Author's notes: Holy carp. I can't believe how many hits this story has gotten. Almost 900 for the first 6 chapters, and 9 reviews. Everyone, I can't tell you how floored I am that so many people have been reading this. So, I'm here to answer some questions/comments I've gotten. The OC trio uses attacks that sort-of mimic their desert home. Senjo is the mirage (genjutsu), Kurai the wind, and Kohaku the heat (fire). While all I've seen is the Uchiha clan using fire techniques, it stood to reason that other ninja would come up with their own, no matter what country they were from (save possibly Water). I tried to make their techniques different from anyone in the show, and so my Japanese might not be perfect, hence why I include the English along with it. (If anyone is fluent in Japanese, I would dearly love your input/corrections to the techniques). Since Sakura is going to be trained by someone even better than Kohaku, I felt that it didn't fit the canon to have a Sand ninja train a Leaf. As always, comments and questions are always welcome, and my beta readers (CelticKitten, Eric Shields, and two other friends) will continue to make sure I stay true to canon.
Chapter 7
A sandstorm was picking up when they reached home, and Kurai knew they needed to get indoors fast. "Back to our house," he told the girls as they passed already-closed doors and people heading for shelter. They knocked on one door until it was half-opened by a brown-haired woman with soft green eyes.
"Hurry inside," she told them, opening the door fully and then bolting it closed once they were all in. "You're back early. No one sent for you. What happened?" The woman sounded concerned as she watched them take their sandals off. Kurai turned to her and shrugged.
"Konoha was paid a visit by a missing-nin organization called Akatsuki. They're searching through the hidden villages for ninjas of power. We believe-"
"That they'll come for Shukaku's vessel?" an older man said as he came into the entranceway from another room. Dark eyes stared at them from under a thick mop of brown hair. The twins immediately bowed to him, and Senjo dipped her head in respect.
"Yes father," Kurai answered as he straightened up. "As soon as the storm subsides, we will make a full report to the Kazekage." He nodded and motioned for them to come into the house, and they quickly followed. The smell of rice and meat assailed them as they passed the kitchen, and the twins' mother went back to stirring a large pot on the stove.
"Dinner will be ready soon, Taru. Don't keep them too long."
"I won't, Atsui," he replied, walking through a doorway with the three teens still behind him. They were at the back of the house now, in a room set aside for training. The floor was bare earth, with a few rocks placed around the perimeter, and a wooden ledge with benches for spectators or supervisors. "Daichi, practice is over for today!"
"But father-" a young boy came out from behind one of the rocks, breathing heavily and closing his mouth when he saw the assembled crowd. "Yes sir." He tried to smooth out his short brown hair, but he just made it stick up all the more. Green eyes stared back at them, unable to keep either Kurai's or his father's gaze for too long.
"Kurai, come with me. I want to hear everything," Taru instructed as the older boy followed him into another room and locked the door behind him. Kohaku walked over to her little brother and smiled as she combed his hair down for him.
"Have you been practicing, Daichi?"
"Of course I have! Father even taught me the rock wall technique. Want to see?"
"Sure." She pulled Senjo back onto the wooden ledge and sat on one of the benches. "Any time you're ready."
"Here I go. Ganseki toku (Rock Shield)!" Daichi thrust his hand onto the ground and concentrated. A small earth wall rose up two feet from the ground, then stopped. He sat down and frowned at the small shield. "That's no good."
"You're probably running low on chakra," Kohaku told him, getting off the ledge. "Why don't you try again after dinner?"
"Kohaku, will you help me? Father will be with Kurai all night, and I think I can do this with a bit more practice."
"He sounds like Inkei," Senjo teased. "Mother started teaching him some of our techniques, but I'm usually the one who helps him."
"I'd ask big brother, but…" Daichi let the sentence drop as he gazed at the door where his father and Kurai were talking.
"Unless I have missions, you and I will practice until you can make a wall that's over your head," Kohaku promised, crouching down a few feet away from them with both hands on the ground. "Then we can work on this one: "Ganseki engai (Rock Dome)." A mound of earth and rock completely encased her, and Daichi's jaw hit the floor as Senjo clapped. The dome receded as Kohaku stood up and grinned.
"That was awesome! I'll learn all our family's secrets, and then one day I'll be as good as Gaara!" Silence descended on the room the moment the name left his mouth. Kohaku and Senjo both stared at him, and the door opened at that moment.
"Daichi, help your mother with dinner," Taru ordered as the younger boy scurried off in silence. "Kohaku, I'll need to talk to you later. Senjo, you should let your mother know what you found out as well."
"I will, Hajino-san," she promised as Kurai walked past them.
"You're staying for dinner, Senjo-chan," he told her. "Mother will probably insist that you not leave until we're sure the storm has passed." Both the men left the room, and the girls turned to each other in slight shock.
"Did your brother really say what I think I heard? That he wants to be like Gaara?" Kohaku was nodding her head, but not saying anything. She couldn't believe Daichi had said that name in the house. If Kurai or their father ever found out…
"I need to talk to him. Our whole family hates him, even those who aren't proficient with the bloodline. For him to openly admit that, something must've happened, or maybe he overheard someone talking about Gaara and our family."
"Kohaku, Senjo, dinner!" Atsui called out.
"Coming mother. We'll talk to him later."
"Kohaku, did you ever think that maybe Gaara isn't as bad as you think?" The brunette turned to her friend with a puzzled look on her face.
"Senjo, he is Shukaku's vessel. The demon child of sand. Of course he's as bad as I think. There are times when he's worse." She left the room, and Senjo shuffled after her, sighing heavily.
"Maybe people can change, Kohaku," she whispered to herself. "And sometimes they can change for the better."
The sandstorm soon gave way to a starry night sky, and the Kazekage's guards resumed their posts outside the building. Soon they saw three of their own Chuunins walking towards them down the street. "State your business," one called out.
"Hajino Kurai back with my team to report on our mission."
"No one sent for you," the other guard told them. "Is this an urgent report?"
"That depends on if you feel like watching this village be flattened like Konoha." When the guards stared perplexed at them, Kohaku rolled her eyes.
"Yes, it's urgent. We won't take up anymore of the Kazekage's time than is necessary." The guards nodded and let them pass, and the inner-door guard announced their presence. The meeting room was sparingly lit with a few lamps, and the Kazekage was writing something at a desk.
'At least he's not sitting behind those screens,' Kurai thought as he glanced across the room to the walled area that the former Kazekage always used when he spoke to people. It had been a way to keep him safe from outsiders or even village traitors. But the screens had done him no good once he'd stepped outside the village's boundaries. 'Hopefully this one is less arrogant than the former one.'
"Your sudden return is quite a surprise," the robed man spoke as they all bowed. "Tell me, what prompted this?"
"Kazekage-sama, we believe this village may soon get an unexpected visit."
"A visit? From who?"
"While in Konoha we became aware of two strangers with immense chakra. I followed them and saw three Leaf Jounins confront them, only to be easily defeated. One of the Jounins later told me that the strangers belonged to Akatsuki, an organization of powerful S-rank criminals. They are currently traveling to all the villages in search of shinobi with great power." The Kazekage stopped writing and looked up, only his eyes visible beneath his hat and face covering.
"Gaara," he finally said, standing up and beginning to walk around the room. "He will most certainly be on their list."
"What would you have us do then, Kazekage-sama?"
"Everyone must be warned, of course. Especially Gaara."
"But-" Kurai started to argue, but when his leader held up a firm hand, he immediately became quiet.
"I know of your clan's hatred and mistrust for Shukaku's vessel. Nearly the whole village feels the same way. However, I believe recent events have changed him. Both Temari and Kankuro have reported that he is calmer, less prone to violent outbursts. Though he was the thorn in my predecessor's side, since his return from Konoha, Gaara has not had any problems either here or on missions."
"Kazekage-sama, with your permission, I will brief Gaara on what we discovered," Senjo spoke up quickly. She felt Kohaku and Kurai staring at her, but this was something she needed to do. "That way I can use my abilities to discover if he would truly betray us or not."
"Very well. At first light tomorrow you three will alert all active ninja as to the situation. Senjo, you will then find Gaara and determine if he is a potential threat. After that, report back for your next assignment. Dismissed."
"Yes Kazekage-sama," they said as they bowed and left the building. Once they were out of earshot, Kurai rounded on the redhead.
"What the hell are you thinking?" he demanded, pinning her against the nearest wall as Kohaku grabbed his arm.
"Kurai, stop it! You can't tell her what to do."
"The hell I can't. I'm team leader, and Senjo is my girl. She is not going within ten feet of Gaara. Right?"
"The Kazekage gave her an order. She can't disobey!" Senjo shrank back against the wall, staring at Kurai. The darkness was right behind his eyes, and that frightened her more than going into the desert to speak with the demon child. Right now, he wasn't acting like Kurai, but more like…
"Kurai-kun, please. You're scaring me," she whispered, taking his hand. He cocked his head to one side as an evil smile curled his lips.
"Good. Maybe I'll scare some sense into you. I don't care what that Naruto kid told you. Gaara is not be trusted, warned, or told anything."
"Kurai-"
"Shut-up, Kohaku!" Again the eyes stared into Senjo, but all she saw were Kuro's eyes the night he…
"Stop. Please. Leave me alone," she said, pulling her hand away and wrapping her arms around her. She felt him pull his arm back, knew the hit was coming, and closed her eyes and prepared for it.
"Kurai!" Kohaku's voice rang out in the silent streets, and Senjo heard a scuffle, but refused to open her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. Finally she felt a tentative hand on her arm, but she pulled away.
"No Kuro. Please don't." The words sounded distant, like they didn't come from her, but she knew that no one else would utter his name.
"Senjo, it's Kohaku. Please look at me." Slowly her eyes opened, and she saw Kohaku standing in front of her. Kurai was sitting on the ground, rubbing his jaw and glaring at them.
"How dare you-" he started before Kohaku was in his face. She was pissed, and Senjo stared wide-eyed as she curled her hands into tight fists and fought not to hit her brother again. No, there would be no more blows exchanged tonight.
"What the hell has gotten into you?" she demanded, still glaring at her twin. "Senjo is not your property, and she has a right to think and feel and talk to whomever she wants to. She is our teammate, not some underling you can order around. Stop acting like Kuro and start acting like Kurai! Senjo's already been through hell once because of that bastard. I'll be damned before I let you drag her back into that." He seemed confused, but just shook his head and stood up.
"I'll see you back at home, Kohaku." Walking down the street and swearing to himself, Kurai soon disappeared from their view.
"Kohaku-chan?" Senjo asked, coming up behind the brunette. She was immediately engulfed in a fierce hug, and she could've sworn she felt her back crack.
"I'm sorry, Senjo. I don't know what's come over him lately. Come on, I'll walk you home." The two girls made their way through the streets, hands clamped around each other. Senjo was staring straight ahead, afraid that even the slightest movement other than walking would bring a fresh stream of tears. She had not cried since that night. That night when she had almost been killed, or worse, by someone she had loved. She knew Kohaku's pain more so than the other girl knew, but she could tell neither of the twins her true relationship with Kuro. Kohaku would only try to protect her more, and Kurai would either want to kill the now-missing boy, or just wash his hands of her completely. He did not stand for weakness, and that night had been the weakest Senjo had ever felt. "Hey, we're here," Kohaku's voice broke into her thoughts.
"What?"
"We're at your house. Senjo… Will you be all right?" She sounded so worried, and all the redhead wanted to do was rest for the night.
"I'll be fine. You'd better get back to your place."
"All right, I'll come get you in the morning."
"Okay." The brunette left then, glancing over her shoulder as she walked down the street. Senjo sighed heavily and knocked on the door before she opened it. Someone was suddenly beside her, and she instinctively drew a kunai and dodged a punch aimed at her head. She was behind her attacker the next moment, kunai at their throat. "I could have killed you!" she whispered harshly.
"But you didn't," the boy in her arms replied. He brushed back reddish-brown hair from his blue eyes as he turned to face her. "Good to have you back, Senjo."
"Where are mother and father, Inkei?" Her younger brother shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Senjo rolled her eyes and removed her sandals before she followed him. "Mother! Father! I'm home!" She waited a moment before she heard the quick footsteps of her father, and braced herself as he came barreling through the doorway and hugged her tightly. This time she was sure her back popped as she felt the air leave her lungs. "Can't breathe," she wheezed playfully.
"Seishin, she's going to turn blue of you keep squeezing," a chiding female voice said. Laughing, Seishin let go of his daughter and put one hand behind his head.
"Sorry Naiteki. I was caught up in the moment. Glad to see you, Senjo."
"You too, father," she replied, hugging him back lightly. His red hair was sticking up slightly, and she stood on her tiptoes and brushed it down for him. "You all look like you were expecting me."
"I was, actually," Naiteki told her. "Between your chakra and the Hajino twins, you're a hard group to miss. If you're looking, that is." Of course the village interrogator would have picked up on their return. Senjo often wondered if there was anything her mother could not either sense or predict. Between her mental abilities and chakra identification skills, Tanamari Naiteki was a formidable opponent on and off the battlefield. "But that doesn't explain why you're back."
"It's a long story, mother, and I have a mission first thing in the morning. All I want to do is get some sleep."
"Another mission? But you just got back," Inkei argued.
"That's the life of a ninja," Seishin told his son as he ruffled his hair. "Some day, you'll be doing the same thing."
"Speaking of that, Inkei, you have school tomorrow. Off to bed with you," Naiteki ordered, shooing both her children off to bed. When they were gone, she turned to her husband and sighed. "Something's not right. Did you see the look in Senjo's eyes? She used to come home from school with that look, like she was scared what the next day would bring. Seishin, I'm worried about her."
"Naiteki, there's nothing we can do. Our little girl is a Chuunin now, the same as we were. All we can do is keep the light on for her when she comes home from missions." They embraced for a moment, then darkened the house and prepared for bed. In her own room, Senjo was lying on her sleeping mat, staring at the wall. Or rather, at a picture on the wall of her team the day they became Genins. She was smiling hesitantly, and Kohaku had her arms crossed and was leaning into her with a smile. Kurai was behind them, a smirk on his face and an arm on each of their shoulders. It was the first physical contact she'd ever had with him, and the memory sent shivers up her spine.
"So why then did he suddenly turn on me? All I said was that I would warn Gaara about Akatsuki. Doesn't he deserve the same courtesy as everyone else?" She knew the answer in Kurai's mind though. He hated the desert child more than the entire village combined. But people could change, and the Kazekage had even said that he thought Gaara was a different person now. So didn't he deserve a second chance? He hadn't created himself after all, and the man responsible for that was dead. She knew it was no use to convince the twins, but Daichi's comment gave her hope for him, and maybe Kohaku could be made to understand. Turning over and pulling the sheet over her head, Senjo listened as the wind picked up pace in the streets, and wondered if another sandstorm was coming.
The cliffs sounded with the dull beats of a fight going on, and Kohaku picked up her pace across the sand. When she reached the top of the next rise, she looked to see Kurai engaged in combat with two others, but quickly realized he was just sparring against sand clones. "Looks like I'll have to interrupt another training session. I need to know what came over him back there. I've never seen Kurai act like that with Senjo." Stopping a few feet from him, Kohaku waited until he broke the last clone into dust and then paused to catch his breath.
"What?" he asked, shifting slightly to stare at her.
"We need to talk. Now."
"There's nothing to talk about, little sister." Oh, so he was going to pull that crap? Except that she didn't care about rank now, nor was she going to drop this.
"Unless you plan on fighting me, don't bait me. I'm not in a good mood."
"Neither am I. Don't worry, I won't make you fight me. I need a challenging opponent to wear myself out." The smirk was firmly on his face as she glared at him.
"You haven't been paying attention then, brother. Don't think that my asking for help with Sasuke means I'm not up to the task."
"Then show me what I'm missing." He dropped into a fighting stance and motioned at her with one hand. "Come."
"Very well." The hand seals seemed to form on their own as two copies flashed into existence. "Hinote bunshin no jutsu (Fire Clone)." Kurai's smile only widened as the three Kohakus glared at him.
"Three for the price of one. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes each." But he saw them link hands, and then they were running at him, the center leaping over his head and pulling the other two up in the air. They dropped hands as two landed on either side of him, and the third landed behind, one hand on the ground.
"Suna gosunkugi (Sand spikes)!" Kurai's eyes widened when he saw each of the clones pierced by a shaft of sand. He tried to meld with the sand beneath him, but only got up to his knees before the ensuing explosion knocked him prone. As the searing heat swept over him, he felt Kohaku's presence and tried to get up. A hand was suddenly on his back, grabbing his vest and hauling him to his feet.
"How dare-"
"Shut up, Kurai," she told him through gritted teeth. "For once in your life just shut up and listen." They were facing each other now, and she lifted her bare arms until the scars glowed in the light of the dying fire. He involuntarily winced at the sight of the web of thick, raised white lines. It looked like her arms had been glued back together, or a spider had taken up residence on each limb. He knew her armguards were more to stop people from staring or pitying her than vanity, and she had started wearing them only after he asked her to.
"What?" he finally asked, voice softer than he wanted.
"I didn't think I would ever need to remind you how I got these, but it seems I do. A boy I cared for, with no prior warning, suddenly attacked me. First he punched me, and then he took two kunais and drove them through my arms into the ground. After that he just kept hitting me so that the bones broke further and pushed through my skin. By the time you and Senjo found me, I was so broken that I couldn't even stand on my own, and you had to carry me like a child to the hospital."
"I remember. We wanted to kill Tansei, and you wouldn't let us."
"That's right. It was the same kind of situation between Senjo and Kuro, and you and Makoto. The only difference is, neither of you have visible scars. We were all hurt and betrayed by people we cared about, Kurai. Don't think you're the only one going through this. I can look at my arms every day and remind myself of what happened, and know that I will never make that same mistake again. But you and Senjo just have memories and words to look back on."
"What could Kuro have done to her that was so bad? He could barely hold his own in a physical fight."
"You're forgetting that Senjo isn't a fighter either. She relies on her genjutsu and mind-reading techniques. What that bastard did to her is something she promised me not to tell you. The same way you made me promise not to tell what Makoto did to you. Whatever has gotten into you lately has you acting just like Kuro was before he hurt Senjo. I will not allow you to degrade yourself like that. Now tomorrow you will apologize to her and let her do what she was ordered, or I will tell her about your past."
"You wouldn't dare." Kohaku smirked then, putting her armguards back on.
"Try me. Now what prompted that kind of reaction out of you? I thought you were going to hit Senjo." He laughed, but it wasn't very kind, and tossed his hair from his face. Aside from a few minor burns, he seemed to have avoided the worst of the attack. Although that was probably due more to Kohaku than his own dodging abilities.
"I would never hit her, you know that. What I was going to hit, before you grabbed me, was the wall. Come on. If I never hit Makoto, why would I hit Senjo?"
"Good point. But why did it make you so mad that she was going to talk to Gaara? I don't like him either, but it was a direct order."
"I can't explain it, Kohaku. It's a guy thing."
"Are you jealous of Gaara?" He glared at her, and she ducked her head and wiped the smile from her face quickly.
"Never say that again. No, I'm not. It's just- I might be-… All right, it's something like that. I'm not jealous of him, but I'm worried for her. Senjo seemed to take what that Naruto kid said to heart, and I don't want to lose her."
"Kurai, she's not going to suddenly stop caring about you because she feels sorry for the desert child. She knows our family's feelings about him, and she accepts them, even if she doesn't agree. We owe her the same respect."
"Our family's feelings don't seem to extend to Daichi." Her jaw almost hit the ground as she turned away and frowned slightly. So, he had overheard the comment.
"He's young, Kurai. And all he sees is Gaara being able to do things that father can't even attempt. That's why we hate him, but if Daichi doesn't, what can we do? I'm not about to tell father, and you shouldn't either. Daichi's almost done with school, and the Chuunin exam will only be a few months after that. If he can get to the next level by copying some of Gaara's moves and making them his own, what's the harm? Then they'll be known by our family, and we'll be stronger for it."
"I still need to talk to him. If father ever heard him say something like that, I don't even want to know what would happen."
"Well then, maybe we should both start acting like the elder siblings and teach him what we know. It's different than Gaara, and he might just think that our family's techniques are much better than his current idol. He does look up to you, Kurai. Be a big brother to him, for once. Take one of your training sessions and use it to help him."
"All right, all right, I will. After we get back from our next mission, I promise I'll help Daichi. But you better be there too, damn it. If I have to give up a training day, you should too." He was smiling as he said it, and Kohaku smiled back as she extended her hand and clasped his.
"Deal. Now let's go home. We've got an early day tomorrow." The twins headed back over the dunes to home, silent once more as they both thought about Senjo.