It was a disappointing day for the ninja of The Sand as they made their way back to their home in The Land of Wind. Gaara slowly trailed behind the troops, keeping the usual fifty feet distance from them as he always did, or rather, they kept from him. No one was in a particularly social mood during the travel, but how could they be? The many months they spent spying and planning to overtake The Hidden Leaf Village, all the casualties and fights, it had all gone to waste. As if the bitter sting of defeat wasn't enough to put them down, the news of Orochimaru's betrayal and Lord Rasa's murder had left them leaderless and humiliated. That evil snake, Orochimaru, the man who claimed to be their "ally" had been the Mastermind behind it all. To satisfy his revenge against The Leaf, he manipulated the Kazekage by stirring up the past old grudges held between the villages. He drew them in by presenting a glamorous vision of a new nation, one that was controlled by both The Sound and The Sand, one that would never have to be dependent on The Leaf again. The past shinobi wars had stained the memories of the Elders of the village, so much so that they commended him and sought to dissolve the treaty between the nations. They were all unknowingly in the palm of Orochimaru's hands. When the time came for the invasion, Orochimaru had to ensure that The Sand would follow through with their loyalty in carrying out the plan. The ninja who investigated the murder uncovered that he met the Kazekage in a discreet location and took his life without any hesitation. Of course, he had to do it. He couldn't have the possibility of their leader changing sides at the last minute by calling off his troops. Orochimaru needed all the bodies he could spare.
It wasn't until then that The Sand ninja realized they had been used, especially Gaara. As his village's ultimate weapon, he was the trump card, the key to success in winning this invasion. Though he and his siblings were well above the capabilities of a Chunin, they played their part well attending Konoha's exams. The final exams were to be placed in the arena directly in the center of the village, the perfect place to unleash Shukaku's wrath. As planned, he passed every trial with a blood bath, but it still wasn't enough. Shukaku's asperity could not be satisfied with mere serial killings, he needed a massacre to slake his insatiable hatred for humans. Together they strayed away from the plan to fulfill their sadistic desires and inadvertently encountered several daring Leaf ninja, ready to battle. Like the rest of The Sand ninja, he underestimated their strength and was defeated. Though Orochimaru was the dealer in this card game, Gaara was the Ace, and because he didn't unleash Shukaku when and where he was supposed to, he knew that the majority of the blame would be directed towards him. The Elders would never admit to their own faults in trusting Orochimaru. This was to be expected.
Somehow, that fight against that kid, Naruto Uzumaki, he couldn't stop rationalizing those things that he said. Among all the opponents Gaara had faced in his lifetime, he had never met anyone who showed such strength that would overpower his own and Shukaku's. No other person in the world had the power to stop him, not even his own father. That could only mean that his claim to possessing the nine-tailed fox spirit was true. He really was a jinchuriki, just like him. If that was true, then everything else had to be too, and Gaara couldn't stop wrapping his head around it. The origin of his birth up until now, he was certain that he knew and understood the real reason for his existence. And now, because of Naruto, he got to see firsthand how different his life could have turned out to be. The battle inevitably caused him to reevaluate his life's purpose. He assumed that everything he went through growing up was just a harsh lesson, an obstacle to overcome to make himself stronger, but in the end, he wasn't as strong as he thought. Then what was it all for? How did Naruto do it? How was he able to defeat him given the life that he chose? It was then that he remembered how he spoke of his friends and how much they meant to him. Gaara just didn't get it.
The next three days he continued trying to understand what he meant. At first, when he left with his siblings, he assumed that Naruto chose the different path when he made his first few friends. Gaara then thought to himself, how could he become a friend? What do you do that comes off as friendly? Was there anything about him that remotely resembled that? Perhaps if he tried to see himself from other's point of view, he could change. Sadly, all he saw in himself was exactly what everyone had been calling him, a monster. He had to face facts, he was a scary person. Not many people survived being beside him for more than a day. The ones who did, who endured the greatest extent of his cruelty was none other than his very own brother and sister. To him, he only considered the two of them to be nothing but a burden, deadweight holding him back from his goals, but now that he took the time to observe them from a different perspective, he realized that despite everything he said and did to them, they were still by his side. They were the ones who helped him when he was fighting Shukaku's transformation. They were the ones who carried him to safety when he was too weak to run. It's true that they were only carrying out the mission, but even in those times when he was a brute, they still called him 'brother'. That got him thinking. Maybe if he apologized, things would change, so he did. Unfortunately, they still kept their distance from him. What was he to do now?
Once their eyes gazed upon the massive rock border outlining their village, they knew they were home. Finally… The troops halted at the entrance and opened a pathway to allow the small group through. Gaara stood aside and watched as six guards lined side by side carried the gurney that held the body of his father. He was wrapped in white linens, hiding his decayed face. Gaara had seen his fair share of bodies, but not like this. He had mixed feelings watching them pass by. Once they entered the village, everyone else followed suit. Several villagers who stayed behind had crowded the gate, hoping to see Lord Rasa as well as their returning family members, but when they noticed his lifeless corpse, they all fell silent. It was a long, painful moment of quiet watching them carry him off to the local mortician. Baki, his sensei, ordered a few of his comrades to follow him to speak with the Elders while the rest of the ninja were free to go home to their families. As previously ordered before arriving, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro followed them to the Kazekage building, up to the meeting room where the council members were already sitting in wait. Their narrowed eyes fell upon them when they entered the room, all filled with disappointment and contempt.
"Great Elders." Baki addressed with a bow. "The mission has-"
"Save your breath! We are well aware of the details!" projected one of the men, known as Lord Goza. "We have severed our ties by betraying our closest ally, The Leaf. The plan to utilize our ultimate weapon on them has failed. We have been double-crossed by that cunning charlatan, Orochimaru, when he assassinated our greatest Leader. This deception has left us all ashamed…"
"Why didn't Gaara unleash the Shukaku in the capital when he was supposed to?" asked Master Yura. Gaara kept his gaze towards the floor in silence. Temari decided to take a step forward.
"We had trouble with the spirit ever since the Chunin Exams progressed."
"Not to be rude, but we weren't exactly talking to you." Said Lady Ikanago. All eyes turned back to Gaara for a response, but he remained silent. He knew they would find some way to blame him for this. They always have before. Any slip up on a mission, any damage to the village, any harm done to an innocent person, it was always Gaara's fault. His disobedience caused the adults to scowl at him.
"Why even bother asking? We all know that Gaara has been incapable of controlling the Shukaku his entire life. It's no wonder he couldn't release him. The spirit acts of its own accord." Explained Lord Ebizo, the man who had lived in the village much longer than the rest.
"If he was as strong as Lord Rasa trained him to be, he would have suppressed Shukaku until he was needed to come out. He was made to be our greatest weapon, so why couldn't he handle the one task that was given to him at birth?!" exclaimed Goza with a snarl.
Gaara felt his blood boil at that sentiment. His heart beat rapidly as he clenched his teeth hard. In the back of his mind, he could distinctly feel Shukaku's presence taunting him. Shukaku always made an appearance when he felt hardships as bad as this. He would instruct him to show no mercy against people like that. Trying to be civil was a task that was starting to become impossible as he was fighting the urge to wrap his sand around their throats. That would shut them up once and for all. He wanted to end them all, to bury them underneath a coffin of sand. If they wanted a monster, then – No! After all that, if he responded irrationally by taking that bait, he would have learned nothing. Finally looking up, he glared at them. Temari and Kankuro trembled with fear at what he was about to do. If someone even looked at Gaara the wrong way, that person was sealed with the fate of a gruesome death. It didn't matter if it was a stranger or a close family member. Whoever dared to challenge him, they were done for.
He sighed a long breath through his nose before turning towards the exit. The guard that stood in front of it was forcefully shoved out of his way. With a hard slam of the door, he was gone. Temari caught her breath in the back of her throat, stunned at what just happened. Curiously, she looked to Kankuro as if questioning if what they saw really happened. His expression read the same. They were dumbfounded. Why didn't Gaara attack them? He looked furious, as if he was ready and willing to send them six feet under, but he didn't do it. Why?
"Enough of this. What's done is done." Ebizo interjected. "There are matters that need attention at this time."
"The Kazekage's funeral will be scheduled for tomorrow morning in the village shrine. We should all honor his sacrifice and attend. After that, we will discuss the matter of commissioning the next Kazekage." Lord Tojuro explained.
"WHAT?!" exclaimed both Temari and Kankuro.
"We cannot move forward running the village with just us. As the village's oldest living members of The Suna Council, we can only offer administration and order, not protection. That responsibility lies with the Kazekage. We must have leadership. The Sand Village has always shown dedication to preserving your father's bloodline. Therefore, one of you must take his place as the fifth Kazekage." Said Lady Ikanago.
"You can't be serious! Our father just died and now you're dropping all of this on us?!" Kankuro said with a raised tone in his voice. This can't be happening. Not now! It's too much too soon! Temari was the oldest of them, but she was only sixteen years old. How could either of them possibly take on such responsibility at this time? Just when things couldn't get worse.
"I understand your grief over Lord Rasa's death, and we are prepared to give you the necessary time and training in order to take on this role. I'm sure your father explained what would happen should his passing come before reaching old age?" Ebizo asked, to which they nodded, distantly remembering it. He always told them that no matter what happens that they needed to be the strong pillar to support and defend the village. As his children, they were told to honor the traditions, including the bloodlines tied in to The Suna Council. They just didn't expect it to come right this moment.
"We will give you tomorrow to mourn him. After that, you will start your training until the time comes to choose which one of you is most suitable for the job. Is that understood?" Ikanago said sternly.
"Wait! One of us?" Temari asked, making sure that she heard them right.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Then that means that we both have to work for the same title?" Kankuro asked. She nodded, yes. "Why don't you just pick one of us and start the training from there?"
"Our tradition dictates that the oldest member of the Kazekage's offspring is next in line to take the role; however, because of the great services your father had made to ensure the prosperity of The Sand Village, we have decided to approach this differently. Lord Rasa was an exceptional Leader. You are his children, therefore, we must assess each of you. One of you must prove that you are capable of honoring your father's legacy."
"Then why isn't Gaara in on this?" Kankuro asked. The room fell silent. Whether they liked it or not, Gaara was still their younger brother. He had as much of a right as any of them to know about this.
"If he couldn't follow simple instructions during the invasion, then he doesn't qualify to the standards of the council! Gaara was born to be our Ultimate Weapon, and so that will stay!" Yura snapped, appalled that they would even mention involving that savage beast. Kankuro scoffed at him. He never really liked this man, but then again, who did? He only had a seat in the council because of his immense wealth in the weapon supply industry. He had served two of The Great Shinobi Wars as a Special Jounin, but it looked as if he never truly recovered from it, especially his arrogant bullheadedness.
"Though it is true that Gaara is Lord Rasa's son, due to the nature of crimes he committed and his inability to control the tailed beast as a jinchuriki, we must put the safety of our people first. Gaara will not take part in this." Said Tojuro. They both immediately turned to Baki.
"Sensei, you can't be on board with this." Temari's eyes were upset, begging for him to step up and say something that would change their minds. It wasn't fair. He understood, but looked away.
"I have to agree with the council's decision. Gaara is as unstable now as he ever was. Because he's a jinchuriki, the village will never see him as anything but dangerous."
"But sensei, this isn't right!" yelled Kankuro.
"It doesn't matter if it's right or not. What matters is that The Sand is in need of a new Kazekage. The Elders cannot protect it forever, so time is of the essence. You two are the oldest, and that means you have more years of experience than Gaara. If you hope to value what little honor our village has left, you two will do the training."
Though they hated to admit it, they were probably right. Maybe it was in the best interest of the people if Gaara stayed out of it. Their time together during the exams, there was endless proof that Gaara couldn't handle the possession. It's hard enough for him as a ninja, let alone something like this. Placing him in the high office with several opinionated politicians would be like putting a very sensitive bomb in the meeting room. He's so easily set off and more than plenty of victims had paid for it. All it would take is one little comment from one stupidly brave individual, and then they would be scrubbing their blood off the walls for days. That couldn't happen. Without the council, the entire village would collapse, or worse. Having seen more than one occasion on the madness Shukaku can do to a town was more than enough. It was something they never hoped to see and endure again. Through it all, Gaara was still their brother. This was a tough decision for them to hold their tongue. Their father always put his people first, so for their sake, they had to follow through. With a sigh, Temari looked down to the floor.
"Mom would not have approved of this…" she muttered under her breath.
"Mom's dead, Temari." Kankuro whispered, knowing fully well the gravity of her feelings. The reminder was a bit painful, but they had to face reality.
"Go now and get some rest. We have a lot of work ahead of us after tomorrow." Lady Ikanago ordered. Relieved that it was finally over, they exited the room to go home.