Ato omoi gotoku retsu tsurete koori
A heart as cold as ice
By Areku1993
Chapter two: As Luck Would Have it

As luck would have it, Gaara saw the girl again during the second time the chuunin exams were held, the time when the Uchiha and Naruto were gone training with their respective sennins. She looked exactly the same as he had seen her first, unless you count older and more robotic-like. More intelligent-like. Her skin was pale as ever, her eyes deeper than before. Seas of red against skies of white.

That girl annoys me.

How? Gaara asked as he watched a fight between Hyuuga Neji and some other genin.

I don't know. The Shukaku replied skeptically. There's just something about her that makes her strange. They way she moves, or the way she pays attention.

The tone of her skin.

The Shukaku chuckled inside of him. Now why do you say that?

It's so pale. Like my skin. Could she possibly contain a demon? What village is she from? Gaara narrowed his eyes. I can't tell. Her collar's in the way. She can't be from the sand. I've never seen her.

And you're going to be appointed Kazekage if you become a chuunin.

Gaara stiffened. Kazekage? Why after the exams?

Notice, I said "if." Baki is probably putting your through this again to test your abilities. Most likely, if you show yourself in battle without going insane, you'll take your father's place.

His jade eyes narrowed more. So be it.

"You keep staring at me."

Gaara, suddenly alert, whirled around. There was no one there. Turning back to the fight, he found the girl leaning against the rail beside him, where Temari once stood. Temari was now on his other side.

When did that happen?

"Why?" She turned her face towards him and he got a look at her hitai-ate. The metal plate was completely devoid of all markings like a clean sheet of steel.

Ignoring the question completely, Gaara crossed his arms and said in an equally blank tone, "Where are you from?"

"A minor village. The Dark Sand, or Kurai-Sunagakure. It's a very small village in the Wind Country near you. We're so small you've probably never heard of it. We have no kage because there are barely eight families in this village."

"I see."

"Now why do you keep looking at me?"

"You interest me."

"Is that so." She shrugged and turned back to the fight. "I get that from a lot of people. Genin, chuunin, jounin, ANBU, missing-nins, kages, even normal citizins. Got it from your brother and sister a few times over."

"How do you know them? How do you know me?"

"Gaara, who doesn't know you?"

Gaara could understand this.

Looking at the big board up on the other side of the arena, Gaara turned. "I'm next. Good bye."

The bracket for the 5th fight read this: "Sabaku no Gaara vs. Takai Crow." Gaara had no idea who Takai Crow was, but nonetheless, he would defeat him.

Once he was down there, he was surprised to see the girl. "Your name is Crow?" He asked.

"Takai Crow. Death Crow." The girl replied. "It's funny, really. Do you know what a bunch of crows is called?"

"No."

"A murder of crows."

Someone this confident could be sent to an asylum. CONFIDENT, against SABAKU NO GAARA? It was categorized as insane for eternity.

"Ready! And, begin!" Gemma called, the leader of this exam as well as the last.

"I forfeit."

The arena fell silent. Nary a whisper was heard. Crow's hand was in the air, her eyes shining with intelligence like glittering crystals. "I give up. I can't defeat such an awesome foe. I'll try again next year."

WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO FIGHT! The Shukaku raged. Gaara kept it in check before it could break out in the form of his behavior.

"You're smart," Gaara commented, turned to walk with her as she returned to the upper levels.

"Not so skilled as I am smart," Crow replied, not even shooting him a look. "I'd prefer to go on living."

Gaara, on the inside, was shocked. Last year, that Naruto had taught him a lesson in being kind and not killing anymore. On the outside, he simply said, "I wouldn't kill you, Crow."

"Maybe not." Crow hesitated. "But the aftermath might kill me. I'd end up in rehab."

Gaara laughed dryly. "You would," He agreed. "I just have one question."

"And what's that?"

"How do you know me?"

That made Crow laugh. Her laugh was rich and vibrant. "I live near you, we get newspapers too, you know. We're not that dumb." She grinned. "Are you... Doing anything later?"

Gaara stared at her and blinked. "What?"

"Are you doing anything later?" Crow repeated slowly.

"Are you asking me out?"

"Maybe."

"Well anyway, yeah, I am doing something later."

"Okay then." Crow shrugged. "Whatever."

Finally, they reached the railing again, in time to see the fight commence between Hinata and Tenten. Gaara leaned on the railing and looked at her. "Last year."

"What?"

"Last year, when I fought Sasuke. You saw him and ran off."

"What of it?"

"Why?"

"I hate him. Him and his stupid clan. They think they're so great, with the sharingan and all, when it's not really that useful anyway. If you're fast enough you could beat them up in a second. They rely on their talents more than their physical strength." She replied. "It's like there're just so much damn better."

"I just hate him because I can."

"Welcome to the club, buckoe."

And least now they had something in common.

Gaara's eyes remained fixed on her face, until he finally said, "I'm not busy. Are you doing anything later?"