Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Author's Note: Yosh, I'm going to update this fiction since it is in high demand. (Well, Desert Lily was too but I will leave it there for a moment.) Thank you to everyone who reviewed my fiction. I love this story a lot. I will have to warn you that I will make this story rated M if I have to. Hehe, it will be better. More romance, more action…I'm crazy. So, let's get on with it. I wonder if I creep anyone with what I say.

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Chapter 3

A Demon's Secret

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I-I've seen this scene before, she thought and looked at him. "Eh, are you..." She tried to ask. The boy looked up and waited for her question, but Hinata just shook it away. "Nothing," was all she can say. As soon as he was finished, she covered herself again.

"Rest now and I will come back tomorrow morning. I will not wish you two to wander around here, understood?" he warned them.

Both of them nodded as they saw him leave the hut. Ino's eyes were now concentrated on Hinata. "What has just happened here?" she asked.

"Nothing," Hinata said and turned her head away from Ino. "He just helped bandage up my wound" She was not thankful for it as it was something embarrassing to her. Although it was to save her life, but to have a man moreover a stranger to look at her nearly naked form was completely out of the question. No one would ever do that to her. She was the daughter of a very respectable family and none of those things should happen to her.

"Well, luckily you have this strip of clothing to cover your breasts." Ino smiled and threw a piece at Hinata. Both of them smiling and laughing with each other. Ino sat next to her friend and stared at the surrounding for a moment. "I'm going to chase after him to see who he is."

"More like you want to 'know' more about him for yourself," Hinata stated, making Ino blush.

"No way, I-I was just going to see if he up to no good. Do you know that we're near a castle that's inhabited by demons? Why would he bring us here is he's not working with the demons?"

"Can I believe what you've just said?" Hinata looked at Ino and then hung her head low. "Just make sure you don't get yourself injured. Come back as soon as possible, okay?"

"Got it." With that, Ino left Hinata alone in the hut and chased after the boy.

Ino was very interested in the boy who saved them. She ran as fast as she could until she saw him walking in front. Ino realized that the boy was well-built: he was tall, strong and totally beautiful as his long red hair, and she couldn't stop herself from admiring him.

As Ino was in a trance over the boy, she didn't notice that she had nearly walked into the castle compound. She snapped herself out of the trance and hid behind the bushes nearby. She watched closely at the boy as he was speaking to the two demons guarding the entrance to the castle. Instantly, he was admitted in. One of the guards lead his horse away to the nearby stable.

"So he was one of the humans working with the demon. I must tell Hinata about this."

Inside The Castle

The red-headed boy walked along the corridor. Gigantic pillars and statues garnished the castle, making it grand. The corridor was silent enough to make him hear his loud footsteps as it echoed through the large hall.

He went into his room and laid on his bed. Closing his eyes a bit to rest, but soon his peace was disturbed when something or someone pounced onto him.

"Got you, Gaara!" A blond boy shrieked as he grabbed him from behind and started tickling him.

"Will I ever get any peace around here? Just leave me alone, Naruto." With that he closed his eyes again as he laid down on the bed, perfectly immune to his friend ticking him.

"I see, so you want it this way then…" Naruto began to tighten his fists as he was about to attack Gaara. As he was about to land his fist on him, Gaara gradually catches it with his demon-like hand.

"You wanna play rough, eh Uzumaki?" Gaara's face began to change as fur began to grow out of his face. His body was becoming a little larger as his ears were getting longer and pointier. His canine teeth were jutting out, but they didn't scare Naruto, as he has changed into something like Gaara. Both of them were growling at each other as they clawed each other with their nails, but then, the door swung open and both of them stopped. A girl with four pigtails tied behind her head look angrily at both of them. She stomped in, making Naruto back away slightly from her.

"What do you think you are doing to my brother, Naruto?" she asked him while rolling up her sleeves.

"Eh…Te-Temari-san, we were just playing, aren't we Gaara?" Naruto pleaded as he turned his head towards Gaara, but he just shrugged.

With that, Temari banged Naruto's head with her fist. "What have I told you about playing around? Don't fight! You hear me Naruto?"

"Males are supposed to fight. It was our nature to fight for food, pride, and mate. It was just a game between us two."

"Yeah, but you will hurt Gaara in the process and he might not have the stamina to perform the ritual later. Haven't I told you that when you came? Now both of you return to your human form before father sees you both fighting again in your true form."

"Yes Temari-san," Naruto said as hung his head low, and both he and Gaara changed back. "I'm sorry Gaara-san."

"I was wondering why you were here today," Gaara said as he got up on his feet.

"As the ruler of the North Kingdom Suzaku, and also a friend, I am here to witness the ritual." Gaara can see that his dear friend was not really happy about this ritual. He just passed by him and walked over to Temari.

"I see that I am being summoned by the council to perform the ritual again, isn't it Temari?"

"Father ordered that you'll have to do this daily to practice yourself for the real ritual. Gaara…I'm really worried that you can't…survive this thing." Temari was nearly in tears as her conversation with Gaara was continued by Naruto.

"Why did you volunteer for this Gaara? You know transforming yourself to the ultimate beast will only bring you death if you don't succeed. Why go to this extreme to just satisfy the human-from thirst by bringing them rain? I just don't understand you." Naruto looked away as his eyes were becoming crystal.

Gaara put his hands on both of their shoulders and smiled at them. "If one sacrifice is enough to help this world, I will bring the rain to them no matter what." They hugged each other and parted as another person interrupted them, a guard.

"Gaara, you are needed now. Everything is prepared," the guard said.

Gaara nodded and all of them followed the guard. Naruto ran up to Gaara and stopped him. "Don't do this if you think you can't. This is only a practice, not the real one. Don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't," Gaara answered him.

They have reached the outside of the castle compound. A giant lake was situated here and many of the guards were there, ready to secure the situation if things get out of hand. Gaara looked around and his eyes met with his father's, whose expression was stoic. It didn't seem to bother Gaara as he and his siblings didn't really expect any gratitude from their father.

The guards gave way to Gaara as he walked up to the lake. He began to undress as the servants came to his aid, removing his kimono carefully, leaving him bare. A simple cloth was then wrapped around his lower abdomen. Everything was taken away from him except for the necklace that was shaped like a bell. The servants knew that he will wanted to wear it during the ritual as it was something precious to him, so they didn't take it off. With that, he began to walk into the water, but suddenly his father pulled him back by grabbing his necklace, nearly choking him.

"I want this thing to go if you are doing this," he growled.

"It won't be a hindrance." Gaara glared back at the taller man. He released his grip on him and looks away. Gaara gave his father another glare before walking away from him. As he reaches the water, he did not sink into it but he was walking on it. Everyone held their gaze as he reaches into the middle.

Temari and Naruto held their breath. "I hope it will succeed this time. The last time he did this, he fell unconscious for almost a week."

"Yeah but at least he didn't turn into what we are afraid most." Naruto said.

Temari nodded in agreement. "I will never want that to happen."

In the middle of the lake, Gaara closed his eyes and then dances elegantly, chanting a different type of language. The chanting grew louder as everyone chanted along with him. Everything was going smoothly but suddenly the cloud in the sky was becoming darker as the water below him turns a deep red. The ground begins to shake violently making everyone tumble down. A roar could be heard and everyone turn their head to Gaara.

They were taken aback as Gaara's form was surrounded by a dark aura. He was in his true form but it was different this time. The creature they see now was dark in color, blades grow out of his shoulder and his body was a little larger. Everyone knows what he was turning into. The creature turns his head to their direction. His yellow eyes scanned the area around him.

"The Abyss. It is the Moonlight Abyss. Gaara-sama didn't make it." One of them shouted.

Immediately, Gaara's father ordered his men to try to restrain Gaara while he was still in this form. All of them tried their best to stop him. They lassoed him to keep him from moving too far away from here and into the nearest village. Naruto rushed to his friend and begin to chant, then Temari joined in. The creature growled in pain and slowly returns to the form of Gaara. Temari held Gaara in her arm as he lay unconscious.

Temari turn to the direction of her father but all she got from him was a shook of his head before he walks off. Temari stood there carrying his brother with Naruto by her side. They look at each other and then to Gaara.

"Our fear is here. He turned into the Abyss. He didn't before. What happened this time?" Temari asked. Naruto shook his head and look up into the sky.

It seems that he was only this close to helping the world, and inches on destroying it.

To Be Continue

KyuubiPandoraChan(Nekochan): Well, I hope it is okay. You will have to figure out some of the thing. I will explain more later. But until now, I will like to know if this story is good. Review please. I need it badly as I wanna know what you think of this story of mine.

Thank you to all who reviewed in the last chapter.

mUcHaChAnGiStAriRaY: Hehe, glad you like Desert Lily. I love the part where they exchanged their necklace. They are so cute.

mI.ShOE: Yes, I will do more because I'm free now. Thanks for the review.

RemyLuver: Well, that will be every girl's reaction, isn't it?

Amwong: This story is only InoGaa but not GaaIno. I'm a GaaHina fan and I will never make Gaara loving anyone else.

Magicians of the Yami: We will see who he is. Hehe, I will try to update as soon as I get everyone screaming at me saying, REVIEW YOU…

Gaahina chan: Thanks. I will try to.

Shanice Miharu: There is more than a triangle. I will have a pentagon. Hahaha. Get it?

Blackangeltwin1: Yes I will.

KUPstar: More you say?

Koichiro: Haha, I think you are not crazy at all. Hehe.

Li09: You will know what happen in the end, I think.

thunder sister: Well, it is a cliffhanger. It's nice to have it in your chapter sometimes.

So-kun: Yes, thank you so much for your review.