Even condensed this one turned out to be rather short. I couldn't flesh it out much more.

Chapter 7: Kidnapped and United

Mokumaru sat behind his house practicing with his father. Kankurou was teaching him to use Karasu, having taken out most of the dangerous elements and leaving the shell.

"You're doing pretty good. Since you're my boy, you learn quickly," he praised as Mokumaru managed to make Karasu raise his arm and wave.

"I'm only learning quickly because you're my teacher. You're the best ninja in this entire village. I want to become the best ninja and serve Kazekuni as Kazekage too." Mokumaru looked over to his father and smiled. "I guess what I'm saying is that I want to be just like you, Dad."

Kankurou tried to look solemn. "Well, you have to work hard. I didn't get here by being lazy. Concentrate!"

Karasu's head lolled forward as Mokumaru saluted his father. "Yessir! Oops..." he quickly reattached the strings of chakra.

A ninja approached Kankurou and bowed. "Sir, Temari and her family are here. Shall I escort them to the guest rooms or bring them to you?"

"Eh? Temari? No bring them here." The ninja nodded and soon Temari was approaching looking tired. Kankurou didn't hide his happiness. Mokumaru stopped practicing long enough to wave. Fumi waved back exuberantly.

Wiping sweat from her eyes, Temari stopped and sat down on the ground. "I've forgotten how hot this place can get sometimes. I bet I dropped ten pounds just from sweating."

Kankurou scoffed. "That's what you get for staying away for so long. Would it kill you to visit more often?" He looked down and Fumi who was making faces at her cousin. "Hey, little princess. Have you been behaving?"

"Yes!" "No" The father and daughter said at the same time. Shikamaru looked down and she looked up at him. There was electricity between their gazes. They turned away at the same time, scowling.

The Kazekage chuckled and looked at the new boy. "And who's………………………………."

"Hello," the boy piped, with a smile.

"Holy shit! Gaara?"

Temari stepped in front of the boy. "And that's why we're here. You," she jabbed her finger at him. "have to find Gaara. We suspect this little boy is his son."

Mokumaru walked over and patted the boy on his shoulder. "Long time no see, kid! I hope Fumi's been taking care of you."

"Oh, Fumi-neesan is very nice. We play together everyday. She lets me play with sharp things," he added proudly."

"Yeah, dork. I'm very nice." She stuck out her tongue. "Now, where's uncle Gaara?"

Kankurou knelt down to look at the boy. "He left on a mission a while ago. I expect him back any day now." The boys shaggy brown hair almost fell in his eyes. The eyes... They were the same though the child's were bright and wild. Still... "Let's go inside. I don't want the villagers seeing him."

He led them inside the large house and to his office. Temari and Shikamaru explained everything to him, Fumi and Mokumaru stepping in at their portion to explain. Kankurou looked surprised at the report about him turning into a demon.

"Nnnn, just when I thought my work load was getting easier… If he is Gaara's brat, that might explain the demon. But what I don't get is-" There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Kirae, without her mask and Anbu uniform stepped in. "Kazekage-sama, I-" She looked down at Gaara's alleged son. He immediately looked down at his sandals, curling his toes anxiously. "I just wanted to say, I won't be available for a few months. Is that okay?"

"Sure but first do you know where Gaara is? I know I sent him out a while ago but he hasn't returned and we got a little problem…"

She smiled kindly. "Is it the boy? I couldn't help but to notice the resemblance."

"Yeah."

"Say no more. Can I take him for a few minutes? Just to talk, maybe he knows something."

Kankurou considered the boy for a few minutes and shrugged. "I don't see why not. Go ahead."

"Come on, little one. Let's get you something to eat someplace else for a while," she held out her hand to him. The boy looked up sadly and obediently took her hand. She walked him out the door, shutting it quietly. She walked a short way from the door and grabbed a fist fully of Ochi's hair, yanking it back. Her face because twisted and ugly as her demon aspect began to show. "Scream and I'll destroy this entire village, including your worthless friends in there. Did you really think that you could run from me?" Aiki whimpered. "Transform. We're escaping."

A maid carrying towels give a surprised yelp as a wolf and cub barreled down the hallway past her. The Kazekage slouched in his seat. "Well, I guess we just wait. Gaara won't just pop up because we want him to. If anyone can find him though, it's Kirae."

Temari nodded in agreement and fiddled with Fumi's clothes. She noticed her daughter looking contemplative. "Don't worry, Fumi. We'll find Gaara."

"No, it's not that. I don't like that woman, mom," she stated plainly. "She's creepy."

Mokumaru nodded in agreement. "I don't think little guy likes her either. He got all nervous when she came in."

Shikamaru looked at the door. "Is she a good friend of Gaara's?"

Kankurou nodded. "They always go out on missions together. At least they did but she disappeared for a while. She just returned recently. One of my best Anbu, I trust her with a lot of important missions." He put his hand on Mokumaru's head to reassure him.

"Anbu…" Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "She was at our house once. Kiba was yelling at her… Now that I think about it, when we first saw that boy…"He recalled the anbu with the wolf mask, Kiba shouting at Kirae, then when he warned them about the boy, and the child's demon form. "Shit! Impossible!"

Temari looked confused at him. "What is it?"

"She's the kid's mother!" He jumped out of his chair and rushed to the door. "We can't let her take him!"

"What are you talking about?" Temari demanded. Everyone stared at Shikamaru.

"Think. Kiba was yelling at her right? Kiba also knew that the boy was oni. Then, when were in that battle an Anbu woman can and abucted him right? The only Anbu woman that was consistently showed up when this kid was involved has been her! She's the oni! She's his mother!"

"No way," Kankurou said shaking his head. "Gaara would have said something. He doesn't keep secrets from me."

Temari bowed her head. "But what if he felt like he could relate to her. He wouldn't tell you if it meant she'd have to leave Sand."

Kankurou wanted to slam his head on the desk but resisted and instead he clenched his fists. "I'll put the ninja on alert. You guys go after her!" Temari and Shikamaru disappeared suddenly. Kankurou rang a bell on his desk and a dozen ninja were in front of him. "Find the Anbu Kirae! Bring her and the child she has with her here immediately." The ninja nodded and also disappeared with quickness.

Mokumaru looked at his dad. "I want to help. If we stopped her once then-"

His father shook his head. "Stay here out of the way. This isn't a game!" He began to slip out of his heavy robes and took of his hat. Underneath he was the same old Kankurou, only without the hood. "Take care of things here until I get back." He walked out grabbing Kurokumo from his closet, since Karasu was little more than a toy in his practice state.

Fumi sighed after Kankurou left. "Why do they treat us like babies? We're the ones the saved him from her the first time."

When Gaara returned to the city, it was alive with ninja dashing all over in search of someone. He thought to ask one of them what was going on but decided against it. Whatever it was Kankurou would fill him in on it. He put his hands in the pocket of his vest and continued.

"Gaara!" His name was called in three separate directions. He looked around lazily. Kankurou was in front of him, but as a shinobi not as Kazekage. Temari and Shikamaru landed on either side.

"Temari? Shikamaru? What are you doing here?" He looked between each of them. Kankurou stepped forward and grabbed Gaara by the collar, something he loved to do when administering 'a scolding', at least to Gaara.

"I thought we were close! Why didn't you tell me that Kirae was a demon? And did you just forget you had a son!" he shouted into his younger brother's face.

Gaara pulled his shirt from Kankurou's fist, glaring at him as he wiped a drop of spit from his cheek. "We are close, I don't have a son, and I didn't think it would matter," he answered. He felt Temari put her hand on his shoulder.

"You do have a son Gaara. I believe it!" Temari urged.

"How sure can you be he's even mine?"

Kankurou rolled his eyes. "Red hair little brat rolls up with black rings around his eyes, he's definitely not one of mine!"

"Lots of people have red hair and black eyes come from not sleeping a day in my life. Anyone could that. I'm only twenty percent sure he's mine," Gaara said gruffly.

"Well," began Shikamaru, "He does turn into a demon uncontrollably when he sees blood."

There was a brief silence. "Forty percent, still-"

"His face. Do you remember when you were little, that face you made when you were when you were sad?" Kankurou and Temari both made an exaggerated puppy dog face. "He does that all the time."

Gaara glared at them both for teasing him. "Fuck you guys."

"Look, the last time Kirae and I were together it was about five years ago. I can't possibly have a son."

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Gaara, the kid is about five. He has a special power to change into a wolf demon but that's not it… It's that he reveals the Shukaku eye when he does it."

"… I'm still not one hundred percent sure that he's mine," the Sand-user continued saying. Inside he was firmly sure that the child was not his. He couldn't be a father even if he wanted to. It's just something that did not compute in his mind.

Kankurou slapped his hand on his forehead. "I hate to interrupt but she's getting away while we're arguing. She took him about an hour ago. She could already be out of the village."

Gaara shook his head. "Probably not. But if she's feeling desperate she can escape easily. Look for a big brown wolf and cub. It should be pretty obvious to spot. They'll be wearing jewelry because they-"

"Aren't normal wolves," Shikamaru finished. Gaara nodded and took off. The others did the same.

Gaara's mind milled over what was said but still he couldn't comprehend it. It was impossible from him to have a child. Why would Kirae hide that from him? One day, she had snapped and attacked him for no reason and since then they had avoided each other until she finally left the village. The kid could be anyone's, he resolved.

He landed on top of a building and looked down into an alleyway. A large wolf growled up at him. "Kirae, you can't escape the village. I won't let you take the boy either. So what will you do?" The wolf continued to growl for a few minutes, drool dripping from her mouth. She dropped her head, taking the cub in her mouth and jumped up. Bouncing between the two walls of a building she made it to the top of the roofs and began to run. A wall of sand rose before her, cutting her path off.

"You can't escape," Gaara said behind her. He was floating on a sand cloud, arms crossed. He thought he saw Kirae smirk before she slung her head throwing the cub off the building. She whipped her tails creating a wall of wind and jumped off the sand wall to the opposite side to make her escape.

The wind blinded Gaara momentarily, before he realized the he could only either capture Kirae or save the boy. On the streets the below a giant hand of sand burst from the ground and caught the shivering puppy. He sighed and peered across the landscape. He could leave the boy alone and pursue her but curiousity prevailed. Gaara descended to the ground beside the hand. The puppy sat up and turned into a little boy with black rimmed eyes, tears streaked down his dirty face.

Gaara caught his breath. "…One hundred...per..cent sure." Kankurou landed beside him.

"Where's-"

"Gone." Gaara's eyes were fixed on the child before him.

"Pretty amazing, huh? He looks just like you."

The boy struggled to climb down off the hand but it simply dispelled, placing him gently on the ground. He dusted himself off then looked up at Gaara. "Thank you for saving me but-…"

"…"

The boy stared at Gaara for a moment. He tilted his head right and left, the cogs in his brain working. He gingerly walked over and gave Gaara's hand a deep sniff. Then, he grinned and bounced a little. Two tails snaked from under his shirt and wolfen ears replaced his human ones. "You smell like me and Auntie Temari and Uncle Kankurou! You're my daddy!" He looked down, blushing. "Oh um… Pleased to meet you." He bowed. Kankurou grinned and slapped his brother on the shoulder proudly.

Gaara swallowed and took step a back, unsure. "Don't… mention it."

The son of the Sand ninja, grinning so hard his cheeks turned pink, latched onto Gaara's hand. "Everyone calls me 'Gaara' sometimes. Is that your name? I don't mind being called Gaara then."

The chattering kindergartener attached to his hand, made Gaara feel nervous. " … Let's… return to the Kazekage's." He retrieved his hand from the boy and walked away. Kankurou blinked, somewhat surprised at his brother's nonchalance. The boy however was unphased, he followed behind Gaara, skipping and hopping, as he continued to discuss the last five years of his life.

Kankurou immediately called off the search assuming the Kirae was long gone. Gaara was standing outside, doing his best to ignore the boy beside him. When Temari and Shikamaru arrived, Gaara' s sister immediately hugging him tightly.

"You found him!"

"…Yeah."

She knelt down and the boy jumped into her arms. "He saved me! With a giant hand made out of sand. Mommy threw me off and I thought I was going to die but then WHOOSH! All this sand just grabbed me. Oh! Mommy got away but that's all right, right?"

Temari smiled and nodded. "Yes, it's fine. You're with us now and your father won't let anything happen to you." She looked up at Gaara. He had no expression. He was hiding his feelings again. "Gaara are you okay with this?"

He didn't answer. He crossed his arms and turned to Kankurou as he came down. "What is the situation?"

"Hm? There is no situation. Kirae's probably long gone. Besides, we got what we wanted."

Gaara shrugged. "Then I'm going. I'll leave the kid with you Kankurou. You can take the cost of raising him out of my pay."

He began to walk away when the Kazekage grabbed him by the back of the shirt pulling him back. "No way. You're not ditching this responsibility. You made him. He's yours. You take care of him."

"I don't know anything about being a father. I never had one," he scoffed. "Or did you forget?"

Kankurou growled. "Don't get pissy with me, Gaara. It's not easy but it's not going to kill you to try. You've babysat Mokumaru and Fumi plenty of times. So don't act clueless." He let of Gaara's shirt. "Besides, look at him. He thinks you're the coolest thing next to breathing."

Gaara attempted a sidelong glance at his son, the boy was curiously poking his gourd and sash. "No. I'll just screw him up. You take care of him for me."

Temari got in his face. "No! You won't screw him up like Dad, Gaara. You could never be that heartless but if you leave him you'll be worst than our father. Stop being this way! Of course, we'll help you."

Gaara took a deep breath and looked down again. His son looked up and smiled.