Assassin of the Moonlit Night.
After pursuing him for what seemed like hours, we finally made it to where Sasuke and Gaara were. What I saw struck me to the core, Gaara was partially transformed into what looked like some creature. The chakra I sensed matched the one I felt in the arena earlier before this whole mess started.
Naruto kicked Gaara square in the face, protecting Sasuke from what could've been a fatal blow.
"Sasuke!" I called, landing next to him.
He was laying facedown on the tree branch and I could see the black flame-like pattern on his neck and arm.
I gasped, "Oh no."
"He activated the curse mark." Helena noted.
Sakura landed on the other side of Sasuke while Pakkun landed next to me, and Choji landed behind me. Naruto stood on the leaves in front of us, staring down Gaara.
Sasuke struggled to sit up, but his body was rigid. "What the hell are you guys doing here?" he said through gritted teeth.
I saw the black flame like pattern on his face as well, and gasped. "He's loosing control again, just like before."
"Hey, earth to Kunoichi teammates." Naruto addressed us.
"What the hell do you want?" Sakura asked, glaring at Naruto.
"This guy over here, who the hell is he?" Naruto asked us.
"Is he seriously that dense?" Helena scoffed.
"His outward appearance may look different." Pakkun answered. "But he's the one you all know as Gaara."
Sasuke coughed and blood spurted from his mouth.
"Hang in there Sasuke." Sakura soothed. She looked up at me. "Kristin we have to get him back to Kakashi-sensei."
"I know, I know." I replied. "But if we try to make a run for it now, Gaara would pounce on us the second we moved."
"And judging from his chakra, he would kill the lot of you just as quickly." Pakkun added.
I glared at him. "Stop patronizing us." I barked. I looked back to Sakura, and saw the worry in her eyes. "We'll think of something, I promise."
I looked down at Sasuke and rubbed his shoulders, "Just hang in there man, we'll think of something."
Sasuke groaned as he struggled to lift himself up, blood ran down from his lips.
"I can only imagine the pain he must be feeling under the influence of the curse mark." I thought as I looked over him. "Just like what I went through on the bridge, only for my sake, I was glad the seal broke quickly." I closed my eyes as I remembered when Helena's seal first broke when we were fighting back in the Land of Waves.
{Flashback}
"Time to break out and have fun." and suddenly, my entire body shifted, and I couldn't stop it.
My knees buckled underneath me and I saw the marks on my hands meld together, turning black. Jet black, just like Helena's fur. The pain I felt was so intense that I soon began to loose consciousness.
As I slipped deeper and deeper, something came over me. I found myself floating in darkness. A feminine chuckle sounded behind me. I spun around and was face to face with my split personality, the demon spirit that lived in the dark recesses of my subconscious.
Her hair was the same length as mine, only it was deep purple. Her eyes were dark blue, and she wore the exact same outfit that I wore. The same crimson marks that appeared on me, appeared on her as well. Then, like me before, they melded together, turning her skin black, except it was fur, not skin. Black ears sprouted from her head and a tail appeared. She was then surrounded by purple chakra.
"Sorry dear, but it's my turn." she said, grinning. "Take a backseat and let me show you a thing or two about surviving the Kunoichi lifestyle.
I felt myself being shoved back, and I saw the battle through my own eyes, only Helena was the one moving. It was like being a puppet being controlled, I had no control over my movements, or transformation, or my own jutsu.
In a swift movement, my perception changed and I saw my reflection on one of Haku's mirrors. A jet black figure in a jade green outfit, ears and a tail, and claws in place of nails. Sharp fangs bared in a smile that sent chills down my spine. My body reacted to the emotions and my perception changed. I cast a quick glance at the mirror next to me and saw my body shift, from a human girl to a black wolf. My forest green headband was around my neck and I had purple bangs over my eyes, which were bloodshot and deep blue, with crimson scars over them.
{End Flashback}
Helena's seal pulsated again, and I winced at the pain. "Not now." I grunted.
"If you don't use this jutsu now, you won't live to see the end of the day." Helena spat back.
"Girls run!" Naruto warned.
As Sakura and I looked in his direction, Gaara lunged past him and was aiming to attack Sasuke.
"Not on your life." Sakura grunted, unsheathing a kunai and standing protectively in front of Sasuke.
I watched Gaara closely, and as he swung his claw, I saw a kunai knife sticking out of it.
"Sakura move!" I warned, pushing her out of the way.
Gaara's sand-claw wrapped around the both of us and pinned us the tree trunk behind us. My body jerked and I felt the kunai knife stab me in the chest, and I coughed a little bit of blood.
"Kristin?" Sakura moaned, then I saw her eyes close and her head drop.
"Damn." I muttered, feeling the halt of the seal. "Guess it wasn't fast enough." I coughed again and my eyes felt heavy.
I managed to keep them open a little while longer to see Naruto and Choji take Sasuke to another branch. I heard Choji yell my name and Naruto yelled Sakura's, and everything echoed in my ears.
"I feel so…so lightheaded…and everything's going….dark…" I thought as my eyelids slowly closed.
I felt the pressure tighten on my body and suddenly I saw an image. A photograph of a woman with short, sandy-blonde hair and blue-grey eyes.
"My presence is resonating with Shukaku." Helena muttered. "I think Gaara's remembering something."
I slipped further and further into darkness, and found myself watching Gaara's memories unfold.
I found myself in a small hut in Sunagakure, the Village hidden in the Sand. I heard the sound of sand rushing and when I turned, I was face to face with Gaara, who looked no more than five or six years old.
"What the hell?" I thought.
A man, closely resembling the woman in the photograph came into the room and Gaara referred to him as Yashamaru. He was the chief of the Suna medical corp. and was asked by Gaara's father, the Kazekage, to see to Gaara's well being and safety.
Yashamaru has bandages wrapped around his forehead and wrist, and Gaara seemed genuinely concerned about him, asking if the wounds hurt and apologizing.
"He was so sweet, I wonder what happened to change all of this?" I asked myself.
"Well, maybe that's what we can find out." Helena replied.
I turned in the direction her voice came from and saw her in my reflection in the windowpane.
We both paid attention as Gaara asked all sorts of questions about pain and what it is. Yashamaru tried to explain it, but said it wasn't really easy to explain. As I listened, I caught on that Gaara's mother was Yashamaru's older sister, making him Gaara's uncle.
Yashamaru explained that wounds to the body eventually heal over time, but a wound to the heart, it something that could never really heal. He said that love was the one thing that could help in healing a wounded heart, and little Gaara seemed to understand that quiet easily.
"Something tells me that he's hiding something." Helena noted, narrowing her eyes at Yashamaru.
I shook my head, "No way, I think he truly cares about Gaara." I rebuked. "Hell, he might've been the only person who loved him."
"Then why is Gaara the way he is now?" Helena asked. "Something must've happened to this Yashamaru person to make Gaara believe his only reason for living is in the killing of others."
I huffed and crossed my arms.
Then, I felt an intense, twisting pain in my chest area and when my eyes snapped open, I saw the forest around me, the forest of Konohagakure.
"Like I said, my power must be resonating with Shukaku somehow." Helena said. "That's why we were able to see that memory."
I blinked and saw Gaara was gripping his head with his free hand, the expression on his face was that of anguish and agony. He twisted his transformed arm and I felt another stab of pain, causing me to spit blood. I could feel it trickling down from my mouth as my eyes slowly closed.
The desert winds blew my hair back and I saw little Gaara walking the streets of Suna, when a drunken man bumped into him. Gaara's eyes narrowed and sand swirled around him, and he ended up killing drunk in one swift movement.
I flinched, "Damn." I muttered.
I followed little Gaara as he walked along, and he passed by an older man that he resembled, my best guess that it was his father, the Kazekage.
Little Gaara sat on the rooftop of his home looking down over the village. The moon was full in the night sky.
"I kinda feel bad for him." I thought, as I stood on the building opposite him.
"Yeah, and I thought your buddy Naruto had a bad life." Helena reminded.
"So true. Suddenly, my life doesn't look so bad." I closed my eyes and sighed.
Little Gaara put his face in his hands and began to cry. Unbeknownst to him, a dozen or so kunai knives came at him from behind, and a shield of sand formed, startling him. Gaara turned to face his attacker and used his power over the sand to crush him. As I leapt closer, I saw what he saw. The assassin that tried to kill him was Yashamaru. Gaara let out a bloodcurdling scream that snapped me out of the memory I just witnessed.
I coughed and blood dripped onto Gaara's sand claw.
"Sasuke." I heard Sakura whimper from beside me.
"Naruto." I managed to say, before coughing again.
"Kristin." I heard someone say my name.
I opened my eyes and turned my head a few inches to the left, and I saw Shikamaru leaning against the tree trunk, panting, with Angel at his feet. I felt a smile cross my lips as my eyes met his for only a second. My gaze drifted to Choji, who was kneeling next to Sasuke.
"Choji." I whispered. "Shikamaru." I felt moisture form in my eyes.
"These two." Gaara growled, his gaze locked with Naruto. "And Uchiha. Just what are they to you!"
"Who are they to me?" Naruto repeated. "They're my friends is who they are! And if you so much as lay a finger on them, I will pulverize you!"
Gaara grinned and put more pressure on the sand constricting Sakura and myself, and we both let out a scream. I felt the kunai knife go deeper into my chest and coughed up more blood.
"Kristin!" Choji and Shikamaru yelled in unison.
Gaara laughed when Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What's the matter?" Gaara growled. "Weren't you going to pulverize me?"
Naruto clenched his fist and lunged towards Gaara, "Damn you!" he yelled.
Next time…
Kristin: It's no use, I can't even move anymore.
Helena: Well then, it's time I take action and try to help Naruto. Gaara posses an tremendous amount of strength, and he's only partially transformed.
Naruto: I don't give a damn about it, he's going down!
Helena: We have to work together if we're gonna do this. Next time: Light vs. Dark: The Two Faces of Gaara! I know I can beat this guy, I just hope my body can hold out.
A/N: Hey guys, another double feature here! I hope ya'll are enjoying the story so far. Review and tell me what ya think^^
XOXO~Cyber
