Summary: Shukaku is gone…Gaara's dying but he's alive…What's happening? He's gone but Gaara's body and mind are changing being corrupted by something deep within his blood…
Pairings: narugaa shikatem and whoever else you guys want me to pair up
Warning: blood violence swearing
"speaking"thinking as well as normal stuff
Demons speaking or real intense things
Disclaimer: I do not own naruto or any of his characters though I wish I did
A/N: thanks so far to everyone who's reviewed, it means a lot to me it really does. I'm sure none of you really care about these things so let's just get on with the story shall we?
Chapter 7
Naruto made a quiet unsure sound as he attempted to step forward. He would have succeeded if Kakashi hadn't made the sudden move to grab at his shoulder. He could feel the jounin shaking, the very slight tremor that just barely disrupted the tiny hairs on his flesh. The man was scared, any blind person could see that and he had good reason to be Naruto supposed. Gaara did look very, very intimidating.
Those tiny ears were flexing, twisting and recoiling as he sensed the downright terror in the dome structure of the cave that could be called a room. The blond realized with a jolt that the boy's human ears were gone and that the red hair was slightly longer and shaggier. Those green eyes were switching from person to person, sweeping over them and digging into their minds, driving through their eyes and into their brains. He could easily read that they didn't want to be there with him, that they were terrified –so scared that they couldn't even understand the primitive feeling- and wanted to escape.
Naruto wanted to cry. Not out of fear, for some reason he wasn't afraid, he knew Gaara wouldn't hurt them –intentionally- and… at the moment he couldn't even begin to comprehend how the other felt. Naruto glanced over at Kakashi, the man's visible eye narrowed and beads of sweat were running down his forehead. He was frightened, but, unlike the others he was trying to keep it in check, trying not to have the young man before them get even the smallest of glances of that fear. It wasn't working, but at least he was trying to put Gaara's feeling above his own.
However, Naruto wanted to yell at his other teammates. Sakura the most. She knew Gaara's personality, knew that the child reacted to emotions, to fear. She knew that the more fear Gaara felt coming from others around him caused him to get edgy and more unstable. Yet, she wasn't hiding her feelings at all. She was shaking, her entire body visibly trembling as she retreated slowly, one foot back at a time. Her eyes were large as her mouth gaped, the exact expression of someone who wanted to flee.
Sai was worse. Though Naruto couldn't be as angry with him as Sakura because the artist had never met Gaara so therefore didn't know of the boy's working mind. He was literally pushing himself up against the wall, his feet and hands scrambling wildly as the white was completely visible around the entire iris. He didn't seem to understand that with the wall there, behind him, he wasn't going to escape any farther.
Tears slipped out of oceanic blue eyes as he looked back to his friend. Unlike the others he could see the difference in Gaara's mental state. Their fear wasn't helping him. His muscles were twitching, his upper lip barely curling into a miniscule snarl. Those red and black paws were taking the slightest of steps back as he tried to ignore the onslaught of feelings overriding his small body.
Of course. They were terrified. Inside Gaara was crumbling in on himself, falling into a corner as he tried to hold back the tears. He knew he was different, he knew he looked worse, he knew that damn it. But, it was still him wasn't it? Wasn't that what this jutsu was supposed to do? Keep him himself? Too bad they didn't realize that his eyes were the same, they may be brighter but…they hold the same emotions and intelligence as he did before…why didn't they see that?!
Naruto seemed to. Thankfully. Gaara could feel his heart shatter as Kakashi forced the blond back from him. He wanted the blond with him…he wanted to be like the blond…he wanted…he didn't know what he wanted. But he did know that if Naruto looked the same way as the others he would break, and turn his mind into the killer it wanted to become.
Sakura took a step forward, forcing her body to make the necessary steps it took to move to her old sensei. Keeping her eyes on the transformed Gaara she touched the silver haired man with her fingertips. "I think we should leave Kakashi sensei." Her words were whispered and shaking and Kakashi had to strain his ears so he could hear the girl.
Before he could respond they both jumped and Sakura gave out a little shriek. Gaara's eyes had hardened and he skinned back his lips, his teeth ground together as he growled at them. With a start their eyes zeroed in on his eye teeth they had become sharper, they could see the tips of the four fangs, each glittering and they knew that they could break skin with little effort. "Don't speak as if I can't hear you," his voice was harsh and cold and a low grumbling made itself heard from within his throat. "I'm tired of the whispers as you try to hide your words from me…perhaps you haven't noticed…" he flicked his ears, "My ears are a lot more advanced than yours. I can hear every sound uttering from your lips, even the little whimpers that you don't know you're releasing."
Kakashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before reopening them. "Forgive us Gaara, we won't do that again." The boy/demon gave the barest of nods, his lips covering his teeth as he accepted the apology. "How long have we been here?" The man ignored Sakura's tug on his sleeve as she tried to make him leave. He was curious and perhaps if they were polite Gaara would give them information…
"You've been unconscious for one night. I brought you here yesterday late afternoon." Gaara looked away for a moment, blessing the group with the dismissal of his cold stare. "I dealt with your clones for you, though it is rather sad that you couldn't deal with them yourselves." Naruto was the only one who didn't bristle at the red head as he spoke the exact thoughts that were in their heads as they awoke not even an hour ago.
Gaara knew that last statement was rude and hurtful, but at the moment…he really couldn't care less. They were causing him pain by simply being afraid of him even though they should know he would never hurt them. He had every right to be pissy.
Scowling, the frustration starting to overpower the fear, Kakashi asked him with control, "What are those seals around you? And how come you're not trying to kill us?"
The air grew tense as the green eyes snapped to meet the one brown. The bastard actually thinks that he would…?! The pink haired nuisance took a step back, noticing the sudden anger and rivalry flowing between the two. Naruto glanced from one to the other, lightly pushing his sensei's hand off his shoulder as he two, stepped away. "These seals Kakashi are to keep my demon self in check. While I'm within them the demon side of me can't take over my mind, though it obviously doesn't stop my body from changing."
The jounin nodded, his feathers ruffled for reasons unknown to even him. "Sounds like a valuable jutsu. Forbidden no doubt. Though I can tell that you would just jump for any excuse to kill us all wouldn't you? After all…you are turning into a monster and no doubt you never completely changed after your fight with Naruto."
Gaara's eyes widened at the jibe and his ears pressed flat. His bloody mane was bristling, the blood flowing from the reopened scar in faster and thicker rivers. His toes spread and inch long claws extended from between them, their tips scratching groves into the soft dirt beneath his paws. The black chakra was boiling now, escaping from his body and flaring like ragged black flames. HOW DARE HEThe walls shook from the power of the chakra, stalagmites falling and crashing to the ground creating clouds of dust. The seals flickered slightly before flaring, their letters glowing as they enhanced the barrier around the enraged boy who seemed to be falling to the demon's whims. His green eyes flashed, a bright beam exploding from deep within them and mixing in with the black surrounding, his fangs ground together so tightly they verged on the path of breaking. The jagged lines on his face thickened and grew rounder, as if turning into spots.
Sai gave out a pitiful squealing sound that was very similar to that of a dying pig, he scrambled onto his hands and knees and crawled quickly over to Sakura, his limbs shaking as he felt the tremor running through the earth that was positively bawling in despair from the abuse the black chakra was inflicting. He grabbed a fistful of her shirt and pulled, trying to pull her back, though she seemed too terrified to move. She was incredibly stiff, her fingers outstretched as her palms pressed into her thighs, a mewling noise was escaping from her throat, her eyes wide as all of her instincts screamed at her to run…the beast before them all sending a message directly into their blood…a threat that would be impossible for mere humans to handle. But she was unable to move, her feet rooted to the trembling earth, refusing to respond to the signals her brain was directing to them.
Naruto's eyes widened as he stared open mouthed at Kakashi. How…? Why…? His sensei wasn't like this!!! Why was he speaking this way to the distraught red head?! Red eyes snapped open and the blond could feel Kyuubi moving about in his cage, nine tails flapping before five of them flung between his hind legs, displaying his own apprehension like the dog species he truly was. He bared his teeth at the blond who appeared in front of the bars of his cage, his fur bristling as his long ears were pressed back. Kit…what the hell is going on?! The demon could feel the ten tails rage, could practically taste that bitter and spicy tang of pure fury. His host was looking just as disturbed as he was feeling the human's body was shaking as he looked up into the fox's red eyes. Kakashi is what happened…I don't know why…He was showing some form of compassion a few minutes ago so why…? Kyuubi glanced at the jounin through his vessel's eyes, his red orbs narrowing as he tried to decipher the silver haired man's motives for angering the other demon. Something isn't right Kit…there's something wrong with him…it's like he's provoking your friend into attacking.
Gaara growled his eyes impossibly wide as he felt the power of the seals chakra battling with the demon side of him, attempting to drag it back into its confines of chains. He could feel it, could feel his demonic self pressuring him into attacking, to tear out the offensive human's throat and swallow all of the delicious blood… Kami, he almost wanted to, he suddenly missed the taste and feel of the metallic liquid running down his throat, missed the screams of agony his victim would always release and he missed the smell as his victim slowly changed into a corpse. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the blood induced thoughts as he rapidly reminded himself that this was the precise reason he set up the seals, so he would be able to control himself.
Frowning he glared at Kakashi, human intelligence starting to battle with demonic instincts. The jounin wasn't like this, he always tried to avoid conflict if it was possible, not start it. He honed his chakra, threading small tendrils of into the air directed at his offender. Immediately something started to glow in the man's temple and Gaara had a sudden flashback of watching Naruto's clones rake against the fragile skin. Was something implanted?
Without warning Gaara lashed out, his hand streaking out of the barrier faster than anyone's eye could follow. A second passed and Sakura made a sound between a gasp and a scream, her hands flying to her mouth. Sai gurgled as he stared at the blood that slowly dripped from his team leader's left temple.
Nartuo stared in shock, the attack was completely unexpected and he heard Kyuubi's whisper as the fox demon watched through his eyes as well. It appears he figured it out… Figured it out? What does that mean? Kyuubi? Kyuubi! The fox didn't answer and at least that much was usual.
Kakashi blinked as he felt a dull throb in his head, starting from his temple and spreading across his forehead. He met infuriated green eyes dead on and felt a flash of extreme guilt. He knew everything that he had been saying, but for some reason something was forcing him to provoke the child, despite his reluctance. There was a crumbling sound to his left and he felt droplets of blood flow from the small wound engraved in his temple.
Gaara gave a low growl and drew back his hand. Kakashi covered the wound with a slight wince but stared in shock at the object Gaara was holding just like everyone else in the room. First off, the group was a tad bit surprised at the transformation of the pale hand. There was a light sheen of red and black fur on it, starting from within the sleeve and stopping at the tip of his fingers, the patch of hair thin, barely displaying any color. His fingers were curled slightly, his thumb curled farther away from his index than a normal humans, making it somewhat awkward to attempt to hold onto the crumbled piece of paper held within his sharp claws.
He looked up from the paper, it seemed as if Orochimaru had left a little present behind should the group survive. The kanji written on the sheet were similar to the curse marks written on the ones the sannin had used against the Third Hokage back in the Chunin Exams when he had bent the resurrected First and Second Hokages to his will by placing the papers into their backs. Letting his snarl die down so it was a little less imposing Gaara growled out low with the demon's influence still thrumming through him. "Absolutely pathetic Hatake. I would've expected you of all people to be able to repress urges like these. Apparently I was wrong." He crumbled the sheet into a ball, allowing his chakra to flow out of his palm and burn it.
Team Seven just stared in shock, none more so than Kakashi who looked at the pile of ash on the ground in shame. He couldn't repress it…how disgusting. The jounin bowed to the calming boy in front of him, his eyes closed as he stated his apology. "Please forgive me Gaara san. I-I did not mean a word I said just now, the Gaara we met at the Chunin Exams is completely buried. Please, I didn't intend to hurt you-"
"Oh hush up Kakashi." Gaara placed his hand back to his side, letting the sleeve hide his hand once again as his chakra dissipated along with his anger. His snarl died and his ears went back up, his claws retracting back between his toes. "Your apology is accepted," the jounin stood and looked at the younger with a grateful eye.
Sakura moved forward and pressed her hand near her sensei's head, her palm glowing green as she worked her jutsu. Looking from Gaara to her task she said quietly, "How did that get there?"
The demon sighed as he fell gracefully to the floor, crossing his legs and the seals calmed down. Placing his hands into his lap Gaara looked up at the group, ignoring the brunette still on the floor gawking at him…truthfully he wondered who the boy was and just as truthfully he didn't really care. "Orochimaru no doubt left those clones there for you to battle. He expected one of two outcomes. One: you all die there and then, probably from Naruto's clones losing control of the cloned Kyuubi. Two: you survive, and if you were to survive, he had the clones place that tag into one of you so he could have temporary control."
The group nodded but Naruto let out his confusion, dropping to the floor to sit in the same manor of that of his friend. "Okay, that makes sense but…why would Orochimaru want Kakashi sensei to provoke you?"
Gaara looked down at that, unsure of the answer because he had never met the snake man face to face. He only knew the sannin's personality because of the stories he heard from Naruto and the rumors spread about the entire world. Kakashi answered his pupil's question, his head slightly nudging into the pleasurable feelings of the medical chakra threading into his skull. "Gaara, has he been showing up here?"
Snorting the red head didn't look up, rasping annoyingly he stated, "Unfortunately. I haven't met with him but I could feel him moving around my territory (which is what this section of the river country was now). Why?"
Kakashi nodded silently before uttering a muffled grunt as Sakura smacked him on the back of the head, causing a headache to form rapidly from the spot and spread like wild fire. "Don't move you're messing up the healing process."
Grumbling quietly he answered the boy's question. "He probably knows that you're here than and he most likely expected us to find you after our battle if we survived. Or he probably expected you to come to our rescue like you did. Most likely Orochimaru wanted me to piss you off badly enough to get you to kill us, alienating the threat we are to him and Sasuke."
The five stiffened, allowing the theory to process into their minds, letting them mull over the very probable possibility. Gaara curled his nose in disgust. So, Orochimaru attempted to use him again eh? The first time was during the destruction of the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams, the sannin had wanted to use him as a weapon to ultimately destroy Konoha. Thankfully Naruto prevented that though. Now the bastard was trying to use him to kill his friend and his friend's friends?! What the hell! Gaara cracked his knuckles and shook his head a little. This only added onto Gaara's want to meet and kill the man. Not only did Orochimaru attempt to use him twice now, he killed his father, who was Gaara's prey alone.
Sakura dropped her hands and said quietly, "There, you're all patched up again Kakashi sensei." Looking down at Gaara she felt a flare of pity and fear, the boy was probably engrossed in a lot of anger at the moment. Not only with Orochimaru and them but himself as well. She looked over at Sai who was still on the floor, his fingers still curled in the fabric of her shirt. His brown eyes were wide and he seemed unable to take his eyes off the boy.
Gaara looked up from the floor and at his companions. He wanted to speak with Naruto and Naruto alone. "Would you please go back to the cave's entrance, there's something I would like to say to Naruto." His request wasn't really a request, the words were in the form of a request but his tone was nothing short of a command. Naruto tilted his head to the side, confused and curious as to what his friend wanted to say to him.
The others stiffened slightly before nodding. Kakashi turned his back on the two and began to tread out of the room and back into the tunnel leading to the cave entrance, his guilt still in his heart, making his decision all the more easier to make. Sakura left a minute after, unsure about leaving her closest friend alone with the Sand Man. She had to pluck Sai off the floor and drag him to his feet, as he was still dazedly kneeling on the ground. As she walked through the tunnel she could feel Gaara's green eyes move from her back to Sai's who was currently a few feet behind her.
Sai looked over his shoulder and his eyes met with the emotionless green. So, this was Gaara? His mind was split in two at the moment, his rational side battling with his artistic side. His rational side was screaming at him to move faster, to distance himself from that freak and to ignore the fascination pouring in from his artistic side. As an artist Sai was able to see beauty in things that others would call disgusting. He had a feeling that the others weren't disgusted by the being that they were leaving behind with the blond idiot but he also had the feeling that they couldn't see the beauty engraved into the red head's body and presence alone. The red head was gorgeous in a way, the way the blood from the scar and the shade of his hair clashed with his snow white skin was positively captivating. The twitching animal ears and paws were so out of place on a human body that it had immediately captured his attention and even in his terrified state of mind he was picturing the gorgeousness of the being itself. Those green eyes drowning in a sea of black were so vibrant that they nearly exceeded past the color of the human vision, and the viciousness and the raw power when he had gotten enraged by Kakashi's influenced speech was inspiring. There was a mission in his mind now, some sort of goal pressing into his head that implored him to draw the creature he had just left. Ah, how beautiful a picture it would make as well….
After they were out of sight Naruto shifted so he was directly in front of his friend, a smile on his face. Gaara looked straight into his eyes, his nostrils flaring slightly but before he could even open his mouth Naruto asked a question.
"So, when your body is done…transforming or whatever…what animal do you think you'll be?" The question was cautious bordering on the excitement of a child waiting to open up a birthday gift the blond was even leaning forward placing most of his weight on his hands that he had pressed onto the ground as his face came very close to the invisible barrier.
Gaara cocked his head to the side, mentally grateful that the barrier is just that, a barrier and that it wouldn't cause any pain if someone or something touched it, for Naruto's nose was a mere inch from it. Honestly, he hasn't really given the prospect of what species of animal he was going to morph into much thought, never really caring enough to entertain the slight curiosity. Now though that Naruto had asked it, he mulled over the different animals, thinking about both his personality traits and how his body had transformed so far.
"I'm not really sure to be honest with you." Gaara rolled his eyes upwards so they rested on the ceiling, subconsciously asking himself as to why he was suddenly talking so much. Reverting his attention back to the blond he added quietly, "Most likely some sort of cat though."
Naruto narrowed his eyes and "mmmed" while nodding slowly and placing his chin in his left index and thumb as he scrutinized the red head. The rounded ears were certainly trademarks of a cat, as well as the paws muscular structure, Gaara's personality tended to board on the brink of passiveness, feisty, dangerous and dare he think it? Compassionate at times, all traits of cats, the big jungle ones and domesticated both. The jagged lines running across the red head's face reminded him a bit of a tiger, but when he had gotten angry at Kakashi the lines had turned into spots, reminding him of a leopard or jaguar. Shrugging he figured that they would both know sooner or later.
Gaara was currently mentally thanking whatever Kami was there right now for making it so at least Naruto wasn't running away from him in fear. Despite his obvious changes the blond seemed to still like him just as much as he did before. He didn't know what would happen to him if Naruto reacted like everyone else.
"So," his low rasp made the blue eyes jump from his new features to his eyes as he attempted to start a conversation. Letting his curiosity get the better of him he asked quietly, "Who was the new one? That brunette with the strange clothing."
Naruto chuckled at the way Gaara worded Sai. "Ah, Sai, he's new to the team. Ever sense Sasuke left Team Seven has been short one person so he's replacing him." Naruto's amusement seemed to disappear at the thought of Sasuke, turning into frustrated determination. "Me and the others were coming over here because we had heard from a representative that Sasuke had been spotted around these parts. But, it seems as if he really doesn't want us to find him if he set up those traps with Orochimaru."
Honestly Gaara couldn't understand it. He may not have known what had happened to the Uchiha in the past to make his eyes look so bent on to prove his purpose in life but still. The brat was apparently power hungry and Gaara remembered when the two fought in the forest and also when he had found him training with Hatake before the final exams how he stated that the Uchiha did indeed know true suffering. And that his eyes displayed that he wanted to destroy the one who had made him suffer through it. Uchiha may have felt that he was alone because of something that had happened to him but…he was not alone. Naruto had come to his defense the second Gaara had been about to crush him in Shukaku's palm, even Sakura had stood up against the half transformed Gaara when he rushed forward to finish the kill when Naruto had been distracted by his fear. The Uchiha had Naruto, had Sakura and Kakashi and how many other people but still he abandoned Konoha.
All in all. In Gaara's eyes…Sasuke Uchiha is the biggest idiot the world had ever had the grace to let walk the earth.
A bastard as well. Not only did Gaara somewhat hate him for being the first to truly maim him physically but also for what he did to Naruto.
Exhaling loudly through his nose Gaara exclaimed quietly, "Naruto Uzumaki, I swear that if I find Sasuke Uchiha before you…I will keep him in place long enough for you to collect him."
Naruto who had been glaring at the ground after admitting to himself that Sasuke had indeed assisted Orochimaru in trapping them to their deaths felt a jolt run through his body as his eyes went wide beyond comparison. Looking up he slowly met Gaara's gaze, his lips slightly parted as the words that Gaara had just said thundered through his skull. There was nothing but pure sincerity in those orbs, and Naruto couldn't help but replay the way the words were spoken over and over in his head. They were threaded with truth and by the tone of the sentence they were an absolute promise, like when Naruto had first sworn to Sakura how he would bring Sasuke home.
A soft smile adorned his face as he stared gratefully into his friend's eyes, warm tears burning behind the sockets. "Thank you." Gaara bowed his head, not breaking eye contact and Naruto couldn't even begin to explain the warm feeling spreading in his heart and belly.
But…there was still another issue. The smile melted into a thin line as Naruto began to think about Gaara not being where he truly belonged, in his home in Suna. "We all miss you Gaara…Baki's doing a pretty good job being Kazekage and all but he obviously is upset on how he was suddenly appointed." His voice was soft and tempting and Gaara found himself looking away, already knowing where the conversation was headed.
"We need you to come back Gaara…I understand how you feel about their reactions to this whole," Naruto swung his right arm in a sweeping motion, "Demon thing but, you can always bring this jutsu with you! I mean as long as you're in that you're still you! It's killing Temari and Kankuro Gaara! They feel as if what's going on is their fault, and honestly I've never seen them in so much pain." Naruto gulped as he looked at his friend, how Gaara refused to meet his eyes and his ears had begun to sink in depression.
Gaara knew he was most likely hurting his siblings by leaving them, Kami he was hurting. His heart was aching and pounding and he just wanted to be held and reassured like a lost child and he suddenly found himself missing Shukaku's presence. The tanuki had always been there, through good and bad and had always helped him, sung him lullabies that would sometimes cause him to fall asleep and wreak havoc among the townsfolk but at least during those times Shukaku never went too far and Gaara had been able to find peace for once. Shukaku had always talked with him, kept him company even though his company had helped him turn completely and raving mad as he decided that to kill was his existence. Now, with the demon gone all that was left was himself and frankly he was scared. He had always been told he was a monster, a demon that would always kill and never be loved. He rarely trusted or acted on his instincts and what others demanded of him and Shukaku had been able to help by giving generous words of advice when he was confused as to what extent to follow their orders and what his instincts said. Now, he was expected to listen to his own thoughts, no one else's and no one was there to help him, all that was there was him and his demon side which wanted to take complete control. He was scared and in pain but there was nothing that could be done about it. He was protecting his village by not being there and he was protecting Konoha by not bothering them with his presence.
Naruto closed his eyes and let his crystalline tears fall as Gaara said softly, "I'm sorry…please tell Temari and Kankuro that I'm sorry as well and that I…I miss them."
His throat burned as he stood and nodded muttering a silent, "Sure thing," before turning to leave. His heart felt like it was breaking into pieces as he walked out of the room without turning around or glancing back. Gaara was his closest comrade, closer than Sasuke and he was hoping that he would be able to talk Gaara into going back to his village but apparently that was no good. It was almost like dealing with the Sasuke incident all over again except this time he wasn't left with any physical wounds, now…his heart had been stabbed and torn into shreds. He didn't feel betrayed, for he felt that Gaara knew what he was doing and would figure out eventually that his village needed him and by staying away he wasn't helping but only hurting.
The bright sunshine that assaulted his face as he exited the gloomy tunnel seemed completely out of place and he wished with all his might that storm clouds would bloom.
Chapter 7 ladies and gents is now complete. Though I must admit I didn't really plan a thing on this chapter it all just came pouring out…oh well.
HOPE YOU ALL HAD A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOT EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANTED. ORIF YOU CELEBRATE SOMETHING ELSE I HOPE YOU HAD FUN DOING THAT TO
NOW ALL THAT'S LEFT IS A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
PLEASE REVIEW FOR GAARA!
Ja ne
