Chapter 13 : the surprise of a lifetime

(Me: well, is that good enough?

Gaara: Im not forgiving you for what u made me do in the last chapter

Me: Fine then! Pout! (whispers) baby…

Gaara: I HEARD THAT!)

The next morning, the rain had started again.

"I am NOT going out in this weather!" thought Myaaki loudly, stubbornly.

Suddenly, the door bell rang. It was a jounin, on of the ANBU

"You are requested at the Fifths office" he said "Immediately"

"Sigh, alright, I'll go." Myaaki tried to run as fast as she could so not to get drenched like yesterday.

Arriving at the Hokage's office, Myaaki entered soaking wet. Again.

"Lovely weather, eh?" commented Tsunade mockingly"

"Whoopy" mumbled Myaaki, brushing away her red bangs from her eyes as to see Tsunade better. And her surroundings. Her heart skipped a beat fearfully when her eyes fell upon a red haired boy standing in the corner, arms crossed over his chest.

"Wha..what's he doing here?" the scared kunoichi asked, emphasizing the HE.

"This is Sabaku no Gaara of Sunagakure" Introduced Tsunade.

"Yes, we've met" Myaaki glared, somewhat fearfully at the sandmaster.

"Oh good! Things should go much easier then. I have appointed you to help some of the medic ninjas in the Suna hospital." Said Tsunade calmly, not noticing the tense air between the two ninjas.

(Myaaki is one of Tsunade's apprentices, including Sakura)

"But, I'm only 13! Im too young to teach yet!" protested Myaaki, shooting pertified glances at Gaara.

Shaking her head, the Hokage looked at Myaaki. " You are as educated as me, Myaaki. You're old enough for this."

"Ok" squeaked the red-head "Why is he here again?"

"I'm to escort you." Gaara said, perhaps even lazily, glaring at Myaaki with those pale blue eyes.

Myaaki just made a noise in her throat, but was determined not to cower under his gaze, especially in front of the Fifth Hokage.

"His home will be where you'll be staying for the next six months" said Tsunade, staring at the girl nin for her reaction. And got it.

"H-h-his house? S-s-six months?" Myaaki studdered, her heart nearly stopped. She felt faint and dizzy all of a sudden.

"Do you accept?" Tsunade glared at her with the if-you-don't-then-i-will-personally-fire-you look.

All the poor kunoichi could do was nod, still staring at Gaara, her eyes wide with terror. Six months at this monster's house? But, he still had hesitated when trying to kill her. Why? Her heart eased. She was perhaps comfortable with this arrangement. She would be alright.

"Great! You can pack your belongings now. You leave immediately." Grinned the Fifth. Myaaki moaned inwardly.

"Ok. I'll be going now. Bye Hokage!" waving, the red headleft in a run.

"Damn it, it's still raining." She muttered, getting frustrated.

The drops stopped plummeting on her head and body. She looked up startled. It was still raining. She froze. How can this be? She thought, scared because she thought she knew the answer.

Turning around slowly, Myaaki saw the sand nin covering them both with an umbrella of sand.

Surprised, the kunoichi studdered, "Thank-thank…"

"Don't thank me. I'm just escorting you." He said dryly, looking out from under the umbrella of sand.

The girl nodded and hurried home, Gaara following at a distance, miraculously keeping both of them dry.

Arriving at Myaaki's doorstep, Gaara spoke sharply.

"I'll wait for you here. Don't take forever." He growled.

She shivered. She couldn't help it. He was still scary.

Grabbing her bags, she gathered clothes, and all she thought she would need.

Me mother was away, and her father and mother were divorced, so Myaaki left a note telling what happened and wrote "Good bye! See you in a few months."

Racing down the stairs, Myaaki saw Gaara leaning against the door frame, the sun shining.

"Come on." He muttered, and lept to some nearby tree, Myaaki racing after him.

It got dark soon, so the two stopped to make a fire. Sitting close to the flames Myaaki made, they sat in silence. Abruptly, Gaara stood up, beginning to walk away.

"Where are you going?" she asked quickly.

"I'm going to get some food." He answered.

Surprised at his simple answer, the red head Konoha ninja curled up closer to the fire, holding her knees up to her chest.

"Ok."she mumbled.

Gaara was gone for quit some time. Hoping he would come back soon, Myaaki began playing with her hair.

A kunai knife zoomed past the girl's head, just barely grazing her hair.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Four, five mist ninja emerged from the shadows.

"Well well, look what we have here. A little cherry blossom. What are you doing here girl?" said one of them with bandages covering his mouth and nose, eyes that were almost black glared at her mischeviously.

"What do you want?" the frightened girl asked fearfully.

"Don't answer a question with a question, stupid girl!" roared the mist nin, keeping her planted. She didn't notice thin wires were encircling her. Then, the wires tighten, tying her to a tree, the thin threads cutting into skin.

"THIS IS HAPPENING WAY TOO OFTEN!" screamed Myaaki, glancing around her. The masked ninja advanced towards her, his kunai at her throat.

"Don't bother calling for help. No one can hear you." Whispered the man in her ear.

Myaaki tried to reach her holster bag strapped to her thigh, but the wores were too strong and cut deeper into her skin, blood oozing out from under the threads.

"ouch…"she whispered.

"Ouch is right, you weakling!" roared the nin laughing.

The wind picked up all of a sudden.

"See? Even if you did call for help, the wind would steal your sweet little voice." Growled the ninja mockingly.

"Where I would catch it." Said a voice, dripping with venom and malice.

Before any of the ninja's could turn around, sand enveloped four of them

"Don't. Touch. Her." Growled Gaara, his eyes turning to slits with hatred. With and ominous 'squish' they were finished. Another kunai was held to Myaaki's throat.

"Move one more inch, and the girl's dead." Menaced the last mist ninja.

Myaaki's eyes were pleading for Gaara to do something. He saw the look in her eyes and his stomach was clenched painfully.

"Fine. I was going anyway." And her protector, her last life line, walked away into the forest.

Sobbing, Myaaki eyed the mist ninja. He smiled, or more like smirked at her evily.

"He moved" he said in a sing song voice, pressing the kunai harder against the girl's throat. It cut gently, blood slowly dripping from the wound.

Saned lashed out at the ninja, raising him high in the air and what was left of him was his blood splattered against trees and Myaaki's face and skin.

Tears flowing, she felt the wires loosen, and falling to the ground, the helpless girl sank to her knees, clutching the tree bark for support.

Gaara appeared from behind the tree Myaaki was bound to. Eyeing the fire, he asked,

"They came to you?"

Nodding, Myaaki wiped uselessly at her arms and legs frantically, trying to get the blood off her.

Clenching his teeth, Gaara asked another question.

"Are you alright?

Shocked by his concern for her, Myaaki whipped her head around to face Gaara, not noticing that he had crouched next to her, looking at her cuts and the blood from the ninja splattered on her.

"Y-yes, I suppose" chocked the kunoichi, feeling her throat, searching for the wound. It stung as her dirty fingers came in contact with it, she healed the cut.

Gaara stood up, saying, "You'd better get some sleep or you'll be too tired for us to reach Sunagakure by tomorrow."

Myaaki nodded, her whole body trembling and aching, laid down at the roots of the tree, sleep consuming her instantly.

Arms folded, legs crossed, Gaara stared at the girl. No, more like gazed at her. Her hair fanned out behind her like some giant red glossy fan. He approached her, kneeling next to the sleeping kunoichi. His finger traced her jawline.

'Why am I doing this?' he thought.

She stirred, his hand shot back and he lept to a tree branch above her. She was just settling into a more comfortable position.

'Damn it, I was never this jumoy before I met,' a warm shiver went up his spine and arms, 'Myaaki'

Then he settled into his meditating position and watched over her carefully.

Me:sooo…

Gaara: so what?

Me: you know…;)

Gaara glares: I hate you

Me: HA! So you DID like it! Admit it! Admit it!

Gaara:..fine…maybeididlikeitabit….

Me: Pardon? What was that you said?

Gaara: I don't repeat myself, girl.

Me: Fine then, if you don't say it, then I will!

Gaara: NO! fine, maybe I did like it a bit…

I roll over laughing

Gaara: your cruel…