I dsiclaim and all that dance.

Oh, and thanks to GaaraLuver22, eyeofthetigerkissofthedrogan and lonewolf4ever.

She's going to do some sweet things eventually, but first i'm going to establish her attraction which first manifests itself in a form of thrill-seeking, then sort of progress. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE I NEEDED IT!

and um... what's a mary-sue?

We're finally out of the desert. It's great, no sandstorms or sand stuck in awkward places almost no sand at all excluding a certain red head's choice of back wear.

After leaving the snow-scape of my home then the desert of sand, being submerged in a forest of lush green was perfect. It was so different from either deserts, snow or sand that I found myself preoccupied with the unusual new sights of large number of flowers and trees. It was good to feel so distant from all the bad things that happened, Haru and the kids seemed to feel the same way.

I smiled at Naruto's excitement, he was playing tag with the kids in the trees as we went. Sakura was walking beside Sasuke and Haru talking about Hidden Leaf. Kankuro was tinkering with the head of his puppet, while I was hastily moving away from him. Those dam puppets still creep me out. I glanced back to find him smirking at me. I rolled my eyes, he could be such a prick sometimes… most times actually.

Temari was well out front, she seemed in a rush to get there. I'd gathered from Kankuro's teasing that Temari had a boyfriend, which explained her eagerness.

I sighed and glanced around realising with a start that I was walking beside Gaara. He walked almost mechanically, his arms folded over his chest and his expression characteristically fixed. The only part of him that seemed to be at all effected by the world around him were his clothes, black cloth rippling in the breeze as he strode forward.

I frowned looking ahead.

I felt fine like this and I was within a two metres of him, it just seemed to be when he looked at me that my skin crawled and my heart fought to get out of my chest. He was still disturbing, just not as frightening when his cold-teal gaze wasn't directed at me.

In fact, the odd nervous prickling I got at this distance was almost exciting, like sledging down a steep mountain knowing at any moment you could slip and go spinning and tumbling for miles downward. He was content to ignore me and everyone else, and I was happy to pretend to ignore him.

Plus, Kankuro seemed to avoid Gaara when he could, which meant if I were near his Royal Scariness, Kankuro was less likely to bother me.

Space

Gaara has to be the most infuriating person on the planet. He doesn't laugh, doesn't smile, doesn't even seem to pay attention to anyone beyond himself. He also doesn't sleep, not once had I see him sleep on this trip, he eats really strange too. He'd stare or glare at the fire or a rock or water depending on his mood and chew 'absently' on his food. How can you eat food absently? You have to taste it and react to it no matter what, he just seems eat it for the sake of eating not because he likes or dislikes it. That's really strange, even Naruto lets it be known when Sakura's cooking is so bad it's not worth eating, although he's way more subtle than Sasuke… funny that it's usually the other way around.

Haru had taken the kids of to the left quite a distance away to study the trees and plants of this area. I was amazed Haru was so familiar with the plants here, I didn't know any really, not that I'd really ever been Interested.

Right now I was sitting cross legged frowning at his Royal Scariness who was sitting rigid on rock about a metre up arms and legs crossed and gourd leaning against the base of the rock. His eyes were closed. I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.

"Do not stare at me" he said coldly voice flat and without variation. I blinked and glared at him in irritation, he didn't even have the decency to open his eyes. After a few more moments he did open his eyes and turned his head directing a fierce glare at me. Giddiness rolled inside my gut and I felt my muscles stiffen, but I refused to be intimidated… or more accurately to show it.

"I said, 'stop' staring" he said, his voice lower. He had that cold china-doll expression, although his eyes were flashing with malice.

"…I did, I'm glaring now" as the words formed from my mouth I felt my heart start thrumming and a thrill burn through my flesh, I still wanted to slap myself for being such an idiot and provoking the murderous sand-Nin though. He was silent, glaring straight on me, no longer absent or self-absorbed. I felt as if he was regarding me under a microscope, completely exposed and vulnerable, and yet I wasn't recoiling or hiding.

The wind made his wildly spiked red hair and black clothes shift in the breeze while his expression remained unmoving and blank in comparison

"Hey, wow. I'm sensing tension here!" exclaimed Naruto diving over to us looking nervous glancing hastily and talking quickly. "Hey, Ai maybe you should go with Temari and Sakura to get water while me and Sasuke go find food!" he suggested with a sheepish grin blue eyes worried. I could tell he was trying to diffuse the situation, and a part of me was truly thankful, while another part was really disappointed.

"You mean I'll find food and you'll run around blindly!" called Sasuke as he walked to the tree line. I laughed and before Naruto could react to Sasuke's barb I nodded and got up moving after Sakura and Temari hearing Naruto's complaints fade into the distance. I could still feel Gaara's gaze between my shoulder blades as I walked.

"What are you trying to do?" snapped Temari rounding on me after we got some distance away from the camp. "Gaara could snap if you bait him, that'd be bad for you" she spat eyes flashing. She was taller than me and a bit older and defiantly more hostile.

"Come on Temari, it's not Ai's fault, she probably doesn't know much about Gaara and his… problems" Sakura shifted her weight from one foot to another nervously. Temari narrowed her eyes and tutted as if it were my fault. She put a hand on her hip and glared at me.

"I'll educate you shall I?" she snapped "Gaara is the container for the racoon demon, Shukaku" she paused acting as if that should be of some significance. I didn't see why, Suzuki had a demon sealed in him and from what I knew he wasn't any trouble. I blinked at her tilting my head.

"So?" I asked. She threw her hands up exasperated and stepped away as if she were preventing herself from lashing out at me and my stupidity.

"Ai, Gaara's really strong because of his demon, he could kill you really easily" said Sakura eyeing Temari's back warily.

"…it doesn't matter how much stronger a person is, it just matters weather or not that person is stronger than you. I mean Kankuro and Sasuke and even Temari are stronger than me, they could all kill me if they had a mind to, but I'm not avoiding them" I said a bit confused and irritated at Temari's actions.

Sure Gaara was creepy and royally scary sometimes, but I didn't see the point in avoiding him because he could kill me or anyone else. In fact I wanted to analyse his fighting style because he 'could' defeat Ichiro so easily.

"You don't understand you stupid little idiot!" Temari advanced on me aggressively. "Gaara enjoys killing, the sight and smell of blood excites him. Recently he's been better at controlling himself, but if someone were to push him he wouldn't hesitate to kill them!" she looked at me disgusted before stalking of walking stiffly in anger and probably frustration.

"…Just be careful Ai, what you say about stronger people is true, but most other people wont kill you because they feel like it" Sakura said bluntly then turned and followed Temari. I stood still staring after them, digesting this information. I folded my arms hugging myself in thought.

"She's right you know" came a calm, indifferent voice. I looked up finding Sasuke lounging casually on a tree bough. "A while ago he used to define his existence through killing… he tried to kill me Sakura and Naruto. He's changed since then, but he's still not very stable".

"Because of his demon?" I prompted gazing up at the Uchiha. He shrugged slightly his obsidian gaze resting lazily on the leaf in his hand.

"Perhaps. It's possible he's partially insane even without the demon though, it really wouldn't surprise me, you know he barely ever sleeps? He can't because of his demon, that could affect a person's mind especially over such a long period of time" Sasuke spoke with a careless tone, and shrugged rubbing the leaf between his fingers frowning. I could tell the red-head made him uneasy and he was warning me off him in his own Sasuke-ish way.

I was silent, I hadn't ever considered the implications a demon would have on the container. To be warned of him twice in the space of five minuets and my own instinctual reaction to the red head all suggested it would be smart to avoid Gaara. However, I had already decided I needed to learn from him. I needed to see him train and figure out how he controlled sand and apply it to my blood if it were at all possible.

"I'll be careful" I stated, a non-committing statement, I was making no promises I knew I might have to break. Sasuke nodded getting up the leaf falling from his hand to the grass below.

"I better go and find Naruto before he breaks his neck or something" with that he was gone, leaping into the abyss of trees. I sighed and jogged after the girls.

space

I helped carry the canteens in a sling-like bag on my back. I didn't see why the academy brats couldn't get their own dam water… God I'm starting to sound like Kankuro.

Temari had landed me with the largest pack, evidently still mad at me. We reached the clearing and I dumped my pack down and collapsed into a haphazard sitting position before flopping onto my back, my arms outstretched above my head grateful for the rest as I breathed deeply.

"If you're tired already you really must be weak, brat" came a mocking and amused voice. I sighed, my eyes closed.

"Kankuro, do you practise or are you just naturally a prick?" I asked tiredly.

"Funny" came the dry-voiced reply. I heard clattering and my eyes flew open. His evil, ugly straw-haired puppet was leaning over me a blade protruding from it's throat. It's the eyes swirled madly. I shuddered.

"Get that thing out of my face!" I snapped unmoving and wary.

"That 'thing' is called Karasu, and I'm not moving it until you address it as such" he said arrogantly. I rolled my eyes.

"Can you move Karasu?" I said blandly. He chuckled and the puppet leaned back and slumped to the ground. I sat up and glared at Kankuro, who smirked happily. His face paint was different this time, lines ending in sharp points like blades instead of the blocky rectangular pattern he had previously.

He moved closer, kneeling down and proceeding to dismantle the puppet checking the joints and such. The other puppet that had imprisoned me when I first ran into the puppet master was still wrapped in bandages a few feet away.

"What's the other one called, then?" I asked bluntly gesturing to ward it with my head. Kankuro looked at me cocking an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.

"Kuroari" he said with a sigh before turning back to his other puppet. I rolled my eyes and got up, moving towards the fire where Sasuke and Naruto were arguing, or more accurately Naruto was arguing 'at' Sasuke. I sat down heavily, they both glanced at me curiously.

"I'm bored" I declared looking at the fire.

"How about training!" exclaimed Naruto bouncing excitedly on his crossed legs.

"…um…" I started unsure and hesitant, I felt pretty tired already.

"You'll need to re-train when you get to Hidden Leaf anyway, there's no snow to use in snow jutsu and you're not advanced enough to know how to create your own from chakra" stated Sasuke a bored tone to his voice. I sighed. It was true.

"Yeah, okay. Maybe I'll learn something" I said getting up and stretching. Naruto grinned getting up bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Focus on taijutsu" said Sasuke poking the fire with a stick. Naruto nodded grinning happily. I winced and stepped over to the clearing Narutohad jogged over to already. He looked so dam excited, where did he get all the energy? He formed a seal.

"Kage bushin no jutsu!" he yelled out. Immediately four shadow clones formed. I groaned then formed my own seal.

"Chi Jounetsu" I said in a more diffused voice than Naruto. I pushed it hard, feeling my muscles tighten and feeling the blood pounding in my ears. Naruto grinned.

"Uzumaki Naruto Rendan" my eyes widened as all four shadow clones charged at me circling then lunging in for the attack. I couldn't move fast enough to dodge them all, I was punched and kicked only managing to destroy one clone before Naruto finished with a powerful kick to my head. I landed hard but flipped up glaring.

Pain surged from the points of impact, I could feel tingling where the bruises were forming. Naruto smirked , well him and his clones smirked I wasn't sure which was real, determination burned in his eyes.

"That was cool" I said wincing and rubbing the side of my head still feeling a bit shaken.

"We're only just starting!" he yelled the three remaining clones and the actual Naruto all moved in perfect synchronisation, drawing and throwing two shuriken each. "Naruto Ninpocho; Shihou Hapou Shuriken no Maki!". Two words; OH, CRAP.

Naruto as stronger than me even with Chi Jounetsu at this stage, I had to go further or this match would be over, that meant I needed an outlet for my blood so my arteries wouldn't rupture. I used my arms to block my face as several of the shuriken moved thumping into my flesh. The impacts were punctuated my a sharp stabbing pain at my right shoulder, left thigh and my left side were a shuriken crazed me.

"Ai!" I heard Sakura call out. I moved ripping out the shuriken in my shoulder and thigh and increasing my chakra flow dramatically. I felt my eyes go red and an almost unbearable tension burn into my body as blood flooded free of my wounds. My senses shot up along with my strength, speed and reactions. I moved, finally on offence landing a powerful kick to Naruto, who was still in shock from me allowing myself to be hit so badly.

My blood flew into a wild cascade of crimson droplets at my swift motions. Naruto tumbled and slammed into a tree that groaned and creaked, he dove aside as it began falling on him.

His head popped up from the other side of the trunk. He was grinning madly. "Your almost as strong as Tsunade like that!" he announced. I smirked then moving rapidly I bolted at the tree freezing my legs a foot from it to allow my arm to lunge forward my fist powered by physical strength and momentum. It threw the tree back toppling a few more with a load raor of breaking wood and a hiss of leaves, but the Naruto it slammed into was gone in a puff of smoke. I blinked and frowned looking around. More clones, lots more clones appeared all around me. I shuddered slightly, reminded of Ichiro's attack.

"No way! I quit!" I said loudly moving out of fighting stance. The clones all blinked in confusion then were gone in a puff.

"What's wrong?" asked Naruto puzzled standing to my left.

"No way am I going to let that many people pummel me if I don't have to" I said stubbornly folding my arms. He grimaced grinning sheepishly scratching the back of his head. I smiled, showing there were no hard feelings.

"You shouldn't rely on your blood limit like that" came Sasuke's voice. He was eyeing the cuts all over my body. I smirked and felt my blood beginning to heal the wounds as my blood level returned to normal. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"That's a lot coming from you Sasuke!" snapped Naruto defensively, he really overreacted a lot.

"Kid has a point Sasuke, I mean the Hyuga clan's fighting style revolve around their's and you rely on yours quite a bit" said Temari from where she lent on a tree casually, with her arms folded. I wasn't aware they'd all been watching, Haru was frowning to himself, the kids had these silly little starry eyes expressions while looking at Naruto. I hoped this would result in a horde of mini-Naruto's running around Hidden Leaf.

"Yes, but we both have far more control than Ai does, and our limits don't require us to inflict self injury. She needs to learn how to use her limit more efficiently" said Sasuke smirking. Temari rolled her eyes and walked away dismissively followed by Kankuro.

"You should ask Neji to help you out, he'll be able to see how you use your chakra wrong and help you fix it" said Sakura smiling happily. I nodded to her smiling thankfully for her advice.

"I'm going to wash this blood off" I said gesturing to my bloodied shoulder, then turning back to the river. Now I had Gaara and this Neji guy to learn from. I had never considered a more efficient way of using Ikiruchi, Sasuke was doing it subtly, but he was trying to help me get stronger.

I want to do something with Gaara's birthday. I was thinking about making it so there's a festival on his birthday to celerbrate the sealing of his demon and because he never went and his brother and sister grew up used to not celerbrating his b day because of his nasty dad and the sealing festival he's not used to birthdays.

Just an idea, tell me whatcha think