SUMMARY: The three meet the Suna team and Kurenai worries.
Ra doesn't like wandering away from the District.
It is deeply ironic.
She finds the District comfortable and the rest of the town the opposite.
She thinks it's because people in the District are monsters.
Monsters that you can see.
The worst monsters are the ones that try to disguise themselves.
They are even more disgusting/ pathetic.
They cling to normality, unwilling to accept what they are but unwilling to change either.
She does not understand why they call Naruto a monster.
Yes she knows that it has some connection to the Kyuubi - presumably the fox is sealed in him.
But Naruto is less of a monster than the rest of them.
They beat him up.
They beat her Ru up.
And yet they dare to pretend he is the monster.
One day, Ra will exact the vengeance neither Re or Ru can find it in themselves to.
Re will be more than happy to help for the milder cases but Ra doesn't want to ask her to do it.
Doesn't want to make her wise but still so innocent Re do it.
Ru would never agree.
But he doesn't need to.
Ra will do what she has to do.
Ru chases after the cheeky brat that tried to prank him.
The boy has a long way to go.
His attempts were rather pathetic.
Not that Ru's going to tell him that.
He doesn't know the boy, doesn't know if his criticism will build him up or bring him down.
Ra prefers the straight truth.
Despite appearances, so does Re.
She just doesn't like it when people criticise her and not her actions.
Ru is the same.
The boy claims his name is Konohamaru.
And then shouts that it is not 'Honourable Grandson'.
Ru doesn't care either way.
The boy should no better than to do such things so close to the District.
He chases him out because whoever this boy is, he is a boy and Ru doesn't want him to see the monsters lurking here.
He hears Ra's exasperated sigh Re's laugh behind him.
The two really do have his back in everything.
Even chasing stupid little boys around.
Said stupid boy slams straight into a boy Naruto hasn't seen before.
Re doesn't like running.
Therefore, when Ru herds a boy away from the District by chasing him, she hangs back a little.
At least until she spots a foreign Nin holding said boy up by the collar.
She has to do something.
"Oi", she yells, "is it common to beat up kids where you come from?"
The boy turns towards her and glares.
Re isn't fazed.
"Besides, my teammate," she gestures at Naruto, "gets the first shot."
Re ignores the squirming boy.
"You can teach him a lesson when he is done."
"And why would I listen to you, girlie?"
Re might have said something else but there is a rustle and the boy hiding in the tree jumps out.
"Gaara.", the Nin says softly and Re can almost hear his fear.
"Let him go."
The Nin obeys with no hesitation.
The kind that comes from absolute trust or absolute fear.
Re thinks it is the latter.
She is right.
"If you do something like this again, Kankuro, I will let Mother have your blood." Gaara threatens.
Re frowns, clearly the boy is mentally unstable.
Why is he here?
They are going to have to watch themselves around him.
Gaara is angry.
It is a not a new emotion.
He is always angry.
He just can't help it.
He is angry at everyone else.
That they can't look beyond the monster and see what he really is.
Scared.
Hurt.
Vulnerable.
Then he is angry that he cannot show them who he truly is.
Then he is angry.
Every little thing damns him even further.
He can't help it.
He can't even sleep.
He calls the thing 'Mother'.
His birth mother hated him.
Died because of him.
Mother hates him.
He is going to kill Mother.
There is a certain irony in that.
First, he has to get strong enough to do that.
Mother is feared and Mother is the strongest being he knows.
When Gaara is feared just as much as Mother, he will kill Mother.
Then he can be free.
He won't hurt anymore.
He won't hurt anyone.
He can finally be a proper brother for Temari and Kankuro.
He won't get so angry that he threatens to kill them because Mother is close to the surface.
He will be able to sleep.
Gaara cannot wait.
Someday, he will be strong enough to be a human.
To be a brother.
A friend.
A Kage, even.
Eventually.
Kurenai is not sure where to go from here.
She has been peer-pressured into entering her Genin for the exams.
She doesn't know what they are going to do if they do end up passing.
She has full faith in them making it.
But she does not know if she wants them to or not.
She does not know if it matters.
How will it change things?
They might have to be separated for missions and she really doesn't know how that will go.
The three cling to each other like limpets.
How will they manage away from each other?
Not to mention, Kurenai doesn't want to lose what they have right now.
She used to want children.
Now she has them.
She doesn't want to let them go.
What is she to do?
And they are entering the Chunin exams.
The Chunin exams that are usually held in the Forest of Death.
Kurenai groans.
She should have said no.
Should have fought back harder.
They are going into a death trap.
But at least they will see Anko.
Anko who has been avoiding them - probably because of her tail.
Anko won't let anything happen to them.
If she can.
Kurenai just has to trust her and Anko's training will be enough.
It has to be.
In the meantime, she has two guests to entertain.
At least they are pretty low maintenance.
Neither Zabuza nor Haku have made any comments about their nearly poverty or the food.
Or even the questionable location.
Kurenai is thankful.
"Hi, Gaara right?"
"Go away or I'll let Mother eat you."
"Isn't that cannibalism?"
"Mother will have your blood."
"Hey, no threatening Re! Or I'll beat you up!"
"...You are like me."
"Yes."
"How do you do it?"
"Want to learn how to meditate?"
"Mother will - ughhh."
"Ru did warn you, you know. I'm not in the best of moods. Don't threaten Re."
"So, meditation!"