The Alternate Path

By InnerSelf

Chapter XI: Gaara's Valued Existence

Gomen-nasai! I apologize for seeming forceful! I must remember that its not what I like, but the consumer! Before I forget, I apologize for putting slight OOC moments into Naruto fanfics, especially this one!

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"Kankurou, are you an idiot? How many times do I have to tell you? The girl just got lucky. She's no match for our Gaara"

"Two flukes and she may be making another soon."

"That's ludicrous!"

"She broke your stupid fan!"

"Hey, no! Don't talk that way about my fan!"

"Or what? It inanimate."

"Why don't you go play with dolls or something?"

"I already explained. (A/N: ironically, he's not the one asking for a repeated explanation) That girl is weird; weird enough that Gaara wouldn't get bored when fighting, if but for a few minutes."

Kankurou was gracefully waltzing down the hall towards Gaara's room with Temari stomping after him. Kankurou slides the door open, and finds the person he was half-regretting to meet.

"What do you want?"

Temari tries in a last attempt to help and/or save Kankurou, fearing a waste of Gaara's time would be a waste of someone's existence. Temari rushes to speak before Kankurou. It is also a 'waste of existence' if two quarrel in front of Gaara. "He just wanted to ask what you thought of your match. Tough luck getting such a weakling, huh?"

"That would not be asking anything," Gaara glares at Temari, "That would be wasting my time. Kankurou, what do you want?"

Not to test Gaara's patience any more, Kankurou speaks up, "With nothing else to do during the month's wait for the last test in the exam, I have been collecting data on the combatants. The girl you're fighting, Haruno Sakura," Gaara nods in remembrance and Kankurou continues, "could turn out to be a good fight for you. She's the one I've watched the most. She's been training the most and thus growing the most."

"Are you saying she stands a chance just with a couple of sessions?"

"See, I though Kankurou was being stupid too."

"I'm getting to the point. Anyways, everyone thinks she's weak. Like Temari, they think her wins are flukes. No one gave her a chance until now. She can become much more."

"What happened?" Gaara demands.

"She found a teacher. This person was just a wanderer, and at first glance I did not recognize her…long blonde hair, diamond-shaped tattoo, young appearance…"

"Well? Spit it out!" (Temari)

"Haruno Sakura, your opponent, was taken as the apprentice of this person of One Third of the Legendary Three, Tsunade-hime."

"T-T-Tsunade-s-sama?! The one who's known to kill with one punch, heal any injury, and ?!"

Kankurou nods. Gaara seems to become interested.

"You are mistaken! No one has heard from her in years!"

"She was on the run. She stopped here, but as quick as she came, she left. Still, that girl was sparring two weeks non-stop under Tsunade-hime. Taking into account that Haruno only trained under her for two weeks, and yet she's grown so much…"

Gaara's eyes narrow in thought.

"…Amazing…that lucky brat…how strong is she?"

Gaara glances towards Kankurou, his ambiguous decision relying on the next words uttered.

"For a beginner—very. Haruno was at the Yakiniku restaurant that I ate at yesterday. Uh, actually, she was talking about the tournament with one of her friends. Haruno said something and slammed her hand (kind of victoriously) into the table. It accidentally flipped over. After closer inspection, I saw that she had left a moderate crack in the table. Do you know how tough red wood is? I use it in all my puppets!"

"Shit." (Temari)

"Oh, now you listen to me…Gaara? Where are you going at this time of night?" Kankurou lightly questions as to not get Desert Coffined. Midnight and all is not well.

"Out."

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Sakura was just finishing her studies in the kitchen. She set the book down with the dozen others and strolled into the bathroom to take a quick shower. After eight minutes or so, she steps out wearing her dark kapri pants (that go under her chinese dress) and a big grey shirt. Unaware of the other presence, she walks back into the kitchen for a midnight snack. The kitchen is dimmer than when she left it. She reaches into the fridge and pulls out a bag of strawberries. Turning around, she tenses up and sets the bag on the counter.

"Why's the second light not on? Did it burn out?"

"No. I turned it off." She freezes.

Sakura tries her best not to show her anxiousness. "Sabaku no Gaara? Why're you in my house? Is this another part of the stupid test? Do the judges want us to have a pre-chat or something?"

"Shut-up."

Sakura stares at him in disbelief. 'This guy is dangerous from what I've heard. I better use formality...even if we're fu$king pissed.' "Please be peaceful in my mother's house."

"The annoying people you live with will wake up."

"Okay," Sakura whispers, "so why are you here?"

"I will not kill you unless you are strong. Train without rest, without sleep, until your last day. Sleep when you are dead."

She cannot move. She looks into his eyes. They are emotionless while hers are overflowing with confusion and fear. She blinks and then responds, which is unlike any of Sabaku no Gaara's previous victims, "I am sorry to disappoint you, Sabaku no Gaara, but I won't die that easily. I may not win, but I can assure you I will not die."

"The winner is the only one who will feel the value of their existence. You will die."

"Um..."

Sakura's mother shouts from above, "Sakura! Who's that you're speaking down there?"

So that nothing goes wrong in the house, Sakura quickly answers, "I-Its just the television, Mother, I'll turn it off."

"Ay, it's late! Get to bed, Sakura!"

Sakura doesn't reply, except for the mumble Gaara manages to overhear: "...Love you, too..." He notices the sarcasm.

'This girl doesn't love her mother. She's ungrateful and will die in two weeks time.'

"I'm leaving."

"Wait..um..about what you said before," Gaara turns to look over his shoulder and administers a mild glare, "...in the Pre-lims, no one died. Not even Lee."

"They do not follow the code of existence, therefore their existence is meaningless...I almost forgot, but you reminded me." Gaara eerily replies, then leaves in a gust of sand.

'Uh-oh...just what did I remind him of?'

'To get a little black book, that's what! I can see it all over the paper's! Dumb Sakura accused of assisting in the homocide of Lee, beloved friend. To be sent to asylum shortly!'

'Shut up.'

'You sound like crazy already.'

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Weeks pass, the training days fly by, and Sakura awakes to the last day of training. Her last shot at getting in some more training. She and Ino meet at the training grounds set up in the forest. They spar for four hours, ending at noon, and decide to do some shopping.

Correction: Ino decided to do some shopping for Sakura.

"Why are we here again?"

"Come on, Sakura. You can't wear that dress forever. Now pick something."

"I don't even want to be here. Just go pick something out for me. Nothing black."

Ino comes back with a few items.

"What are all those?"

"It's called combinations. They are new to some people," Sakura scrunches up her face in annoyance. "So, I was thinking you could—"

"Send it back for something red? I don't want a blue skirt, but keep the rest."

Ino 'whapps' Sakura on the head and goes back for a white medic skirt (like Ino's in Part Two). "Okay, I was thinking you could wear this long shirt," She holds up the red sleeveless clingy shirt with the Haruno Clan symbol on the back, "with the white skirt over. You can also slip on these red, uh, elbow thingies and throw on these black shorts under the shirt!"

"Yeah, that's awesome!"

"I am a genius when it comes to fasion! In fact, it was my second choice for a cover job if not a florist." Ino grins.

"I'll buy you an outfit if you buy me one."

"What's the point in that?...I don't need anything anyways. I'll get a new outfit come next Chuunin Exam, but right now, you deserve it."

"Bull, you're just a quitter! You could have won."

"Yes, but that," Ino changes her expression to fit Shikamaru's, "would be troublesome." They double over in laughter.

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"Ino, do you think we could run over to your dad's shop real quick? We can get some flowers there to take to Lee-san. I hear he's doing well at the hospital."

"Sure." They make a short stop at Ino's place, and then run over to the hospital.

"By the way, thank-you for delivering my daffodils to Lee-san. With all my preparations for tomorrow, I haven't had time to visit him until now."

"You're welcome…good luck, Sakura." 'You're going to need every bit you can get your hands on.' "I hear Naruto's gotten into trouble as well. He's in the hospital…and Choji too!"

"Boy. Oh no! We need to go back for Naruto's flower!"

"Heehee, Got it." Ino hands over Naruto's and laughs at Sakura's embarrassment. "Haha, you need to keep a better eye on your comrades."

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Ino signs the sign-in sheet and goes on ahead. Sakura assumes the nurses are out to lunch. Little did she know, someone was following her. Shivers went up her spine. "Is it a bit chilly in here?" She turns around and misses her stalker. He has already left to find another prey.

Sakura went up the stairs and turned to the right. When she entered the room, she noticed that Lee was unconscious at the moment. He was lying peacefully in his bed. Sakura went around to the night table and places the flower in the vase Ino had used. After glancing at Lee, Sakura prayed for his health, and exited the room. At that moment, the stalker walked up the same stairs she had. Sakura was heading in his direction, but remembered something (Naruto) and did a one-eighty towards his room.

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The stalker enters Lee's room. He intends to prove his existence by taking a way a worthless one. Two boys show up out of nowhere and succeed in failing his attempt, but the shadow-user among them can only stall for so long.

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"Oro? Where's Naruto?" His bed was empty. Naruto didn't even take the time to fix his bed. Sakura stopped to do it for him. Then she took the water pitcher and poured its contents into the glass vase provided. Sakura set the flower into the vase and headed out.

On her way down the hall, Sakura heard a noise. As she walked closer, she noticed that they were voices; frantic voices.

"Why are you here?!"

'That one was Naruto!'

"What do you want with Bushy-Brows?!"

'Lee-san!" Then the person Naruto's facing can't be anyone besides…

------(paraphrased from crappy subtitles)

"A little bird reminded me to kill him. So here I am." …Sabaku no Gaara.

---Sakura listens in while trying to collect her composure. 'I mustn't be afraid to face him. I must have the utmost confidence, the Will of Fire.'---

"How can parents do that to their own child? Looks like they don't love you." Shikamaru is the other inside with Naruto.

"Love? Don't use your standard to judge me. Love and family are not co-existing. Family is just a word for blood-ties connected through hatred and murder. I thought until I was six that my father loved me. Until that day…"

"That day?"

"…when it happened…"

"What happened?"

"My father, the Yondaime Kazekage, made the first of several attempts on my life!" From what Sakura could tell, Gaara sounded excited. Sakura was finished preparing for when she would be needed to rush in there. "This scar represents the only true love. I fight only for myself, and I love no one but myself." Sakura curls up her fist and starts to gather chakra. "By killing, I feel alive, and I feel the value of my existence!"

Sakura ears perk up. She hears a shifting sound on the floor and in the air beyond the door.

"Naruto! Oi, Naruto!" Sakura knows this is her cue. She throws open the door, and lunges in front of Naruto. With her right hand's improvisation, she releases her chakra in an instant, slapping the sand away. Sakura looks defiantly into Gaara's eyes.

Shikamaru and Naruto are paralyzed in awe where they stand. Gaara sees a shade from his past in Sakura's eyes.

"We fight tomorrow, and not a moment before! Please leave!" Sakura is deathly serious. She stands firmly on the ground, as if she is a stone wall.

'Yashamaru.' Gaara squeezes his eyes shut and fists his hair at the unwanted memory.

"Don't get too excited until then."

"I will kill you all." Gaara announces to everyone present in the room, but looks murderously into Sakrua's eyes. She believes he was silently telling her that she would be first, which was no doubt correct.

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Yays! Aren't you all proud of me?

Inner Self: Hell, no, shannaro! Well! Maybe a little! Thanks for not sucking four months in a row!

Yeah, how long has it been? I hope you guys like these two chaps. I wish to update soon!

Inner Self