Disclaimer: I don't own the characters… Nuuu!

Chapter Six: Confessions

When Kankuro heard Gaara fighting with the Shukaku, he raced into Tamari's room. Of course she was sleeping like a baby, complete with snoring action. Kankuro shook his sister violently in attempt to wake her. She batted at his hand and rolled over. Man could that girl ever sleep!

He bolted back out of her room and doubled back. Bursting into Gaara's room, Kankuro saw what he hoped he wouldn't; The Shukaku was winning the battle for Gaara's body.

"Gaara! Gaara, fight him!" Kankuro kneeled next to his brother and shook him gently, almost afraid to touch him in case the Tanuki turned on him.

Gaara looked up at his older sibling and muttered something along the lines of fucking Temari.

Kankuro's eyes narrowed and he slapped him upside the head, "What did you just say! I don't care if you're being taken over, you don't say shit like that to your brother!" Kankuro's voice trembled as he shook his brother more violently.

Shai let out a giggle but quickly let it die in her throat; Kankuro sent her the same glare he had been directing at Gaara.

Gaara stopped muttering and glared at his brother. Something was different about his eyes though…

"Shai, get out of here!" Kankuro roared, getting up and taking a few steps back. He began to make a hand seal, but Shai decided that she didn't want to stay to see the result. Mustering the last of her strength, she pushed herself out of Gaara's room and into Temari's. By now, she too was awake and on her way out.

Temari grapped Shai's hand and dragged her the rest of the way out of the house. The moment they stepped through the doorway, something obliterated one of the walls.

Temari looked back and dropped Shai's hand before backing away from her. Shai looked behind her and froze.

There stood Gaara, murderous intent in his eyes.

"Girl, come here. Come on!" Gaara's deeper voice mocked her as he beckoned to her as if she was a dog. He laughed long and hard, taking slow, measured steps towards her.

Shai shook her head and started back away, much like Temari was doing. She stepped on a sharp rock and felt her knees buckle as Gaara laughed and made a hand seal.

The ground rushed up to meet her, and the darkness awaited.


Shai shot up into a sitting position, and groaned; she was in the hospital, and had a splitting headache. To top it all off, she felt dull throbbing throughout her body, each passing second intesifying it.

She gingerly sat back down, and reached up to a bandage covered head.

"What... What happened to me?"

"Shai, you know that Gaara's the Shukaku's carrier, right?" Temari grabbed Shai's hand as she spoke. It startled the girl to know that someone was there with her, but then she realized that it was Temari and Kankuro. They appeared at either edge of her vision and she nodded to confirm that she knew about the beast inside Gaara.

"What happened to ... to Gaara-san? And ... What did he ... Do to me ...?" Shai breathing became labored as the pain reached it's peak. She willed herself to calm down and directed some of her chakra to the worst areas affected. She had learned the skill during her four years training under Kuruki-sensei.

"He tried to crush you ... It wasn't his fault though. It was that damn Tanuki." Temari tried to reassure her friend.

Shai nodded again, "I .. I know ... But what happened to Gaara-san?"

Temari stood up, "I'm going to get us something to drink … Be right back."

Temari got up and left the room. Shai rubbed her temples and sighed. When Temari's footsteps disappeared down the hall, Kankuro leaned over.

"Shai ... I ... "

"Hmm...?" Answered Shai, eyes drooping.

"I … uh …I … like … you." Shai could feel Kankuro blush, and her eyes snapped open.

"Like me ...how?" Her voice had a bitter edge to it that she wished she could take back.

"... As ... Well ...more than .. a friend ..." Shai felt Kankuro close the distance between them and his lips brushed Shai's briefly before he released her to see her reaction.

Shai was shocked and speechless. Her neck made a popping sound as she whipped it around to see who was at the door; she'd heard them enter the room while Kankuro kissed her.

Shai almost yelped when she saw Gaara standing there.

"G-Gaara?" Kankuro stuttered nervously, twisting in his seat to get a better look at Gaara's stoic face.

Gaara ambledup to Kankuro and punched him in the face, his brows knit together and eyes blazing in anger.

"You bastard! I hate you!" Gaara's voice was low and filled with enmity. He grabbed Kankuro by the collar and shoved him away from the bed.

Shai lay there, staring at the two, unable to do anything otherwise.

"Gaara! Gaara stop!" Temari raced into the room and dropped the two bottles of water shehad been holding to grab onto her youngest brother's raised arm.

"That bastard kissed her!" Gaara shook off his sister's arm and brought it down into Kankuro's face again. He raised his arm to hit him again but froze when he realized Shai was trying to climb out of bed.

"Gaara-san! Stop it!"

Temari ran over to Shai and wrestled with her until she sank back into her pillows. Then she rounded on Kankuro, and dragged him out of the room, leaving Shai alone with Gaara.

"Let me go Temari! Let me fucking kill him! Temari! Let me ..." The sound of Kankuro's rage faded asTemari dragged him further away from the room.

Gaara glanced down at his feet before turning to Shai, worry pasted all over his face.

"I … Shai … I'm sorry…" Gaara's voice barely drifted over to her ears, as he was speaking just above a whisper.

Shai blinked and smiled at him. She beckoned for him to sit in the chair beside her bed, and he complied hesitantly.

"It … It wasn't me … I swear it wasn't my fault!" Gaara whispered as he studied the floral patterns on the linoleoum tiles.

"Gaara-san, it's .. It's alright .. I know." Shai blushed and stared at Gaara, waiting for a reaction.

Gaara blushed slightly.

"I suppose you ... You heard ... you heard what the Tanuki said?"

"Yeah. Almost every last word."

"Oh. Well… uhm… I… I do care … about you." Gaara glanced at her. Seeing her stare at him, he promptly returned his gaze to the flowery tiles.

"…" Shai couldn't think of anything to say, so she continued to study Gaara's face.

"Shai…?" Gaara looked back at her, reaching into his pocket. He produced a slender blue case, and turned it over in his hands a moment before holding it out to her.

Shai took hold of it and gently opened the lid. Inside was a rope-chain necklace made of white gold. Off to the side was a small charm of the sand villages symbol.

"Gaara …kun?" Shai tested the new nickname and decided that she liked the sound of it better than Gaara-san.

Gaara's breath hitched, "Yes Shai?"

"It's beautiful! Thank you!" Shai sat up and hugged Gaara feircly, ignoring the new pain that coursed through her body.

Gaara was hesitant, but hugged her back, and whispered into her hair,"You shouldn't be moving."

Shai giggled and released Gaara after several moments and put the charm onto the chain. She looked up at Gaara and held it out to him.

"Could you .. Uh .. Help me put it on?" A blush crept up Shai's cheeks as Gaara's rough hands brushed her own and she shivered when those same hands brushed the back of her neck to snap the clasp into place on her necklace.

Heavy footsteps rang through the room, and Shai heard Kankuro gasp incredulously.

"Gaara! You fucking hypocrite!" Kankuro roared, disturbing an old lady that was walking by.

"What do you mean? You're the one who kissed her."

Kankuro blushed and glared poison-tipped daggers at Gaara, "So what? I love her!"

Gaara returned the daggers and added a paralizing agent to them, "Prove it."

'oh my god…'

"Love me? Love me? I didn't ask for you to kiss me!" Shai was shouting at Kankuro in disbelief. She couldn't take the pressure of her anger anymore and growled at Kankuro, "I only think of you as a brother!"

Kankuro looked at Shai, pain filling his eyes, "So you love Gaara? Even after he tried to kill you?"

"That wasn't my fault!" Roared Gaara, sand sneaking its way through the open window to encase Kankuro.

Kankuro struggled fruitlessly as the sand began to slowly crush him.

"You don't know what it's like! With this… this thing inside of you!"

"Gaara! Kankuro! Stop it!" Shai had to scream, her voice becoming scratchy in her efforts.

Gaara hesitated and took a deep breath. The sand that had been crushing his brother let go and made it's way back to Gaara. Kankuro's eyes welled up as he turned on his heel and ran out of the room, passing Temari.

"What happened here?" She asked as she surveyed Gaara's angry, yet stoic, face and Shai's surprised and relieve done.

Gaara glanced over at Shai once more before storming out of the room, heading down the opposite hall Kankuro took.

Shai sighed, "This... Sucks." After a questioning look from Temari, she explained what had happened.

Temari gasped after hearing what Shai had the say, then squealed in delight.

"You're happy?" Asked Shai skeptically.

"Well yeah! Gaara hasn't shown any feelings, besides anger, since the incident with his uncle.."

Shai gaped at Temari, "What happened with his uncle?"

"Well, it was an accident, but yeah. The incident with his uncle."

"Explanation please?"

Temari proceeded to tell Shai of when Gaara killed Yashimaru, ommiting the fact that it had been the Kazekage's order.

"That's horrible!"

Temari shrugged, "Yeah, well … As I said, it was an accident."

Footsteps echoed throught the room as a medical nin dragged a stunned Kankuro into the room.

"Is this yours?" He asked, brandishing Kankuro as if he was a disease.

"uh ... Yeah," Answered Temari carefully, "What did he do this time?"

"He tried to destroy the lobby."

"Oh."


'Deleted?'scene 1: Why are they here?

Gaara stomped down hallway after hallway for ten minutes before he could tell himself that he was officially lost in the gods forsaken hospital.

He passed a room door that was wide open. Odd moaning noised emmited from inside and Gaara grew curious.

He peeked in and saw…

Naruto?

And Sasuke?

Making out?

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Shouted Gaara, bursting into the room and suspended both guys by their ankles. "Get a hotel room!"

He shook his head and stormed out of the room, shuddering.


A/N: Heehee. Just HAD to add that last part. XD.

;Gaara enters the room, pointing a finger at the author.;

"You are beyond pervert!"

;Sasuke and Naruto enter behind Gaara.;

;Gaara rolls his eyes and leaves.;

"Why did you do that?" Both ask at the same time.

;Author blinks, shocked into a stupor.;

"We want a longer scene! With more details!"

;Author passes out from uncontrollable laughter.;