I just want to give a huge thank you to Navi. I wanted to send you a message, but you signed in as a guest, so I hope you read this! I really appreciate your review for the last chapter. It was the very first one I've gotten for this story and it really makes me feel great that its worth reading. :) Thank you for your support!


Scroll One; Chapter Eight:

I Will Give My Life

I paced my bedroom floor frantically. I couldn't keep my thoughts in order as my stomach balled into a painful knot. I pulled at my hair, curling into myself against the wall. This was something I couldn't handle. I couldn't bear the thought of what the Akatsuki could be doing to Gaara and I couldn't understand why Lady Tsunade was so adamant about not allowing me to go with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi to rescue him.

"Absolutely not, Kyan. You'll only be a liability."

"Please, Lady Hokage! Gaara is part of my family and my best friend! I have to go! I can't just sit around and do nothing! I can't lose another person!"

"The answer is no. Anyway, you can leave after you've finished cleaning the windows."

A piercing scream flew from my lips as I punched the floor hard. I was so incredibly angry with not only the Akatsuki, but with Lady Tsunade. I just wasn't able to put myself in her mindset.

My mother rushed into the room, her cheeks a soft cherry color and her eyes puffy. She had been a crying mess ever since I'd informed her of Gaara's abduction nearly two days before. She pulled me into a tight embrace, which I shimmed my way out of. I couldn't sit stationary and the sensation of her restraining arms was nearly enough to drive me crazy.

"Kyan, please try to contain yourself," my mother pleaded as I kicked my trash bin into the wall, leaving a small dent. Sleep had deserted me, so my patience was nonexistent.

"I'm going," I whispered, searching for my medical pouch. "I'm going rogue. I don't care. I need to help him."

"Listen to yourself!" my mother screamed, grabbing my shoulders tightly. Her fingertips dug into my skin painfully. "If you go rouge, they will find you and they will kill you, Kyan! Do you understand that?! You aren't thinking clea—"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" I screeched, tears cascading from my eyes. I pushed her roughly from me. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS FEELS TO BE SO WORRIED SICK AND HELPLESS! I CAN'T JUST SIT BACK WHILE THEY HURT HIM, MOTHER! I DON'T CARE IF I DIE! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH THAT I WILL DIE FOR HIM!"

My mother gave a small sigh, wiping at her eyes once more. I only stood staring at her, my breathing erupting into small, gasping hiccups. I expected her to become angry that I had shoved her and raised my voice to her. Slowly, she pulled me into another tight hug, smoothing out my hair.

"You are certainly your father's baby girl," she whispered in my ear. Her voice was the opposite of angry, which fortunately calmed me down a small amount. "You love so strongly and passionately. I'm so proud of you." She took my hand in hers, gently guiding me toward her bedroom.

"Mom, what're you—"

"Hold on."

Releasing my hand, she knelt near the bed, grabbing underneath. After a moment of searching around, she pulled back a sheathed tachi. My heart plummeted. It had belonged to my father.

"Here," she murmured, holding it to me. I gazed at it for what seemed like hours. "I feel like you should have this now, since you have a reason to fight."

When I was younger, my father had taught me the basics of the weapon; where to slice a person to inflict the most damage, how to block with the blade, how to hold the hilt. I'd always used a replica wooden one, but as I took the genuine sword in my trembling hands, it felt as if it had been made specifically for me.

"No matter what you do," my mother said, not even trying to stop the tears from falling onto the floor. "No matter where you go or who you become, you will always be my daughter and I will always love you, Kyan."

Before I could take her into my arms, a loud rap came at the front door. We both hurried to the den, hoping for good news, and opened the door to stare directly into the chest of Lady Tsunade. My mother bowed respectively while I just gave her a confused gape. Behind her stood Lee, Tenten, Neji, and Guy.

"Going on a hunting trip?" she questioned, giving my tachi a cold glower.

"Something along those lines," I replied, trying to hide it behind my body although I knew it was a wasted effort.

"Kyan," she started, sighing in defeat, "I've given it some thought. I understand you are not a Kunoichi, but I also understand your feelings for Gaara. You'll be leaving on an aiding mission with Team Guy immediately."

I looked around, wondering if this was some sort of sick joke she was playing on me. "So, I don't have to go rogue?" I knew it was a dumb question, but I was in a state of intense disbelief.

"Of course not, silly!" Tenten replied cheerfully. "Now c'mon, let's go save your boyfriend."

"He isn't my boyfriend!"

()()()

Although the trip to Suna took three days, Lee had assumed we could make it in half a day. He didn't take into consideration that I, with hardly any Chakra buildup and significantly less stamina than the rest of them, was the weakest member of their team, thus slowing the group down tremendously. By the time night had fallen over us, Guy suggested we rest for a few hours for my sake.

As Tenten stirred in her sleep, I stared into the fire we had built. As exhausted as I was, I couldn't lie still enough to fall unconscious. My body was fully awake, but my mind remained in a constant haze. I wondered if this is how Gaara felt after sixteen years of no sleep?

"Miss Kyan, may I ask a personal question?" Neji whispered from across the embers as not to wake his teammates.

"Um, you can leave the 'miss' out, but sure." I hugged my knees tightly to my chest with my right arm as my left hand smoothed over the tachi beside me.

"Your relationship with Gaara, how exactly would you define it?"

My ebony eyes met his ivory ones. "My relationship with him?" I repeated, searching hard for an answer. "Well, I'm not really sure. I mean, he's my best friend, even if we're so far away from each other. And he—"

"You love him."

I nodded slowly. "If I have to, I will give my life for him."

Neji studied me in silence. In fact, he didn't say another word to me that night. Eventually, as he drifted off into slumber and Lee woke to take on the next duty of guarding, I found myself curled up next to Tenten, my own eyes shutting for the first time in three days.

()()()

I dreamt of Gaara's mother, Karura. I had only seen her in pictures throughout the mansion, in which she held her infant son and daughter. I'd never heard her voice before, but my mind seemed to have made up a concoction of a sweet, musical tone that sounded almost like Temari's.

In my dream, I walked with her though the empty streets of Suna. She stood a foot taller than me, but I was easily able to keep pace with her. Her blonde hair swayed with the direction of the wind, but never covered her face, which held a permanent smile. Her hand held securely onto mine.

"Kyan," she'd said, staring straight ahead at the Kazekage's mansion, "thank you."

"For what?" I'd asked. My own voiced echoed.

"For loving him."

"Who?"

Gaara's bloodcurdling scream – the one I'd heard during his fight with Sasuke at the Chuunin Exams – was the sound that woke me up. My body jolted up and I realized I was drenched in sweat. Tenten peered down at me, her brows pushed together in a concerned gaze.

"We should go," I muttered, wiping my face with the bottom of my shirt. We took off once again, the blazing heat of the sun pounding against our backs. Within ten minutes, we were stopped by Pakkun, one of Kakashi's summoned dogs.

"As instructed, we eight Shinobi dogs fanned out and tracked down the scent of the Akastuki, provided by Kankuro," Pakkun informed us.

"Kankuro? How'd he get the scent?" I asked.

"He was attacked by one of the members and was gravely poisoned," he replied. My breath caught in my throat. "He's okay now, so don't start your crying. Sakura saw to that."

As much as I didn't want everyone else to see, tears had instantly welled up in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away, giving the mutt a hateful glower.

"If I'm going to save Gaara," I thought, "I can't start crying over something like this. Kankuro's okay."

"Did Haketa…? Did she follow him?" I managed to ask, my voice threatening to crack.

"No. She was at home when the attack happened, but she's devastated. They found out the Akastuki is heading to the Land of Rivers, located on the borders of Konoha and Suna," Pakkun continued. "That means that as of right now, we're the closest to them. I'll explain the rest on the way."

()()()

Hours had passed and as much as my legs screamed for me to stop running, I kept pushing forward, trying my hardest to keep up with the rest of the team. I had to get to Gaara. I kept telling myself that I absolutely had to. Luckily, I could tell that I wasn't the only one who wasn't in the best of shape. Tenten's breaths sounded as ragged as mind did. Even Neji was loudly panting.

Pakkun's noisy sniffing alarmed us all. "Someone's coming!" he muttered.

Without hesitation, Neji activated his Byakugan, the veins surrounding his eyes bulging out. I glanced away. The sight had always grossed me out.

"Directly behind us!"

A deafening rumble shook the ground around us and before I could realize what was going on, my waist was grabbed and I was yanked away from the advancing object within the earth. As I twisted my body against Lee, I made out what seemed to be a wrapped shark fin. The dust around us cleared and I realized that the shark fin was actually a sword, held by a mountainous man who resembled a fish.

"Wait a second," Guy muttered to himself. His voice boomed around us as he addressed the fish man. "Who are you?!" Instead of an answer, we received silence.

"This can't be," Neji said. "His Chakra level is off the charts! I haven't seen anyone but Naruto with that much Chakra."

"You're as stupid as your haircut," the aquatic Shinobi insulted, cockily smirking to Guy. "This time, I'll be sure you remember the name Hoshigaki Kisame!"