Here it is, the awaited chapter ten. Believe it or not, there are only two or three more chapters left in this story. This is time-skipped ahead to Shippuden, so don't get confused.

10

Gaara walked slowly down the hall of the hospital, as was his routine. For three years he had done the same thing every afternoon. Sign papers, listen to Kankuro and Baki argue, walk to the hospital. It was never a chore; a duty yes, but Gaara never resented having to come.

The setting sun threw everything into blazing orange, creating strange shadows here and painfully bright spots there. As usual, the halls were deserted. Gaara still hadn't figured out if that was because everyone knew he came to visit in the afternoons and wanted to give him some privacy, or because most people wanted to get home before the sun had set.

Opening the door as gently as he could, Gaara eased into the room. Unlike the rest of the rooms in the hospital, this one was not bare and sterile looking. Gaara had given very specific orders as to how the room was to be arranged. The walls had been painted a light, chalky red. The floor was thick creamy carpet instead of linoleum. Flowers and knick-knacks cluttered the tables and shelves. In the very center of the room sat a hospital bed, the only thing that looked like it did not belong.

On the bed, Akki slumbered as peacefully as she had for the last three years. Carefully, the Kazekage pulled up a chair to sit next to his sleeping angel. "Hey Akki," he whispered with a small smile. Taking her hand in his, Gaara proceeded to tell her about his day. "You'll never believe what I did to Temari. We needed to send a delegate over to Konoha to help arrange the Chunin Exams. I know that Temmy has been writing that Shikamaru Nara we met in Konoha, so I sent her for the delegation and requested that he be her personal escort. You should have seen her face.

"And then Baki decided that we needed to improve security because of those damn Akatsuki. And if I didn't placate him a little bit, he would have thrown a fit and brought it before the council. So I increased the night guards by 1/3. I just wish we had more information."

Akki shifted a bit in her sleep, nestling closer to the sound of Gaara's voice. Instinctively, Gaara held his breath. No further movement was made. The medic-nin had explained that she was fully conscious and capable of movement. The only problem was that no one had been able to wake her up. Whatever dream had Akki trapped was too strong for even the sound of Gaara's voice to break through to her.

Sighing, Gaara brushed her long hair away from her face. The black and tan streaks had become more dominant, breaking through the monochromatic red. If only she would wake up so he could see her pale yellow eyes.

Akki would be proud of him, Gaara knew. Thanks to Naruto Uzumaki, Gaara had managed to break though whatever darkness had surrounded him. Naruto gave him the path and the willpower to follow it; Akki had imbued him with the desire to strive for it.

"I miss you," he whispered, kissing her forehead gently. "So much." With a last glance at the beautiful girl in the bed, Gaara slipped out of the room as quietly as he had entered.

-
I miss you too, Akki thought ironically as she heard the door of her room shut. Three years she had been trapped in her own body, unable to move. Why? Because when she had twisted the wind around her to try and break her fall, Akki had made a mistake.

In her panic, instead of twisting the wind she had some how turned her own spirit backwards. That flipped all of her bodily functions and confused her nervous system, making everything but hearing impossible.

And if I could just figure out how to turn around I would tell you that you're about to be kidnapped by the Akatsuki! Since hearing was still intact, Akki was able to glean information on the world around her. With a jerk, she tried to turn again.

Sadly, her latest attempts to twist around were once more in vain. Akki slumped back into the depths of her mind to sleep, and hopefully figure out how to get back to Gaara.

-
"Lord Kazekage!" a shinobi yelled, running down the hall to Gaara's office. Even with the trepidation at having a Jinchuuriki as kazekage, there were some things about it that were convenient. Like Gaara never needing sleep.

"Yes?" Gaara replied, glancing up from his paperwork. The man was disheveled, like he had been asleep and forced to get ready in a hurry. "What's wrong?"

"We're under attack!" the shinobi informed him after making a hasty bow. "A huge, bird-like creature from the sky!"

"Do we have any other information?" Gaara demanded as he stood. Certain parts of the job of Kazekage bored Gaara, like paperwork. But that wasn't enough to make him want to give up the parts that he had a passion for. The protection of his people was of the utmost importance.

"From what we've been told, it might be the Akatsuki," the man panted. Gaara's eye widened, then he took off down the hall, leaving the poor ninja in his wake. "Kazekage wait!"

-
Akki twisted and turned. The wind incarnate was throwing an all out internal fit. She had to get turned around. If she didn't, Gaara was doomed. No Jinchuuriki had survived the extraction process yet and, as much as she loved him, Akki knew that Gaara would be no different.

"So you're the Jinchuuriki of the Sand," a male voice snickered, the wind carrying his words to its anxious master. "A bit less than I expected."

Gaara chose to remain silent, letting the sand answer for him. Akki would have made some comment along the lines of 'Sorry to disappoint', but this was Gaara's fight. Unless she could get turned around, which seemed unlikely.

Just as she had thought, all of Akki's attempts were for naught. Deidara blew up her precious Gaara's sand and took him away while she lay helpless.

"NOOOOOO!" she shrieked with her mind, loud enough that everyone in Suna felt her anger. The wind outside picked up, brewing a sandstorm that no one had predicted. Akki let the wind run free, channeling her anger into the only part of her that could move. The destruction that would be found in the morning would be tremendous, but Akki didn't care. Gaara was going to die.

Retreating back into her mind, Akki allowed herself one vicious thought before going into a deep sleep. If Gaara dies, then I shall not wake. I refuse. If the shinobi of Suna cannot return him, then no one will enter or leave this city ever again.

-
You are being childish, a masculine voice chided. His voice was only slightly reproachful. For the most part, he sounded bored and uncaring.

Akki opened her eyes, and was shocked to find that she could. The sight of smoky darkness surrounding her though made her growl in frustration. Akki was in her mind, not looking at the outside world.

If you hadn't spun yourself the wrong way, we wouldn't be in this predicament, the man pointed out. He seemed to condense out of the air itself, floating just above the ground and never touching it. His long hair fell to his feet and changed as Akki watched, seeming to follow the seasons. First it was a rich, tumbling brown. Then it shifted to golden honey, curling and swaying. After that it became an earthy red, fluttering and wispy. Last it changed to purest white, floating gently as a snowflake.

Who are you? she demanded. What is going on?

Tossing his head back impatiently, the man shot her a glare. I am you, or more precisely you are me. The wind. And now we're both trapped.

How are we both trapped when I just let loose a massive sandstorm to ravage Suna? Akki asked. Surely this was a dream, so why not play along? And why would you choose the form of a girl anyway?

A breeze flitted around the two beings, tugging gently at them. Out of habit, Akki reached out and gave the breeze a loving stroke. The man across from her shivered as did Akki. Something had brushed her arm. Had that always happened?

Don't do that, he ordered. I chose the form of a girl because I can. And the wind storm you let loose is there because you sent it. It's your anger embodied. Now if we're done with stupid questions, how do you intend to turn us around again?

I don't know, the girl admitted. Being trapped for such a long time had worn away her stubbornness about certain things. If this guy said she was the wind, who was Akki to argue? I've been trying for the past three years to do it. I think that someone else will have to do it.

The Wind snorted. No one in Suna would think to do that. Only the Slug Princess of Konoha would try such a thing.

Konoha and Suna have grown very close, Akki mused. And they have a Jinchuuriki as well. Maybe they'll send aid.

That gave Akki an idea. Using the sandstorm she already had outside, Akki pulled in all information she could. Just as she thought.

A few of my friends from Konoha are coming. We'll be free in no time.

-
No time turned into a few days. By the time Sakura arrived, Akki was whining to the Wind in impatience. Wind rarely acknowledged her though when she got like that, other than to tell her to shut up.

Even when the Konoha shinobi arrived, they focused solely on Kankuro who had been poisoned. Akki felt bad for her brother, and for Temari who had returned as well. Coming home to such catastrophes had to be bad for her sister's fragile temper.

At long last, it was Kankuro who asked Sakura to take a look at Akki. "Go look at my baby sister," he croaked. "She'll be able to track Gaara for you, if you can wake her up."

Sakura took one look at Akki, running her glowing hand along the prone body with the utmost seriousness. Akki wanted to shout, to tell her what to do, but she was still unable to move.

Then the pink haired girl started laughing. "She's flipped her soul around!" Sakura explained. Glowing hands once more descended on Akki's body. "She's been awake this whole time!"

Temari didn't find this quite so funny. "You mean that Akki has been fine for three years, just trapped by her own stupidity?" the blonde girl demanded.

Akki didn't hear anything after that. It felt as though someone else's hands were touching the inner most part of her, twisting and turning her back to normal. Even with as gentle as the touch was trying to be, the pain was excruciating.

With a suddenness that made her gasp, the pain stopped. And then that dissolved to a minor occurrence, because she could gasp. Sitting up, Akki opened her eyes for the first time in years.

Temari had grown more beautiful, Akki noticed as her sister dove at her. The hug was crushing and much appreciated. "Akki," Temari kept whispering through tears.

Akki returned the hug, noticing how atrophied her muscles were. They probably would have been worse had she not been a force of nature. "Temari, I need to locate Gaara for them," she reminded her sister gently.

"Oh," Temari replied brilliantly as she let go. Adopting a fierce expression, she held out a hand to help Akki to her feet. "Let's go."

Outside, Akki opened herself to the entirety if the wind. She was shocked when strange sights floated across her vision. Buildings of glass and metal, hundreds of feet high. A cart of some kind that powered itself. Wind? What's going on?

The answering voice came from far away and was very tired. You know what you are now. Your true power has been unleashed. Enjoy.

Cutting back on the power considerably, Akki found the two men that had kidnapped her Gaara. "They're heading for a cave on the border," she explained, releasing the wind with a silent thanks.

Temari nodded. "I'll tell the Konoha nin. They'll bring him back Akki, I promise. Go wait with Kankuro."

As much as she wanted to deny it, Akki needed rest. Ruefully, she looked out at the desert. The hope to go along on the rescue had sprung up without her consent. Staying home sounded oddly appealing though.

Besides, Kankuro needed someone to keep him company, Akki thought mischievously as she turned to follow Temari.