Rain began to fall steadily. To Seikei Mitsukai, rain brought pain. She was supposed to stay indoors at all times, ESPECIALLY when it was raining. Mother always said that the outside was a dangerous place. She could get killed. And so she stayed inside for her early years. However, now that she was fifteen years old, she thought that was totally bogus. The worst thing that could happen was… Was getting a scrape on the knee, or a paper cut. Bit by a Venus fly trap. Whatever. Besides the pink, strapless dress on her back, and the other pink, strapless dresses in her closet, she had no clothes but socks, tights, and undergarments. She didn't need anything formal, or rough, or sexy, because no one ever saw her. Seikei Mitsukai meant "Living Angel." But to Seikei, it could have meant "Living Hell."

Seikei had purple hair in a style much like Hotaru's, or, Sailor Saturn's from Sailor Moon. She had dark coal black eyes that seemed to stare right through you. They were hollow and emotionless. Seikei was anything but optimistic, and could say something sad about almost everything. In example, one day she was watching television, and someone said, "Isn't life just great?"

Seikei, without thinking, had actually replied to the television, "No. Life is not great. Eventually we will all die. And those who do not go to Heaven or Hell become dust in the wind." Seikei had a soft, quiet, delicate voice, unable to be heard amidst shouting.

You see, Seikei had no human emotions, because Seikei Mitsukai, the Living Angel, was not a homunculus, nor a fantasy creature, but a clone.

One day fifteen years ago, her mother was a brilliant scientist who had a daughter named Lilac. Lilac died in a freak accident, and her mother was devastated. So her mother made a clone with modern science. And that was Seikei. There was a strange blood seal on her right heel that never came off. And it was this seal that enabled Seikei to stay alive.

Seikei and her mother sat at the small kitchen table, sipping up instant ramen. Seikei's blood seal throbbed horribly in the rain, and she often couldn't use that foot. Seikei was silent, staring out the window.

"Seikei, what's wrong?" Her mother asked quietly.

"Nothing, mom… My heel just hurts, that's all." Seikei slurped up some more ramen and looked at the drops on the windowsill, and at the other houses in the Hidden Sand Village.

There was a knock at the door. Her mother stood up. "Seikei, go to your room and flip the main switch. It's the inspector."

For the last fifteen years, Seikei's mother had hidden her from the inspectors that came by every week. Only several people in the village knew about Seikei's existence. With a sigh of pain, Seikei hauled herself up the stairs and went into the room, flipping a switch. The whole room spun around, making it look as if there never was a door there. She dragged herself over to her window and looked down. She knew those eyes anywhere. And so she began to pack her things.

Seikei's mother opened the door, expecting to see an inspector on the doormat. But instead, she saw Gaara leaning against the doorframe, the heavy gourd full on his back. "I'm here for Seikei, Professor Mitsukai."

Seikei's mother sighed and looked at her shoes. "Already? But Gaara, she's so young…"

"When it's time, it's time." Gaara looked beyond her at the stairs. "I know it seems early. But my greatest rival has appeared earlier than I have expected. And I will do anything I can to kill him. And to harness Seikei's unique power is what I need."

"But Gaara, Seikei has received no special training whatsoever, I didn't enroll her in the academy for fear of discovery, I…"

"I'm here, Gaara."

Seikei walked down the stairs silently, because after all, she wore no shoes and had no need for them.

"Seikei…" Her mother smiled wryly. "Don't die."

Seikei walked by her without a single glance. Seikei had never loved her mother. It was the way it had always been. Seikei walked out the door, and Gaara turned to join her.

"From the reason you're here, I take it your rival is Sasuke Uchiha." Seikei said in her quiet voice when they were out of her mother's earshot. "The only survivor of the Uchiha clan."

Avoiding the facts, Gaara replied, "Seikei, can you unleash your power yet? I specifically told your mother to teach you."

"Yes. I have been training in secret. Many a long night I have stayed awake—"

Gaara interrupted her. "Good. What I want you to do is kill Sasuke Uchiha."

Seikei's face held no emotion. "Of course, Gaara. It's easier than killing a rat."

By pure coincidence, a rat scampered across the road in front of them. Seikei's looked at it. Her eyes widened slightly, then lowered to their usual half-open state. The rat squeaked and with a sickening pop!, exploded into a cloud of blood and fur.

"Gaara, how far away is the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"Very far. It will take us a while to get there."

"'Us?' You're coming too, Gaara?"

"Of course. I wouldn't want to miss out on my rival's brains spilled across the ground." He began to get a wild look in his eye at the thought, but calmed himself.

"Naruto Uzumaki. What about the fox."

"To kill him would unleash the fox within him. But if I were to kill the fox too…" Gaara looked at the sky, obviously going slightly insane.

"Gaara, calm yourself."

Gaara blinked. He was silent for a moment, then went on. "We will be meeting up with some… Colleagues, you would call them. Half of them are homunculi, or artificially created humans. The other half are their human doubles."

Seikei was quiet for some time. "…Oh." She finally said. "I didn't know I would have to work with someone."

"It's more like they'll be killing off anyone who gets in our way. They're strictly there to protect us, even though I don't need protecting at all."

"Of course, Gaara. You are too powerful to cower behind such meaningless pawns."

Gaara's scary eyes drifted over the path. "There's something I forgot to tell you. There might be someone else you have to kill. In fact, there's two."

"Who, Gaara."

"Cynthia Suhn and Edward Elric. The homunculi cannot take care of them. Lust almost killed off Cynthia. But they're both very strong. If you want to kill them, you'll have to do it quickly and quietly."

"Yes, Gaara."

"No, no, NO!"

"What the Hell am I doing wrong?"

"LIKE EVERYTHING! You want to try to accelerate your speed, not make yourself sluggish!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'M TRYING TO DO? I have a freaking metal arm here and I'm TRYING to get used to it, and 'taijutsu with Sasuke' is NOT helping!"

Sasuke darted around her in circles. "Then I guess Cynthia Lalaurana Suhn is just a slow little girl."

Without a word, Cynthia stuck out her foot, which Sasuke promptly tripped over. "You should talk."

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Naruto called over, outraged. "CHEATER! TRIPPING IS CHEAT!"

"Like there's any rules in the way of war." She replied.

Shikyo, Ayeka and Atra sighed. She was going about this in totally the wrong way. Sasuke was trying to teach Cynthia Lalaurana Suhn taijutsu, and it was NOT going well.

"If your arm is holding you up, then detached your arm!" Sasuke ordered.

"NO! I have to wait until the nerves connect! Then I could safely take it off!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL!"

"IT IS SO! Tell him, Ed!"

Edward was off in some corner looking out a window. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. It took ME a year but I don't exactly have freaky DNA, do I?"

"That just means that MY DNA is TWELVE TIMES better than yours!"

"IT DOES NOT! Tell her, Sakura!"

"Um…"

"What do you mean by freaky DNA?" Ayeka inquired. "Cynthia seems as normal as any of us, except for her arm."

Cynthia rubbed the back of her head and laughed. "Oh, it's nothing, nothing really… But I tell you, it has to do with those scary demons, the Lalauranas…"

"They may be scary, but Sasuke can tame one! RIGHT, SASUKE?" Naruto chipped in.

"Eh heh…" Sasuke laughed nervously. "Kinda…"

"Mister Elric…" An academy student peered into the room. "Iruka Sensei sent me in here to tell you, you have a phone call from someone named 'Roy Mustang.'"

"Mustang…" Edward growled. "What could he want…"

"Hey, Roy, what do you want?"

"That's colonel!"

"Whatever…"

"I need you to bring Cynthia back here. Your mission has been canceled."

"Huh? Why? Listen, we are like REALLY busy!"

"I don't care! The Fuhrer has ordered that you come back. He says that there is a war going on nearby and he doesn't want Amestris to get involved."

"So? We're out to…Do some IMPORTANT business!"

"Who are you going to kill?"

"…Whatever gave you that idea? And there is some MAJOR news…"

"What?"

"Um, Cynthia got automail?"

A muffled thump was heard from the phone. Riza picked it up and said, "You heard the colonel, Edward. Bring Cynthia back here."

"Yes, lieutenant…"

Edward set the phone back on its cradle, turning around. And there, he noticed Naruto, Sakura, Cynthia, Ayeka and Atra eavesdropping. Shikyo and Sasuke we off someone, not interested.

"Cynth, we have to go back…"

"Okay."

"WHAT? You're just gonna go BACK? But we need to kill Gaara!"

"So? There will be other chances! We can come here on our days off. Sheesh, it's simple. Did Roy say when the helicopter was picking us up?"

"No. Let's go get packed."

Cynthia smiled and clapped him on the back. "Buck up, Ed. We're only going home a week early. Hell, Amestris isn't EVEN my home. And now I'll be a combat specialist!" Cynthia picked up a pencil and began to toy with it idly.

"Yeah, but…" Edward listed his eyes to Naruto and Sakura. "I'll miss you guys."

"Don't worry, Edo!" Naruto replied heartily. "If we ever see Gaara again we'll be sure to call you as soon as possible."

"Yeah, Ed. We'll keep a lookout here and you'll look in Amestris. But knowing him, he's probably at the hidden sand village, where he belongs." Sakura added. "But there's no doubt he'll come to kill Sasuke! There's also no doubt that he'll find some new cronies to come with him. Namely the homunculi."

There was a snap, and Cynthia dropped the broken pencil. "We're staying, no matter what your colonel says! I want to cut those homunculi open SLOWLY! Or at least their human doubles!"

Sakura and Naruto looked at her like she was insane.

Edward agreed.

Wrath peeked through the bushes. Gaara and Seikei walked by, SEEMINGLY not noticing him. He waved his hand to signal Lust and Envy.

"BOO!" Envy fell out of a tree, when he was supposed to jump.

"Idiot, you were supposed to jump. Not kill yourself." Lust hissed.

"So? I fell! Sue me!"

Seikei stared at the homunculi, no expression on her face or in her eyes. "You must be the homunculi. You don't look so special."

Lust extended her nails. "What did…"

Envy turned into Gaara, then Edward, then himself again. "You should talk!"

"Ah!" Wrath stumbled from the bushes, a twig accidentally fused on his finger. He found his finger again and switch it with the twig. "That was scary!"

"I see." Was all she said. She began to proceed, brushing them aside. Seikei was emotionless, and felt no need to stay there.

"SHE BARELY EVEN LOOKED AT US!" Lust protested to Gaara.

"That is who she is. Seikei Mitsukai, the Living Angel, is a clone."

Envy lounged on a thick tree limb, idly toying with a leaf. "When are the homunculi going to get here?"

Lust, who was painting her nails black, murmured, "I don't know… Wrath, did Gaara say when he would meet us?"

"Nope, nope, nope, nope!" Wrath dropped to all fours and growled at a rabbit, which had foolishly jumped from the bushes. "Arf! Arf!"

He glanced up. Seikei was staring at him with those expressionless eyes. "…What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'M A DOGGY! ARF ARF!" Wrath crawled around, panting with his tongue out.

Seikei glared down at her with her only emotion; anger.

Seikei's foot lifted with force, slamming into Wrath's gut and sending him into the air. Lust's eyes widened, and Envy dropped his leaf. Wrath flew through the air and landed, rolling over to stop at a tree.

Wrath sat up, took one look at the fearsome eyes of the clone, and began to cry loudly.

"NOW THAT'S THE KIND OF CRUELTY WE NEED!" Envy proclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "To hit a child with no resent or remorse… Why, Lust couldn't even do that!"

"Oh, and you could."

"I've beaten that kid tons of times!"

"Shut up, both of you." Seikei said. "I'm not here to kill the boy. I'm here to kill Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

"HAHA! EVEN BETTER!" Envy clapped. "Now I can watch that Cynthia chick cry!"

"Didn't you hear me?" Seikei snapped. "I told you to shut up! Follow orders! I'm your boss now. Now listen, and listen well. Gaara will take the homunculi, and I will take you. Whichever team brings back the Sharigan eye of Sasuke Uchiha will be rewarded greatly by Gaara. We will be Team S and the other will be Team G. Got that? Once we get inside we split up and find the heart of this operation; Cynthia Lalaurana Suhn. Once we capture her and take her away into the woods, Sasuke and his friends will come to rescue her. It is there we will attack."

Envy saluted. "Yes, sir!"

"Come, then. We will meet Team G at the front gates of the Hidden Leaf village."

Envy jumped down from his tree and Lust picked Wrath up. "Drill sergeant, much?" He whispered to his teammate.

Gaara had explained it similar to his team. And so they moved in for the attack.
Cynthia lay in bed, awake. The helicopter hadn't come the night before, so she and Edward simply went to bed. She heard her window slide open, so she rolled over and looked.

Gaara stood, leaning on the wall, moonlight splashed across his face.

"Gaara?" Cynthia sat up, a hand flying to her head. Was she dreaming? No.

Gaara lifted a hand and flicked it to the side. His gourd uncorked itself and sand flew out. A thick strand of sand wrapped around Cynthia's wrist and pulled her over. Gaara's sand bit into her wrists, making her blood drip onto the floor. The sand held her before Gaara for a moment while he said, "Don't die in there, we need you alive."

And then the sand closed around her in a stone prison.

"Cynthia?" Sakura backed into Cynthia's room, using her back because she was carrying a tray of food. "You didn't come to breakfast, so I brought you…" Sakura turned around and saw Cynthia was gone. Her eyes fell on the blood drops next to the window, and she dropped the tray, the glass and plate crashing into a hundred pieces.

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke, Edward!"

"Shikyo, Atra, Ayeka!"

Sakura pushed into everyone's room and called them into the hall. Once everyone was assembled, she said, "Cynthia's gone. It had to have been Gaara. There was sand on the floor!"

"Oh, shiiiiittt…" Edward pushed his fingers up through his bangs. "Alright, here's what we do… We go into the woods… And beat the crap out of everyone we meet until we find her!"

"Wonderful plan."