Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But if I did my management would fail.
A Memory
"He, he, heeheheehee," hysterical giggling never fit Jezebel. That never stopped her from doing it.
The sun beat down upon sand so yellow it was almost grey. Waves of heated breeze shimmered over the dunes. Jezebel collapsed into a fit of choking giggles watching the caravan of people scurry around below her. They swarmed like ants, even running each other over in an effort to get behind some wagon in the train. Not that it would've helped any.
This they knew, because on a ridge about one hundred yards away was a dragon, or dragon-human. They couldn't tell which. It rolled over and a growling could be heard, as if from legends the animal would blow fire. Shredded looking black wings rustled in the hot wind around the writhing animal. And then it sprung.
Jezebel straightened; it wasn't right for someone so unserious to kill people. But they were hilarious, and she had allowed herself a brief laugh at them. Her tattered black skirt swirled around her legs. And then she cast herself from the ridge. Like a dragon on black wings, she ran, face alight with pleasure.
Mentally she forced her charka out before her, creating a huge black wave. The people below were plunged into darkness. They waited for some monstrous jutsu to swallow them alive. Bodies crouched within the sand shivered and trembled. Sweat dripped down faces mixing with tears of futility. They waited for death in black heat.
But they were wrong. Jezebel preferred her victims die by her own hands….
"Memories of my early life are rather dim. My childhood was a mystery to me. Not that I would care to know exactly what I did. I know it was probably nothing more then killing anyway, and I don't care to know exactly who I killed. Do you expect me to make apologies to their families? My count already numbers over one hundred I need to know about no more.
Anyway, I remember some scenes from my childhood, mostly colors (red and brown), whether it be fire, sand or blood. I chose to forget I was human. Don't get me wrong, I knew what species I was…Technically. But mentally I was a dragon, a dessert child. Free, like wind *sighs, but bound by my own ignorance.
And then I met Watcher a second time." Jezebel Itako
"Hello again, dear," Jezebel looked up from the bone she a sucking the marrow out of. She yawned and ignored the voice. She was sleepy and full of meat; the sun was warm on the sand she curled up on, too tired to deal with idiots. She threw the bone onto a growing pile and closed her eyes, pulling down her already too short black dress.
She was currently living in an oasis somewhere in the middle of wind country.
The rug swindler sat down on a patch of grass next to a small pool of brackish water. He dropped his large cloth pack of rugs next to him.
"I know you're awake, girl,"
"Whadaya want?"
"To return the balance,"
"What in hell is the balance?"
"You're shifting it,"
"Why should I care?" She wondered suddenly what the balance was. Some kind of scale, perhaps?
"Perhaps you're closer to it then you think. The balance-,"
"I'm not stupid; I know what a balance is!" The watcher looked at her as if to say, "Like hell you do."
"Not this balance dear. Believe me; you will want to know what it is. But first, tell me dear, do you know how many shinobi are after you?"
"No," honestly she hadn't noticed any at all. "Ask me if I care?"
"Hundreds, especially sand. You've done quite a bit of depopulating in Sand country," she shrugged, uncaring. Then tried a new approach to the unwanted visitor.
"Why is it you talk to me? Most people back away slowly. As if they aren't the ones with the problems,"
"You have quite a reputation young lady… Besides, most people don't want to be eaten," She looked unembarrassed at the pile of debris.
"And you do? You know, I am getting hungry again," Still Watcher was unperturbed.
"You can't touch me, besides, I have better things to do," Jezebel's patience was running thin. This man had been there long enough, not only that he seemed to always be testing her for something. Jezebel saw no point in putting up with him. She was much stronger, his blood would run.
"Then leave, if you have no death wish,"
"Look who's talking," his voice was bland and his eyes calm. Jezebel cracked. Enough of this, insolent fool.
She launched herself at him, hissing. He dodged her attempted claw. Again she ran at him, and missed as he inclined his head slightly. Her breath rasped in her throat, she cursed in a language unknown to her. Again she came, this time she had a strategy in mind. Chakra gathered in her bare feet, she pounced, sailing up over Watcher's head. She had him!
The Watcher made a quick seal with his hands. Wind blasted from the girl-freak's lungs as she was slammed by an invisible staff. Colors swirled before her eyes, the grimy gray-blue of the water. She smacked down into it with a resounding echo.
The Watcher knew she was already unconscious. He heaved himself to his feet, waded into the murk and pulled Jezebel from the water. She would sleep now, maybe for up to two weeks (if he was lucky). A lesson had to be taught here.
Within those two weeks Watcher would find her family guardians. It has taken him two years to find the country where they resided. Now he only had to find the individuals.
Hitake Kakashi pulled his pants on. Wait! How impolite! Bad time, Kakashi? We'll come back later. Let's go visit Iruka. At seventeen, Iruka had just passed his chuunin exam two years ago.
And now….! Back to the Desert! We join our heroine outside of Hidden Sand Village.
A child poked Jezebel. The girl was laying outside his city gates. The child continued to poke her side. A large purplish bruise was forming under her dress. She stirred and groaned but the child ignored this.
"Stop," a tanned hand made a grasp for the offending finger, but before it connected a large flood of sand blocked it.
Jezebel fully awakened by now. She stared at a little boy (must have been about five) with rusty brown hair and strange eyes. They were rimmed in black. Jezebel thought it looked kind of cool. He clutched a stuffed bear.
Sharp sensations shot from the bruise on Jezebel's side. What… Pain? Certainly this was a discomfort.
She looked again to the child still standing there as though nothing had happened. He just stared right back. He MET her gaze, like the rug dealer…
"Who are you?" said the five year old solemnly.
"Jezebel. Aren't kids supposed to have more energy then that?" The boy shrugged.
"I don't know, my brother has lots of energy. Temari tells him to shut up, but shut up is a bad word," said the boy matter-of-factly. Who the hell was Temari?
Jezebel's sides ached. This was pain? It pissed her off. The boy should be running by now, but somehow he did not seem afraid of her. Nor was she scared of him.
"What's wrong with your eyes?"
"What's wrong with yours? They're black lined," Jezebel blinked her almond green eyes slowly.
"Mine are from a sand incarnate. That what my uncle told me. Does your side hurt, J-Jeza- Jezzy?" The name was hard and strange on the boy's lips.
Jezebel considered this.
"Can you tell me what "hurt" is?"
"No, I can't," Dead silence fell between the two. "My name's Gaara. I'm five,"
"Aha,"
"I can take you to someone who can tell you,"
"You do that," Feeling shaken from her argument with the Watcher Jezebel, newly christened Jezzy was inclined to agree with the boy. Besides there was something about this minute human she might actually like.
Tentatively Gaara took her large hand in his own (Jezzy noticed the veins in his neck, a sure sign of hunger), and led her to a large iron portcullis built into adobe and stone walls. Gaara ducked between the heavy iron slats. This was good because Jezzy was very tempted to try and squeeze his hand until it broke.
"I can't fit through there, moron!" Gaara stared as if she had grown an extra head, no one had ever, ever yelled at him!
"I'll go get someone to open it," Gaara disappeared, only to have the gate creak open minutes later. Jezzy skittered under it the minute it was high enough to fit her.
"So, where are we going?" Gaara was already walking down a dusty street.
This was not the first time Jezzy had been in a town without killing intent, but she stared around anyway. Adobe building lined the street; they were covered with red roofs and had little doors and windows. Several families lived in one house. She passed a ramen bar and a restaurant and a large building that looked like a school.
Faces peered curiously through the windows and doors quietly slid shut as they passed. Jezebel glared at those faces. Gaara ignored them.
"Where exactly are we?"
"Hidden Sand Village," Jezzy cocked her head, weren't they supposed to be hunting her? Maybe she was just too much for them, or maybe the rug-seller lied, either thought made her smile. But the minute it touched her lips her strength seemed to dwindle. She needed food.
The boy stopped in front of a large apartment building. He pushed the front door open and peered inside, hugging his bear.
"Yashamaru, I'm home!" There was no answer. Gaara turned to Jezebel. "He must be out. He's a healer, my uncle,"
"Did he heal you?"
"He can't. I never hurt,"
"Well," she said cynically. "We have something in common then," The boy looked at her solemnly. "Never mind, you wouldn't get it," especially since she didn't understand it herself. The entered the tan hallway.
There was something strange about this child. Jezzy couldn't put her nail through it, but it wasn't quite right. Of course she only knew wrong anyway. Apparently she was wrong. She felt alive in being so.
"You shouldn't wear that,"
"Why not?" Who was he to comment on her dress?
"Yashamaru wouldn't like that; he'd say it was indecent,"
"And I wouldn't listen to him," Jezzy caught sight of a mirror around a corner. She stopped.
"Gaara what is wrong with me?" She looked like everyone else. Her skin was a little darker, arresting green eye held gazes. She picked a spot on her face briefly. Her hair had been chopped short; it continued to get into her face and stuck there. The dress was at least five years old. It was worn and ragged now, and in some places translucent. In the front it was so tight her blossoming cleavage was falling out.
Gaara stood curiously behind her.
"You smell like meat, Jezzy"
"So, I like meat," Jezebel felt weak, weak and hungry… and drained. What had the rug selling asshole done to her? "That reminds me, I'm kind of hungry,"
Gaara wandered into the kitchen to find food. Jazzy remained transfixed by the mirror.
She wasn't afraid of him. She didn't run away when Gaara came near. Maybe she could be his friend? Then he would have someone to play with! Maybe even Yashamaru would like her when she obtained some proper clothes. Gaara mentally crossed his fingers.
Jezzy wandered into the kitchen. Gaara pulled a raw steak out of the freezer using a chair. Jezzy looked at it with disgust.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't you have anything a little… fresher?"
"But it's raw,"
"It's rock hard, how disgusting is that? I can barely eat that kind of thing when I'm sick,"
"Oh," Gaara was full of curiosity about this girl. He would have had Yashamaru cook it for them. It was good, very fresh.
"I guess I'll just have to go hunting…." Jezebel sighed and turned towards an open window. Hunting for what, Gaara wondered. Animals? But this steak (he poked it) was the best things came.
"Gaara? I'm coming back when I'm done, okay?"
"Okay, maybe we can play then," he looked up hopefully, but already she was gone. She must have slipped through the open window.
Gaara hugged his bear to his small chest. Maybe he'd found someone alone, like him.
When Yashamaru came back he had Gaara's older siblings with him. He tugged a stocky sullen boy after him by the ear. The boy clawed violently at Yashamaru's gloved hands. He refused to squeal.
The two were fallowed by and eight year old girl with four blond pigtails. She wore a pair of dusty overalls. Her tongue was stuck out as far as it could go at her brother. Gaara fallowed them to the part of the long hallway with bedrooms.
"Stupid Kankuro!" Temari yelled. "That is why you don't pick fights!"
"It was a dare-," Wham! The door slammed shut in his face.
Yashamaru glared at the door.
"When you're ready to apologize to that poor boy you can come out and get cleaned up,"
"Yeah!" agreed Temari. Yashamaru turned on her.
"You were no better, encouraging them like that!"
Gaara waited patiently for things to quite down. Suddenly there was a loud bang! The front door slammed open.
Temari's jaw dropped.
"Oh my god," gasped Yashamaru.
"Yashamaru, Temari, I'd like you to meet my new friend!" said Gaara.
Thanks for reading! I'd really appreciated any review you have for me, whether they are good, bad or whatever. Please review
Note: Yashamaru is a boy, no? He always looked so much like a girl. Also, there's a story called Gaara's Reign under my pen name- it's by my twelve year old brother. It's humor and um… Interesting.
Thanks!
And the muffins go out to…
Leah Black! You were my first reviewer so you get two muffins! Thank you
Thank you to Naito Kiseki. You made me think a little bit. Perhaps that wasn't the best opening…
Yuki-san1- you can have as many muffins as you want. Ooo look! Here's a chocolate, and a blueberry, and a banana nut!!!!!
hattuteline- your constructive criticism was very helpful. I'll try to watch out for those things.
Soccer dude- thanks for reviewing. My brothers said the sandstorm bit was cool too.
Personcolin- don't worry, Watcher is an Uber-fighter. The truth is no one has ever seen his top power- it's like watching the gods cause earthquakes. Ya know?
Em- thanks cous', wanna review again? Jkjkjk, had a great time in NM!
Wow Annester the Adorer you rock my world! No, I swear! When I read good reviews I feel great, yours was one of the best.
Silent Breeze- much love and forever. Btw- I reviewed your story! Roast marshmallows on those flames girl!
Lone Wolf- you get a muffin of your choice just for reviewing. J
Hope you guys come back for more!
