Author's note: It has been quite a while since this story got any reviews. I would really appreciate some feedback, especially since I've been required to improvise a lot more now that this takes place during the timeskip in the manga. Remember, your reviews are what help me make this story even more enjoyable for everyone involved.

It's been a long month to say the least. With Yashamaru gone, the house feels way too empty for me. It always seems so quiet now. Even a single sneeze feels deafening. At least Atami has been around more often lately. It almost seems like cats can smell grief; Atami's entire family has been all over me almost constantly ever since Yashamaru died. I could definitely use the support right now. I still can't believe Sasori, the gentle man who had always hated seeing me upset as if all of my pain was also his own, would do something so awful. At least Yashamaru's funeral had dozens of shinobi in attendance. He might have died young, but at least my little brother was well loved. I even saw some fresh incense and other little tributes by his grave before I left to go to Kumo. It's good to know that others will continue to pay tribute to his life even while I am away from the village.

It takes a waterlogged week and a half to make the journey to Kumo. I'll never get used to seeing so much rain in so little time. If this happened back in Suna, we'd be surrounded by mud as far as the eye could see. The rain isn't too unbearable for most of the trip since it mostly stays light yet steady. The last day of the trip is another story. One of Kumo's famous storms rolls in, completely drenching all of the foreigners journeying to the Chunin Exams. The sky seems like a battleground. Thunder booms like a thousand bombs overhead and lightning tears its way across the sky like the claws of a massive beast. Thankfully it calms down and the rain finally stops by the time I reach the village, but I wish I could feel the desert sun on my shoulders for a moment, if only to dry off a little. At least I have plenty of time to change out of these soaking wet clothes before I meet by children today.

It's the day before the final phase of the exams, so this is the last chance I'll get to talk to them before the fighting starts. I just hope the haven't started their daily training yet. As much as I need to see some familiar faces right now, I'd rather not interrupt anything too important. I'd better tell them about Yashamaru as soon as I can though. The last thing Gaara and Temari need is to find out about their uncle's murder from anyone else.

The living quarters the genin have been staying in seem nice enough. they are housed in nice sized apartment like chambers, each with one half for the boys and another half for the girls. There aren't too many family members visiting the genin, but there are enough that I don't feel too out of place. The hallways are filled to the brim with chatter about the previous phases and speculation about what the match ups will be like tomorrow. It seems like everyone is more than ready for the fights to begin. A few last minute bets are being made, words of advice are being exchanged, and the genin are sizing each other up quite a bit. Everyone is cheerful now, but it is clear that tomorrow will be another story. I doubt these genin will show any of their rivals mercy tomorrow.

Once I reach the area where Gaara and Temari are staying, things seem much quieter. The chatter from the other genin is little more than a distant buzz now. I knock on the door to what I'm assuming is Gaara's half of the living quarters lightly. I hear a soft mutter from within before Gaara's sand unlocks the door and swings it open. Gaara has just gotten up from his position at the table to greet me, Riu is finishing off what looks like an intense grooming session, and Kira is drying off some plates which I'm assuming were washed after breakfast. Temari is nowhere to be found though. I ask where she is, but the results aren't promising. Kira finishes off the plates before turning to Gaara.

"Did you ever find her last night or is she still sulking?"

"I haven't seen much of her ever since she rented out that hotel room." Gaara runs a hand through his hair, thinking. "I think I might have seen her with someone from Konoha last night, but it was hard to tell. That downpour last night made it tough to make anything out clearly."

Riu looks up from licking her belly fur and bares her teeth. "You'd think she'd at least bother to show us a little consideration after ditching us in that forest. After all, it is partially her fault that you had to go bat shit crazy on those suicidal nut jobs who ambushed us and go Shukaku on their asses."

Wait a minute. Gaara actually used Shukaku? What kind of desperate mess happened in that forest? Kira seems as surprised as I am; her mouth is gaping open wide enough that a sparrow could build a nest in there. Gaara is glaring at Riu but not with any kind of malice r anger, just a large helping of frustration. His whisper shatters the shocked silence that has filled the room "I thought you promised not to mention that in front of anyone, especially not my mother."

Riu nonchalantly licks one of her front paws and begins rubbing it over he ears. "No, I didn't. I said I'd give you plenty of time to tell Kira herself and that you could also handle our lovely friend here if you took care of my best friend first. However, you keep avoiding this topic, so someone had to say something."

Annoyance drips from Riu's voice like water from a leaky faucet, but it almost sounds like there is something else there too. Maybe there is a hint of pity in her voice and maybe there isn't. That doesn't matter right now. What does matter is what happened to set Gaara off like that. From the looks of it, I'll have to take charge of this inquiry since Gaara seems even less talkative about this issue than he does about most things.

"What exactly happened during the ambush and what does that have to do with Temari staying away from you?" I let some of my concern seep into my voice. "She is okay, right?"

Gaara hesitates until Riu none to subtly taps his on the leg with an outstretched paw, muttering for him to get it over with. "Temari is fine. From what I've seen, she only got a few tiny marks during the second phase, just a bruise or two and some scratches. She'd been acting odd ever since the first phase of the exam. Each team had one member temporarily kidnapped without them knowing it was just a test while the other two members had to successfully interrogate a chunin from Kumo before the kidnapped member gave in. Obviously we passed, but Temari seemed really aggravated afterwards and abandoned us in the middle of a form in the forest."

Riu pipes in. "It was no accident either. We had to survive on a training ground with enormous animals for a week, so we spent hours trying to crackdown Temari. I found her scent a few times, but it seemed like she was deliberately evading us." By the end of her little explanation, Riu's ears are pressed flat against her head and she ended up hissing violently between the last few words.

Gaara continues explaining, barely managing to ignore the livid mass of spiked up fur next to him. "Everything was manageable for a while, but a team of Kiri genin ended up attacking us out of nowhere near one of the only sources of clean water we had managed to find. Things got ugly, Kira was knocked out after she killed one of the trio, and I had to do something before any of us died."

Kira, disturbingly silent until now, forces out something that sounds more like a desperate wish that anything else to Riu. "I thought you finished them off."

Riu sighs and shuts her eyes, not willing to look Kira in the face as she answers. "I was pinned to the ground before I could even try to fight back. Since Gaara had sunk like a lead weight after their juts shoved him into the pond, you were unconscious, and I had enough issues making sure none of my ribs got crushes….well…" Riu starts shaking. Her voice is full of tears which she can't shed. "They weren't just going to kill you either. No, they wanted to have their way with you, beat you within n inch of your life, and leave you for the carnivores. If it hadn't been for Gaara somehow getting Shukaku to lend him some chakra…" Riu's voice trails off. She runs up to Kira and rams her head against her. Kira's face is as pale as snow now, but ,as shocked and no doubt horrified as she is, she still bends down and rubs Riu until the cat is purring her heart out.

Once she has calmed down enough to speak again, Riu reminds Kira that they'll be late to their last training session if they don't leave now. Nodding, Kira wordlessly picks up Riu and starts carrying her off to wherever she has been training. Gaara creates a sand clone to go with her, saying that he will be there in a few minutes. Kira doesn't respond, but Riu meows a quick acknowledgement. Gaara turns his attention back to me, trying and failing to hide his concern. "One of the Kiri genin got away after the attack, so have to make sure he doesn't try anything before the fights tomorrow."

I don't know how Gaara could possible be so calm after all that has happened. I would be a nervous wreck for sure. "How did you get Shukaku to cooperate anyway?"

Gaara shrugs. "I was completely soaked, so I don't think he could carry out the usual transformation. Maybe he just can't svn try to take control if I'm not covered in sand. He can't work with mud in any case." Gaara relaxes a bit and it is only now that I notice he had completely tensed up earlier. "I'd better leave soon, but you look like you need to say something. And where is Uncle Yashamaru? I thought he was coming with you?"

"He was going to, but something happened." There is no easy way to say this. I'd better just be direct and hope Gaara doesn't get too upset. "After you left, Sasori cam to the village and stole all of Chiyo's sealing scrolls. Yashamaru tried to stop him, but Sasori was too strong for him. Yashamaru is dead."

Gaara's eyes widen and his mouth moves soundlessly for a moment. He hugs me tightly as I shake after delivering the awful news. Gaara doesn't say anything; he doesn't really need to. I know that he'll always be there for me no matter what tragedies come our way.