DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto, etc. Kisaike is MINE though. You can use her, but ask me first, K?
Ryu: {dodges flying objects} Ok, ok, I know I'm late in updating, but it's been difficult. My floppy disk that held my fanfic is being weird and saying that it needs reformatting...but I won't do that unless I'm sure that I won't lose my stuff.
Gaara: Don't listen to her...she hasn't worked on it at all anyway, so the disk problem doesn't matter...
Ryu: {chucks nearest object at Gaara} Quiet! I don't feel like being lynched today!
Etna: Ooooh, a lynching! I haven't been to one of those yet...although I know I've known a few prinnies who were lynched...
Count D: What, exactly, is a prinny, my dear demon?
Etna: {explains prinnies to Count D} (play Disgaea for PS 2)
Ryu: {trying to sneak away}
Kyo: {snags Ryu by collar} Oh, no you don't! If I have to sit here and dodge things, so do you! Just update and they'll stop. {lowers voice} I hope.
Ryu: {sighs} Ok, but if the characters do something you don't like, remember, they run the show...not me...
Gaara: Finally, she gives credit where credit is due.
Sumomo: I get credit too! I remind Ryu to look things up and make sure that everything is as close as it can be.
Ed: Ed and Ein get credit too, because we make sure that she isn't always serious.
Count D: My part is obvious. I remind Ryu that, without sugar and caffeine, she will go on a mad killing spree. I make sure that doesn't happen.
Etna: I make sure that none of her stuff is corny, lovey-dovey, skippy-happy stuff. I kindly remind her (with the point of my spear) that there has to be an antagonist and conflict in every story, no matter what. It's due to me that none of this is marshmallow fluff.
Kyo: I make sure that her heroes and action scenes are as good as possible, even if she isn't that good at writing them. I give hints, make suggestions, and occasionally, kick-start her mind. I attempt to get her over her writer's blocks.
Ryu: Yes, you're all very useful, but if you please, quit the chatter. I need to write.
Gaara: Um, that's why we're chattering. It's our job to talk in your mind and give you ideas.
Ryu: Fine, you have a point. Alright then, get on track! Fanfic, here we come!
Chapter 2: Shattering Point
Temari grabbed Kankurou and ducked behind a nearby piece of debris. It wouldn't do either of them any good to try and get in the middle of the crossfire. And she was sure there would be some. Temari watched as her father's eyes swept the rooftop, taking it the damage. He then turned his gaze back to the twins, and Temari saw it. Behind the arrogance, anger, and fake worry, there was a glimmer of pure hatred, and fear. Kankurou was just huddled behind his older sister, confused. He tapped Temari on the shoulder, intent on asking her what the heck was going on, when their father's voice cut the night.
"Which of you is Gaara?" The Kazekage's voice was sharp, but the twins detected in his voice what Temari had seen in his eyes. Fear. His hands had wandered into the sleeves of his robe.
Going for a weapon, no doubt, thought Temari. She began to judge the distance from the chunk of the roof that she was hiding behind to the twins, trying to find out if there was any way possible to protect them.
The twins smiled. Small, identical, infuriating smiles. The Kazekage shook with anger.
"Damn it! Either tell me which of you is which, or I'll kill you both!" His hands pulled out of his sleeves, revealing a kunai between each of his fingers. The twins' smiles just became more amused. He growled and let loose the eight kunai. The sand rose and blocked every kunai. He threw another spray. Blocked again. He pulled out another set of kunai, then hesitated.
"I know how to tell you apart," he said, smiling. He threw the eight kunai out to the sides and began to make seals with his hands. The twins, having not yet gotten too far at the academy, didn't recognize the seals. The Kazekage knew, and watched as the seals were finished and the kunai flew to his command. The twins seemed to prepare for a frontal attack of some sort of chakra power. The Kazekage smiled a small, evil smile. They have no idea, he thought.
"Whichever of you the sand doesn't protect is Kisaike. If one of you lift a sand shield to protect either of you, I can tell." He smiled as the kunai flew from the sides towards the oblivious twins.
Temari saw what her father was trying to do, and opened her mouth to warn the twins. Kankurou clamped his hand over it, pulling her down.
"Shut up, sis! If you yell, he'll try to kill us too!"
Temari knew he was right, but watched in horror as the kunai closed in on her youngest siblings. She scrunched her eyes shut and covered her ears to block out any light or sound. She didn't want to know anything.
Suddenly, the sand arose on either side of the twins and blocked the kunai. They looked at the sand, then back at their father, the same infuriating smiles on their faces as before. The Kazekage gaped.
"The sand protects us both now. We are both furthering the goal of our mother," the Gaara on the right said.
"Now it will be twice as hard to catch the correct Gaara. Also, while one of us has Shuukaku, the other has a bit of Shuukaku essence. The problem with inserting a demon into a child in the womb when there're two of them in there," the Gaara on the left continued.
"So even checking chakra types and levels won't work. We are now completely identical," the Gaara on the right finished.
The Kazekage just growled, turned and left the roof. The twins turned towards Temari and Kankurou.
"So, does the sand really protect you both?" Temari asked, eyes wide.
The twins picked up kunai and shoved them down towards their hands as hard as they could. Temari moved to stop them, but was too late. She gasped.
Just as the kunai points were about to touch the skin, a small fountain of sand rose from the backs of their hands and stopped the kunai dead. Temari smiled.
"Good. Don't worry. I won't ask you which is which, but I'll help you in any way I can."
The twins smiled, real smiles, and the four of them walked off towards home.
Temari kept her word. When the twins' hair grew out and got unruly, the Kazekage ordered them to go into town and get it cut. That's when Temari jumped in. She offered to cut their hair at home for free. Since the Kazekage was known to be a person who believed in doing things cheap, he couldn't argue. While cutting their hair, she explained to the twins that her friend, a stylist, had been told that when the twins came in, to cut their hair, but cut a little extra off of one, so that he could tell them apart. Every stylist in town had been told this. Temari cut their hair identically, while telling them this. She was on their side, and they were grateful.
Then, the Kazekage thought up another plan. Kisaike and Gaara had separate rooms before the Yashamaru thing, and so they also had different things. As they had now moved into Gaara's room, all the stuff was in there. All he had to do was watch and see which Gaara grabbed what from their room. Since there was only one of everything, it could be traced back to one of them. The Kazekage sat at the breakfast table, explaining every detail to Temari and Kankurou, reveling in the fact that he would that night know who was who. Temari kept quiet and waited until he'd left for the day. When she was sure he was gone, she went into the twins' room and made a list of everything they owned. She took the money that she had been saving diligently for a new fan jutsu book and the list and went out. She purchased duplicates of everything that the twins owned. Then, she went back to their house and spent the rest of the day making everything look exact. She finished a little while before her father came home. When he got home and walked into the twins' room, the bellow of rage was audible on the roof. The twins looked at each other and went downstairs.
The Kazekage looked at the four children sitting on the couch. The twins, then Temari, with Kankurou on the other end, looked right back at him. Three of the looks were laced with different levels of defiance and hate. Kankurou, however, looked confused and scared, as he had no idea what had been going on between his sister and their father.
"Who's been doing this?" he asked, very quietly, a sign he was angry. "Who's been messing up ideas that I so carefully think out and plan?"
The twins smirked. Their father was trying not to give away the fact that all his plans dealt with the twins. Unfortunately for him, Temari felt more loyalty to the twins than to him. She'd been telling the twins everything. They had to admit, it was amusing to watch him squirm.
Temari stood, folded her arms, and smirked at him. "I have. I won't let you do anything to my little Gaaras." She stared at him defiantly.
Their father looked at the ground. Suddenly, he slapped her hard across the face, sending her flying across the room. She hit the wall hard and slumped to the ground, dazed. The Kazekage advanced on her with kunai raised.
"You insubordinate child! I'll kill you where you stand!" he shouted. Temari flinched and held her arms up in front of her face, waiting for the strike.
But it never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw the twins standing, their aquamarine eyes blazing, and her father, encased up to his chin in angrily swirling sand. She couldn't believe her eyes. For the first time, her father looked frightened.
"You will not hurt Temari, ever," the twins said quietly. Their arms and fingers were outstretched. They tensed, preparing to squeeze.
Temari stood up and stepped between the twins and the Kazekage.
"Please don't. He's not worth it," she said. "I'm alright, and I don't want the town after your blood more than they already are. The blood you will get on your hands is not worth it. He knows he's defeated." She smiled at them and held out her hands.
The twins nodded and turned their father around.
"If you ever hurt Temari or Kankurou," the one on the left started.
"We will kill you without hesitation," finished the right.
The Kazekage nodded, and the twins dropped the sand. Looking fit to kill, he retired to his room. Kankurou quickly followed suit.
Temari sighed and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt warm pressure on either side. Opening her eyes, she saw that the twins were embracing her tightly. She smiled and returned their embrace. Temari walked the twins up to their room and was about to go to hers when the twins called her back.
"Sleep in our room tonight," said the left one.
"We'll watch over you while you sleep."
"No one will get you."
Temari smiled and relented to their request. She flopped down on the futon. One of the twins pulled up the covers. The other began to sing a beautiful song.
When the song was done, right before she dropped off, Temari managed to ask, "Where did you learn that?"
"From one of the caravans. I always go and listen to their songs and try to learn them if I can," the Gaara answered.
"It...was...beautiful..." Temari said softly, as she drifted off to sleep.
The next couple of years were relatively uneventful. The four children attended classes at the ninja academy, and went about their daily business. The assassination attempts were still there, but none were as eventful as the first one had been.
One day, a few days before the twins' eighth birthday, Gaara went to the place in the desert where he had been born. He tried to relive that night, from what his father had said. When he got to the part where Kisaike rose from the sand, he noticed something.
Right where Kisaike had risen from the sand, there was an odd rock. Gaara picked it up. It wasn't a rock after all. It was an odd crystal. It was black, but it seemed to have rainbows embedded inside. It was small, just about the right size for a pendant. Suddenly, Gaara had a great idea. He ran back home, got some money, and went to the jewelers.
When he walked in, a collective gasp went through the store. He looked around, and went to one of the people behind the counter.
"Can I help you?" The man had amazing stamina, as he didn't shudder or shake one bit as Gaara approached him.
"Y...Ye...Yes..." Gaara stuttered. He looked ready to talk, then he looked around rather worriedly at everyone else, who hadn't taken their eyes off him.
The man was surprised. Gaara was shy. He smiled a real, warm smile, came out from behind the counter, and knelt down next to Gaara. Gaara started, but stood his ground.
"Will it make it easier if you whisper it to me?" he asked, looking into Gaara's aquamarine eyes.
Gaara's eyes widened, but then he smiled shyly and nodded. He leaned over and cupped his hand around the jeweler's ear.
" I found this crystal in the exact place my twin was born. I want it to be made into a choker, please." Gaara opened his hand, showing the jeweler the money. "This is how much I have. Is it enough?"
The jeweler looked down. There was no where near enough money, but what he had seen just then had paid for it. He closed Gaara's hand.
"Won't cost you a thing. It's a present right?" He winked. Gaara's face brightened. "Now, may I see this stone?"
Gaara reached into his pocket and pulled out the stone. The jeweler's eyes went wide.
"I've never seen anything like this before." He turned it in his fingers. "But, I'll make you what you asked for." He leaned down to whisper in Gaara's ear. "And I'll keep your secret."
"Thank you very much!" Gaara said.
"Come back tomorrow and it should be done."
The next day, Gaara picked up the choker. It was perfect, and it would fit Kisaike's neck perfectly. The jeweler had taken a measurement of Gaara's neck and used it. The jeweler had even put it in a small box and had taken the time to wrap it very carefully. Gaara thanked him and placed the box in his pocket. The next day couldn't come fast enough.
The next day, Temari threw a little party for the four of them. It was small, but fun. Temari gave them identical gourds.
"If you leave the Sand country, you can put sand in the gourds. That way, you'll never be without it."
The twins smiled and hugged her. The four of them went outside and filled the gourds, and the twins practiced walking, running and fighting with them on. After that, they never left home without them.
That night, in secret, Gaara presented Kisaike with the choker. She exclaimed over it, and put it on. It fit her perfectly, and looked beautiful. Life was as good as it was going to get.
But it was not to be for long. The Kazekage had been meeting, in secret, with representatives of a small village called the Hidden Village of Sound. He had been discussing the possibility of an alliance with them, when an opportunity to relieve himself of one of his problems came up.
"Our master would very much like a token of your good faith, that you mean well," said a shadowy nin. "Something small, but perhaps a bit valuable."
The Kazekage's eyes shone and an evil smile curved on his hidden face. "That will not be a problem. I have a child, Kisaike. I will give her to your village. But you must capture her on your own." The Kazekage almost laughed as a solution to his most difficult problem just landed on his lap. "I'll warn you, she is strong."
"If I recall correctly," the nin said thoughtfully, "you mentioned that she is twin to your Gaara. How am I to tell the difference?" The Sound liaison sounded wary. He'd heard stories about Gaara.
"Occasionally, at night, one of the twins goes off alone. I've followed. It's Kisaike. She watches stars and sings by a small spring. I'll tell you how to get there. You can take her by surprise there."
The Sound rep smiled. "Then, it is settled. I'll kidnap her tomorrow night when the caravan leaves. You can attribute her disappearance to them."
The Kazekage smiled even wider. "Perfect."
The next night, Kisaike went to her secret place. She'd invited Gaara to go, but he didn't really feel like leaving that night. She sat on a rock on the edge of the springs, singing songs she'd learned from the caravan that was leaving tonight. She was so swept up in the song about the beautiful medic-nin who saved live without thought of her own, but still wasn't powerful enough to save the two she loved, that she never noticed the shadow behind her.
The Sound nin hit her on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. He pulled her, gourd and all, onto his back, and took off towards his village.
When she didn't return quickly, as she usually did when she knew he was waiting, Gaara got worried. He saw the Kazekage coming home and appeared in front of him. The Kazekage smiled.
"Looking for your other half? She, and yes, she told me which she was, left with the caravan. She said that you...scared...her, and that she no longer loves you."
Gaara's eyes went wide. "Yo...you're lying!"
"Am I?" His father looked amused. "She's going to Konoha to train and become a Leaf nin."
"YOU'RE LYING!" Gaara yelled. He took off in search of Kisaike. She wasn't at her secret place, the jewelry store, or the playground. He didn't find her anywhere. He perched on a roof and cried. The one person who promised she'd never leave, had left him. He was alone. He stood on the roof, screaming his rage to the heavens.
Kisaike awoke to being carried. Looking as who was carrying her, she saw an unfamiliar face. She was outside of the city. Panicking, she struggled and succeeded in making him drop her. She staggered to her feet and saw his hitae-ate headband. She backed away, and bumped into a tree. Confused, she looked at him.
"Who are you, where are we, and what do you want with me?" She felt other chakras nearby, but they were calming. She shook them off as animals.
"I'm from the Hidden Village of Sound, and yes, you are correct in your assumption that we are on the outskirts of Sand Country. We go North from here. Your father sold you as a token of good faith in our alliance. It was sealed this morning. Your father is telling your twin that you ran away because of him."
Kisaike's eyes grew wide, and began to fill with tears. "Gaara..."
The nin began to advance at her again. "You will be trained in our ways, and be one of us." He stopped in front of her.
Kisaike took this opportunity to kick him, as hard as she could. He recovered, grabbed her arm, and slapped her.
"Don't fight me, or you'll get to be my new toy on the way." He hit her again, slamming her head into the tree behind her, and knocking her out.
Suddenly, a shuriken flew out and hit the Sound nin in the shoulder, forcing him to step back. A voice rose in the night air.
"Flame's Justice!" A gout of fire flew out from the branches and engulfed the Sound nin. He didn't even get a chance to scream before the flames turned him to ash.
Kisaike came to for a moment and saw a ring of blurry faces around her. They spoke.
"Poor thing! Just a child," a woman's voice said.
"We can't take her back to her village. You heard what he said." A male voice, strong.
"What about her twin brother? Can't we find some way to tell him?" The same woman.
"I'm afraid not. Come on, let's take her to our village." Another male voice, soft, empathic.
She felt strong, gentle arms cradling her and picking her up. Her hand moved to her choker.
"Gaara..." she murmured, and fell back into blackness.
Ryu: Well, there you go.
Gaara: Well...what happens next?
Ryu: You're my muse...you oughta know...
Gaara: Grrrrrrrrrrr....
Ryu: Now please please please push the little button down there and write me a nice long review so that I can cry some more...
Kyo: You cry when people review?
Ryu: I'm happy...
Sumomo: Yeah, she jumps around the apartment like that guy (points to Count D) gave her too much chocolate...
Count D: It's a necessary evil...she'll kill me if I don't...