I live!!! I swear! And I finally got around to updating. Seriously, I think it was the trip to Japan over spring break and the massive amount of Naruto doujinshi purchased that did the trick. Ah well.

I apologize for the severe lack of Gaara-ness in this chapter. I tried to fix it towards the end, however, I haven't written on this in a while and Snarky!Gaara takes a bit of time for me to get in the mode of writing for.

I do believe the end is neigh…perhaps another chapter or two. Ack. What shall I do then?

Enjoy and onward, peeps!

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Naruto was in the kitchen making curry, mostly due to the fact that Gaara was threatening to spend a week on the couch if he had to endure one more bowl of ramen.  He had been standing over the steaming pot, stirring the liquid inside when he felt it. It was much like an electric shock running straight up his spine and into his mind. An eerie feeling of anxiety and loss. The demon inside of him paced restlessly, clawing and keening at her cage.

Something was very wrong.

Barely remembering to turn off the stove first, he ran to the master bedroom and ducked out the window onto a branch of the ancient oak next to it. Reaching out with all his senses, the blonde desperately searched out for that one particular chakra that was so distinct among Konoha. "Gaara!"

The cry echoed across the rooftops, even as he kept moving, speeding forward, needing to find, desperate to find…

And suddenly, it was next to him in a red and tan blur that became a figure as the two stopped on a rooftop. Green eyes looked at him questioningly.

"Are you alright?"

Naruto didn't answer, but merely enveloped the other man in an embrace. No, it wasn't here. No damage. The mate was fine, which meant it was the…

"Kitling." The word came as hollow whisper, echoing in haunted blue eyes.

"What?" Something was clearly wrong and it was affecting his Kitsune. Gaara could feel Shukaku wake and begin to uncoil within his mind. Naruto looked at him with panicked eyes. "The Academy. Kizuko. Something's wrong."

They sped off along the path to the Academy. Halfway there, a voiced called them from behind. "Naruto! Gaara!"

Turning, the pair found Shikamaru racing towards them. "We've got a problem. Come on." With that he turned and raced in the opposite direction leaving the blonde and redhead to catch up.

~~~~~~~~~~~

They followed Shikamaru to Konoha Hospital and through the labyrinth of hallways until they came to a stop right outside a room near the emergency center. Naruto was beginning to resemble a cornered animal, and was still seeking out his kit's chakra with all of his might.

"Shikamaru, please, what's wrong? Why're we here? Where the hell is Kizuko?!!"

The jounin took a deep breath and met his friend's eyes. "I don't know exactly what happened, however…" He was cut off by the slamming of the door opening and an icy voice.

"What happened is that my baby is lying barely conscious in a hospital bed because of that bastard's demon spawn."

Nara Ino stood in the door way, her blue eyes blazing with a mother's fury. Anguish and hatred rolled off her in almost palpable waves. Naruto and Shikamaru both took an involuntary step back, while Gaara's sand formed a mild barrier over him.

"Ino…what…I don't…" The whiskered blonde began, but was cut off as Ino dove at him with a shriek.

"Don't you dare!! You monster!! This is all your fault, you and that demon spawn of yours!!" She grabbed him by the collar of his vest, tears running down her cheeks. Naruto could only stare at her wide eyed. Gaara narrowed his eyes, ready to encase the hysteric woman in a coffin of sand if necessary.

"Ino..." Shikamaru made a move to pull his wife off, but she pushed him off and continued.

 "Shinosuke made the mistake of befriending her and just look where it's gotten him!! They should have never let you back into the village, you demon!"

"Ino!!" Shikamaru rarely ever raised his voice, but when he did, people listened. He pulled his wife away from a still shocked Naruto, and held her as she turned and sobbed into his chest.

"…dun yell at Uzumaki-san, 'Kaachan…" Came the weak voice from inside the room.

"Shinosuke!" Ino quickly ran to her son's side. The little boy was bandaged heavily around the middle and sported a bandage around his head and over one cheek. He looked at them through swollen lids.

"Kaachan's here, sweetie. Now tell her who did this so she can go destroy them."

" 'm fine, Kaachan…but…" Shinosuke looked up at Naruto and Gaara, and then down at the covers, tears filling his eyes. "I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san. I tried, I really did…I tried Kagemane no Jitsu, but it didn't work…and kunai…and…I couldn't save her. I couldn't stop the other girl, she had this glowy arm and weird eyes…and …and she slapped these paper things on Kizuko 'n made her scream 'n I tried to stop it…I really did…'n I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough and that Kizuko got hurt and …and…Get her back, okay? Cuz…cuz we've got a test in Iruka-sensei's class next week…and…I'll have no one to play with…and she's my friend…and I'm sorry could save her! I really really sorry!" He tried to hold back a sob as a few tears trickled down his cheeks.

"That's enough, Son. You did good." Shikamaru placed a hand on his son's head. "He had that in his hand when we found him." He indicated to the badly damaged Kon-Kon that lay next to Shinosuke on the bed. Naruto made an odd whimper at the sight and then went silent.

 "Naruto, what are you…" He turned to face the other man and saw the shadowed eyes and the purple whisker marks. Chakra blazed and every light along the hallway suddenly flared and broke. Naruto lifted his head to reveal eyes the color of fresh blood and snarled "Tell Tsunade." He then bolted out of the room and hospital.

Gaara smiled a very not nice smile. Shukaku was awake, demanding blood, and he was eager to deliver. "We're going Uchiha hunting. Tell the Hokage to follow if she doesn't want them all massacred. But I don't promise that won't happen either way." With that, he followed his mate towards their missing kit.

Shinosuke blinked. Whoa. Could Kizuko do that too? Cool. "Oyaji…how's Godaime-sama gonna know where they're going?"

Shikamaru sighed. "We'll just follow the trail of mass destruction."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasuke knelt in front of his master. His time was up and there was no other way around it. Briefly, he wondered if Kaede would be taken care of. After all, Orochimaru-sama really had no use for women other than as weapons and Kaede had far too much of her mother in her to ever be considered an appropriate weapon. Well, either way, she was an Uchiha. She would figure out some way to survive.

"Are you prepared, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

"Very well then. Let's proceed to the operating room, shall we?"

"As you wish, Orochimaru-sama." He rose, keeping his eyes on the ground when a noise made him pause. The creak of the door opening, something shuffling through, and then a young female voice calling out "Orochimaru-sama, please wait."

Sasuke groaned internally. Did the child have a death wish? He tried to protect her only to have her turn around and run head first into situations that could end only in her own foolhardy demise. Had her mother been this stupid? He tried to recall as he closed his eyes against the inevitable sight of his master killing his foolish offspring for the offense. Therefore, he was very much surprise when the next sound he heard was Orochimaru-sama's voice.

"Ah. Kaede-chan. What could be so important that you would ask your father and I to delay our scheduled appointment?"

Sasuke dared to raise his eyes at that point. Kaede knelt before Orochimaru's throne, her head lowered, an odd shaped lump next to her. Orochimaru looked on with an expression Sasuke could only describe as…amused. Much like a snake watching a newly hatched chick.

"I…I bring you a gift, Orochimaru-sama." She shifted the bundle so that it lay in front of her, and Sasuke saw that it was a child. And not just any child. It was a small unconscious child with blonde pigtails and whisker marks, who was mostly covered in powerful wards. His daughter had kidnapped Uzumaki Naruto's child. Ancestors help him, he had raised an idiot.

"Th…This is the daughter of Uzumaki Naruto. She has the power of the Kyuubi, I've seen it with my own eyes." Kaede continued, scooting away from her offered gift and hoping her voice was not as weak as it sounded.

Cold, yellow eyes watched her, studying her, the Uzumaki brat, and Sasuke all at once. Orochimaru then 'hmmm'ed. "Ah. I see. The Kyuubi will follow its Kit, bringing him to me, thus saving me a trip, and I can use the power of the fox within this little one as well. That is your reasoning, is it not, Kaede-chan?"

"A..As Orochimaru-sama says."

Sasuke held his breath as Orochimaru did not mention what was probably his daughter's main reasoning behind this insanity. To save him. He resisted the urge to go beat his head against the nearest wall. His internal turmoil was distracted by a very odd sound. Orochimaru-sama was laughing.

"Very well, Kaede-chan. Since you are so earnest about it, I accept your gift. Sasuke-kun, it appears that since the Kyuubi will be coming to me, our little appointment will have to be postponed."

His daughter's foolish gamble worked? He wasn't sure whether to be amazed or angry at her. Instead, he settled for a neutral, "As you wish, Orochimaru-sama" complete with bow.

Orochimaru stepped down to stand before the unconscious fox kit and studied the child intently.

"Kaede-chan, go fetch Kabuto. I wish to inspect my gift."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama." The small, kerchief covered head bowed deeply, then rose and left the room.

Orochimaru then turned his gaze upon the room's other occupant. "Sasuke-kun, do wake the dear child up. Those wards are probably causing her terrible pain."

Sasuke bowed and then knelt before the girl, carefully removing the wards that where binding her. As he removed the final one from her forehead, she began to whimper and then slowly, baby blue eyes opened.

"Papa!" she cried, sitting up and then looked at him with fear. "You…you're not Papa. Where's Papa? And Gaara! And Shinosuke! The mean girl hurt Shinosuke!" Tears began to leak from her eyes as she looked around frantically. "Where is Kizuko? Kizuko….Kizuko wants…I want Papa!!" She scurried backwards until she hit a corner of the room.

Sasuke watched the girl, a strange feeling rising in his chest as he remembered being that young and believing that if your parents were there everything would be alright. And then having it all ripped away cruelly. He nearly reached out to her but kept control over himself as Orochimaru stepped forward. Silted eyes slide over the girl, meeting her own blue eyes and holding them in a trance as a snake holds it next meal.

"Now, now. Don't cry. Papa will be here soon." He smiled softly and gently patted the golden head. "And as soon as I'm done I'll give you his corpse."

Kizuko could only whimper in response.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto had picked up Kizuko's scent as well as the Uchiha brat's within Konoha and had no trouble following it through the surrounding forest. Few other signs appeared along the way. The Uchiha brat was good. He was better. Kyuubi roared for blood, vengeance and the return of their kit. He was in agreement on all three.

Gaara raced along side him, a red and tan blur to compliment his own black and blonde. Occasionally they would glance at each other, a silent communication that always ended in identical feral grins. No one messed with their family. Not and lived anyway.

They followed the scents to a compound that would have been nearly half a day away from Konoha at normal speed and traveling around obstacles. Good thing they were demons with enhanced speed and no concern for property damage.

Orochimaru must have been damned cocky to set up base this close to the village. If there had been wards or traps on the way, they hadn't survived the combined chakra of two enraged demons. Therefore, they were pausing outside of a large set of wooden gates.

"Well, how do you suppose we should enter?" Gaara asked, although he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Like this. Rasengan!"  Naruto held a hand up…And there was suddenly no more large set of wooden gates.

"Of course. What ninja needs stealth when they've got brute strength?"

"Fight now. Sarcasm later."

"Couldn't hurt to do both at once."

"……."

"We'll find her, Naruto."

Naruto grinned his own version of Gaara's 'I'm a Psycho Who's About to Hurt You for Fun and Profit' grin. "I know. And then we're going to show them why we're called 'demons', na?"

"Exactly."

Blue eyes met green, and the sounds of Sound Nin preparing to attack the intruders carried through the nonexistent gate.

"Well, then. Shall we dance?" Naruto bowed and offered his arm to the Sand nin, who scowled.

"I'm not a damned woman."

"How well I know." Came the leer.

"So shut up and fight."

"Sigh. You're so boring, Gaara-chan!" Kunai to the throat of one Sound.

"Call me 'chan' ever again and you can sleep on the couch." Another Sound gone to a Suna Shuriken.

"Ah! Meanie!" Rasengan to face of one that got in a little close.

"Oh, look. Here comes the next wave."

"Hmm…think we should get serious?"

"At least mildly. There are quite a lot of them."

"Geez. Ruin all the fun, don't they? Ah, well….Kage Bunshin no Jitsu!!"
"Sabaku Kyuu!"

~~~~~~~~~~

A Sound Jounin entered the room and bowed before Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru-sama, the two demons are here and are doing heavy damage to our forces."

"Hold them off for the time being." He waved the messenger away.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." The messenger bowed and disappeared.

Orochimaru turned to the little blonde huddled in the corner. "Your father is here."

Kizuko pouted at him. "You're a very very mean man, and Papa and Gaara are going to kick your butt."

On the other side of the room, Sasuke suppressed a shudder. It was very creepy to hear Orochimaru-sama laugh twice in one day.

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Whew. Man, I still can't write Orochimaru to save my life. I keep trying to channel Voldemort or something.

Hehehe. Shinosuke has his shining moment. I sense quite a cute future together for those two.

And I know Ino may have come across as harsh, but come on. She's a mom who's desperately worried about her baby boy and is lashing out at the closest one available for blame.

Well, I certainly hope I managed to take the spotlight off Kaede and Kizuko for a bit in this chapter. Also, I apologize for the severe lack of kewl fight scenes. I just can't do them very well.

One major question though. I have several cute little one shots of the kids/family in my head that would take place after the story. Would anyone be interested in reading those? Even if it was only say…Kizuko and Shinosuke? Perhaps Kaede?