Gaara looked over at the village of Konoha from the mountain of which he sat on. He had no reason why he had come here after the Chuunin Exam. All he knew is that he suddenly felt a drawing to this place that he abandoned his team for a little while and came here in the dead of the night. His thoughts lingered to the match that Temari had. It was over pretty quickly but the girl of who was opponent to had such a determination in her eyes then. Not that he really took any notice. The series of fights that he watched made him eager to join and to get his hands dirty in blood.
He hated that feeling. That sense that he was loosing control but loving the feeling, getting the high out of other's pain at the same time. He tugged the sash holding the sand gourd loose and it fell off his back and onto the ground, starting to roll. He stopped it idly with his hand and positioned it to where he it could not move. He looked at the village, wondering why he was even there. His mind flickered to Uchiha Sasuke, Uzamaki Naruto, and Rock Lee. He realized within seconds that it wasn't they he had come to see.
He wasn't sure if he was angry with himself or not. His thoughts for some reason kept on lingering to the Chuunin preliminaries; to his fight with Lee…to Temari's fight…to all those that had not passed in that one round. He wanted to talk to someone but he had no one to talk to. He never talked much. He was programmed that talking meant weakness. He was created to be strong. That's why he was made the experiment, the ultimate weapon. Growing angry he punched the nearest tree, the wood from deep in the trunk digging into his skin. He was happy to kill something, even if it was a tree. He would have carried his thoughts and his actions longer had not he heard some footsteps coming this way.
Tenten followed the path that had been revealed to her as a little child. Where it ended was a haven for which she could relax. She wasn't a Chuunin yet, she had lost early to the blond haired girl with the enormous fan. She had learned so much from that one single battle. She sighed to herself as she kept on walking and walking, her hands toying with the bands and pins that kept her hands in its place. Taking down one of the balls she then worked on the second one. After shaking her hair out she placed the hair ties and such into a random pocket of the vest she was wearing. She flinched as she stepped on a twig, snapping it.
The hairs started to rise one the back and her neck; goose bumps forming on her arms. Looking to the right she saw the dark outlined eyes that belonged to a familiar face. She took a step backwards, her hands immediately reaching for her kunai bag.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, not as cold or as threatening as she would have liked but she didn't really care. This guy was dangerous and she had half a mind to report him. In fact, that is what she planned on doing.
Gaara looked at her. She looked so different from what he had remembered her looking like. She had taking down her hair style and she was wearing a beige vest that had pockets in a place that attracted attention, but not his. She was wearing shorts on this warm night and something in her eyes, a certain look that amused him.
"Why is it that I should tell you?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.
"Because you are from a different village. You aren't allowed here and last time I checked the Chuunin exam was long over." She told him.
"It comes twice a year." He said slyly.
"But you passed." She told him sourly. Neither of them really cared what the other said at the moment.
Gaara tried to ignore her. He was surprised that she wasn't going anywhere; not going to tell the Hokage that he was in the village. She was simply standing there, looking over the town with a sad look on her face. He felt something stir inside of him and the voice of his other half lessened greatly.
"I came here to think and to take my mind off things. Your presence here is not my problem. Just don't get caught. It was the only thing that she had said to him since the accusation. Gaara sat down beside her.
"That's good…then I won't have to hurt you." He told her. She eyes him suddenly with an expression that looked as if she was regretting her decision.
"Don't you try to act superior to me. You're the one that came back for no apparent reason." She told him. Her thoughts flickered to her teammates and her sensei. What would they thing if they knew that she was having a conversation with an outsider with no intention of reporting him. As if Sabaku no Gaara were just someone you saw traveling down the dirt road of Konoha that never seemed to raise any dust.
"That may be…but you are the one that is trying to get away from here." Gaara replied. The voice of the demonic part of him was fading away. It never had done that before. He wondered what was happening…why this was happening. It almost felt alright to sleep, something he never experienced when he was an infant.
Tenten was uneasy about his sudden silence. Not that talk between them was normal. She had heard what he almost did to Lee. She was furious and for a moment wanted him dead. But Lee was strong and was recovering. She looked at him. The pale moonlight was hitting his hair, the kanji that was on the left side of his forehead glinting dully, looking like blood permanently flowing on the skin but never dripping.
"Why did you hurt Lee…almost destroy his dreams?" She asked.
Gaara looked at her, surprised at this question. He had remembered that event very clearly. Some part of him wanted to tell her but for what reason and what cause he was not sure. He sighed and listened to that part of him despite all the rest of mental protest.
"I'm not human…I don't feel like normal people. I feel little. If someone makes me angry they won't live much longer. I have to maintain a high amount of self control." He told her. It was a vague explanation but it was an explanation and that is all that really mattered for the moment. As long as she didn't wish to go further into it. It was too bad that she did.
"What exactly do you mean by 'I'm not human'?" She asked looking at him. Gaara mouth went into a thin line. He coaxed some sand out of the gourd and started to use his chakra to play with it.
"I was born and then turned into the ultimate weapon. That's all you need to know." He muttered darkly. The voice had come back, louder than usual. 'Kill her…you don't need her…she's a fool…it's good you have me to guide you to what you want and what you need' the voice spoke. Gaara clenched his fists, trying to block it out. The girl, Tenten, did nothing to him. She did not need to die. He actually even liked her company.
Tenten through her head back, her dark chocolate brown swishing lightly just below the shoulders. The moon was reflected her skin which wasn't exactly pale. Gaara couldn't help think that she was pretty; at least for the moment.
"Well…that's what a Shinobi is there for. To spy, to kill if needed. To be used as tools to get greedy people what they want. And yet…instead of turning away…we keep flocking right into their hands." Tenten commented. It was more to herself than it was to Gaara or maybe it was for both; she didn't really know.
Gaara's thoughts lingered on that statement for a little while before looking at her. A whimsical look adorned her face as a tear fell down softly.
"Lee had a big dream. All he wanted to prove was that one could be a ninja without the use or talent of chakra. He was excited to go up against you. You almost destroyed his life…he is still recovering. But even when I think of this…I for some reason can not be mad at you. Gaara…I know what happened when you were little…" She told him, looking away. Gaara's blood started rushing. He began to get angry.
"From whom?" he snarled. Tenten either ignored his tone or didn't take notice.
"I was sent there on a mission…and there I heard things. I felt pity. I'm surprised it didn't go away after what you did." She told him.
"You think to much." Gaara muttered, the angry tone in his voice, gone. His memories were flashing like a fast moving video. He couldn't help but start to shake, tears that had long not fallen finally giving way. Where the tears fell the sand shield vanished, revealing even paler skin than the out before the whole shield itself faded away. Tenten watched as the sand fluttered to the floor and in an attempt to comfort him placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder.
Gaara looked at the ground, wiping at his eyes furiously. Showing emotion…it was forbidden. It had always been. The sand shield was quickly put back in place. Gaara picked up the gourd and left, leaving Tenten following him with her eyes. She had no desire to follow him.
Gaara appeared in his village again a few days after he had left Konoha. He had regrets not saying anything to her but it was a plain fact that he would never see her again. He would never forget the deep lesson he had learned from her.
Tenten looked at Neji train with a smile. She had kept Gaara's appearance a secret and was quite thankful she was alive…she just didn't know if he would ever know the lesson she learned that one day.