SUMMARY: Ra and Gaara are angry and Anko panics.
It turns out they do not have to find another way.
They are quick and efficient.
The Ame team are quickly rendered unconscious, their scroll taken.
They allow themselves a moment of pride.
Ru and Re both do not appreciate themselves enough whereas Ra sometimes becomes a little overconfident.
Nothing like the broody prodigies though.
They grate on their nerves.
The Hyuga is a danger, hanging over them like a sword of Damocles.
The Uchiha is cruel, ready to injure them all.
Is it any surprise the sensitive Re flinches from him?
That Ru shrinks away?
That Ra has to prevent herself from harming them?
They do not appreciate their arrogance and need to look down on everyone else.
They do not appreciate Sasuke's anger and cruelness.
They do not appreciate Neji's obsession with fate.
Re reminds Ra that there maybe sides to them they have yet not seen.
Ra is not willing to back down for a mere possibility.
The fact remains that the two are hurting her family.
Hers.
Ra's protective instincts are flaring.
She doesn't know how much longer she will be able to keep them at bay.
But they are meant to be keeping a low profile.
Her and Re will be able to fade into the shadows.
Ru will become proficient enough to defend himself from people wanting the Kyuubi.
The demon fox that causes way too much trouble.
They honestly think there are more advantages than disadvantages.
Maybe the fox makes Ru stronger but it certainly puts him in more danger.
It's not like the people in charge really care.
The Hokage tried to make Ru like him.
Naruto does.
He calls him Jiji.
Ru doesn't care about the man.
Why should he?
What has the Hokage ever done for him?
The problem with men like the Hokage is their manipulative tendencies.
Not that the three of them are not manipulative themselves.
It's just that they don't want to be pawns on someone else's board.
They are not going to delude themselves - they are not important.
Even Naruto - only important for the fox.
Not for being Hikaru.
Not for his own virtue.
They want to be pawns on a chessboard they choose at least.
If nothing else.
Anko swears.
Loudly.
Inside, she's panicking.
First, she was worried because three Genin corpses were found.
Grim but not unusual.
Still, she couldn't prevent herself from panicking.
What if it was one of the brats?
She hopes not.
She grown attached to them.
Attachment was a bad thing.
Sentimentality got you killed.
But what was the point of living without other people?
Anko had learnt that was simply survival.
She was addicted to living now.
The three brats had better be alive.
They weren't going to mess it up for her.
They'd better not be dead.
Anko would happily bring them back to life and kill them for it.
She'd work out how to -
She wa-had been Orochimaru's apprentice.
The Sannin was many things but he had taught her a lot of what he knew.
The Hokage would never approve but Anko didn't really care about him that much.
She made her way to the bodies, crouching down -
Those marks were familiar.
Distinctive.
And she knew them.
She had seen them before.
Wha-
Anko needs to inform someone.
She can have a breakdown after that.
Can curl up with the hatchlin-brats.
Later.
Heart hammering, Anko gets to work.
She can worry about the brats later.
Not now.
Gaara trembles as they reach a team of Ame Genin.
He doesn't know whether he can do this.
He startles when Temari - his sister - lays a hand on his shoulder.
His sand swirls when Kankuro pats his on the back but it is progress.
Mother is screeching in his head.
For once, he can drown it out.
But he doesn't know if he'll manage this.
He is going to try to incapacitate the other team.
He wants to prove to himself that he is improving.
That he can do it.
But he isn't sure he can.
There is a familiar flicker of chakra and Gaara can feel Naruto approaching.
It calms him.
He knows the blond can stop him if he gets too out of hand.
It is a quick battle.
It is almost a successful one.
He quickly knocks out two of the three, when the last one sends a kunai flying at him.
And then he loses control.
It's only as she screams that he comes back to himself.
She is breathing heavily.
Gaara cannot look.
He wasn't good enough.
He couldn't keep control of himself.
He is dangerous.
What coul-
Mother rages in his head and for once Gaara rages back.
He has to grab his head - the pressure is building - but he fights back.
Mother becomes silent.
Clearly, the Bijuu wasn't expecting that.
Gaara is trying to feel some compassion for the thing, he really is but it doesn't mean he's not allowed to be angry.
The monster in his head has never done anything to deserve Gaara's compassion.
He gave it anyway.
But Gaara is tired.
He is so tired.
But sleeping means letting the monster win.
Gaara looks at his friends and siblings:
Sakura is crouched beside the Ame Nin.
Sumire is studying his seal her face impassive but her eyes swirling.
Naruto has his arm around Gaara's neck.
He could strangle him.
Gaara's breath hitches but he forces himself to continue.
Kankuro's hand has shifted and he and Temari are keeping him upright.
Gaara blinks and tentatively tries to regain his footing.
It is difficult.
Gaara can almost feel the weight of it all crushing him.
He looks over at his friends, his family.
But if he fails, they will have to bear a burden.
Because of him.
Gaara cannot allow that to happen.
Slowly, he pieces himself together.
Perhaps, once he reaches somewhere safer, he will allow himself to cry.
Gaara doesn't like crying.
It makes a mess.
He doesn't really mind the whole 'weakness' thing but he is a private person.
At least he thinks so.
He seems to prefer doing things alone and -
He is already crying.