A double update since I missed one last night. I was tired and went to bed early. Not much more left.

Chapter 9: Your name is…

Shikamaru watched the two wolves escape. He wanted to use his shadow technique but they were dashing away too quickly and their paths were too erratic from him to get a firm hold. They came too late it seemed. He glanced from the side of his eyes to his wife. She was staring at them, her expression was of one watching a baby carriage fall off a cliff knowing that there was nothing that could be done to stop the tragic situation. Kankurou was holding his head, gripping his hair at the same time.

Konoha's shadow ninja walked over to Gaara and knelt beside his child. He put his fingers to her neck. "Looks like she'll be fine," he whispered, afraid to speak any louder. "Just a broken arm…Maybe a few bruised ribs." He touched Mokumaru's head. "Concussion…They'll be out for a few weeks." He sighed. "Troublesome…"

"Kazekage?" ventured one of the Sandnin. "Shall we track them?"

Kankurou gripped his hair tighter and looked at Gaara. "Why did he say something so stupid," he growled through gritted teeth. "No, you'll never find her until she wants to be found. Just keep the country on alert. She's wanted and I want any wolf that's not the right size shot. Damn oni!"

"Y-Yessir." The ninja retreated quickly to deliver the message.

Gaara picked up Mokumaru and Shikamaru held Fumi. "Take them to the infirmary," order Kankurou as they two approached. Gaara let a kunoichi take the boy from his arms, which he immediately dropped to his side. Once the children were taken away, Kankurou grabbed his younger brother by the collar. "What the hell is wrong with you? If you were trying not to sound like Dad, then you just fucking failed miserably!"

A green-eyed moved to look at him. "I…I don't know. I just…" He didn't finish. Kankurou let him go, disgusted. Gaara didn't react.

Temari turned and slapped him, his sand not coming to defend him. "Gaara, you idiot. YOU IDIOT! How could say that? He was trying to save them and you … You sounded just like him, you know that? Did you see how he looked? Don't you remember what if felt like?" Gaara didn't answer any of her questions. "If anything happens to him…" She turned and ran to catch up with the ninja carrying the children.

"I am an idiot." He sighed deeply, dropping his head. He felt a heavy arm on his shoulders.

"You forgot the important part," Shikamaru whispered. "To say that you were sorry."

Gaara sat in the library a week later. He never left, not since that day. Temari wouldn't look at him and Kankurou always balled up his fist when they had to meet. As a matter of fact, though usually silent, the red-haired ninja didn't say one word since the incident. Everyone left him alone in his corner of misery. A sound behind one of the shelves alerted him to someone's presence. It was Mokumaru.

The boy's head was still bandaged but he was well enough to be let out of the hospital. He wore a grim expression. "I heard…about what happened." Gaara just looked at him. "We…we told him before when you said that stuff the first time that you didn't mean it but…then you…" He looked down to search for words. "Uncle Gaara, you shouldn't have said that. I mean, I think I won't like you as much if something happens to Puppy because of it." Gaara blinked slowly. The child was really struggling. He was upset but tried to sound adult. Just like always. "You see, it's just that we're family and family is always number one. Since, Puppy didn't mean to hurt Fumi then you shouldn't have yelled and… I think you-"

"I'm sorry," Gaara rasped with his underused voice. The young ninja student looked confused. "That's…what I want to say to him. But it's too late isn't it?"

Mokumaru looked down with a small smile. "I knew you didn't really mean it. I guess that means I can forgive you. I didn't want to not like you, Uncle Gaara." There was a heavy silence. The young boy shifted from foot to foot. "Well… I'll go to tell Fumi. She was really upset over this." He walked off.

The red-haired ninja slouched in his seat by the window. He closed his eyes wondering if he couldn't let the Shukaku eat his rotten existence and end it all. Everyday that he looked in the mirror or saw his reflection he would vomit. It was the same as his Father's.

More footsteps. Shikamaru, he decided from behind his eyes. The footsteps sound slow and soft. "Nice night out." Silence. "Still feel bad?"

"Wouldn't you?" He opened his eyes. Shikamaru was forcing a smile at him. He seemed to be the only one that didn't hate him at the moment. Was it pity?

"Yeah… Don't sweat it. He'll spend a few more days with his Mom and realize that you were a million times better. I'll be surprised his he's not on his way here now," Shikamaru said cheerily. Silence. "… I still don't get it. Why did you-"

"I don't know…It's just what came to mind to say. I guess I heard it so many times it's like second nature," he muttered. "Maybe…I wasn't even talking to him at all. Maybe I was talking to myself. I knew I'd screw him up. But it's too late now…" Gaara closed his eyes again.

The pony tailed ninja sat down beside him. "I have a sneaky suspicion that we haven't seen the last of Kirae or Puppy. There will be a next time."

"Puppy… He wanted me to give him a name so I called him a 'stupid brat'," Gaara hissed. "I've been thinking about it ever since."

Shikamaru nodded slowly. "Mmm, we never knew what to call him. Puppy just seemed appropriate but he's right. He does need a decent name...Any ideas."

Gaara nodded slowly. "I was thinking something... But, what if he doesn't like it?" He growled. "I'm not going to get involved him again. It was a mistake from the beginning."

He felt Shikamaru's hand on his shoulder. "Look, just being depressed isn't going to help. It'll be troublesome if you continue say stupid things so… think of some nice things to say to your son when you see him again." He left Gaara to mull over his words.

It was a month to the day that the incident occurred when Kankurou summoned his brother to his office. Gaara stood before him silently. His brother was in his Kazekage uniform, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. "It's bad this time." Recently villages were being attacked. Murders were on the rise but there were no suspects. Gaara nodded and reached out to take the mission scroll. Kankurou held on to it firmly, looking his brother straight in the eye.

"It's a massacre…only one man in an entire village is alive. It's Kirae, I'm sure of it."

"I accept the mission" Gaara stated, his expression unchanging.

Kankurou ignored him. "A small village 50 miles south of here. You know what I want you to do," the Kazekage said firmly. Gaara nodded and turned to leave. "If he's there, I expect him to come home." There was no reaction. "Dismissed." The younger ninja left silently.

Gaara could smell the stench of death before he could see the village. The road looked unused for sometime, perhaps a few weeks. Vultures and ravens circled the village like a cloud. Their eerie cries would have deterred anyone just idly passing by. When he finally caught sight of the village though, even he was stunned. There was blood everywhere, as if it had rained on the village. Dead bodies were strewn across the streets, hanging out of windows, half way in doors, but all of them with looks of fear contorted on their faces. Gaara stepped over the body of a woman as he delved into the city, keeping his eyes and ears alert.

Graffiti written in blood polluted every flat surface. "Hate", "Human scum", "Kill" and similar words were everywhere. Gaara stepped on a doll that instantly cried, "Mama" and jumped back. He let out a relieved sigh, though his heart still beat rapidly. Steeling himself he knelt down to pick up the doll, when he noticed that the little girl that owned it was still holding it in her death. He dropped the doll and shook his head in disbelief.

"What carnage... Kirae, I'll kill you for this." He clenched his fist tightly, still staring at the bloody toy.

A loud rumbling sound came down the street. Gaara looked up in time to see bodies thrown aside as a cloud of earth tore towards him. Gaara braced himself immediately for the assault. The sand came up to protect him but he slid back from the sheer force of the attack. In front of him was a large boulder that left a scar in the road. At its origin was Kirae. Beside her was his son, hunched over, dirt dripping from his hands.

"Kirae!" Gaara called out. "Stop this madness or I'll kill you!" He heard an airy laugh.

"I don't know why you're telling me. I'm not the cause of this." She placed her hand on the boy's head. He straightened, but kept his head bowed, darkness obscuring his face. Gaara clenched his teeth tight. He couldn't believe that the boy that laughed so honestly, that smiled so freely, the loved so easily, was the cause of this. But his disbelief was dispelled when the boy finally deemed to look up. His eyes were full of hatred and malice.

"I really have to thank you Gaara. I never thought your arrogance and heartlessness would be so useful. I tried my hardest to force the power of hatred and vengeance into this boy his entire life. And you succeeded where I failed in a matter of minutes." Gaara bowed his head, digging his nails into his palms.

"This village wasn't the first to feel the power of that hate but still he hungers for more blood. The screams of these worthless creatures only gave him and me more power. I love the taste of human flesh and I don't plan on cutting it out of my diet any time soon." She lifted her hand, pointing at Gaara, and the boy rushed forward.

The speed of the boy was typical of the Dairou, however, Gaara was still surprised that he could move so quickly. The timid child that looked at him was gone. The half-demon child jumped into air and landed on a platform of sand, digging his long nails into. He jumped back and lifted several large blocks from the ground with his power and tossed them a Gaara. They were all deflected.

"Ah, an even match. I suppose our little bundle of joy will have to get older before he's on par with you. He did inherit a small portion of your ability that you acquired from the Shukaku. There are some things he's capable of that even surprise me. Show him."

Dirt snaked over the boys body and formed into a large wolf demon. "His power over the earth is unlimited. Even I am unable to command such precise control. Amazing…" He lunged for Gaara but the sand wrapped around the earthen wolf's mouth and forced it to stay open. Forcefully, the sand ripped the jutsu's in half. His son jumped from the shell as the sand ripped it to shreds. He raised earth kunai from the ground and assailed Gaara but they were merely stopped. Each attacke the boy launched was in someway defended against but he tirelessly continued fighting.

Gaara continued to glare at Kirae from between the burst of sand. "Make him stop! I don't want to fight him. This is between us."

"I'm afraid not. This is far more interesting than any fight with you. What will Sunagakure's finest ninja do when faced against his own son." She laughed.

"I can't believe I had anything to do with you. You've changed, Kirae," he stated. He grabbed the boulder tossed at him with his sand and crushed it. "You weren't like this when we fought Dairouchimimaru."

Kirae took a step forward. "No, I wasn't. But since we killed my father, I've come across a nice amount of power. I am the new leader of the Dairou. Usually when a dairou leader dies the power passes on to his first born child. I killed all of my brothers and sisters to become the last remaining child of Dairouchimimaru. But the power transfer doesn't work that way. If first child dies, then the next strongest wolf gets the power. I was immediately exiled and came here. The only way I could succeed was if I killed Dairouchimimaru and proved that I was indeed strong. You were the perfect tool for that." Gaara narrowed his eyes.

"By consuming his heart, I became heir to his throne. With each passing day, I could feel the power growing inside of me. Then you foolishly gave int to you weak human desires and now it is I that have an heir. Thanks to you, he is not only my first born but the next strongest wolf in our pack!" She looked at the boy who was crouching on a peice of building, panting. "The only problem was that he was born weak. His human emotions ruled him. Like you, I couldn't break him but that's not a problem anymore." She glared at their son and clicked her teeth. "Don't just stare at him, you idiot! Kill him!"

The boy jumped into the air and used his earth kunai. The flurry of dirt weaponry imbedded into Gaara's sand. But the older ninja could not completely defend against the wind attack that followed. Part of his sand armor on his skin chipped and fell to the ground. Gaara wouldn't fight his son and that was what Kirae was counting on. She was going to watch either the boy kill him or Gaara kill himself by killing the boy, either way she would satisfied in seeing the misery.

"KIRAE!" Gaara tossed out his hand and the sand turned into spears aimed for her. The demon didn't move. Their son intercepted their path. One impaled him in the side. Panting, he held the remaining two in his hands. Blood dripped from his hands. His face didn't even register the pain.

Kirae laughed hysterically and almost doubled in pain. "Yes...it's so fantastic. He's willing to die for me! How adorable! But how far will you go, Gaara-kun? He won't let you attack me and you won't attack him." She tossed her head back and laughed. Her voice was high-pitched and crazed.

The sand spears melted into grains to be pushed away by the wind. The boy ran at him again. He reared back to punch him but his fist was imbedded into the sand. Angrily, he tried with his other fist but found himself firmly stuck. His onnce kind eyes were feral and wild as he snarled and struggled against his sand shackles. Gaara reached his hand out to touch him but the child snapped at his fingers.

It'll be troublesome if you continue say stupid things so… think of some nice things to say to your son when you see him again.

The Sand ninja smiled kindly. "I said something very stupid last time we were together, didn't I?" He shook his head and released the sand. His thanks was a large block of earth that he jumped away from. "At first I didn't know what I should say," he continued, "My father said those kinds of things to me when I was your age so I said them too. But I didn't mean them."

The strain of using his chakra while injured, made the young child cough up blood. He closed his eyes and staggered but gripped an over-turned cart for stability. He levitated more rock and earth and pelted Gaara who alternated between dodging and using the sand to deflect them. He appeared behind the boy. "My family is very important to me so I guess I got too upset when I saw what happened to Fumi. I made a mistake. You're my family too and you're very important me. That's why I want you to come home."

Kirae took several steps forward but Gaara was quick and sand cut her off. "It won't work!" she yelled. "He hates you and humanity now. I took advantage of the catalyst that you presented. He hates his human half now all that matters is revenge! He's a full-blooded demon now!"

However, Gaara continued. He knelt down and held his hand out. The boy just stared, his breathing laboured. "Everyone is worried about you. Killing isn't like you, either. You're a good boy. I'm sorry I said those things and made you angry." He reached closer to the boy. He tried to smack Gaara's hand away but when he did, Gaara grabbed his wrist gently but firmly.

"My name means, "I love myself". My mother didn't want me either. No one did. So I hated myself at first. Because someone I cared about said unkind things to me I learned to love myself and only myself, but even then... I hated myself! I was a monster that loved only pain and killing. But I'll help you. I love others now as well. Temari, Kankurou, Fumi, Mokumaru, and even my friends in Konoha. But I love you, too."

"… You LIAR!" Gaara's son screamed as he snatched his wrist away. Tears formed in his eyes. " You liar! You don't care anything about me. You don't want me. You don't love me!" He tried to bite Gaara's hand but the sand protected his skin. He clamped his jaws as hard as he could but the sand did not yield.

"It's not a lie. I mean it. I really do. Ever since you left I've only thought about you and I even thought of a really nice name for you. If you stop biting me I'll tell it to you."

Kirae had enough. She could see that Gaara was getting through. A month wasn't enough time to completely destroy his kindness, his hatred as incomplete. She tried to jump over the sand but it shot up and grabbed her ankle. She fell to the ground harshly. She struggled as she propped herself up on her elbow. "Don't listen! He's lying. Humans never tell the truth. He's trying to use you like-"

"Like you?" Gaara spat. "No. No one deserves to be used like a weapon. A person should choose to fight of their own free will. They shouldn't be forced or made to. That's how it used to be for me. But now I have very precious people that I want to protect. That's...my way of the ninja." The boy slowly stopped biting his father's hand. "And love is all I need to be you father, Aiki, my 'spirit of love'."

"'Aiki'?" Tiny lips repeated slowly.

"Do you like it?"

"Aiki..." he repeated. He didn't trust what he heard. "'Spirit of Love'... Am I really important to you? Were you lying just now?" His expression hardened. "If you are, then I'll kill you and everyone else just like here."

Gaara shook his head. "No. It's really the truth." They stared at each other, trying to feel out the others intent. Finally, Gaara smiled a little and put his hand on the boy's head. "It's the truth."

Aiki wiped his face with his sleeve. "... Then...I want to go home. I feel ... sick..." Gaara picked him up and rubbed his back.

"Everyone's waiting for us." The sandnin turned slightly.

Kirae shakily stood. Her face was full of rage and disbelief. "I won't let you take him, Sabakuno Gaara!" She dashed forward, her claws extended. Gaara held out his hand and spikes of sand flew forward, impaling her. She coughed up blood, he wide eyes staring at the two before her.

"Kirae?" The sand released her. She fell to her knees, shaking and growling. "I won't say I ever really cared about you but you are the mother of my son. I don't care what you do to your clan but your time among humans is over. I'll let you go this time but..." He turned his back to her and began walking away. "If I ever see you again, I'll destroy you. In other words, I don't want to see you face again."

The she-demon clenched her fist tightly. "Aiki! I'm your mother! I raised you your whole life! I took care of you!" She lunged forward but earth rose up and tossed her back. She skidded across the ground and came to a halt by some rubble.

Aiki turned his head. "Mommy… Don't follow me. I don't belong to you. I'm not your tool… If you threaten my family, Sunagakure, or Konoha, I'll be the one that kills you. " He closed his eyes wearily as he fell asleep in Gaara's arms. Gaara walked away, stepping over the carnage as we walked along.

The Kazekage jolted up from sleep. The loud knock as his door woke him from a deep sleep. A paper was stuck to his face. He peeled it off with a yawn and beckoned for whoever it was to open the door. He almost choked when his brother stepped in Aiki covered in blood. "You found him! What the hell-"

"Kazekage…The subject Kirae is no longer a danger however the actual murderer of the villagers is Sabakuno Aiki," he stated putting a hand on the boys head. "As a ninja of Sand, I understand that his crime is inexcusable… but as his father, if his life is in danger, I'll have to-"

Kankurou held up his hand and slammed his head on the desk. "Be joking. Tell me it's a joke."

"I did it, Uncle Kankurou. Mommy told me to so I did it. I killed all those people," Aiki confessed sadly. He clutched his chest tightly. "I'm sorry. I did a bad thing."

Wham. Wham. Wham. "Be joking, Gaara."

"Whatever happens, I won't let you kill him. I take full responsibility," Gaara answered.

Wham. "You." Wham. "Are." Wham. "Not joking." Kankurou, his forehead now red, looked up. "I won't let them kill him Gaara, but he killed over 200 hundred innocent people. That is a very very very hard thing to justify."

"I know. I'm not asking you to defend him but-"

Kankurou stood up. "Shut up. You've saved my life countless times. I owe you but this…this is the payback to end all paybacks."

"I understand. I-"

"Stop…doing the thing…where you talk. Just listen." Kankurou took a deep breath. "No one is aware that the boy was involved…So…I can twist the truth a little and I might be able to pull it off."

Gaara nodded. "You'll have to lie to our people... I… Thank you, big brother."

"Consider us even," Kankurou muttered. He went to the door and opened it. "Better get cleaned up before someone sees you two."

The red-haired ninja led his son out of the room and to the bathroom. He started up the shower and placed the small child in. Aiki shook his body at first under the torrent of water. "Typhoon."

"It's a shower," Gaara corrected. "You're too dirty for a bath." Gaara rolled up his sleeves and began washing the young boy's hair. Soap was tinted pink. Blood, he mused. "Keep your eyes closed. If you get soap in them then it will burn." Aiki nodded and squinted his eyes tightly. Gaara wouldn't let soap get into his eyes but the sight of the blood might upset him.

Once cleaned, Aiki climbed out of the shower and shook while on all fours like a dog. Gaara tossed the towel on top of him. "Use the towel. You won't get water everywhere that way." Aiki peaked from under the towel.

"Do you think we can see Fumi after now?" He looked at the ground and pressed his index fingers together. "I want to say sorry for hurting her."

Gaara sat on the edge of bathtub and began rub the towel over the boy's hair. "Sure. Then we'll go outside and play."

Aiki's expression brightened. "Really!" His father looked at him with no expression and nodded. "Can we play Ninja Tag?"

"What's that?"

"I'll teach you," he began getting dressed. Gaara watched for a while but helped him put his shirt on.

Gaara tried running a come through the boy's long and wild hair, only to break it. "Hm." Aiki looked at the broken comb curiously. "Uh...well, I guess it's not too bad," he lied. He plucked the broken comb from his son's hair and stood up. "Let's go see Fumi." He opened the door and two small bodies fell at his feet. Mokumaru was on top of Fumi, who was rubbing her forehead.

"Get off of me, Mokumaru!"

"Oops!" He hopped up and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "We heard you came back. And we were going to…that is… We were just-"

Gaara held his hand out to Fumi. "Eavesdropping." The girl took his hand and hefted herself off the ground. She looked around her uncle and saw Aiki wearing his usual "I did something bad" expression. She immediately ran over to him and hugged him tightly. She tried to hide the tears growing behind her eyelids.

"You're back! When I heard you left, I was really sad!" She took his hand. "Don't run off like that okay. It's not how family is supposed to act." Fumi turned on Gaara. "And don't you go and say things that are mean! It's really troublesome and it's DEFINITELY not how family acts."

Gaara nodded. "You're right. Aiki, did you want to say something to Fumi?"

"Aiki?" Both Mokumaru and Fumi intoned.

The boy smiled and blushed. "It's my name...Fumi-san..., I'm sorry I hurt you." He bowed deeply. "It won't happen again."

She grinned broadly as was her habit and ruffled his hair. "You kidding? I'd rather you had grabbed me than your mom! Besides you'd never hurt me on purpose...just uh...don't squeeze so hard next time." He nodded.

Mokumaru tugged his uncle's belt and gave him a very knowing look. The usually stoic ninja cleared his throat and immediately frowned. "Aiki, let's play Ninja Tag."

The two cousins immediately latched on to Aiki. "Ninja Tag?" "Uncle Gaara's playing too?" Aiki nodded to the both of them and ran to the door.

"Let's go!" The children ran outside at top speed, leaving Gaara to follow at a cool walk. However, he was forced to stop when he saw an unexpected face.

"Kiba?"

The Konoha ninja nodded. "Gaara, I have to know. What happened to the woman?"

"She's gone. I sent her away when I got Aiki back."

He sighed and approached the shorter Gaara. He put his hand on his shoulder, his eyes looking at him intensely. "Gaara, it's definitely not over. She's going to come back and-"

"If she does, I'll be ready." He moved Kiba's hand. "I have to go play with my son." Gaara tried to walk past Kiba but the Inuzuka cut him off.

"I just have one more thing to say...If she dies then Aiki is next in line to receive the power of the Dairou clan... If he does then at his age, it might be too much power for him to handle and he'll lose his mind...just like his mother. And if that happens..."

Gaara gritted his teeth. "I know that. That's whey I didn't kill her. I won't let what happened to Kirae happen to him. Don't worry about it. I have-" He hesitated. "...I know what I have to do, Kiba. Just don't get in my when the time comes."

"What are you planning?"

"Let's hope you never have to find out." He shouldered past Kiba and continued outside. Akamaru leaned to the side and scratched his neck with his hind paw.

"I think we should have faith in, Gaara. But...just in case, I think we should continue with our plans as well."

Kiba nodded. "You're right. Let's go."