Chapter Six: False Circumstances

"Masao-sama?" a voice whispered, opening the door to her hospital room slightly.

"Ryuki?" Her voice was muffled as she spoke around a mouthful of chocolate. The nursemaid looked at her in shock, noting how much more the sugar-lover still had to go through.

"Sorakage-sama! All that sugar isn't good for you!" Masao just laughed and offered her a bonbon from the pile in the basket on her nightstand. Reluctantly Ryuki took it and bit into it, a reproachful look still on her face. "Where did you get all of this?"

"I woke up this morning and it was right there! I first I thought it was only a dream!" She paused, realizing the significance of her words. Last night, someone had said that same exact thing to her, but she couldn't remember who. It was a young man judging by the timbre of his voice, but she couldn't put it with a face…

Ryuki grinned and pulled a package out of her apron pocket. "Medicine time Masao-sama!"

"Noooo!" she wailed. "I hate shots!" The nursemaid clucked her tongue, trying not to laugh, and took the whining girl's arm, pushing the needle into her skin.

"That's to make you sleep. You need as much rest as possible to get better Masao-sama."

"But I feel better," she protested. Ryuki chuckled dryly, noting her bandages that needed to be changed again, the stitches that needed to be removed and something that was out of place. The nurse examined the shoulder of the nightgown. It was stained slightly, and wrinkled as if water had dampened it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. You get to sleep now Masao. Oh, by the way, I heard that Kenji was coming over to visit." Masao groaned and fell backwards onto the bed. The nurse gave her a surprised expression and sat on the rigid chair next to the bed.

She groaned, "I hate it when he comes over Ryuki. He's always being so… flirty and gross. I already have someone I love…" The effects of the drugs put her out after that, and the nurse left her with a small laugh.

Someone you love? Was it the young man who snuck in last night? "Try not to make her too stressed Kenji. She's still hurt," she told the young man passing her. He nodded and waved. It was the boy who had escorted Temari to the room a few weeks ago. He was about sixteen, with chin length black hair and brown eyes. He wore a dark blue jumpsuit with a black vest dangling overtop. His hitai-ate was tied around his waist.

He entered the room to find her snoring with chocolate smeared across her cheek. Wrappers were littered across the floor in a rainbow of aluminum and small chunks of chocolate and pieces of taffy were stuck to the floorboards. Kenji raised an eyebrow. Even asleep with food surrounding her she looked absolutely perfect. Even more beautiful than the blonde Suna girl who had come a few weeks back.

"But," he murmured to himself. "That doesn't answer who got this superfluous amount of sweets for Masao-chan." He rummaged through the basket but didn't find anything. He looked over at Masao and knelt by her bed. "Who's trying to win your heart Masao-sama?"

She rolled over onto her side and murmured, "Oh, Gaara…" He blinked. Did she just say what he thought she did? So that Demon from the Sand Village was trying to get it on with Masao-chan, eh?

He smirked, seeing a way to work this to their benefit. A plan started forming in his head, and if all went well, they might win this little war…

…:oOo:…

Temari whipped out her fan and blew away the kunai being hurled at her. "C'mon! This is too easy!" she scoffed. The enemies fled back into the desert and she called out after them, "And stay out!" A piece of folded paper floated to her feet and it had 'Gaara of the Sand' written on the front of it. She knit her eyebrows and picked it up. Should she open it? She would be invading Gaara's privacy if she did. And he would probably never forgive her if he found out and she couldn't have that.

She eventually did, her curiosity getting the better of her. She slid her finger into the crease and ripped the tape off the side. Unfolding it she looked over its contents.

Gaara,

I have awful news. I think the villagers know about us, and I need your help. Please come as soon as possible! I miss you.

Love,

Masao Ai

The scrawl was hasty, as if written in a very short time. She had rushed to write this letter to him.

Temari read through it three times, and it still made no sense to her. What'd she mean when she said 'us'? Did Gaara express himself to her last night? Then this was very bad if her village knew about it. She wrapped her fan onto her back again and ran home, desperate to tell Gaara.

She burst into their apartment, knowing Kankurou wouldn't be there so she could explain.

Gaara looked up from his book at Temari who had just ran in. She panted heavily and thrust a piece of paper at him. He took it up and read through it. "It's a trick," he told her, crumpling the document into a ball. "Obviously the enemy is trying to lure me to the village under false circumstances to attempt an assassination."

Temari bit her lip. "That is a possibility, but what if the letter's true? Then Masao could be in danger!" Gaara glanced at her impassively.

"That's what they want us to think Temari. Don't fall for their ploy." He stood up and dropped him book to the chair he had been sitting in and looked at her sternly. "Get back to your post." She took a step back, hurt. He seemed so snappy.

But he outranked her, so there wasn't much she could do. "Yes sir…" she replied, ducking back out the door.

Gaara faced the blank wall, his eyes closed in thought. Temari was right though. Masao could be in trouble. But how could he make sure…? Well, maybe he should start off by… apologizing… to Temari. He really didn't mean to get all shirty with her and she was just trying to help. Reluctantly, he strapped his gourd to his back and, locking the front door behind him, left to go find her.

He got to the edge of the village and looked out at the vast desert. It was a lot to go by, but luckily he knew where her post was. But when he got there, she was no where in sight. He then treaded a little farther out into the blistering heat he was so accustomed to. Finally, his village was but a distant speck on the horizon, and there was still no sign of his sister.

Unexpectedly, a loud scream erupted. A girl's scream. One he'd recognize anywhere. "Masao!" He followed the sound and saw a large mob pursuing her. They were from her own village, and blood dripped everywhere, indicating awful wounds. He vanished in a breeze of sand and appeared between the rabble and Masao. His instinct pounded on him. Too rash! it scolded. The throng slid to a stop and Gaara glared at them through narrowed eyes, sending shivers down their spines.

"Gaara!" she cried.

"Are you all right Masao?" he asked, still facing the large group of shinobi who looked smug of all things.

A maniacal laugh erupted behind him, but it wasn't Masao anymore. Before he had time to make a move, the boy behind him swung a folded fuuma shuriken at his head. Growling profanities at himself, Gaara fell unconscious. "Now I am Gaara-sweetie," Kenji mocked, laughing. "Take him back to the village."

…:oOo:…

Kankurou slid down a large cluster of sand, glancing from side to side, aggravated. "Dammit," he cursed. Why today, of all days, did Gaara decide to go missing? The monster knew he should be waiting at the house for Kankurou to go get him, so they could set off their final attack. And now he was burdened with having to find him. I bet he's with Temari. That's makes me so mad! He knocked his black veil out of his face where it had blown and scanned the surroundings.

Temari heard an angry curse and instantly recognized the voice. She ran down a dune and almost into her brother. "Kankurou? What are you doing out here? I thought you left with Gaara ten minutes ago."

"We were supposed to," he replied. "But he decided to leave the house. Any idea where he is Temari?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since I left the house about fifteen minutes ago." She was worried now. Why did Gaara leave this time? "Shit…" she swore. He probably went to go investigate that letter; meaning he was almost certainly in the enemy camp!

"Any ideas where he might be?" he repeated, hearing the curse. Temari looked at him, and he stared right back. "Well?"

"If I tell you, Kankurou, you and I are going to find him… alone. Got me?" Her brother nodded tentatively. "He's…"

…:oOo:…

"Masao-sama! How are you feeling?" Ryuki smiled but saw she was twitching slightly. Then the nursemaid sighed. She always gets like this when she eats too many sweets. Putting the basket Gaara bought her away, she sat next to the teen. "Masao-sama, does anything hurt?"

"No ma'am! Everything's fine and dandy! In fact, I never felt better in my life! Did you know that caramel is a better feeling for chocolate than coconut? I just found that out! Also, strawberry crème is so much better than orange! But I like the vanilla crème, too! Hmmm… Oh well! I really, really, really like white chocolate even though I've never had it before now. Dark chocolate is really yucky so I gave it all to Kenji, but I know you like it so I made sure to save some for you!" Masao took a deep breath and tried to start another lightning fast, one-sided conversation but Ryuki put a hand over her mouth, raising an eyebrow.

"How much chocolate did you eat?"

"Not that much! But I didn't eat only chocolate though! I also had hard little candy hearts and some lollipops and some taffy and these weird little crunchy candies and some licorice and some candy coated almonds and a few pieces of candy that didn't go by very fast because I had to suck on them for like an hour and—" Ryuki cut her off with a wave of her hand, her black eyes narrowing. She heard the sound of footsteps outside and rushed to the window. Masao appeared by her side, seemingly off her sugar high, and gasped. It was the large group that had gone out that morning for another skirmish, or so she had heard.

But now they're back, with a prize being toted along like an old rag doll. It was a attractive red-haired boy with dark eyes. Masao could hardly believe her eyes. "GAAR—" she screamed, only to have it cut short by her nurse slapping her. She stared at her in shock.

"I'm sorry Masao-sama," she whispered. "But if you wish to save him, then you can't be making anyone think you know him." The kunoichi nodded in comprehension and ran into the bathroom to change into her normal attire.

"What should I do?" she asked, strapping on her throwing star holster.