Chapter 7: The True Gaara
It was mid-afternoon as Gaara and Kitai walked in silence. Neither had spoken much since the morning. Yashamaru's words, Kitai's screeches, the Shuukaku's growl, all had been ringing in his head all day.
"We're almost there," he muttered after he checked a small map. Kitai nodded in reply.
They stepped through the forest silently. Gaara thought about their location, and figured that they only needed to go a few more meters until the rendezvous point. They cleared the forest, and were suddenly in a large plain. The wind blew towards them peacefully as the grass swayed.
Something clicked in the back of Gaara's head. He grabbed Kitai's hand and jumped out of the way just as the shuriken struck the ground where they were standing a few seconds ago. Gaara pushed Kitai behind him as the nins emerged from the foliage.
"So it is true that Gaara-sama is strong." Eight nins stepped out.
"They're...!" gasped Kitai. She didn't have to finish. The Sand village forehead protectors shown clearly in the afternoon sun. She recognized one as the man that was standing by the Kazekage that day...
"What...?" Why were people from his own village attacking him?
"We were ordered by Kazekage-sama to eliminate you," one answered him. "Your mission was just to lure you here."
"You have tainted the name of the Sand long enough," said another. "you monster." Gaara clenched his fists. All eight attacked at once, but the sand poured out of his gourd and created a wall in front of them. He went for the one at the far right.
"Suna Shuriken!" he yelled. But the shuriken missed their target. Too slow. Another Jounin came for him on the side, kicked him, and sent him flying into the forest.
"Gaara!" yelled Kitai.
"Hmph," snorted one, "You're just a punk without that Shuukaku. Let's finish this quickly." The other's nodded and took out various weapons. Gaara torpedoed out of the forest.
"Suna Shuriken!" he yelled again, but missed them again. The Jounin quickly hit him with various kunai and shuriken, but Gaara just turned to sand.
"Suna bunshin no jutsu," muttered one. They all looked around for the real Gaara. Suddenly one Jounin was swallowed up by a wave of sand that came out of the ground under him. He was instantly crushed to death.
"Damn," a Jounin muttered. Then he grinned maliciously, "I know how to get him out." He threw some shuriken at Kitai. Kitai was taken by surprise and didn't have time to jump. But before they hit, a wall of sand flew out of the forest, stopping the shuriken just in time.
"Over there!" All the Jounin threw kunai to the area where the wall had come from. Gaara leaped out of the way, but not fast enough to dodge some kunai. One hit his left leg and he winced.
"Got you," laughed a Jounin. Kunai were thrown precisely when Gaara landed, he didn't even have time to form a wall. He prepared for the worst.
Seconds later, Gaara was still alive. He looked in shock at Kitai, who was standing above him. Blood flowed out of the wounds in her back.
"H-hey," she grinned, "You've just begun to live... How can you d-die now?" Gaara's eyes were wide with horror as she collapsed onto him. He quickly pulled out all the kunai in her back. She winced with pain.
"M-make them run in terror," she whispered. "Gaara of the Desert..."
The Jounin watched in amazement. Why would a girl protect this monster?
"What're you all standing around for?" yelled the leader. "Get him! He's down!" All the Jounin used their specialty jutsus at once, making a huge blast towards Gaara. A huge explosion followed. They watched in anticipation for the dust to clear. But, shockingly, a round wall of sand remained amidst the blown away earth. As the wall fell, Gaara's face became visible. His eyes were full of rage... and bloodlust.
The Jounin that became paralyzed by his eyes quickly died in Gaara's desert coffins. The remaining Jounins attacked him straight on. Gaara's speed had increased tenfold, and he merely headed off each one before they were halfway across the grass. The sand formed deadly spikes that were rammed through each body. Now, only the leader was left.
Gaara looked up, his face spattered with the blood from the Jounins. A manic grin on his face. The leader was shaking with fear, and he turned to run. But Gaara caught him with his Desert Coffin. However, instead of killing him right away, Gaara was crushing him slowly, savoring each sound of shattering bones.
Kitai watched as Gaara brutally killed each of the Jounin. Fighting for his life was understandable... But... the look on his face... a look of pure pleasure... Was what frightened her the most...
Was this the Gaara she had known for the past two weeks? Had he been secretly wishing for a body to crush, every time he had smiled? No, it couldn't be...
Gaara was taking his time with the last one. His hand was extended before him, in a claw like shape. She couldn't let him do this. She couldn't let him turn into the monster everyone had accused him of being...
"Gaara!" Kitai ran towards him, "Stop it! You've won!" She grabbed his arm and tried to force it down. But Gaara's grin just got wider. He quickly clenched his fist, sealing the man's life. "Gaara!" He looked at her... But it wasn't Gaara...
He punched her and she flew back with the force. She landed on the ground. Gaara approached her, still grinning maniacally. He held up his hand again, and sand surrounded Kitai.
"Gaara! Please stop!" she pleaded. "Please!" But the sand started creeping up her. She couldn't stop it... she wouldn't stop it...
She hung her arms down in defeat. Would he really kill her? Would she die at the hands of the person she...
The sand was getting tighter and the air was forced out of her lungs. Just before it covered her face, she looked at Gaara in the eye... a final look as everything got dark... at the person most precious...
Gaara saw her eyes. Those blue eyes. Then he remembered... She was the one that had looked at him with those sad eyes on the roof that night... the one that had actually bothered to come and see him... the one who had made him laugh...
Something in his chest suddenly hurt so much. He dropped his hand and the sand around Kitai dissolved.
It was you.
No. It wasn't. How could he? He would never hurt her... would he? He looked up, and saw that she was lying on the ground, completely motionless. He ran to her and kneeled beside her. A wave of relief rushed through him. She was still breathing. Maybe he could undue this...
"I knew those Jounin would be no match for you."
Gaara heard a voice. He looked behind him to see... a Hunter Nin? The hunter didn't look much older than him, although it was hard to tell because of the mask.
"So, you actually stopped yourself in time," he said matter of factly. If Gaara had to fight him now, he knew he would lose... He rested Kitai's head on his lap, determined to protect her...
"Well," the hunter continued, "It looks like she still has a chance. I'll give you one day to take care of the girl. It's not like I'm in a hurry anyway..." Gaara was shocked. This hunter would actually give him a chance to save Kitai. "I don't want any distractions when I fight you. I'll come looking for you tomorrow, and I will find you. Then, there will be no mercy." He disappeared into the forest, leaving Gaara alone with the agonizing Kitai.
It was mid-afternoon as Gaara and Kitai walked in silence. Neither had spoken much since the morning. Yashamaru's words, Kitai's screeches, the Shuukaku's growl, all had been ringing in his head all day.
"We're almost there," he muttered after he checked a small map. Kitai nodded in reply.
They stepped through the forest silently. Gaara thought about their location, and figured that they only needed to go a few more meters until the rendezvous point. They cleared the forest, and were suddenly in a large plain. The wind blew towards them peacefully as the grass swayed.
Something clicked in the back of Gaara's head. He grabbed Kitai's hand and jumped out of the way just as the shuriken struck the ground where they were standing a few seconds ago. Gaara pushed Kitai behind him as the nins emerged from the foliage.
"So it is true that Gaara-sama is strong." Eight nins stepped out.
"They're...!" gasped Kitai. She didn't have to finish. The Sand village forehead protectors shown clearly in the afternoon sun. She recognized one as the man that was standing by the Kazekage that day...
"What...?" Why were people from his own village attacking him?
"We were ordered by Kazekage-sama to eliminate you," one answered him. "Your mission was just to lure you here."
"You have tainted the name of the Sand long enough," said another. "you monster." Gaara clenched his fists. All eight attacked at once, but the sand poured out of his gourd and created a wall in front of them. He went for the one at the far right.
"Suna Shuriken!" he yelled. But the shuriken missed their target. Too slow. Another Jounin came for him on the side, kicked him, and sent him flying into the forest.
"Gaara!" yelled Kitai.
"Hmph," snorted one, "You're just a punk without that Shuukaku. Let's finish this quickly." The other's nodded and took out various weapons. Gaara torpedoed out of the forest.
"Suna Shuriken!" he yelled again, but missed them again. The Jounin quickly hit him with various kunai and shuriken, but Gaara just turned to sand.
"Suna bunshin no jutsu," muttered one. They all looked around for the real Gaara. Suddenly one Jounin was swallowed up by a wave of sand that came out of the ground under him. He was instantly crushed to death.
"Damn," a Jounin muttered. Then he grinned maliciously, "I know how to get him out." He threw some shuriken at Kitai. Kitai was taken by surprise and didn't have time to jump. But before they hit, a wall of sand flew out of the forest, stopping the shuriken just in time.
"Over there!" All the Jounin threw kunai to the area where the wall had come from. Gaara leaped out of the way, but not fast enough to dodge some kunai. One hit his left leg and he winced.
"Got you," laughed a Jounin. Kunai were thrown precisely when Gaara landed, he didn't even have time to form a wall. He prepared for the worst.
Seconds later, Gaara was still alive. He looked in shock at Kitai, who was standing above him. Blood flowed out of the wounds in her back.
"H-hey," she grinned, "You've just begun to live... How can you d-die now?" Gaara's eyes were wide with horror as she collapsed onto him. He quickly pulled out all the kunai in her back. She winced with pain.
"M-make them run in terror," she whispered. "Gaara of the Desert..."
The Jounin watched in amazement. Why would a girl protect this monster?
"What're you all standing around for?" yelled the leader. "Get him! He's down!" All the Jounin used their specialty jutsus at once, making a huge blast towards Gaara. A huge explosion followed. They watched in anticipation for the dust to clear. But, shockingly, a round wall of sand remained amidst the blown away earth. As the wall fell, Gaara's face became visible. His eyes were full of rage... and bloodlust.
The Jounin that became paralyzed by his eyes quickly died in Gaara's desert coffins. The remaining Jounins attacked him straight on. Gaara's speed had increased tenfold, and he merely headed off each one before they were halfway across the grass. The sand formed deadly spikes that were rammed through each body. Now, only the leader was left.
Gaara looked up, his face spattered with the blood from the Jounins. A manic grin on his face. The leader was shaking with fear, and he turned to run. But Gaara caught him with his Desert Coffin. However, instead of killing him right away, Gaara was crushing him slowly, savoring each sound of shattering bones.
Kitai watched as Gaara brutally killed each of the Jounin. Fighting for his life was understandable... But... the look on his face... a look of pure pleasure... Was what frightened her the most...
Was this the Gaara she had known for the past two weeks? Had he been secretly wishing for a body to crush, every time he had smiled? No, it couldn't be...
Gaara was taking his time with the last one. His hand was extended before him, in a claw like shape. She couldn't let him do this. She couldn't let him turn into the monster everyone had accused him of being...
"Gaara!" Kitai ran towards him, "Stop it! You've won!" She grabbed his arm and tried to force it down. But Gaara's grin just got wider. He quickly clenched his fist, sealing the man's life. "Gaara!" He looked at her... But it wasn't Gaara...
He punched her and she flew back with the force. She landed on the ground. Gaara approached her, still grinning maniacally. He held up his hand again, and sand surrounded Kitai.
"Gaara! Please stop!" she pleaded. "Please!" But the sand started creeping up her. She couldn't stop it... she wouldn't stop it...
She hung her arms down in defeat. Would he really kill her? Would she die at the hands of the person she...
The sand was getting tighter and the air was forced out of her lungs. Just before it covered her face, she looked at Gaara in the eye... a final look as everything got dark... at the person most precious...
Gaara saw her eyes. Those blue eyes. Then he remembered... She was the one that had looked at him with those sad eyes on the roof that night... the one that had actually bothered to come and see him... the one who had made him laugh...
Something in his chest suddenly hurt so much. He dropped his hand and the sand around Kitai dissolved.
It was you.
No. It wasn't. How could he? He would never hurt her... would he? He looked up, and saw that she was lying on the ground, completely motionless. He ran to her and kneeled beside her. A wave of relief rushed through him. She was still breathing. Maybe he could undue this...
"I knew those Jounin would be no match for you."
Gaara heard a voice. He looked behind him to see... a Hunter Nin? The hunter didn't look much older than him, although it was hard to tell because of the mask.
"So, you actually stopped yourself in time," he said matter of factly. If Gaara had to fight him now, he knew he would lose... He rested Kitai's head on his lap, determined to protect her...
"Well," the hunter continued, "It looks like she still has a chance. I'll give you one day to take care of the girl. It's not like I'm in a hurry anyway..." Gaara was shocked. This hunter would actually give him a chance to save Kitai. "I don't want any distractions when I fight you. I'll come looking for you tomorrow, and I will find you. Then, there will be no mercy." He disappeared into the forest, leaving Gaara alone with the agonizing Kitai.