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…
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 14
Naruto yawned as he stretched out on his bed. His body was sore from all the hits the old ladies threw at him in the institute and for some strange reason Kyuubi didn't seem to want to heal the minor injuries. In fact the fox was acting rather strange, lately he's been constantly turning around in his head bustling about as if something was bothering him or something.
Oh well.
He turned on his side and closed his eyes snuggling contentedly into the soft pillow while burrowing underneath the cozy blankets. It felt kinda nice to punch Sai out earlier as well…even though Temari made him carry the artist back to his apartment after… At least he got the frustrations out right?
A sound made him open his eyes. A soft cracking and crunching noise was wafting into his ears and his blue eyes landed on the table beside his bed.
The light of the full moon made the already bright numbers in his clock glow an alien green 12:00 midnight and the lights cast shadows around the darkened room. But his eyes were drawn to the picture on the stand, the picture of himself, Sakura, Kakashi and Sasuke back when they first became a team.
Sakura, Kakashi and the picture Naruto were fine, all smiling the glass covering perfectly clear but Sasuke's was not. The glass surrounding the Uchiha's scowling figure was cracking and chipping until a jagged line was cut clean through the handsome face and another running up a symmetrical line up his chest.
A very, very bad feeling of dread filled his heart at this uncomfortable omen.
Kyuubi's instincts were running haywire as he continued to walk in circles, his fur standing on end and his tails swishing about in a mad dance. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. His host may not sense it but with his sensitive awareness was able to feel the wrongness of something in the air. The air particles were ripping themselves apart, thrashing wildly with random bouts of chakra embedded within them.
The moon wasn't helping much either. His already jumpy nerves were frantic, bouncing around with restlessness as he craved to just go out and do something. Anything! And plus, that image in the moon's surface wasn't doing him any good. Those shadows and crevasses caving and forming into the strong features of those of a proud and angry woman.
Looking through the blonde's eyes he was able to see the cracked face of Sasuke Uchiha. Whatever was wrong had something to do with him, that much the demon was sure of.
Naruto turned away from the picture and onto his other side so he was facing the open window. His already narrowed eyes narrowed further when the Kyuubi suddenly stopped moving altogether, freezing in place. A gust of wind blew into the room and played with the blankets covering his form. A second, stronger blast flitted through the window and ruffled the panda sleeping hat on his head, causing him to instincivally close his eyes.
As the wind stopped blowing he reopened them and automatically knew that he wouldn't get any sleep tonight as his eyes widened and he could feel with the sudden rise of apprehension from his mind that the demon fox's eyes had widened as well.
The wind had apparently carried something with it while it blew into his room….For a small mound of sand littered his pillow.
Gaara stretched out his form, the bloody body of the snake ninja dropping from the small platform of his sand to fall into the ocean down below. The sediment greedily swallowed the body up, covering and crushing the broken form until it was nothing but a pile of gore underneath the undulating currents of bloodied sand.
Licking his lips clean of the blood and flesh he jumped down off the platform, landing neatly on the solidifying sand. "All she's askin', is for a little more time," Gaara grinned as he sung the verse softly tapping his claws into the sand as his stomach growled at him in displeasure.
Shukaku had sung him many lullaby's when he was still with him, to help calm and lull the child into sleep and this song was one of the one's he remembered the most. He didn't know why but this particular one had always reminded him of his mother's predicament when she was pregnant with him. He pulled back his lips as his stomach gave a nasty churn, the muscles obviously wanting to reject the snake ninja.
For a sannin Orochimaru was a very easy kill…and he tasted horrible to boot. The child sat on his haunches with his chakra still in turmoil around him as he pawed at his mouth trying to get the horrible taste off his tongue. He tasted as if he had been alive for many, many years and like all meat had gone stale. Trying to ignore the aching feeling in his gut he rubbed at his forehead, trying to make the small throbbing stop and to make the steady stream of blood flow from the ai.
To walk away from his anger, and leave the bruises far behind. The black power thrashed and convulsed, the sand rising into the air in distressed waves as he got back onto all fours, his fur bristling and throat aching. Hacking the child felt tears spring to his eyes as his gut twisted and churned, forcing the rather small snack back up and out.
Shuddering even after the lump of regurgitated gore landed in a disgusting heap in front of his face he hobbled away, his body trembling with hunger and restless strength. Shu I miss you… Rounded ears twitched as the sound of pounding feet and rustling leaves penetrated the sensitive organs. Turning to face the direction his glowing green eyes narrowed as they zeroed in, similar to the byuakugan, on the group of oncoming river ninja.
Eight, they only sent two teams to investigate how unbelievably stupid! Ha, and what makes it even more humorous and yet pathetic at the same time was that six of them were just your average day genin!
The grin returned onto his face as he turned slowly to face the oncoming meal, his chakra lifting up into the sky like a dark cloud, electric in its power and fury. The moon glinted at him from its vantage point, winking and encouraging him to eat his nutrition's, just like a mother would scold her child.
"But she won't talk about it she's made up her mind."
Tightening his muscles and snarling he bounded forward, his tails whiplashing behind him as the air stream past him and whistled. Sand and chakra followed, each forming into a graceful current in the air as he ran at top speed towards the group coming after him.
Who knows, seeing as how these people seemed to be particularly young perhaps they would taste much better, juicer even. The forest cleared a path for him, the trees and shrubbery bending and curving from the force of his chakra and the sand that shredded them apart and only two hundred meters ahead was the incoming shinobi.
Lips pulled back and teeth bared in a hungry smile he wheezed as the group suddenly stopped, their faces pulled tight in shock. It's about time that they noticed his chakra after all kukuku.
His eyes widened when his heart gave a sudden pull his lower jaw dropping as strange electric shocks rippled through him. He planted his feet onto the ground, commanding the sand to move in front of his legs to help stop his momentum. His heart thudded in his chest, his tails swishing softly from side to side in thoughtless movement, his head bowed and his large green eyes surrounded by midnight black were wide.
Spears were driving themselves into his sides and the sand thrashed restlessly like twitching fingers all around him, his chakra glowing and sparkling in the light of the moon that slipped in from the canopy. Like a dog he shook his head, his brain pounding making the ach from the scar seem like cool water.
Words were whispering in through his mind, echoing throughout the endless desert and protective confines of his own skull.
'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.'
W-what was that?!
Shaken Gaara exhaled through his nostrils letting out a puff of breath and pulling back his lips allowing his blood red tongue to loll and fall from the rows of sharp teeth. Shaking and startled he narrowed his eyes not even noticing that the sand seemed to be pushing him back towards the clearing and that his prey from the river country had fled.
That voice, it sounded like his but older, much older, more mature and moral. It would make since if it was his elder that had spoken the words, seeing as how no matter how many personalities he possessed they still held the same core…the endless desert.
Words whispered from any of their mouths, if they were important enough they would make themselves known to the one in charge.
But who was this Naruto Uzumaki?
Sasuke Uchiha was easy to figure out, seeing as how before the ninja died Orochimaru had been shouting out his name so the late snake sannin's companion was the Uchiha.
But what did it mean? Was he supposed to collect him? The child shuddered as his front right paw shifted to the side, twisting his body until it faced the clearing at an angle. In an attempt to get his bearings back he pulled his tongue back into his mouth before muttering quietly another verse, "As the front door shuts behind her, she whispers, give me a sign."
His left front paw followed the first and soon he found himself completely facing the clearing, his head bowed and his green irises glowing brighter. His stomach growled at him in hunger, his body begging for nutrition.
He was Sabuku no Gaara, and ever since birth he had been propositioned to take care of himself, get his own food when he was hungry, find his own entertainment when he was bored and get his own beverages when he was thirsty. He had always liked the chase for some reason, perhaps it was the moon, perhaps it was Shu or perhaps it was just him but the best part about a kill was the hunt. To stalk his prey and even give them a moments chance to think that they had a chance for survival before shredding that hope right out of their bleeding grasp.
It was always the most memorable as well.
After all…what could be better than their expressions? The half lipped smile and sparkle of hope in their eyes as they escaped and then in a flash, disappearing only a fraction slower than when the predator appears. The relieved smile would turn into a horror filled gape and their eyes went wide with fright.
Orochimaru had been too easy to kill. Yes, the expressions were nice but he was caught all too quickly, and even now, with his cat like mind that made him all the more disappointing and boring. Though his worse crime was that he tasted horrible.
This Uchiha though, now he seemed almost promising. Gaara took a few steps forward a sway following his movements and a fanged grin on his furry face. The boy had already fled before he even got a proper look at him and now that he was a few hours ahead of him it should make the chase all the more interesting.
I may not know who this Naruto person is but who cares? That boy should be fun, Mother I'll make sure he dies just for you kay? All of his blood will be for you….If only Shu was here, though I bet he'd be proud of me too.
"And feels the power of the engine as she climbs to 65."
A cloud of sand erupted in the air behind him as he took off.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
Sasuke pounded his wings furiously, desperately trying to escape the mayhem he had left behind, the monstrous child that he had left behind. Sure, he was about three hours ahead if the beast decided to come after him, and with his speed he had already crossed the fire border, and on his way he had spotted some sand shinobi but….Obsidian colored eyes glanced up at the sky, his heart pounding where it rested, nestled between his rib cage.
The moon was nothing but an ominous circle of ethereal light in the blackness blanketing it. FUCK! His eyes widened and he willed his wings to beat faster, even pushing down towards the ground so his feet could touch the ground and run, adding extra speed.
The moon had been glaring at him before he was sure, that wraithlike orb contained the power to influence animals and demons alike was furious with him for escaping one of her children's ravenous stomachs. For some reason that had given him a feeling of hope, for if it was angry at him, no doubt he was safe, that Gaara had stayed behind and forgotten about him. Though even with that uplifting thought he still continued to retreat.
Now, ugh, it was laughing at him, sneering at him for thinking that he could escape her grasp. Dread filled him, and he glanced a peek over his shoulder with his sharingan.
Nothing was in sight. For now. And even though he couldn't see him or his chakra and deadly mounds of sand, couldn't hear him…he could still feel him. He could feel that starving gaze digging into his back, could almost feel as that sand and solid chakra ground into him…and he could feel those thick teeth digging into his head, leaving a gaping hole like the ones graved in Kabuto.
A strangled whimper tore itself out of his throat, and dignity be damned no one was here to hear it. He only now realized where he was heading, his wings had carried him without his mind as fast as they could from that place and he didn't even realize the direction. All he knew was that he had to escape and how he now knew what those animals in the forest felt like while they ran from the edge of the forest right before Orochimaru had been flung out of the now destroyed tavern.
Konoha. That was the only safe place now even if the ninja tried to kill him he stood a better chance with humans than with Gaara. Even Naruto's chakra filled, angry fist would be a better reprieve from Gaara's fangs and claws.
As he entered another large forest that would hopefully soon display his village of birth a rather foolish and yet reasonable question popped into his mind.
WHY WAS GAARA SO FIXATED ON HIM?! AGAIN!!
The lead ANBU officer stopped and raised his hand, signaling for the others to stop as well. Seven shadows flitted behind the first and ninja with varying animal shaped masks warily searched the area.
The moon was bathing them in her beautiful light, gracing them with a clear view of the terrain. They were on the edge of wind border and river border, not quite in either and goose bumps broke on their skin as they reached for kunai.
There was a cackling feeling in the air, like raw electric plasma and they could almost see the shifts and erratic changes in air currents. That was when it hit them.
The chakra pounding into them from the distance was physical and solid, bearing down on them like heavy weights crushing them to the floor. Gasping and turning from the pressure exerting on them they saw a black cloud coming closer, the cloud shifted and thrashed like dark fog and was drawing nearer, thick rivulets of sand mixed in with it.
The energy seemed to flare before shrinking, the sand becoming clearer and more evident as the darkness crept away to hide from the moon's brilliant smile. A sound like crashing waves and crackling electricity suddenly assaulted the air and their ear drums, animals scurrying away from the ominous whatever it was approaching.
They saw a small flash of red in the distance before something exploded with the sound of a volcanic eruption. They were glued to the spot as the giant orb that had to have had a twenty foot diameter flew towards them, its black surface looking like evaporated liquid and soiled blood.
They had no chance as the ball of destruction crashed into them and everything went dark.
Light was now beginning to chase away the endless darkness of the night sky, the glorious moon shying away from the suns enormous heat. Obsidian, brightened by shades of the lightest of oranges and reds and birds were beginning to sing their morning alarms.
Dark was giving way to light, telling of the beautiful new day.
It was seven in the morning, not that the time was particularly bothering the artist right now for something more pressing was at hand. He had awoken in his apartment at six with a roaring head ache and tumbling nausea after he had relieved himself and drowned out his migraine in pain medicine and had sat on his bed for the rest of the hour.
Sai stared his body stiff and still as he continuously ran the same thoughts over and over through his head. I've gone insane, I've gone insane, I've gone insane, I've gone insane…
You're not helping yourself you know.
His entire body twitched as the telepathic voice spoke in his head again and for Kami's sake he knew that he wasn't helping himself…but neither was this aggravating brat!
You guessed it, that bloody little boy was back but oh no it was worse this time.
There were multiples of him, the kid no doubt the child was playing with him because for one minute there was two of him, than four, than six and than one.
I told you not to follow the blonde's voice, he was just going to hurt you…and I was right wasn't I?
Still twitching the brunette nodded slowly, watching dazedly as the child with overly long bangs covering his still unnoticeable eyes shook his head.
Yeah that woman from before forced him to bring you here, not that you care.
A black eyebrow rose in silent shock, so that Temari person wasn't such a bad girl after all. But it didn't matter, what really mattered at the moment was that he had lost his mind and that this hallucination was only here to prove it to him.
The child moved his head, making it seem as if he was looking around the room. Pictures littered the walls and crumbled up papers flooded the wooden panels on the floor, his med was rumpled showing that Naruto wasn't careful with him when he threw him down. Sai tilted his own head as the child's noggin stopped moving, facing the newly hung up picture on the wall.
The artist turned to see what had caught the boy's attention and he smiled, for once he was actually happy about one of his works.
The demon child, Gaara sat crouched in the pastels, his face pointed towards them with an angry snarl sneered on his lips and an anguished gleam in his eyes. The sky was a deep black, clashing beautifully with his blood red hair and rounded ears. Crimson slowly dripped from the blood drenched claws and his body was facing the destruction that he had caused.
Yes, he had caused the deaths littered around him, the broken and torn forms that screamed for help, to save them. But they had instigated the fight, and were too confident in themselves to realize that they would never claim victory with the red headed demon.
It was done well, though you're not satisfied with it are you?
Sai turned back to the now still and single boy who was facing him once again. "No, no I'm not. I want to capture all of his insecurities and aggressions onto the paper but I'm afraid I won't be able to do that until I see him again, and perhaps even get to talk with him."
The boy nodded before replying. I see…but perhaps you're wish will come sooner than you expected.
Narrowing his brow the artist remarked in confusion, "What do you mean?" When he received no reply except for the shrug of a small shoulder he noticed again the ratty clothing and dirty skin.
"Perhaps you should get back to where ever you're from. You're parents or guardians must be worried sick about you."
The child chuckled and shook his head.
Sorry, but my guardian is actually scared of me and thinks I'm only here to tempt him further into insanity.
Sai smiled at that, the brat's guardian sounded terribly similar to him. "Alright than, you at least have to tell me your name though so if someone calls looking for you I'll know what to call you."
I have no name.
"Oh, well that sucks." The brunette looked down to the floor at that admission silently contemplating on what it would be like to not have a name, to have almost no existence…(but come on folks you remember, just do the poll and you can help our little boy out!)
Before either of them could say another word a loud and persistent knocking came from the door, followed by an equally loud and obnoxious shout from his yellow haired team mate.
Scurrying to his black wood dresser he started pulling out clean clothing and started to dress, hopping on one foot to the door while pulling his pants on.
"SAI! OPEN UP!"
"HOLD ON A MINUTE NARUTO I'M COMIN'!"
Throwing the wooden barrier open he saw both Neji and Naruto, both in their usual attire. Neji had the same emotionless and superior mask plastered on his handsome and rather feminine face where Naruto looked worse for wear.
The blonde's blue eyes were bloodshot and watery, showing just how tired he was, his entire body giving tiny, almost nonexistent jerks and black bags hung under his eyes. A hint of insomnia the night before eh Naruto?
Both boys grabbed a fistful of the artist's belly shirt and pulled him out of the apartment, barely letting him kick the door closed before rushing out of the building. The trio stared on in confusion as they stood in the street just outside the main door to the apartment complex. The day looked fine and cheery and would have stayed that way if not for the stampede of women
and children and elderly civilians all heading towards the Hokage mountain towards the safe house just inside the large rock.
Sai noted with confusion that the little boy stayed by his side and that neither of his other companions seemed to realize he was there.
"C'mon, let's get on the roofs, we won't cause any collisions that way," as the Hyuga disappeared in a flash the three left behind followed, all four jumping up and on the roofs until they were blurs, at least the elder three did. The child just seemed to float behind them on their heels without either of his feet touching the ground. Maybe the kid wasn't human?
Every street they passed had the same kind of crowd of stampeding villagers as the one they originally came from and they were able to spot other blurs moving over different roofs in the same direction they were heading in.
As the village gate came in view Sai blurted out, "Do either of you have any idea as to what the fuck is going on?"
Naruto looked over his black and orange clad shoulder to talk to him, "No, Grandma just started to go on about how all the old rookie nine were supposed to go in and guard the east gate, of course adding on Neji's team here."
As the group landed on the gate they noticed that everyone else was already there.
Shino Aburame was standing in the shadows of the nearest look out turret, his hood covering his head and the black cloth covering the bottom half of his face, his eyes covered by the black shades. Hinata Hyuga was glancing around at everyone, occasionally asking a question about the situation only to get the same answers that he had received from the number one hyperactive ninja. Her hands were clasped in front of her and her long hair was pulled back in a pony tail.
Kiba Inuzuka wasn't bothering with the task at hand the red striped ninja was crouching against his canine companion looking up at the giant dog in concern and question, his clawed hands running reassuringly down the dog's side. Akamaru was growling, his lips skinned back with his sharp incisors clenched, white fur standing on end. His attention seemed to be glued on the forest where only he was able to sense the oncoming problem.
Ino Yamanaka looked as if she too had just gotten out of bed her blonde hair was unkempt and hanging down her back, her blue eyes blinking at the trees. Choji Akamichi and Shikamaru Nara were standing on either side of their female team mate, their eyes narrowed. Choji was stuffing apple slices into his mouth at an unusually slow pace for him and the genius was warily watching the over sized dog. The shadow user was glancing from Akamaru to the forest and finally to the sky and for once the chunin didn't appear tired or bored at all. It appeared he may even be putting together little tidbits, if any of them were to do so it would be him.
Rock Lee and Tenten were standing with Sakura, the women looking exhausted but alert while the bowl cut haired taijutsu master was wide awake. All three were staring at the clearing, their usual clothing rippling in the soft breeze coming in.
The taunt silence was suddenly broken when Shikamaru spoke up in a commanding tone. "Hinata, Neji, use your byuakugans in order to find out what the hell's got Akamaru so worked up."
The jonin nodded before activating their eye jutsu and focusing them on the large forest. As they all stood silent with only the soft yet ominous growling from the large canine Sai looked back down to his little companion that only he seemed to have the ability to see.
The child had a small smile placed upon his thin lips before he turned from the group.
I told you that you would get to see him again soon.
Before he could question or even think about the meaning of the words the child vanished in his strange and unique way. His attention was drawn back to the forest when twin gasps escaped from the Hyuga cousins' mouths.
CH. 14 IS COMPLETED AND I MUST APOLOGIZE FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK ME TO COMPOSE THIS ONE. GOMEN NASAI.
ANYWAY, I'VE MADE A SHORT STORY TO GO ALONG WITH THIS, IT IS MEANT TO BE BETWEEN THIS CHAP. AND THE LAST. IT IS CALLED YOU'LL BE IN MY HEART AND IT IS AN ELABORATION ON WHAT GAARA SAID LAST CHAPTER.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE POLL, ONLY TWO PEOPLE HAVE DONE IT AND UNFORUTNATELY THEY ALL CHOSE DIFFERENT ONES SO I CAN'T EXACTLY PICK A WINNER OUT OF IT NOW.
UNTIL THE POLL IS COMPLETED SAI'S LITTLE FRIEND WILL FOREVER BE WITHOUT A NAME.
PLEASE REVIEW AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME
JA NE