Chapter 12: Unexpected Reunion

"Good mo-o-orning!" chimed Ichi as she knocked on a door. She was standing in the hall with her sisters, waking up the guests. "It's time for breakfast!" The door slammed open.

"For Kame's sake!" A groggy looking girl with brown hair put up in four ponytails slammed the door open, "It's seven o' clock and we got here at midnight! Do ya think you could let us sleep in a little??" The sisters jumped back in shock.

"We're sorry," sniffed San, looking insulted, "But we're supposed to wake all the guests for breakfast, or else they don't get any."

"Just because we're your only customers..."

"You are NOT are only customers," Ni cut in, "We actually have two other people that stayed here last night."

"Probably the neighborhood drunks..." Temari muttered as she slowly closed the door behind her.

"No!" Ichi exclaimed through the door, "It's a really hot guy called Gaara and his... er... traveling friend." The door slammed open again. Temari was suddenly very awake.

"What did you say his name was?" she asked suddenly.

"Gaara," Ni said dreamily. Temari ran into the room and started shaking a sleeping Kankuro.

"Kankuro! Kankuro!" she exclaimed, "Wake up, dammit!" Kankuro muttered something about it being too early.

"Forget that!" continued Temari, "It's Gaara! I think he's actually here!" Kankuro's eyes snapped open as he shot up.

"WHAT??" he yelled.

"Oh, do you know him?" asked San innocently. Kankuro and Temari ignored her.

"Y'mean he's alive??" gaped Kankuro.

"I don't know if it's him or another guy named Gaara," answered Temari. They both stared at each other, then scrambled for their weapons. They ran to the door.

"Hey, hey!" Temari yelled at the sisters, "Where's he staying?"

"er... At the room at the end of the hall," said a very confused Ichi. Temari and Kankuro both bolted down the hall, the sisters followed.

"Shh," hushed Temari as they stood silently in front of the door, "Be quiet." She slowly opened the door. Everyone craned their necks to see inside. On the floor in the futon lay two people, a girl and a boy. The boy was sleeping peacefully with both arms spread out. The girl had her head resting on his shoulder. One arm was spread out and the other lay on her chest clutching the blanket. Her mouth was wide open as she breathed heavily. The girl had unmistakable messy black hair, and the boy had the instantly recognizable eyes and tattoo of "love" on his forehead. Temari slowly closed the door. She and Kankuro gaped at each other.

"I don't believe it," muttered Kankuro, "We should've known that he was still alive. No way he could've been defeated so easily."

"That's not him," said Temari simply. Kankuro stared at her.

"Whaddya mean??" he said in a hushed voice, "You saw the tattoo, and the eyes. His gourd was even at the far end of the room."

"But, since when does he sleep like that??" Temari replied in a hushed shout, "Gaara of the Desert has NEVER been that close to someone."

"Gaara of the wha...?" asked the bewildered sisters. Suddenly, the door opened.

"Do you mind carrying on your conversation elsewhere?!" Kitai exclaimed, "Some people are trying to sleep!" Then she saw Temari and Kankuro, huddling in their pajamas furtively. She stared at them in disbelief.

"EEAAAAAAHHHH!!" she and Temari both yelled as Kitai jumped back. "YOU?!" Kitai proceeded to stare at Temari and Kankuro, as they stared back at her in silent astonishment.

"Temari, Kankuro," Gaara broke the strange silence coolly, "What're you doing here?" They both stared at him incredulously.

"Uh," Kankuro faltered, "We-we were going to ask you the same thing." Gaara shrugged indifferently as he walked out of the room past the group.

"Not much, just traveling," he answered as he walked out of the room.

"Wait, Gaara!" Temari stopped him, "Why are you here? Why didn't you come back to the village?"

"Everyone thinks you're dead," explained Kankuro, "They even had a memorial service and everything."

"But if they find out you're alive and haven't come back, you'll probably be labeled a Missing Nin and end up the target of a group of Hunter Nins." Gaara didn't answer as he stood with his back towards them.

"You don't understand," he replied as he continued walking, "Gaara of the Desert was already killed by a Hunter Nin. Now I'm just Gaara." Everyone watched as he continued walking down the hall, then disappeared around the corner. Temari and Kankuro just kept gaping at the spot where Gaara had stood a second ago.

"Um, okay..." Kitai didn't like this situation, "I'm just gonna squeeze through here..." She tried to sidle past Kankuro and Temari, but they suddenly noticed her and blocked her way.

"What did you DO to him?" gawked Temari.

"I didn't do anything to him!" frowned Kitai, "Now, could you let me through?"

"You're not going anywhere," growled Kankuro. He and Temari both put their hands on their weapons, ready to strike.

"Hey! I don't want to fight you!" Then Kitai added in a mutter: "I just got my cast off..."

"You're gonna answer our questions," replied Kankuro threateningly. "Since Gaara won't."

"First," Temari asked, "Why haven't you returned to the Hidden Sand Village?"

"Oh, well..." Kitai scratched the back of her head unconcernedly, "Being dead and all, we didn't think it would be a good idea."

"Ichi," whispered San, "Do you get any of this?" Ichi shook her head bewilderedly.

"About that," asked Kankuro, "what did he mean when he said he was killed by a Hunter Nin?"

"Umm, it's a long story..."

"We've got time."

"No we don't! Breakfast is gonna get cold!" Temari and Kankuro gripped their weapons menacingly. Kitai sighed. "Let's just say that a Hunter decided to spare us, being the sensitive nice guy that he was."

"What??"

"Whaddya mean 'what?'?"

"Do you expect us to believe that a Hunter showed compassion and spared your lives? That's about as likely as Gaara showing compassion."

"Which is very possible." Temari and Kankuro stared at her disbelievingly. "What?"

"The Gaara we know," replied Temari, "has never spared someone's life. He's never considered people to be people."

"The Gaara you knew wasn't the real Gaara at all," responded Kitai simply.

"He's our brother," Kankuro said, "We've been putting up with him for twelve years. In that time we've never seen him let someone go. We've never even seen him laugh." Kitai sighed again.

"I've heard him laugh," she replied simply. They started gawking at her again. "You know, that's getting really annoying."

"You've heard him laugh?? Are you sure he wasn't about to kill someone?"

"The only time we've even seen him smile was during a battle," Temari cut in, "Especially after he's just slaughtered a group of people. He acts like a total monster sometimes." Then Temari noticed that Kitai was giving them one of the coldest glares she had ever seen.

"And you wonder why you don't know him," muttered Kitai. "Let me through. Now."

"Wait, we're not done," Kankuro stepped in her way. She shoved him aside.

"Ask him yourself," Kitai responded coldly as she walked down the hall.

"Does this mean Gaara-kun is a shinobi?" asked a clueless Ni.

Kitai slumped down besides Gaara. He looked at her questioningly, but she just shrugged with feigned happiness.

"It's about time you joined us," the landlady said happily, being in a much better mood with two more customers. "Here's your bowl, help yourself." Kitai thanked her and happily filled her bowl. Gaara knew that something had happened, he could tell by the strained smile on her face, but he decided not to ask yet. He heard Temari and Kankuro walk into the dining room and take their seats. The sisters followed and also sat down. A tense silence filled the room.

"It seems most of you are still asleep," the landlady continued jovially. No one answered and perspiration filled her forehead. She sneezed, and no one said "bless you." She sighed then excused herself and left the room. No one took notice of her leave, and they never spoke a word all throughout breakfast.

Kankuro and Temari both stared at the floor of their rooms silently. They were both pondering the same thing. Had their brother really changed? Was it possible that he wasn't the monster they had known all their lives anymore? It was true that he had been acting differently ever since they returned from the Konoha. His apology that they received immediately after the fight with Uzumaki Naruto stood out vividly in their minds. What would happen if they let Gaara go right now? Would they secretly regret this all their lives, if they left without getting questions answered?

"Ready?" asked Gaara as he and Kitai stood outside the inn.

"Yeah," sighed Kitai. She didn't think this felt right, just leaving those two like this...

"Then let's go." They both began walking down the street.

"Wait." Kankuro and Temari ran out of the inn. "Gaara, we..." But words seemed to fail them. It was true, they didn't even know what type of a person their brother was. All their lives, they feared him. Any wrong move in front of him would mean certain death. Yet, here was a girl that could talk to him so easily, that it made them jealous. It wasn't jealousy, exactly. It was more like a strange pang in their chest, something they couldn't get out.

"Kankuro, Temari," Gaara spoke to them, not facing them. "I know it must've been hard, living with me and putting up with me. I'm sorry for that." Gaara's siblings looked at him with wide eyes.

"I guess," he continued, "You never understood me, and I never really understood you. We just had too many differences, even now." They held their breath in anticipation. "But, right now, I'm asking you not to tell anyone you saw us here. Please. I like traveling with Kitai; I don't really care about being the strongest shinobi or the strongest weapon. This is the only time in my whole life that I've truly felt alive." Temari and Kankuro's tense bodies suddenly relaxed. They let out their bated breath and actually felt relief. So, their brother was just human after all. They both looked at each other, silently agreeing.

"Don't sweat it," Kankuro grinned.

"Yeah," Temari was also grinning, "We won't tell anyone, little brother." Gaara was silent for a minute.

"Thanks," he said. He looked at them, and for the first time they saw a real smile on his face. "Come on Kitai, let's go." Kitai nodded in response as Gaara started walking. She gave Temari and Kankuro a final grin as she followed Gaara.

When they had heard that he had died, they didn't feel happiness or sorrow, just relief. This constant burden in their lives was suddenly gone. When he reappeared, they couldn't help feeling disappointed at this fateful turn. But now, as he once again walked into oblivion, a strange feeling permeated their thoughts.

"You know," said Temari thoughtfully, "I think I feel a little sorry, seeing him go." Kankuro was surprised at this identification of the strange squirm in his stomach, but he nodded in agreement. The brother they had known for twelve years had been replaced by another. And now, he was gone and they would never know him.