I didn't want to get into this just yet, but i realised i didn't really have a choice. this is probably the best way to do this, but i'll try to drag it out for as long as possible. BTW sorry about that last disclaimer. the effects of depriving myself of sleep makes me come up with all sorts of strange things. saying that, i haven't slept yet & it's 7:00 am right now. aw well, i like being crazy.

Discalimer: If i owned naruto (yes i'm back on this again) he wouldn't be summoning toads. he'd be summoning something awesome, like Falcons or Wolves... or chickens. chickens he would then feed to kyuubi & increase his own power! Now leave me alone, i'm going to get some sleep while the sun's still out.

Patience is a virtue, waiting is a pain

"Sasuke-san, you're channelling too much chakra."

"Hn."

"That's better."

"There is a large caravan nearby. Looks like it's just a trader."

"Keep an eye on them. It could be a disguise."

"Of course we thought of that! Please don't insult us, Leader-sama."

"You're right. I apologize."

"At least this won't take as long as with Jinchūriki. No need to remove it from anything."

"That is correct, Kisame-san. But considering the size of the Sanbi, this should still take a day."

"I get to spend the whole day in a damp cave with a wet blanket? Man I love this job, un."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be caught dead in Kiri again."

"That's not to say they wouldn't try."

"Am I hearing right? Was that a joke, Itachi-san?"

"..."

"Hrooaaarrr."

"Tch, damn turtle."

"Shall I silence him, un?"

"No, your explosions would only make it worse. You'll have to put up with it."

"You, know, I knew the Sanbi Jinchūriki, cute kid."

"I've been wondering about that, why did they release the Sanbi, wouldn't that make them weaker, un?"

"He didn't have the killer intent Kiri wanted of him. He wasn't lazy, but he just didn't seem to care. He was completely apathetic about the Shinobi ways. The kid just loved to fish. So the Mizukage tried to have the Sanbi transferred into another, more willing, Shinobi. But they underestimated the effort it took to extract aBijū. By the time the Sanbi was out, they didn't have enough chakra left to contain it. The Sanbi left, heh, it didn't even glance at its captors."

Silence fell. Gaara looked up at the giant beast; this was the first Bijū they'd sealed. It felt different than dealing with Jinchūriki, you didn't need as much chakra, but what you did use had to be spread over a larger area. It didn't help that the Sanbi was resisting in a way only a Bijū can. A Jinchūriki didn't have the strength to resist the pain of the extraction, but Bijū were powerful enough to withstand the pressure of their own chakra, a small group of Shinobi would be no match, even if they were S-rank missing-nin.

The Sanbi thrashed against its bonds, struggling to be free. But it was having difficulty moving; one of its tails & a legs had already been absorbed, its balance thrown. But the extraction was still difficult. Not only did they have to keep the Sanbi in place, but they also had to keep it from destroying the statue, which was no easy task. Deidara ducked as a tail came close to beheading him. He cursed under his breath; the movement had caused his chakra to fluctuate. Kisame noticed this & increased his chakra output to balance it out.

"If Sasori no Danna were here, he could use his puppets to restrain this bastard, un."

"Same with Kakuzu." Kisame replied, "We're going to have to be careful, if all our immortal comrades have been defeated, then we are at a definite risk."

"Are you afraid, Kisame-san? You sound like a weakling."

"Why don't you come over here? I'll show you what a weakling is."

"Are you trying to intimidate us? You're forgetting that we can move & you cannot."

"Damn I hate it when he talks like he's two different people."

"That's not unlikely, there was a subordinate of Orochimaru's who shared his body with his brother." Gaara said.

"Sakon & Ukon." Sasuke added, "There are similarities between them & Zetsu-san."

"So they're finally catching on. It's about time; we were starting to doubt your intelligence."

"So one of you shares the others body?" Sasuke asked.

"Not quite. You see, conjoined twins have a very special bond. One is the dominant body, the other can move freely around their sibling's body by a jutsu unique only to such people."

"So one of you is dominant, un?"

"We are the exception. Neither of us is the dominant. We both have exactly half a body, shared. We have half a brain each. But we also have a heart, stomach & other individual organs each. Our mother was a Shinobi who was pregnant with us, when she was hit with a jutsu. We were both affected. We spliced together, all our organs being moved to the side. We are brothers who use each other to be whole."

"Is that so?" Pein asked, "How unusual."

"What about you, Kisame-san? How come you look like that, un?"

"We're not on a slumber party." Kisame retorted, "Can the back stories."

"Why the serious face, un? It's unlike you to be so stern."

"My past is what it is, I'll leave it there." Kisame growled.

"Forgive my partner." Itachi said, "He'd rather forget his life in Kirigakure."

"So would you if you'd been through what I have."

"It's alright, Kisame-san, you don't have to speak." Pein said.

"I won't."

The rest fell silent, the only noise coming from the Sanbi. No-one spoke for the rest of the time, Gaara was glad when it was over & he was back in Konan's room. He stood up & brushed dust off himself. Sensing Konan behind him, he turned to face her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her. Her eyes dropped to the ground for a second, before looking back up at him.

"It's just that, now that I'm no longer a part of... it makes a lot less sense to me."

Gaara walked over to her & placed a hand on her cheek.

"I know this may not make a lot of sense to you right now." He said, "But this is for the best."

"The best?" Konan repeated, batting his hand away, "Do you even know Pein's plan?"

"I do."

"Then how can you say it's for the best?"

"Because I don't share his ideals."

Konan blinked.

"You don't? Then what are you doing there?"

"I'm finishing my promise. I'm making his clan stronger."

"I know that, but for what? Why do you need to make Akatsuki stronger than it already is?"

Gaara's eyes looked far away as he thought about his last conversation with Madara, during Oto & Suna's invasion of Konoha.

"Gaara-kun, what do you know about the Rikudō Sennin?" Madara asked.

"The Rikudō Sennin?" Gaara repeated, "He discovered chakra & was the first Shinobi, he's like a god to all Ninja."

Madara nodded, "He thought so too."

"It was his wish for his clan to surpass the Rikudō Sennin." Gaara replied.

"The Rikudō... why on earth would he want that?" Konan asked, frowning. Gaara sighed & sat on Konan's bed, she sat next to him.

"Gaara, why did Madara want Akatsuki to surpass the Rikudō Sennin?" she repeated. Gaara leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"I want you to promise that, despite what I'm about to tell you, your opinion of me won't change." He said. Konan took his hand & squeezed it.

"I promise."

* * * * *

"This- this is impossible!" Konan breathed, "Are you sure of this?"

"I have no doubt whatsoever." Gaara replied.

"But, wasn't Madara losing it? Can you be certain what he said was reliable?"

"Yes, I am certain."

"But... it just can't be..."

"I know this may be hard for you to accept."

"I can't believe it..." She whispered, "Yahiko... what have you done?"

She gasped, tears welling up in her eyes.

"This is all my fault." She said, "If I hadn't let myself get captured by Hanzō, none of this would have happened!"

Gaara placed a hand on her back & lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

"Don't blame yourself for that. It's better that it happened then, now something can be done about it. That is my mission."

"Your mission is to- no!"

She grabbed him by the shoulder & pulled him into her.

"Don't do this!" she cried into his shoulder, "You'll die! Please don't do it!"

Gaara put his arms around her, running a hand through her hair. He pressed his head against hers, inhaling deeply. He looked at the door, his eyes relaxed a little & he nodded.

"I give you my word; I will not allow myself to die." He said, "I will fight the Shinigami himself if I have to. But this needs to be done."

Konan searched his face before looking away.

"Goddamn Madara." She cursed, "Even when he's gone, he's still pulling the strings."

"He only did what he felt he had to do. I will finish what he started, but..."

"What? What is it?" Konan asked.

"I may need your help."

She smiled.

"I'll be there whether you like it or not." She said, pulling away. Gaara stroked her cheek again, he loved doing that. They sat there quietly for a while, both thinking about the task ahead. Konan stood.

"I'm going for a walk." She said, "I need to clear my head."

Gaara nodded & she left, giving a small wave. Gaara listened as he heard her footsteps fade away, smiling. She glided as she walked, so quiet. His smile fell when he could no longer hear her, a frown taking place on his brow.

"What do you mean?" Gaara asked. Madara folded his arms & leant against the tree he was standing on.

"He intended to use his new found abilities to become a deity among man. He gathered some disciples & passed some of his knowledge onto them, so his word could travel all across the world. But what he didn't foresee was that his students would then pass that knowledge onto those they met."

Gaara stood up & walked into the kitchen, where Temari was cutting up some fruit. She smiled at him as he came in.

"Morning!" she said, brightly.

"Morning." Gaara replied, taking a date from the pantry & biting into it.

"So was that Konan-chan I heard leaving?" Temari asked, returning to her fruit. Gaara nodded in reply. Temari stopped her cutting.

"Gaara... I'm really glad you told her." She said, quietly. Gaara put his date down & looked at her.

"This isn't how I intended for you to find out... I'm sorry." He told her.

"No, it's my fault." She replied, "I shouldn't have been looking into her room."

She then dropped her knife & threw her arms around Gaara.

"I can't believe it!" She exclaimed, tears pouring down her cheeks, "My little brother!"

Gaara chuckled & returned the hug. Temari was really emotional about these things. This was why he wanted to wait before telling her, he knew she would lose it.

"It's your turn next." He said, grinning. Temari stiffened. She let go & leant against the counter.

"I don't know." She said, looking at the ground sadly, "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Gaara chuckled again.

"Temari, you've been ready for years." He replied, "Don't take what happened with Deidara as a reason for never trying again."

"You don't know what it's like. The first person you wanted returned your feelings."

Gaara's grin fell. He stared at Temari, frowning.

"Was it really that bad?" he asked.

"...Yeah, it was bad."

"Do you still feel strongly about him?"

Temari looked away, rubbing her arm. Gaara nodded.

"I see." He said. He decided to change the subject, "We'll be leaving soon."

"Leaving? Where are we going?"

"Konohagakure."

Temari stared at him, gaping.

"Why on earth would you wan to go there?" she demanded.

"I have business there." Was all that he said, before he left the kitchen, heading outside.

He sat down by the oasis, listening to the sound of the wind passing through the trees. He could see Konan on the other side, a blue speck in the distance, half sitting half lying on the ground. She was running her hand through the water, ripples appearing around her fingers. Gaara wrapped his arms around his knees, eyes spacing out.

"Soon, Shinobi were everywhere, to his disdain. Everything he had worked towards fell apart as Shinobi began to specialize in specific jutsu. Those Shinobi then gathered together & hidden villages were born. Shinobi were trained in academies, even children were learning the Sennin's arts. This enraged him. His life's work in the hands of mere children. What was more, the wars he intended to end broke out on a larger scale, Katon jutsu burned forests to the ground & Suiton jutsu drowned valleys. Death tolls increased, Shinobi & civilian alike."

"I hear we're going back to Konoha."

Gaara looked behind him. Kankuro stood behind him, hood down, staring at his little brother.

"If you don't want to come, you don't have to." Gaara told him.

"It's been three years." He replied, "I'm over it & Tenten will have forgotten all about me."

Gaara paused for a second, giving his brother a sorry look.

"That's unlikely." He said, "You two had a special relationship. On top of that, Naruto & Shikamaru have both encountered me, Shikamaru seeing you himself. Tenten probably knows you're affiliated with Akatsuki."

"Damn, you're right." Kankuro replied, running his hands through his hair. He paced around for a bit, thinking hard.

"I'm coming." He said, "If she sees me, then I'll get what I deserve."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

Gaara stared at his brother for a second longer before turning back to the water. Konan had disappeared from sight, continuing her walk. Gaara was sad to not be able to see her.

"It must have been very painful for you." He said. Kankuro took a seat beside him.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad." He admitted, "The amount of times I thought I could hear her voice just about drove me insane."

He leaned back & looked out across the water.

"You finding someone like you did is nothing short of a miracle."

Gaara didn't like Kankuro's tone.

"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice slightly cold.

"Well, dad was an asshole." Kankuro replied, counting off on his fingers, "Yashamaru never had any luck with the ladies. On top of that, you've got a sister who fell for a suicidal nut job & a brother who gave up the best girl he could ever meet. And a guy like you ends up with a beauty like Konan?! Man, if there's a god out there, then he's a wise-cracking sonofabitch!"

"Normality doesn't seem like something we'll ever have."

"What, you want a normal life?" Kankuro asked, smirking.

"Never." Gaara replied, smirking as well.

* * * * *

"You're going to Konohagakure?" Konan asked, repeating Gaara's words, "You're not leaving me here by myself, are you?"

"Actually, I was going to suggest you stay if you didn't want to come." Gaara replied, a surprised look on his face. Konan gave him a determined look.

"No way am I staying here alone." She said, "Not while you're out there having fun."

Gaara laughed, "You're right, you're not the kind of girl who waits around for other people, are you?"

"Got that right!" Konan said, grabbing her new cloak. It was blue silk with a white floral pattern on it. She threw it on & smiled at Gaara.

"Maybe this time you won't have to carry me." She said, jokingly.

"Maybe I'll do it anyway." He replied, grinning. Konan came close to him.

"Maybe I'll let you." She said, teasingly.

"You've got a room, use it." Kankuro said, passing the two of them in the hallway. Once again he'd succeeded in embarrassing both of them. Konan stepped back, blushing lightly. Gaara smirked.

"Let's go." He said, heading for the door.

"Right." Konan nodded, following him out. Temari & Kankuro were waiting for him. Temari smiled when she saw Konan.

"Hey, Konan-chan! You're coming as well?" she asked.

"Mm-hm." Konan replied, returning the smile. The four set off, but they had barely started before a voice called out.

"Gaara-samaaaaa!"

Gaara smirked as a cloud of sand blew towards them & spun around Gaara, before taking the form of his Akatsuki cloak.

"Sorry Umibe, I nearly forgot about you." He said.

"You did forget me!" Umibe replied, indignantly, before saying brightly, "But that's ok! Gaara-sama has many big thoughts in his head, I wish I was as wise as you!"

Gaara felt even guiltier about forgetting Umibe now.

"So what was it that Kousou wanted you for?" he asked, "You were away for a long time."

"Kousou-sama wanted me to tell him about your adventures!" Umibe replied, "He has begun writing the scriptures of your travels!"

Gaara sighed. With Umibe being his only connection to the sandworms, it was easy to forget how serious they were about their religion. Gaara looked ahead to the empty horizon.

"There is no need for discretion." He said, "Lets do what we can to get there as quickly as possible; it would be an annoyance if the sealing of the Yonbi began while we are near Konoha."

Saying this, he used his Subaku Fuyū to ascend into the air. Temari pulled out her fan & flew on it with her Fūton jutsu. Kankuro summoned & climbed inside Kuroari, then used it to levitate in the air. Finally, paper wings grew on Konan's back. She flew alongside Gaara, Temari floated a little lower to the left & Kankuro was behind them. They flew over the ocean of sand, the sun on their backs. Beneath them, nothing stirred, silence prevailed. Gaara smirked. He remembered something someone once told him. He said that if someone were to ask you if Wind Country had any monuments, you should say "Look to the dunes."

Then, while the person did just that, pick their pocket. Outsiders always believed that by the people of the desert were wise, kind Samaritans. But in reality, they were all after each others fortune. That was the Suna way, at least. Make yourself appear to be an ally, then stab them in the back. Gaara looked ahead to their destination, imagining Konohagakure off to the distance.

"I have done just that." He thought, bitterly, "Father would be proud."

Konan seemed to sense his displeasure, as she flew down & sat on the sand, looking at Gaara.

"Are you alright?" she asked, cocking her head. Gaara looked down at her & nodded.

"I'm just thinking back." He said, "The past is much harder to look at than the future."

"... do you always talk like that?" Konan asked, a bemused look on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, how you talk like a wise man or something, coming up with all sorts of sayings."

Gaara smirked, "Maybe I am wise."

"At your age? You haven't lived long enough, you're still just a child."

"You keep saying that, but if that were true then that would make you a pedophile."

Despite their altitude, and his current position, Kankuro could be clearly heard snickering from inside Kuroari.

"Huh, I never thought of that." Konan said, placing a finger against her chin, "How old are you anyway?"

"I am fifteen years old."

"That's all?" Konan asked, "Oh my god, I am a pedophile!"

"If it makes any difference, I won't be this age for much longer."

"Oh my god!"

Gaara stared as Konan seemed to have a mental breakdown. Then something clicked.

"How old are you?" he asked. Konan froze. Gaara could feel the tension rising as Temari & Kankuro disappeared from sight. Konan turned away, her back to Gaara. Was she moping? He moved over to her, crouched down & wrapped his arms around her.

"Angels never age." He said, "You will be forever young, my angel."

* * * * *

"Back in Fire Country." Kankuro said, "Man I hate coming here."

They were on foot again, walking through the forests. It was a little cooler than Wind country here, a light breeze blowing through the air. The path they walked on was well travelled, faded tracks going either way.

They weren't far from Konoha. About a days travel would get them there. Kankuro was in a bad mood, which was understandable, considering how much he'd lost here. Konan seemed wary however.

"I just had a thought." She said, looking ahead nervously, "There's a person who may be in Konoha. He was the person who trained Yahiko, Nagato & I all those years ago, the Sannin Jiraiya."

"Jiraiya..." Gaara repeated, his brow creasing, "I think I knew someone by that name. Of course, the Shinobi Naruto called 'Ero-Sennin'."

"That's probably him." Konan replied, a small smile on her face, "I'd like to avoid him, if possible."

Gaara nodded, "That's fine."

"So you knew Jiraiya?" Kankuro asked.

"How do you know him?" Temari asked a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Uh... I was given one of his books, as a gift." He replied, not daring to look Temari in the eye.

"WHO THE HELL WOULD GIVE YOU A-... Tenten. That freak has to be the most perverted woman I've ever met!"

"Yeah." Kankuro replied, a dreamy look on his face. Temari grunted disgustedly before storming off ahead. Konan looked between the two.

"Your siblings are... peculiar." She said.

"I prefer to think f them as 'entertaining'." Gaara replied, "I had a feeling that getting someone like Tenten involved with Kankuro would amuse me later on."

Konan gave him a strange look.

"That's... evil." She told him.

"Not really." Gaara argued, "Tenten was indebted to me anyway, and the two of them benefitted from it.

"I don't know, I think some of Madara's deceptiveness rubbed off onto you."

Gaara was about to reply when he sensed something strange, very close to him. He reached into his pouch & pulled out something he hadn't seen in a long time; his communication stone.

"Go on ahead." He told the others, "I'll only be a minute."

They nodded & walked on, Konan taking a second longer to leave. When they were an acceptable distance away, Gaara channeled chakra into the stone.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I thought you'd want to know, Deidara & Sasuke are both dead." The other person told him, "Apparently, Deidara sought to kill Sasuke as practice for Itachi. But in the end, he used his Kyūkyoku Geijutsu & both of them died.

"Really? What a pity. Those two are an unfortunate loss."

"How much longer is this going to take?"

"Not much longer, I promise."

"Good. You know I don't like waiting."