dare."

Sasori got up and headed to the clay bird outside the cave. "I'll be back with more visitors Deidara."

Yuki felt fear run through her body and couldn't imagine her aunt and uncle suffering a fate dealt by these monsters. "...I try to make sure that I can keep Rin on good security. I only use the rest of her chakra in extreme dire emergencies. Rin's full power can destroy a village in a matter of minutes if not handled well."

Sasori chuckled and walked back to his earlier spot to sit. "What a waste of her being in an overprotected girl like you."

"It's called being smart and careful."

Deidara looked out the cave and stood up out of his seat. "Sasori take our friend to the other cave. Make sure Gaara doesn't see you or my little five-star act won't be such a bang, hm?"

Sasori picked up Yuki and was walking outside when he stopped and talked over his back. "That word, 'bang', is your favorite word isn't it?"

Deidara just smiled and started playing with his clay while he waited for his red haired guest to come and start the fight that he is very positive of winning.

"Yuki-chan, Haku-chan it's time to go." Yuki's mother called for her daughter as her husband loaded their bags onto the wagon. Yuki and Haku were talking to Gaara for as long as she can before her inevitable farewell. Haku said his goodbyes to Gaara and walked over to his mother.

"Can I have a minute, okaa-san?" Yuki asked and received a nodded answer. "Gaara-kun, I want you to keep this." Yuki took her gold coin out of her jumper pocket and placed it in Gaara's hand. "It gave me good luck, and I think you should have it. You gave me that pretty gem you found, so I'm giving you something that brought me luck. I think it'll do the same for you."

"Will you visit?"

"I hope so. I can write to you, but my handwriting is a bit sloppy..."

"Don't worry. I think I'll be able to read it. I'll write to you too."

Yuki smiled, but not too much to expose her sharper teeth, and gave Gaara a hug. "I'm glad I met a nice boy like you to be my friend, Gaara-kun."

"...And...I'm glad I met a nice girl like you to be my friend, Yuki-chan." Garra didn't want her to let go and leave for who knows how long, but she had to and did. As she walked to the wagon, Yuki waved good-bye to Gaara and he waved back. 'Come back soon...'

--

It's been weeks since Yuki went back home to Kirigakure and Gaara only received one letter. He wrote back, but no notes were ever written from her to him ever since. He walked to Yuki's aunt and uncle's house, but he never found them at home or at Minoru's restaurant for days. One afternoon, he walked to the house and saw Chitose sweeping the front step of the house. She looked sad and was wearing all black. The moment she saw Gaara, the sad face grew gloomier.

"Ishii-san, how have you been?"

"Oh, well, I'm coping with something..."

"Were have you and your husband been?"

Chitose stopped sweeping and looked at Gaara straight in the eye. "At a funeral."

Gaara had an irritable sinking feeling in the pit of his heart as he was afraid of who the funeral was for. "Who's funeral?"

"...Yuki's parents."

"A-are Yuki and Haku okay?"

At that moment tears streamed down Chitose's face. "Haku-chan is missing...and so is Yuki-chan. I'm sorry." As much as she doesn't like to be a liar, she had to tell the boy the false statement. Chitose felt that Yuki's lack of any memory of Gaara would hurt him even more.

Gaara felt crushed at the bad news. He couldn't believe that his friends were gone. He quickly felt the same terrible grip of loneliness that held him before the siblings came and he felt his hope shatter. Gaara looked down at the ground to hide his tears from the woman. "I'm sorry about that...Hope you have a good day." With that Gaara turned around and walked away. He didn't need to look up since he knew that people would stay clear of his path because of the demon in him. He didn't care about what they thought at the moment. All he cared about was the loss of the only kids who were his friends.

(Gaara POV)

It was dusk by the time I reached the cave. I've managed to leave the mansion while Kankuro took a nap and Temari went out for a couple of hours. I thought I was alone, but I kept feeling a presence behind me. I took a look and found Kuro behind me with the most innocent look ever. I stared at the pet and thought about scolding him. But I wasn't in the mood of doing that since I thought he had the same worries as I did. I bent down to his level and the little pup walked closer.

"Stay here." Even though I said that, Kuro walked closer to me. "Listen, I know you're concerned about Yuki, but don't worry. I'm going to bring her back, but I have to go alone. Stay here, for her sake."

As if he understood me, Kuro sat down and whined a bit. I left him alone and walked up to the cave by a short walkway sloping up on the side. When I got inside, I saw a spacious area with Deidara sitting on a rock platform and a heap of clay the size of a bed on the floor. However, I didn't see Yuki anywhere. "Where is she?" With the snap of the blonde's fingers, the clay took the shape of a cage with Yuki inside and unconscious. "Why isn't she awake?"

"She had too much mouth. Besides, I don't think you would want her to see you lose. I see you came alone, so that's good. I love having fair fights. Before we fight, however, I think I should tell you that freeing the girl during our fight wouldn't be so wise. The cage is set to explode if anything tries to barge through or if I give the command if you do anything...unexpected. Questions?"

"Let's just get to the fight."

Behind me I saw clay spiders and before they jumped up to explode in front of me, I swatted them away with a wave of sand. I can't afford to lose this fight. I have to win it not just for myself, but for her.

(Yuki POV)

There was a small "bang" that me and Sasori heard at this other cave. If Gaara reached the cave, then that means they started fighting. I started feeling confident that Gaara would win, but I had a lingering fear of him getting seriously hurt or worse. I looked for any source of water inside the cave or even some outside and I found a canteen that Sasori took out.

"Thirsty Gobi?" I just glared at him and he chuckled at me. "Well, yes or no? I don't like waiting."

"...Fine. Bring it over...please." He walked over with the canteen and threw it down next to me. The ninja didn't give me a drop to drink, he just left the canteen next to me as if he expected me to get a drink myself with my hands behind my back.

"That was for your rude eye contact. You better watch yourself or I won't be so lenient to you."

"How about you go to hell and say hi to your friend when Gaara's done with him."

Sasori seemed to not like what I just said and he sent a puppet to try and stab me. I rolled over so the puppet's blade can cut the binds off my hands and as soon as my hands were free, I took off the binds around my ankles. I took off my shoes since I don't want to trip from the heels while I would have to run and I used a kunai knife from my kunai bag around my leg to cut off the dress up to the knees. Then I took my red baton to extend it and get ready to fight.

'Rin, are you ready?'

'Yes. Be careful alright? You never used all of my chakra before and the effects after the chakra runs out are random. It could be dangerous for you.'

'I know, but it's a risk I'll have to take.' Just then I felt a surge of energy and I saw my nails grow and sharpen. I dodged a surprise attack from Sasori's puppets and I whacked them with the staff I had. I'm glad that I had that canteen so I can use the water against him and I ran to the canteen to open it. I used Hyotonto guide whatever water there was inside the canteen and I made ice needles to send to the joints of the puppets. When they were hit, the puppets couldn't move and I was free to attack my opponent. I punched Sasori's face, but I saw a crack in his face as if his skin was just some sort of shell.

"Didn't expect that did you?" I saw a hidden blade and I narrowly dodged it. I jumped away and noticed a rip on the dress around my torso from the blade. I used all the water from the ice needles I used and made hard mirrors made of ice surround Sasori. Then I stabbed one mirror with the staff and the other mirrors had red staffs sticking out and poking through the dome of mirrors I made. The mirrors shattered and Sasori was still standing. I decided to throw as many punches and kicks I could use with the help of my increased agility and the both of us knocked each other out of our spots to the ground. Then, for some reason, Sasori looked to the outside of the cave and smiled.

"What's with that smile?"

"I think it's time for me to end Deidara's fight. He kept me waiting too long." I saw him go towards the cave's entrance and I rushed to him with a kunai knife in my hand and I was able to stab him in the chest. Sasori backed away from me and knocked me across the area into the cave's wall. Before I was knocked out, I felt a hard contact on the back of my head and I felt myself fall on the ground.

--(Gaara POV)--

The fight was full of charging sand and thrown bombs and luckily the clay cage where Yuki was in was completely untouched. I was relieved that she wasn't harmed, but the volatile cage held me back in a way since I was afraid to make any attacks against where Deidara was near the cage. Finally, I caught him in some sand and kept attacking the moving spider bombs that tried to interfere with other sand. Soon the sand covered everything except one forearm and Deidara's face. Despite the sand that started to crush his body, my enemy started smiling.

"Hm, pretty good. But, there's one thing I forgot to mention: I'm a sore looser." Deidara snapped his fingers and the clay cage explode with Yuki inside. Part of the cave's rock wall fell on the site of the explosion and I had let go my control of the sand from the shock of what I had just saw.

"Yuki!"

"Oh well, that's one jinchuriki we'll never get. I don't like seeing sad mushy scenes involving tears, so have a good day kid."

I heard Deidara leave and judging by the sounds outside he was on his signature clay bird and flying away. I didn't care at that moment. I rushed to the rock pile and tried lifting the first one, but it was a large chunk and it wouldn't budge. 'Yuki...'

'...I'm sorry man. Listen...jeez...Maybe she's still in there. Just hurry back and get help. She is a tough gal you know. Rin could have saved her also Gaara. There still is time.'

"You don't get it! She couldn't have done anything while she was unconscious and Rin can only heal her and protect that necklace! There is no possible way that Yuki could have survived! This is my fault...I shouldn't have let her go to that room by herself last night!"

'Okay kid, this is the first time I'm going to talk like this. Don't blame yourself! No one could have expected that and you know it. Just calm down.'

I couldn't calm down and I didn't listen to anything else he said. The memories of Yashamaru's death on that night years ago, the loss of Yuki and her brother, Haku, the night I attacked Yuki, and other negative events flooded through my mind and I felt sadness and anger build up in me. The angrier I got, the less control I had over myself.

'Holy crap...Gaara you have to calm down man! It's not a good thing for me to take over while you're angry!'

It was too late though. I felt my mind slip into a blind, red rage and I felt great gusts of wind and sand circle me like a tornado. I walked out of the cave and ran away as far as I could from the cave as the storm followed me.

(Normal POV)

Deidara flew to an isolated area and met Sasori and Itachi outside the cave entrance. He noticed his partner's injury and smirked. "You are one lucky S.O.B Sasori. That girl just scratched your heart."

"Shut up. This is one of the reasons why I hate waiting for your sorry ass. She was this close to killing me, idiot."

"Sorry, sorry. Why are you here Itachi?"

"Just to see you two come with the two jinchuriki that you promised to bring. I take it that the Kazekage won?"

"Almost. He let me go when I blew up the girl."

Sasori had a confused expression on his face when Deidara said that. "Wait. I had the Gobi."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, my friend. I had Itachi come by and he made a shadow clone to make it disguise itself as the girl. All it had to do was play the part as an unconscious damsel in distress and leave the boy to eat the bait right out of my hands. He should be very upset and on a rampage by now."

"What good is a jinchuriki going berserk for us?"

"Don't worry partner. He'll cool down, be exhausted, and we can take him easily. As for his friend she should be here, right Sasori?"

Sasori at that point looked away in shame. "I knocked her out and left her behind. I needed to make sure my heart wasn't damaged or else I would be dead."

"Nice excuse. Well, I guess I can wait to take Gaara and then Yuki when the moment comes."

Deidara walked past the other two Akatsuki members but Itachi grabbed his shoulder. "Know that my action was the only favor I would do for you ever again. Don't screw up."

"Tch. I still hate your guts Uchiha."

--

'Ow my head...' Yuki woke up and felt a huge golf ball bruise on the back of her head. She looked around and Sasori was gone, her kunai knife was on the ground with blood on the blade, and the place was darker since the sun was only peeking from the horizon before it would have to vanish. In the cave there was a strong wind that was accompanied by stray grains of sand. Yuki got up and held on to the wall due to a dizzy feeling in her head. Then she started remembering something and the memory became clearer and clearer until she finally understood it. She remembered her time in Suna before her family's tragic fate and remembered a boy with red hair and a teady bear. When Yuki finally remembered his face, she saw a younger and more peaceful version of Gaara in the back of ther mind. 'Oh my god!'

'Yuki, are you alright?'

'Yes, but Rin, I finally remembered!'

'You mean you're amnesia...?'

'Yeah, it's completely gone! I remember everything now...and Gaara-kun was there.'

'What?'

'There's no time to explain! I have to find him!' Yuki ran out of the cave and looked around the area to find Kuro coming towards her. She picked him up and held her pet tight as if there were years of separation between them. "Kuro what are you doing here? Where's Gaara-kun?" At the mention of that name, Kuro whined and nodded his head toward the right. Yuki looked up and saw a sand tornado in the area, which was most likely the cause of the sandstorm around them. "Oh no..."

"Yuki-chan!" The girl turned around and found Temari and Kankuro running toward her. "We're so glad you're alright! I think Gaara went out looking for you! I woke Kankuro up as soon as I could and we looked everywhere in the village! Where is he?"

Yuki looked at the tornado once again and then looked back at her two friends. This bad aura she was feeling was pure rage and she had a horrifying idea of where the aura was from. The only question was what she should do about it. When she came to a decision she quickly put Kuro into Temari's arms and ran toward the tornado.

"Hey wait a second! Where are you going?" Kankuro called out to her. "Dammit! Well, do we go after her or not?"

"We should slow down. This sandstorm is getting worse. Oh, I have a bad feeling about this..."

Yuki climbed the sand dune and tried picking up the pace as the sand sank her feet into the ground. When she finally reached the top, she found the main area of the tornado and found what was in it's center: Gaara.

"Gaara-kun what are you doing!?" Gaara didn't hear her from where he was. All he heard was the wind and his enraged thoughts that blocked everything else. Yuki bit her lip a bit to figure out how to get through and she took a deep breath before she charged into the tornado's center. As she ran through, she was able to ignore the small cuts the many grains of sand were making because of her determination and adrenaline blocking the pain. When she finally reached the center, she saw Gaara kneeling on the ground with his hands on his head as if he was trying to squeeze his head. Yuki also saw a couple of scratch marks from his own sand. "Gaara-kun stop this! You're hurting yourself!"

"Go away!"

Yuki felt intimidated by that voice because there was only one time when she heard it and that was when Shukaku took over Gaara and hurt her. "Why? What happened?"

"She's dead!"

Yuki felt confused. Who is this dead person Gaara knows? "Who's dead?"

"Yuki!"

Now Yuki was definitely confused. She pinched herself a bit and felt it, so she should be alive. "What are you talking about? I'm right here!" But Gaara didn't listen. All he did was blame himself and holding his head in his hands. Yuki walked closer and covered her eyes to prevent the sand from hitting them. "Gaara-kun look over here! Please!"

"It's my fault!"

'What should I do? He won't listen to me, slapping him would only make it worse...Crap what should I do?' As she was thinking she saw something fall from Gaara's face. When she came a little closer she saw what was falling. The little drops falling to the sand were his tears. Yuki walked closer and ignored the scratches from the sand and knelt down right in front of Gaara. She quickly leaned forward and hugged Gaara as the tornado was spinning. As soon as he felt the hug, Gaara's rage died down and he released his head and opened his eyes. Right in front of him, and hugging him, was Yuki. As Gaara calmed down, the tornado's spin slowed down until there was only the natural breeze around them.

"Yuki...?" Gaara said after the silence.

"It's me. Are you alright?" Yuki felt Gaara nod while his head rested on her shoulder. "Thank goodness."

"Yuki...there's something important that I have to tell you." Yuki released Gaara to face him. She sat on her knees waiting for what he had to say and she saw him hesitating.

"Oh? Well you can tell me anything if you want."

Then Gaara held Yuki's shoulders and was ready to spill the words he wanted to say. "I-"

"Hey! Anybody up there?"

Gaara stopped himself and looked behind Yuki to see Kankuro, followed by Temari, approaching them. 'You've got to be kidding me...' Gaara let her go and stood up from his spot to face his brother who unintentionally ruined his second chance. "What is it?"

"We saw Yuki head to a tornado and we were worried that she could be in it. Where did it go?"

"Um, it went away. No problem." Yuki said getting up.

Kankuro looked at the two of them and had a suspicious feeling toward the both of them. "What did I just miss?"

"Just get moving ape." Gaara said to his older brother as he walked past him to his sister. Kankuro took offense to what Gaara said and tried to catch up to him only to be tripped by a sudden bump of sand made by his little brother. Temari laughed and pointed at her brother's trip while Yuki tried to stop herself from laughing with her. As the four of them were walking home, Yuki looked at Gaara as she was wondering what he was going to say and, from his hesitation, thinking of how serious the words could be.

(Yay I finally finished! Review if you please and wait (hopefully not too long) for the next one!)