The nin snorted. "That's none of your business."
Aya almost broke into a smile. "You're alive, though, I can see that. And well, too!"
Why this sudden change of mood? Gaara thought. This is strange…
Sasuke remained still. "As are you."
Aya almost laughed. "But you're…I mean…you're alive!"
Sasuke nodded. "Yes. And I have a mission." His eyes shot past Aya to Gaara.
"I'm afraid I really must have that key."
Aya stepped in front of Gaara once again. "What key, Sasuke? There's no key here."
"There is one. And I want it. Hand it to me now and no one gets hurt." Sasuke's voice was cold and emotionless.
Aya spread her arms in a plea of defense. "But Sasuke, surely there are more important things than the key!"
Gaara gasped as Aya cried out and fell to her knees, clutching her side. He moved his hand just in time. A kunai whirred past his hand and embedded itself in the rock behind him. Gaara looked back at Sasuke, aghast.
Aya trembled on the ground, holding her slashed side.
How'd he move that fast? she thought. I never saw him move!
Gaara was thinking the same thing. He's fast- she never saw his hand! Where did he obtain that type of speed?!
Sasuke frowned as Aya regained her feet.
"You'd hurt me?" she asked sadly. Then her eyes hardened. "You would hurt me. Me, you-"
"Give me the key," snarled Sasuke. He glared at Aya. She returned it with equal force.
"Never."
Aya cried out again as a weapon struck her. She gritted her teeth, letting the blood flow through her fingers. She screamed again as another pierced her shoulder. Gaara growled under his breath. Each time, Sasuke did not appear to move. Aya was on her knees, trying to stop the bleeding with her hands. She snarled at him.
"You'll have to get through me to get at the key!"
Sasuke laughed. "Get through YOU?" And then he was there, bending down to press a kunai to Aya's throat. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she was stuck on her knees, unable to stop him.
"If you get any closer…" she threatened. Sasuke laughed again.
"You mean this close?"
Aya spun around on her knees, her hand out in a futile gesture to stop him. Gaara gasped. Sasuke was right behind him, his hand on the hilt of his chokoto. Aya's hand was held out to Sasuke in a plea.
"SASUKE, NO!"
Sasuke smirked. "Too late."
Time slowed down. Gaara saw the words form on Aya's lips, her eyes wide, screaming for Sasuke to stop. He heard Sasuke's labored breathing as he pulled the chokoto from its sheath and swung it down at his neck…
And he felt the intense hatred building in him, a hatred for someone so cruel. Someone who would wound a girl who obviously knew him and had cared for him deserved no pity. His mind began to burn, a strange power began to erupt from beneath him…
There was a thud of metal on metal. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"What the-"
Gaara had spun and raised his arm in defense. The sturdy Atlantean armor had withstood Sasuke's blow. The redhead and the raven-haired ninja faced each other in a moment of absolute hatred. There was some look in both their eyes, some unnamed feeling that rose in both of them that came out in their unspoken battle. Gaara wanted nothing more than to kill the man who stood before him. He felt that strange power rising from beneath him again…
Sasuke cursed as he looked down. Aya gasped. Sand was beginning to crawl up Sasuke's legs, anchoring him to the ground…
Sasuke leapt away as there was an explosion. Aya shielded her face with her arm and stared at the strange apparition.
Gaara's face was dark, his jade eyes burning with a fury unlike any other. Sand rose in twin spirals about him, shooting straight up. Sasuke and Aya watched in awe as Gaara closed his eyes and pointed his hands at Sasuke.
The sand sped from Gaara straight at Sasuke!
Sasuke dodged the sand missile, but yelled as something struck him, slicing a cut down his arm. His chokoto blocked the two that had struck him. Aya's face glared not more than a foot away from his, their blades locked in battle.
Sasuke and Aya went at it, Aya with the two blades from her sheaths, Sasuke with his one chokoto. Sasuke was getting more and more frustrated as he went. Gaara's sand would shield the black-braided warrior as he struck at her, only to part and allow her blades to strike him. Nonetheless, he remained uninjured.
Under the assault from both Gaara and Aya, Sasuke was forced to back down. Hissing, he turned to flee, but not before sending them one last warning.
"Mark my words, when this is over, I, Sasuke Uchiha, will deal with you!" His black eyes pierced Aya. "More specifically, you. You are still a threat to me."
And he was gone.
Aya stood panting, her two naked blades gleaming in the sunlight. Gaara felt the sand slide back to the ground, his power gone. Aya spun around and looked at him.
"How did you do that?!"
"I don't know." Gaara's hands were trembling as he looked at them. How had he mastered the sand so quickly?
Aya's lips moved softly. "The land shall respond to its master's call…"
The ancient legend flooded into Gaara's mind. Then Sasuke's parting words struck him in the face.
"Did he say Sasuke UCHIHA!?!?"
Aya sighed as she sheathed her blades. "Sadly, yes."
"Uchiha…" Gaara's hatred flared again as he pictured the dictator Itachi, the cruel Sasuke…
Aya sat down to treat her wounds. Gaara sat down next to her, his mind still reeling with the evils of the Uchiha.
"The Uchiha…" he spoke at last. "They must truly be a race of the cruel. Itachi, the dictator…and Sasuke…they are nothing more than tyrants." His fists clenched. "I HATE the Uchiha! And I vow that I will-"
"Save your vows for a later time," Aya said softly. Gaara stopped.
"Eh?"
"If you make a vow too rashly, you might find that you are unable to keep it," Aya said gently, while treating her wounds. "Wait until you are in more of a stable position, Lord Gaara."
Gaara rubbed his arm ruefully. "The Uchiha are cowards hiding behind power!"
Aya wound a bandage around one of her wounds. "That may be so, but save your hatred and frustration for a future time."
Gaara frowned. Aya's face was drawn. Then he remembered her exchange with Sasuke before the battle…
"Did you know him?" Gaara asked. Aya looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, I knew him…once." She looked down. "That Sasuke is not the Sasuke I once knew."
"How did you know him?" Gaara asked. Aya winced at the question.
"He was…well, let's just say…he saved my life on one occasion," she said lightly. Gaara was taken aback. That cruel, heartless man had saved his commander's life? Now this was getting even more complicated.
Aya stood up, shouldering her pack again. "Come on, Lord Gaara. We're almost there."
Gaara couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so downcast.
They made camp at the edge of the cliffs. Tomorrow they would make the descent into Suna. Looking out at the starlit desert beneath them, Gaara felt a surge of triumph. This was his home, his territory, his people. A tiny light flickered near the horizon, and Gaara wondered if that was a lone traveler, a nomadic group, a village or even a city. Whoever it was, they were his people. And he would save them from his cruel older brother, Sasori. And Sasori was allied with the Uchiha.
The next dawn, Aya and Gaara fastened their grapnels to a huge rock. Aya checked the harnesses and cursed.
"What is it?" Gaara asked. Aya held up one of the harnesses.
"It snapped. Must have happened sometime ago, look, the ends are frayed. Good thing we have another one."
She pulled out a slightly smaller harness and frowned.
"This one's lighter." She compared the two.
"I guess I'll take the lighter one."
Gaara shook his head. "You've got the heavier pack, though!"
"But I'm responsible for your safety!" Aya argued.
Gaara crossed his arms. "Give me the lighter one, Aya."
"But…"
"Just DO it, Commander!"
Aya grinned ruefully. "My title doesn't really apply here. There's no one else around to confuse me with."
Gaara shrugged. "It gets your attention."
Aya shook the harness. "Are you SURE?"
Gaara nodded. "Quite sure."
They began their quicker descent, rappelling down the cliffside. Still, it took a while.
Suddenly, Aya stopped moving, braced against the cliff. Gaara, who was above her, came down to her level.
"What is it?"
"Ssssh!" Aya's fingers were lightly clasping the rope, sensing the vibrations coming through it. Her eyes widened.
"There's a rock or something fraying my rope!"
Gaara looked up. Sure enough, far, far up the cliff, Aya's rope was stretched tight against a rocky outcropping. Any movement on her part would cut the rope even further. There was nothing to be done.
Gaara made a swift decision.
"Quick, unbuckle yourself and grab onto me!"
Aya shook her head and moved away from him. "No, your harness isn't strong enough! We'll both be killed!"
Gaara frowned. "Aya, listen! Just do it!"
Aya growled at him. "NO! Save yourself, don't worry about me!"
Gaara anchored himself to the rock. "Have you thought about what I'll do down there ALONE?"
"The rest of them'll be along soon," Aya hissed. "Just go without me, who knows? Maybe I'll make it down!"
Gaara glanced back up at the rope. There was no time…
"Aya, LISTEN! Grab onto me and unbuckle yourself!"
"We'll both be killed!!"
"Do you trust me?" Gaara asked, grabbing her wrist. Aya wouldn't look at him.
"I-"
Aya was cut off as Gaara's lips closed over her own!
Caught by surprise, she felt his hands wrap around her waist. Her arm, traitor that it was, twisted around his neck.
"Do you trust me?" Gaara repeated. Aya stared into his eyes, her own full of confusion, fright, and excitement.
She flinched as she felt Gaara's hands moving at her waist; however, he was only unbuckling her harness. Her arm around his neck tightened as he pulled her away from her rope. At the very next second, it fell to the ground below.
Gaara let himself down slowly with one arm, his other holding Aya secure. When they reached the ground, they stood there gazing at one another's faces for another minute. Then Aya broke herself free from his grip.
"Let's go," she murmured. "Burn that rope so HE can't follow us down here."
Gaara struck a match and lit the greased rope. A streak of flame shot up to the top of the cliff. The two looked about them at the dusty lands of Suna.
"I'm here," Gaara whispered, his throat suddenly dry. "I'm home."
Aya held up a compass she had found in their supplies. "We need to head south, now. Let's see if we can find a town."
They traveled for the rest of the day in silence. Every now and then, Gaara snuck a glance at his stoic companion. She bore her hunger steadily. They had both eaten the last of their rations earlier that morning.
Suddenly, Aya pointed ahead.
"Is it just me, or is that an oasis?"
The two hurried on, eager to catch the dark patch on the horizon.
Sure enough, it was no desert mirage. A spring bubbled out of the ground, feeding several trees and a considerable bit of other light foliage. It was almost like the forests of Konoha, Gaara mused. As they reached the spring, Aya flung herself face first into the water, gulping down the lifegiving liquid. Gaara did likewise. The little spring gurgled merrily as it saw its visitors.
Her thirst quenched, Aya wiped her mouth and dug in her pack.
"Let's set up camp."
Again, the two worked in utter silence. Dinner consisted of the fruits and nuts they scavenged from the surrounding greenery.
After dinner, Aya sat with her back against a tree, gazing into the fire. Gaara sat across from her, his eyes focused on the kunai he was sharpening. His armor lay in the dust, coated with a layer of grime.
Finally, Aya spoke.
"What happened earlier today never happened."
"…" Gaara looked up and across the flames at her.
"It never happened," Aya repeated. Gaara shifted his weight.
"Why should we deny that it happened?"
Aya lifted her eyes to look at him. "I am your guardian. I am to protect you, to put your welfare above mine, and to die for you if need be. I don't hear anything else in those three principles."
"And yet you felt it." There was no anger in Gaara's voice, only coolness as he expressed the facts. "I could feel it in you."
Aya stared at him. "How could you know what I feel?"
Gaara looked at her steadily. "Because I feel the same way."
And then he was there, without ever knowing how he got there.
And he was kissing her like he never wanted to stop.
And she was kissing him back.
She was still sitting with her back to the tree. His hand was on the bark, next to her head, his other hand braced against the ground. Her arm was around his neck, holding him there.
Gaara broke free after a minute to catch his breath. Her face gazed back at him in a daze as she whispered.
"Don't stop…please…don't stop…"
He caught her again. All rank forgotten, all protocol brushed aside, they kissed again and again.
Finally, as Aya was sliding down the trunk from weariness, Gaara broke free. He patted her shoulder.
"Go get some sleep. You look exhausted. I'll keep watch tonight."
He brushed his lips across her forehead, holding her tight. She clasped him in her arms before letting go and drifting into the tent. Moments later, Gaara heard Aya's light breathing as she settled into sleep.
A sweet, light darkness fell across the tiny camp, and the stars smiled down on the two.