A/N: See? That was what you got for three reviews... -.- even though I KNOW more than three people read chapter five... I know it.... Grrr... oh yeah, enter new character. thank you for the reviews on chapter 6, though.
Hinata stared at the wall, her eyes blank and wide. The wall was pure white, but still it managed to remind her of Gaara.
Her heart ached, and she sat on her futon, holding it as if trying to keep the shattered pieces of her broken heart together.
She had thought that maybe he'd be back...
But after an entire, intolerable week of insomnia, Hinata finally slipped into a fitful sleep.
Gaara pulled his knees to his chest, shaking. She was gone...
I wish she would come-
No.
She had to stay away.
It would not be fair, he told himself.
He felt a slight tingling sensation run down his back.
Turning around cautiously, he was extremely surprised when a cold, wet nose pressed against his arm.
Looking down, he sighed.
Hinata had left her rabbit.
"Kuso," Gaara muttered, extremely annoyed. But he couldn't resist the tearful eyes and picked Chinoumi up.
Stroking the soft fur, he knew she'd take any reason to come back and find him.
Gently scratching behind the long ears Chinoumi tripped over too many times to count, Gaara stared at the stars.
Maybe...
Maybe one day she could come back....
And maybe by then he would have found a way to rid himself of Shukaku...
But it was doubtful.
With a small sigh, Gaara mumbled down to Chinoumi, "I wonder if I shouldn't have done that..."
"No." he said, confidence staining his words. "She's better off... with them..." He felt exhausted suddenly.
Chinoumi's whiskers flittered around, and Gaara gently stood up, trying not to disturb Chinoumi.
With a slight sigh, Gaara felt people coming towards them.
Maybe I should have waited for someone else to come.... It looks like they're trying to find us.... That Shino guy has pretty good luck... Gaara thought glumly.
Chinoumi curled up tighter, pushing against Gaara's stomach.
Calming Chinoumi down, Gaara was about to awaken Temari and Kankuro but then shrugged. They needed sleep. He didn't.
Chinoumi's silver whiskers were twitching in a crazed frenzy.
He frowned. Couldn't they leave Chinoumi alone?
Deftly landing about four feet from Gaara, the team of ANBU smirked at him.
"Gaara of the Desert, we will have to-"
"I don't think so." Gaara interrupted, frowning at the masks of animals. His sand wrapped around his feet.
"You killed the other team of ANBU. You have to suffer the consequences."
"You kept my rabbit from sleeping." He said coldly. They seemed to finally notice the rabbit in his arms.
Glancing around, as if unsure of this sight, a few of them coughed.
"One step closer and I'll kill you," Gaara warned, gently putting Chinoumi down. She hopped into his tent.
His sand made a soft, rain like sound as it rushed against the ground. It halted just one foot before them.
"I'm telling you, go away." Gaara commanded, even though he knew it was useless.
"We are ANBU. You have to come with us," One insisted impatiently.
Before the others could warn him, he stepped onto the sand.
It raced up, silencing his mouth.
"Sabaku kyuu," Gaara said simply. Bringing his hand higher up into the sky, Gaara calmly went to the tent.
"Sabaku SouSou." He closed his fist, ducking into the tent with Chinoumi.
The blood made a familiar splattering sound, mixed with the sand.
Walking out, Gaara held Chinoumi.
"So, gentlemen, if you please," Gaara said, being as polite as he had ever been in his entire life.
One snorted. "He's just bluffing."
"Oh, really? Then why don't you go!"
"Hey, maybe we should go,"
"Wuss!"
Gaara softly turned, and silently woke Temari and Kankuro. They packed up, leaving the illusion that camp was still set.
Kankuro and Temari put everything away, while Gaara stayed in their sight, making a clone.
Leaping up, they left.
Spreading out, they made a sort of braid with their tracks, coming together and then jerking apart in patterns.
Finally ending together again in a forest, they looked ahead and saw a small, distant village, in the shadow and base of a mountain.
Gaara had taken Chinoumi, resting in his arms.
"Should we stay there?"
"Iie." Gaara shook his head. "We're being searched for. A village is where they'll look. We will put on different clothes, and go up to the mountains. We can lose them there."
"Are you sure we can live there? We have never been to a mountain," Temari said, looking worried.
"Hai." Gaara shrugged. "Can you think of anything better?"
"No. Let's keep going. Less people will see us at night," Kankuro said with a small sigh.
They leapt off, Gaara wishing Hinata had taken Chinoumi... it wasn't as if she wasn't helpful, but she would be another mouth to feed.
They changed into black clothes, using genjutsu to change Temari's hair to blue, Gaara's to green, and Kankuro didn't need his changed anyway.
As they crept into the village, the soft chimes of strange metal filled their ears. The lights were off in every house as far as they could see, and the doors and windows shut tightly.
Confused, they knocked on a random door.
After a moment, a person's head poked through the top window, fear in their eyes. It was an old man, wrinkled and age spots littered their face, visible even from there.
"Are you here to fight the demon?" He asked, hope filling his voice.
"What demon?" Kankuro asked.
"Oh... too bad... Hey, you'd better find a place to hide," The man whispered urgently.
"What demon?" Temari repeated for Kankuro.
"It's a huge, monster." He shuddered. "A large, wolf demon. It comes every night at this time, and fights. We've assembled many people there, at the front," he pointed to the direction they were going. "And it kills them. It eats them, and every year we get less people to volunteer their lives to save the village."
"Hmm." Gaara said coldly. "How big is it?"
"About three times the size of this house." The house was large, and two stories high.
"I think we could take this wolf demon," Temari mused.
"With all three of us, probably. Although we may suffer damages." Kankuro said, glancing back at his puppet.
"Let's go then," Gaara said simply. They walked casually down, and the old man sighed.
Another three young souls lost the demon.
Temari took out her polished fan, slamming it into the ground where the other ten people stood. They looked at her, slightly jolted.
"When does it come?" Kankuro asked, unfurling his puppet.
"I-in five minutes' time," a young boy only a few years older than them whispered.
"Hmm. Good." Gaara uncorked his gourd, the sand flowing out. They watched as the three readied their weapons.
"You should all go back to your homes," Kankuro said, not looking up from his puppet.
"W-why?"
"Because you may be hurt in our slaughter," Gaara said coldly, his sand reaching forward to grab onto the base of a tree. The forest was on the right, and the mountain on the left.
As a demonstration, Gaara murmured, "Sabaku kyuu." The sand coated the tree entirely, from the protruding root to the highest leaf.
"Sabaku SouSou." His fist crushed the little bits of sand caught in his hand. The tree gave a loud crack before splitting apart, Temari's fan making sure the wood needles came only a foot in front of their faces before shooting back.
Suddenly, slow, rhythmic stomping could be heard and felt. The ground shook, and they hurriedly rushed to their homes. Gaara set Chinoumi down.
Sweeping out her fan, Temari smirked, excitement bubbling up in her.
Kankuro wiggled his fingers, and could have closed his eyes while fighting if he wanted to.
The stomps grew louder and heavier. They could see clouds of dust, and a blurry gray form if they looked hard enough.
The blur became a smudge, and the smudge became a strange, furry thing.
Then it became a wolf.
Towering over the three Sand-nins, it snarled, saliva dripping down in giant globs.
Whipping the fan, Temari flicked it from her left to her right.
The wind blasted though the air, howling. The wolf barred its teeth and closed its eyes, trees flying at it.
"Kankuro, your turn," Temari smiled.
Moving his puppet forward, Kankuro smirked, knowing exactly what finger and movement did what. The chakra strings didn't grow thin.
The poisonous additions swiftly popped out, and he stabbed the paw. The wolf howled, furious.
Quickly moving his marionette, Kankuro dodged the mouth and paws deftly, getting in three more shots before retracting his puppet.
One of the arms had been taken off, but he was able to get it back by reattaching the chakra string.
Gaara smirked.
"My turn." He ran forward, narrowing his eyes. The sand wound around the wolf's feet, as it got slowed down by the poison.
"Sabaku kyuu!" Gaara snarled, dodging the wolf's heavy attempts.
The wolf howled as it was drenched in his sand, Gaara running and dipped behind a tree.
"Sabaku SouSou!" Clenching his fist, everyone heard the wolf's last howl.
Blood, tiny fragments of crushed bones and sand flew everywhere.
Stepping out, Gaara walked calmly to Temari and Kankuro.
The doors opened reluctantly, and hesitant people slowly stepped out.
As everyone came out, the silent village burst into cheers. Throwing things like hats or necklaces into the air.
Gaara was slightly surprised as everyone came and thanked him, respect and joy in their eyes...
Along with love.
Slightly startled by this, Gaara's eye brows furrowed.
Apparently, they didn't know who he was.
Temari smiled, flourishing her fan.
Kankuro fixed his puppet, and surprisingly amused the children as he retracted the poisonous blades and played with them.
So Gaara stood, his arms crossed.
A small child, not but three or four, came up. She had dark, blue eyes, and long black hair that shielded her face. She was thin, her arms tiny and pale, wearing something resembling a burlap sack with dirt and mud on her. Her face was slightly dirty, a streak of mud on her left cheek.
She smiled shyly at him.
"A-ano, nii-san, c-could I see the sand?" she whispered, hope painting her face as her fingers melted together behind her back. She was so kawaii.
Gaara stared, and finally sand trickled out of his gourd, building the cleanest sandcastle he supposed she'd ever seen... if she even had seen one in her life.
It was small, but intricate. Small, tiny steps, and he hardened it to stay together.
"What's your name?" he asked her.
"Hakugin."
"I'm Gaara," Gaara said, gently ruffling her hair. She smiled at him.
"Where is your okassan?" He asked quietly, bending down.
She didn't look up from the sandcastle, saying quietly, "I don't know."
"And... and your outassan?"
"He left...but he'll come back," She raised her chin up at him, tears in her eyes. "... don't you think so?"
"Hai." Gaara said softly, making small figures and hardening them. Handing the small, one inch people to her, Gaara stood.
"That castle will last about seven months." He said quietly.
"Will.... Will you come back, Gaara-chan?" She asked hopefully.
"...hai. When I come back, I'll build you a new castle."
"D... demo, that means you'll be gone for seven months," Hakugin said sadly, wringing her hands.
Gaara sighed. "You're very smart, Hakugin." Chinoumi's little nose pressed against her leg, and she blinked.
"This," he said, picking Chinoumi up, "Is Chinoumi."
Hakugin looked timidly at the rabbit.
"Does she bite?"
"No." He let he touch her soft fur.
"Where do you stay?"
"Here." She pointed to a small trench by the forest.
"Hmm. Let me see if I can do something about that." Standing up, he said to her, "Wait here. I'll be right back."
Walking over to Temari and Kankuro, he said something to them, gesturing to Hakugin.
Kankuro shrugged, and Temari nodded.
Walking back, Gaara smiled faintly down at her.
"Would you like to come with us?"
Gasping, Hakugin threw her small, pale arms around his legs and sniffed.
"Arigato, Gaara-chan!"
Gaara couldn't help a tiny smile.
"This is Temari," he said, introducing the two females, "And this is Kankuro."
Hakugin smiled nervously, blushing and ducking half behind Gaara's legs.
"Hello," Temari said, bending down to smile at Hakugin.
"Mn," Kankuro said, nodding with a slight smile.
Gaara picked Hakugin up, as she was very light. They set off towards the mountains, waving.
Hakugin fell asleep, and they kept walking up the mountain.
The sun rose, and Temari sighed. It's only been a few hours and I'm exhausted. How does Gaara stand this?
Stopping at a stream, they woke Hakugin up. They all washed, Temari with Hakugin and Kankuro with Gaara.
Changing back to their original hair colors, they put on black clothes, Temari sewing new clothes from old black ones for Hakugin.
Kankuro went in search for food, Temari kept sewing, and Gaara decided to try fishing.
"Onii-chan, when can we eat?" Hakugin asked, holding her grumbling stomach.
Gaara said reassuringly, "Soon." Sharpening a long stick he'd found, he waded silently into the middle of the stream, keeping still.
Only a few moments later, he spotted a fish and swiftly took aim and jerked it into the water.
Hakugin watched, apparently fascinated with the water.
Spearing the fish successfully, Gaara handed the dead fish to Kankuro, who arrived with firewood in one arm and a few small carrots among other things.
Washing the vegetables in the clear water, Gaara managed to spear six more fish. They were vaguely the same, almost a foot in length each.
Hakugin helped wash the vegetables, because that was about all she could do. Temari built the fire, and it almost felt like a functional family.
Sticking the fish on individual pieces of wood, they each roasted their own food. Picking out their favorite vegetables, they added them on and cooked them.
Hakugin watched her fish with wide eyes, the fire so bright, cracking and spitting.
"Ano, what is that, Gaara- onii-chan?" Hakugin asked, tugging feebly at Gaara's clothes.
"Nani?" Gaara asked, leaning forward.
"That." She pointed to the fire.
"Fire."
"What's a fire?" she asked, curious wide eyes looking at the red and orange flames.
Gaara answered, "It keeps you warm, but if you get too close," he put a leaf in the fire, "it will burn you."
Taking the singed leaf out, Hakugin carefully touched it, blinking.
"Does burn hurt?"
"Yes." Temari answered for Gaara, who had never been burnt.
"It leaves a mark," She said, pulling up the long black sleeve of her outfit. On the up side of her wrist, there was a small round circle. It was darker than the other skin, and Temari sighed.
"It hurt a lot. Hot things will burn you, and cold things will freeze you. The cold isn't as bad, unless you are way up north, where it snows a lot. Have you seen snow, Hakugin?"
"Iie. Tassan used to tell me about it though," Hakugin said dreamily. Then she perked up, "I think someone's coming."
"Where?" Gaara stood up, his eyes flickering everywhere.
Kankuro and Temari stood up as well. Hakugin remained seated, comforted in the fact that they would protect her.
Figures jumped out, from everywhere. All around them, ANBU teams appeared.
Kakashi sighed, slightly bored. Yawning slightly, he approached them first.
"Good evening, Kankuro, Temari, Gaara," He looked at Hakugin.
"Who can this be?" He smiled, bending down.
Hakugin hid behind Gaara's pants, blushing at the appearance of so many people. She held onto Gaara's hand, Chinoumi in Gaara's other.
"Oh, right," Kakashi muttered, standing up. "Ahem. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, you will have to come with me."
"And leave a child to fend for herself?" Gaara asked coldly, his old voice coming back. "I don't think so."
"Of course not," Kakashi smiled. "You'll have to bring her back to the village."
"D-demo..." Hakugin frowned, looking down.
"Hmm?" Kakashi looked down at Hakugin.
"D-demo, I don't want to go back," Hakugin whispered, the grip on Gaara's hand growing tighter.
Gaara set Chinoumi in Hakugin's arms, gently detaching her hold.
"If it is a fight you want, then we'll have to kill you," Temari said, taking out her fan.
Kakashi sighed. "Iie. We don't want to fight, but you'll have to come with us."
Kankuro rolled his eyes, getting his puppet out. "Karasu, it's time to play." Moving the puppet with the strings of chakra, he laughed at them.
The three got into a triangle, Hakugin and Chinoumi inside.
Sand flowed out of the gourd, and Gaara folded his free arms across his chest. He didn't particularly want Hakugin to see this, but it couldn't be helped.
Temari's fan glinted against the afternoon sun, and Kakashi sighed.
"We don't want to fight anymore." He insisted.
"We don't want to kill anymore, but it seems you want to die, so we'll help you," Temari said.
Hakugin nibbled on her fingernails.
Without looking behind him, Gaara said, "Don't chew your nails. It's a bad habit." She stopped immediately, nervously twiddling her thumbs.
Kakashi sighed. "If she can beat you, then will you come?"
"Yes." Kankuro answered for them.
"Then let us begin."
A/N: Don't you just love a cliffie? -.- I sure do.. hee hee... oh, what is that I see on the horizon?! Why, another cliff hanger!!! YAY!!!
Oh, yeah, and Hakugin means silver or white. Demo is but, kassan is short for okassan, which is mother. And Tassan is shortened for outassan, which is father...
Is that it?
