A/N: I don't own Taking Over Me by Evanescence. Which rocks.

Chapter 3: A Different Path

The Konoha shinobi stood near the outskirts of the village, about ready to depart to go find the Akatsuki lair and rescue Gaara. Each had a bag packed on their shoulder, and faced away from the village. They were leaving right then, because Gaara needed them as soon as possible now. Baki told them, "If you wait a little, we can have a skilled ninja here too." Kakashi raised an eyebrow as the three of them turned to face the Sand sensei.

"Really…"

Temari called to them, running up to the group with an unwavering expression on her face, "I'm going too!" She wasn't going to stay behind as three people go to save her little brother. She was determined to help as well!

From the roof of a structure someone called, contradicting her thoughts of going along with them, "Temari, stay here and work on the defense of the country border." Everyone looked up in surprise, Naruto placing a hand over his eyes so he could see, at the old woman, Chiyo as she stood on the top of building. "From the shinobi of the Sand, I will be enough."

Temari protested, slightly annoyed, "Demo…! Chiyo-baasama!"

"That would be too much for you," Baki commented.

Looking slightly aggravated, she replied, "Don't treat me like an old woman!" As she leapt off of the roof towards them, Naruto called in surprise, "She jumped!" He and Sakura yelped when she landed before them easily, and she glanced up at them, saying darkly, "I've wanted to give my cute grandson some love for a while now…"

A few annoyed objections broke out behind them and they all looked back to see a determined Masao striding towards them with a few medic-nin insisting she return to the hospital. "Leave me alone," she hissed at them. Stopping before Naruto she told him sternly, "If you want an advanced favor from the Sorakage you had better let me come with you!" His expression was slightly taken aback, and he looked at Kakashi and Sakura. "I want to help save Gaara!"

A surprised, but pleased, Temari smiled and said, "I think you should let her come with actually. I've fought with her before and she can be a great deal of help." She nodded determinedly and looked around at the rest of the Konoha ninja. She couldn't read what they were thinking from their expressions, but she tried to keep her hopes up.

But the Copy Ninja told her, much to her chagrin and her dashed hopes, "Masao-kun, I think you should stay behind on this. You're still not well enough to fight." Masao tried to protest, but the Sand kunoichi put a hand on her shoulder to silence her.

Sakura watched the girl curiously, and got a different vibe than just 'wanting to help'. She had an unrelated incentive for going with them, and even though Gaara was the reason for it, it was for a good motive and not a bad one. The cherry-haired girl bit her lip. What other reason…? Why else could she possibly want to save Gaara?

Maybe, a small voice told her, for the same reason you want to save Sasuke… and Naruto.

Kakashi, Naruto, Chiyo, and a confused Sakura vanished from their sights, Temari praying that the four will bring her kid brother home. The Sorakage clenched her fists, angry, and decided on one thing. She was going to go save Gaara with or without permission from anyone. She didn't have to listen to that old man!

The night passed with no trouble, but Masao couldn't get to sleep at first, with the thought of Gaara still fresh in her mind mixed with Kankurou's snores. She tossed and turned constantly, the bed creaking with every movement. How could she sleep when she wasn't even out there looking for the love of her life? Shaking her head, she tried to stop thinking about it. If she didn't, she'd be up all night. Finally, after taking some pain relievers that did indeed relieve her pain; she dozed off into a restless sleep.

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You don't remember me but I remember you

I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you

But who can decide what they dream

And dream I do…

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Darkness surrounded her as she made her way down a dark tunnel. Masao glanced around blindly, as no light reflected off anything to help her see. She recognized this place, she's been here before. She recognized the feeling in her heart that told her something valuable was nearby. Suddenly a spotlight erupted from the ceiling, causing her to wince from the sudden change in lighting, once again. Rubbing her eyes, she could barely distinguish amongst the spots deterring her vision a bright red mop of hair. A loud shriek sounded, but the room didn't go dark again.

Her heart pounded furiously when she realized it was her own voice that caused such a ghastly noise. She collapsed next to the young man, unable to form words. Her throat constricted, and she could hardly breathe. Tears and shivers shook her small frame violently. Mirthless laughter echoed in the background, taunting her. One word, one name, escaped her disbelieving lips in a heart wrenching scream. "GAARA!"

Masao awoke sharply, drenched in cold sweat, the image of Gaara's death still fresh in her mind. The Kazekage's eyes were closed as if in sleep, and his expressionless face was even paler than usual. He looked completely unharmed, yet he was dead. No heartbeat, no breath, no movement of any kind. It was as if he had fallen into an unswayable slumber, never to wake again. A shiver ran down her spine, and she gulped back a scream she wouldn't have the strength to pull off anyway. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying for the image to go away. But it became even more discernable when she tried to make it leave.

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I believe in you

I'll give up everything just to find you

I have to be with you

To live, to breathe

You're taking over me

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The Sorakage was confused and upset. Was the dream some sort of warning? It left a bad taste in the back of her throat no matter what the reason for it was. She knew… she knew that something was wrong with Gaara. She didn't know how she knew, or why, she just did. It's one of those feelings you get, a foreshadowing of things to come, or of something that's starting to happen to someone you care about. Her eyes winced, causing a stray tear to escape down her cheek.

Sitting up, she glanced at the peacefully sleeping Kankurou apologetically. Sliding out of bed she tiptoed over to his and hesitated. Patting his unpainted forehead, she told him, "Gomen nasai, Kankurou-san… demo, watashi wa…" She shook her head and pushed her maroon hair out of her face. "I have to do this. Please understand, Kankurou-san, I want to help save Gaara…" Taking a deep breath she pulled her bag onto her shoulder from the side of the bed and cast him one last glance. "…And tell Temari-san that I'm sorry."

I have to try. That's all I can do at this point. She still felt slightly woozy but didn't let that stop her. She had an easy time of getting out since, obviously, the Suna-nin didn't expect medical wards to sneak out. Her leg throbbed painfully and she winced, glancing down at it in concern. It hasn't acted up in a long while. This might be an issue…

Gaara. All she could think about was Gaara. She needed to see him, talk with him, something. Everything had fallen apart at that last meeting, and here she was to pick up the pieces and fit them back together to form the picture again. She needed to find him. She had to. There was too much between them to push all of this away now. To pretend it never happened. Masao could never do that; she held Gaara too close to her heart to do that. But what she didn't understand was… why. Love was too complicated for her to understand at this point. Too difficult. "Well…" she murmured to herself, as she set off into the desert. "I hope I can knock some sense into that boy, so help me. He better pray that I go easy on his ass."

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Have you forgotten all I know and all we had?

You saw me mourning my love for you

And touched my hand

I knew you loved me then

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:oOo:…

Kankurou awoke to a bright sunrise, with the pain almost completely alleviated. He took a deep breath of the morning air, and looked to the side of him to see if his friend was all right. It took a moment, but the empty, neatly made bed next to him finally clicked a switch in his just awakening brain. His eyes opened wide in shock and he shouted the name of the person he knew would be nearby. "Temari!" She burst into the medical room at her brother's call, glancing around in concern. He pointed to the tidy bed next to his and Temari started in astonishment. "She left while I was sleeping." She stared at the empty bed, not really surprised; gloomy, more than anything. She had gone anyway, to go save him. Even though she was still recuperating. Temari clenched her fists and stared at her sandals dejectedly. This was such a tortuous situation that she couldn't even begin to fathom it correctly. Masao still loves Gaara… but does he still love her? What'll happen when they meet up again?

She remembered all too well what happened last time. She had seen the tears sliding down the girl's face all that time ago. But… Gaara never spoke a word about her since. He never even acknowledged that he ever even knew her. Never. She sighed and glanced at her brother. I hope something good can come of all of this.

Masao leapt to the next set of trees trying to make up about twenty-four hours of lost time. Naruto-san's group left yesterday, but at the rate I'm going now I'll never catch up unless I keep all night as well! She pulled at her hair in aggravation. Jesus! If that guy, Kakashi, had just let her go whenshe wanted to she wouldn't be in this predicament! Naruto-san looked like he would have let her, but unfortunately Kakashi seemed to be boss. She snorted. Yeah, right. As if she'd let some underling tell her what to do. I'm the Sorakage dammit! ROAR!

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I believe in you

I'll give up everything just to find you

I have to be with you

To live, to breathe

You're taking over me

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A pulsate erupted in her heart as she started to push off the ground again, and she fell to her knees in shock. A feeling of dread pervaded every ounce of her body, and she clutched at her black shirt in shock. It throbbed again, and she suppressed a sharp cry of pain. It was the feeling again, the dreadful feeling that she got in her chest. Something's… something's terribly wrong with Gaara… She could tell, and it hurt. The urgency she felt to get to him was stronger than ever before, and she wasn't sure if she could make it in time now…

Getting back onto her feet, Masao pulled her bag higher on her back she doubled her speed towards the direction where she found the residual chakra Naruto-san, Sakura-san, Kakashi, and Chiyo-sama left behind. It was faint, but she was ANBU, and could track almost anything. Narrowing her eyes, she leapt into the air on her way.

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I look in the mirror and see your face

If I look deep enough

So many things inside

That are just like you are taking over

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:oOo:…

Gaara looked around, seeing nothing but white surrounding him in an infinite room, the end of he just couldn't find. The infallible color blinded him slightly at first, but his eyes gradually became used to it. Glancing down, he saw a strange hand before him and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "…who is it…? This hand…?" He blinked and shook his head. "What is it…? …Is it my hand?" He sighed and clenched his fist. "Have I ever become an existence needed by anyone…?" Something in the distance caught his eye, and he squinted to try and discern who stood before him. It was like a reflection in glass, and he recognized the figure. "What…? What is that…? Is it me…?"

He stared at his mirror image, and it stared right back at him, only with a saddened expression instead of his own confused one. "That is the me… who wanted to be needed by someone. Why… why did I want that to come about…? Why… do I… want this?" The other Gaara gave him no reply, just watched him with those vacant eyes. He examined his face and shook his head again. "Those eyes… that nose… that mouth… Why… is that Gaara…? I was inside that… No…" He cut himself off, realizing another question that cancelled out his statement. "What was I originally?"

His other self seemed to get farther away as he asked, "It just… shared a consciousness with me… What is it… originally…?" His other self vanished into the white lights, and he couldn't make it out save for a small shadow in the distance. "A mere… small… sensation…" Before his world went dark, a person flashed before him, smiling and waving to him as if she really cared. He reached his hand out to her, but she was too far away to get to, and every step she took towards him only made her farther away. "Maybe… I was needed…maybe…" He groaned, and then squeezed his eyes shut. "Masao"He fell to the ground on his back, dead; his life taken from him as his bijū was fully extracted from his body.

A voice said gravely, "It is done."

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I believe in you

I'll give up everything just to find you

I have to be with you

To live, to breathe

You're taking over me…

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