This chapter is waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy tooo long.

-19-

Adoring Eyes

Gaara was gone for only an hour or two. Long enough for me to reluctantly finish my supper and 'settle down with a book'. By 'settle down', I really mean I sat furthest from the door and window, all the muscles in my body ready to spring, and a lethal poison-coated kunai tucked between the pages as a bookmark. Yeah.

I could feel him long before he appeared in the inn doorway. It wasn't that I was a chakra sensor, but there was just so much of it inside him that I could just...feel...him in the area.

After a few moments, I could see Machiko and Carl-sensei tense as well. Really, this mission was doing nothing for our 'teamwork'. The only relationships that were developing here were negative ones. I mean, who the bloody hell just up and declares they want to kill you?

Some part of me whispered that he didn't mean i-

From what I could remember of the original story, Gaara...took comfort in killing people. People ignored him, so he killed them to make them notice him. Their terror was his proof that he existed, because people made him feel like he didn't exist in their eyes. That, and the Sandcastle liked to hurt people because he was a nut bar, but I mean...that's just who the Sandcastle is.

The door to our room slid open to reveal Gaara. He bore no expression on his face as he made his way inside the room. He didn't even bother speaking to any of us. He just...walked into the room and sat by the window, his sand slowly spreading throughout the rom and settling on everything, including my clothes.

Fear gripped at my heart as pain rolled up and down my prosthetic leg, some part of me still thinking I had a limb there, and that it was once again being ripped off. The sand wound its way into the folds and wrinkles of my clothing. It danced across the pages of my book and wound through my fingers. I sucked in a quick breath, feeling the need to empty my lungs just as quickly as they filled. My heart pounded loudly in my ears and my chest rose and fell rapidly with each useless inhalation I took.

I sat stock-still, waiting for the moment the sand would snap to action and rip me limb from limb.

But it never came.

Even though I didn't voice my question, I stared at Gaara, wondering why I was still alive if he was so set on being the one to kill me.

"Mother says not to kill you yet."

What? What the fuck did that- So...what? I was just supposed to sit here and act like everything was all chill? While at the same time wondering if maybe he was going to kill me the instant my guard was down?

"She says it's fun to see you squirm."

Ah. Yes. Apparently I was.

"Tell your mother to go fuck herself with the pointy end of a kunai!" I hissed back, pissed off at Shukaku for being such a fucking bitch!

The sand laying across the room shuddered before laying limp again. I could practically see how Shukaku would be fuming within its shoddy seal. Now, I realize it's a terribly stupid idea to taunt an angry tailed-beast, particularly one that wants me dead...but gee golly did Shukaku ever make it easy! So much fun.

I just couldn't help myself. I snapped my book shut and shifted so I was facing Gaara directly from across the room. A smirk glided onto my face as I locked eyes with him. However, my words were not for Gaara, but for the mutated sandcastle that dwelled within him.

"You know, Shukaku-kun, it's no surprise that Kurama-sama is everyone's favourite."

Gaara looked at me in confusion, not understanding who I was talking about. Then, his eyes snapped open wide as he gripped at his temples, wincing as he hissed between clenched teeth, "How do you know that name-"

"Which one? Shukaku, or Kurama? Oh! What about Matatabi? Or Isobu? Son Goku? Gotta be specific, darling."

Gaara and his sand lurched towards me. Before he could continue his pain and anger-fueled attack, there was a sudden eruption of chakra from the middle of the room.

My heart stuttered in my chest, and Gaara froze mid step. We both slowly turned our heads to face Carl-sensei. Chakra rolled off him, pressing down on our shoulders. Not quite Killing intent, but something more like dominance? The feeling Carl's chakra gave off made me want to bow my head and obey orders. I could see Gaara's sand slowly slithering back to him, coiling around his feet, like it could protect him from the chakra bearing down on us.

'...What if it's...King's...haki...or whatever?' came a thought from the back of my mind. Leave it to my mind to drag up another manga when I was already living another. Despite the discomfort I felt at the moment, I couldn't help the tiny smile that made my lips twitch. New headcanon. Carl-sensei is a pirate. Arg.

"Both of you will knock this off." Carl's voice growled, cutting off all thought, "I don't care how you act in the village. Kill one another for all I care. I don't care why Gaara wants to kill Aisako, or why Aisako clearly has a death wish. I literally have no fucks to give."

Ouch. Way to hurt a girl's feelings, Carl-sensei.

"But that's in the village. Back in Suna? You aren't my problems. You belong to the Kazekage and Sora. Not me. Cause as much trouble there as you like. But on a mission? On a mission when you are my responsibilities and anything that goes wrong is technically my fault? I will personally end you both in the most painful ways I know."

And just like that, the chakra was gone.

I took in a deep, gasping breath, not even realizing that I hadn't been able to breathe the entire time.

The three of us stared at our teacher, new wariness in our eyes. We...or at least I, had always suspected that there was something more to him. There had to be for him to be our Academy teacher AND our jounin sensei. And now? That display...right there. That wasn't the chakra of some run-of-the-mill jounin. That was...someone in charge. Someone who gave orders and had the strength to enforce those orders.

Was it possible...that somehow...Carl-sensei was actually strong enough to stop Gaara, should anything happen? Or at the very least strong enough to fight him off long enough for civilians to flee?

Just how strong was he? Who was he?

Why is it that I know next to nothing about the people who influence my life? Why don't I know anything about any of my teachers? Who was Sora? Where did Satoru's loyalty lay? How powerful was Carl?

That night, we 'slept' with me positioned closest to the door, and Gaara furthest into the room, with Machiko next to me and Carl-sensei in between my minion and potential murderer. None of us actually slept that night. I was too scared that Gaara's sand was going to rip me limb from limb the moment I let my guard down, Machiko was fuming with rage nearly as tangible as the kyuubi's, Carl was just tense and on guard in case the three of us tried to kill each other...and Gaara? He sat by the window, staring up at the sky as he quietly muttered to 'himself'.

Occasionally, I could feel his eyes on me, and it made my skin crawl and my blood pound. If I closed my eyes for even a second, all I could imagine were those damn golden eyes staring into my soul as sand coiled around my remaining leg and-

I sat up. Everyone in the room shifted, finally giving up the facade of sleeping.

There was a 'nice', awkward as fuck silence as we all stared at one another in the dark. It wasn't like the dark was a problem for us. We could all see in it just fine.

"So..." I said, not sure what to actually say or do...I just wanted to end the silence, "Anyone know any good bedtime stories?"

"Oh! What about the one you told Machiko about the doll that came to life and murdered people?! The ginger one!"

I facepalmed. Violently.

"Machiko...let's not talk about redheads murdering people?"

"Oops."

"Do I even want to know if you made that story up yourself?" the adult in the room asked, concern and hesitation clear in his tone. Completely different from how he'd spoken to us before.

"Probably not, Carl-sensei." I gave an apologetic grin.

"Can we please knock it off with the 'Carl-sensei' crap? My name is-"

The door to our room suddenly slammed open, and a village teenager gasped for breath as he stood before us. "Bandits...in the...village..."

Okay. Killing bandits sounds good. Really good. Fantastic. Anything was better than awkwardly trying to sleep in the same room as the guy who's declared his desire to murder your ass-

I grabbed my extra kunai set and left the room, still dressed in my 'shinobi uniform'.

The inn was actually the tallest building in the village. While it was cooler here, as it was on the edge of the desert (unlike Suna), it was still very warm. A tall building gets hotter the higher up you get, because heat rises. Most buildings in the village were two stories max. The inn, however, was three stories high and provided me a perfect view of the rather small village.

From the rooftop, I could see down most of the 'streets'. I sat and watched as Gaara's sand herded the bandits, who were all in the midst of stereotypical, mindless pillaging, towards me. On the streets below, Machiko and Carl-sensei were merrily hacking and slashing their way through bandit cannon fodder. Occasionally, I'd see Machiko putting Sora's lessons into good practice as she used everyday objects to end lives.

Lemme tell you, I'd never be able to look at my potted cactus the same way.

I ran a hand along my left leg, humming as I opened a compartment in the prosthetic. Within the compartment there was a set of senbon, each stained a light yellow-green at the tip. Careful not to touch the stained ends of the senbon, I loaded the 'launchers' on my wrists. It was actually more accurate to call them 'holders' as all they really did was push senbon out and into my awaiting hand when I flexed my arm in a certain way.

We couldn't all be like Haku and make senbon out of thin air-

Oh.

I tucked the idea that suddenly sprang to mind away, promising to think more on it at another time. Likely when I was with Satoru or Sora and they could tell me if I was an idiot or not.

Maybe some of us could be like Haku. Maybe.

Hadn't I once compared Satoru to Haku?

As the first bandit came within my range, I took a second to carefully take aim and let loose a single senbon.

It shot through the air, closing the distance between itself and the bandit's left eye. It pierced through the squishy lil' peeper and merrily made its way deeeeep into the brain of my target. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Another bandit came close. Another senbon was let loose. This one only grazed his arm, but it was enough for me to know the poison on the needle was in his system. He continued running for a step or three before he stumbled, clutching at his throat and clawing at his injured arm. After a few moments of this, his legs gave in and he laid on the ground unmoving.

I sniped a couple more bandits, and by that point not many of them remained wandering the streets. They'd wizened up pretty quickly and tried to escape the village, only for the sand to rise up and devour them. At least two dozen bandit corpses laid on the street, although it was hard to tell exactly how many there had been thanks to Gaara's...eagerness.

At the very least, I could see from where I sat on the roof that he had a very satisfied expression on his face, and knew it was unlikely that he'd attack me tonight. No, they'd probably wait for the bloodlust in him to rise again before he and Shukaku tried to off me.

I checked to make sure the remaining poisoned senbon were secured in the cavity in my leg before I hopped down from the inn roof and made my way through the streets, reclaiming the senbon that I'd used.

It was best not to leave those laying around.

After looting them, we dragged the bodies into a pile in the middle of the village for the villagers to deal with, and returned to out room. Machiko, Gaara and sensei took turns showering to clean off the blood, while I settled into my bedroll with a book about a chakra-wielding pirate, already clean of blood thanks to my long-distance approach at combat.

There were no more attacks for the duration of our stay in the village. The villagers were still quite friendly, but I noticed how they subtly pushed their children behind them when we approached. I saw the sparks of fear in their eyes when they looked at Gaara and Machiko, likely because of the violent way they ended their opponents. And I could see the suspicious looks they cast my way, likely wondering where I had been during the attack.

And somehow...I found it...comforting that they'd come to fear us.

Like everything was right with the world once again.

...There is something seriously wrong with me.

We gave the Kazekage our report, careful not to make eye contact with the man. From the corner of my eye, I could see the way Gaara's sand recoiled away from him, like the sand thought the leader of our village was diseased.

To be more accurate, Sensei gave the report. We three, lowly genin did not speak. We just let Carl tell the man all about the first ambush, and then the attempted raid on the village, going into detail on how there had been no survivors among the attacking bandits.

When it was all said and done, we received our pay and Carl-sensei vanished, muttering something about 'going to the Cuddly'. It left my standing in the hallway outside the Kazekage's office with Machiko and Gaara. I kept my eyes on Gaara, not forgetting the threat he'd made during our mission. He was going to kill me. I wasn't sure what I'd done to make him declare it, but he'd done it all the same.

There was a heavy silence before Machiko spoke, "Machiko can't wait to go home and eat poison soup~!"

I jolted, realizing that Machiko and I had somewhere very important to be. There would be no poison soup for the time being.

"Shit!"

Both my team mates stared at me in confusion, and I turned to Machiko hissing, "'Sora' wants us in the Alley!"

The blond's eyes widened, "Shit! Why didn't Aisako-sama tell Machiko sooner?!"

I ignore her use of a swear word (I may swear, but who the fuck taught her how to?). We both moved to run to the nearest exit when sand wrapped around my wrist, halting both of our movement. Gaara tilted his head and asked, "Who is this Sora? You speak of him very often. Sensei also mentions him quite frequently around you."

That was...a hard to answer question. Especially because Gaara was the son of the Kazekage. I wasn't sure just how aware of 'Sora' our 'leader' was. Sure 'Sora' had an office in this very building, and was a member of the village council...but did that mean the Kazekage knew everything that 'Sora' did? I somehow doubted it. Sora' didn't seem the sort to be open to someone like the Kazekage.

"He's our teacher," I said, deciding to stick with the most basic response...to me, he was a teacher. That's all.

"I thought you were being taught by your relative?"

"Sora-sama teaches Aisako-sama and Machiko one day, Satoru-sensei the next," my minion piped up, but I internally cringed at the way she addressed him. If there was one thing to know about Machiko, it was that the way she addressed someone meant everything.

"Sora...sama."

Yup. Even the socially awkward CRAZY PERSON picked up on it.

"He's also a very respected council member." I added, slowly backing away from Gaara, despite the sand still coiled around my arm.

"What alley?"

I blinked at the sudden topic change. What was this? An interrogation? I still couldn't stop myself from correcting him after hearing him confuse the Alley with a regular one. Shouldn't he know about it? He was the Kage's son, and the Kazekage was asshole enough to be the type to send Gaara down there. What better place to brainwash someone into being a weapon...than the place where they brainw-

I cut the thought off and instead let my voice drop to a whisper, "Not an alley...the Alley."

There was no recognition in his eyes.

Lucky bastard.

I tugged my arm, trying to get it free so I could leave. I didn't have time to explain what the Alley was to him. 'Sora' would have known the instant we were back in the village, and would expect us to be on our way the instant we were finished reporting to the Kazekage.

We were going to be late.

"Fuck it. C'mon Gaara, we're going to go visit some dead people!"

And with that, I reached out and grabbed Gaara's wrist, not even thinking about the possibility that his sand would attack, and dragged him out of the Kazekage building.

We made our way through the narrow tunnels of the civilian catacombs, slowly going deeper and deeper. Eventually, we reached a part of the catacomb that no one had been buried in for centuries (before it was a ninja village, the location had been used as a central hub for the people who lived in the desert...an oasis of sorts. Naturally people died here just as much as they lived. Had to put the bodies somewhere...). Despite the disuse, it was obvious to a shinobi that many people had traveled through here recently.

I ignored the burning sensation of sea foam eyes boring into the back of my head as I channeled chakra into my hand and placed it against a small faded looking seal. There was the sound of stone grating against stone and sand being displaced as a segment of the wall in front of us slid to the side, revealing a dark tunnel. Without hesitation, Machiko and I walked into the thick darkness, listening as Gaara followed after. A moment later, the wall slid into place behind us, sealing us in.

It was impossible to see where we were going, even with shinobi vision, but I'd traveled the pathway blindfolded often enough that it didn't matter if I couldn't see where we were going. For a few long minutes, we walked in silence, even though I was sure Gaara had questions. Then, as we walked, a distant hum could be heard, and after turning a corner, a brightly lit opening in the tunnel could be seen. The further we walked, the louder the sound became, until it could be identifies as the din of hundreds of shinobi going about their business.

I heard a sharp intake of air as Gaara realized what we were hearing. When we reached the threshold, I turned to look at the uncharacteristically expressive look of surprise Gaara wore. His eyes darted around the cavern, watching people talk through more tunnels and into stores carved into the stone.

"Welcome to the Alley, Gaara...and I'm sorry."

His brow crinkled as he turned to look at me.

"It's just...you're about to get wrapped up in 'Sora's' business." I said, smiling sadly, "He's a bit of a- It's annoying when he starts nagging."

Nagging. That was a funny word for it.

Machiko bounded down the steps in front of us, into the main cavern. She made a b-line for the tunnel directly across the room from the tunnel we'd entered through. Like an expert, she weaved through the other shinobi there, knowing full well that she didn't want to get in their way. I followed after her, ignoring the way the other ninja in the room immediately noticed Gaara trailing after me.

Something in the back of my mind wondered if I was going to get in trouble for bringing Gaara down here with me. It wasn't like I had a choice though. It was either I followed 'Sora's' order and live, or refuse Gaara's 'request' and die.

It was a no-brainer, really.

We followed Machiko down the brightly lit tunnel. It was lined with the doors and windows of multiple house-sized apartments carved into the stone. We stopped in front of a familiar black door, and knocked on the painted wood. The door opened an instant later to reveal a familiar brunette man.

"Ah! Ai-sa-ko-chan!" 'Sora' practically purred, making my face heat up ever so slightly. Bastard.

"Sir." I greeted in return, finding myself standing at attention. Beside me, I knew that Machiko was doing the same. I also felt slightly mortified, knowing that Gaara was probably just staring creepily at 'Sora', since he didn't know just who he was yet.

The councilman motioned for us to some inside. We obeyed and found ourselves in an entryway that looked more expensive than my entire house, with polished floors, exotic potted plants (they appeared to receive light from a series of seals written on the ceiling above them), fine paintings and other decorations. I knew the rest of the house would be just as lavish. It paid to be one of the most important people in the village, I suppose.

"I'm glad you remembered to bring Machiko down here with you...and I see you've brought your third teammate down here as well...I suppose that's for the best...he will need to be in on the plan if we want it to work as smoothly as I hope it will," by this point, 'Sora' was mostly talking to himself, staring at Gaara with a distant expression. He suddenly blinked and shook his head, smiling fondly at my minion and I, "Now girls, tell me...how did your first C-rank go? Did you have fun?"

"Fun's a...word...for it. It was eventful...but kinda boring," I told him with a shrug, "the bandits weren't much fun to fight. It was a bit too easy."

"Aw, I'm sorry for taking the fun out of killing criminals, Ai-chan," he told me, actually sounding very sincere...in a condescending kind of way, "Did you use anything special on them?"

"One I used the Amber on, and there were a few where I used one of Ma's recipes."

He grinned, "Did it work nicely?"

"Yes sir." I could feel my lips twitch involuntarily as I thought of the way the man had clawed at his own flesh, tearing his shirt and skin in a desperate instinctive attempt to get the poison out. I could see the way he gripped at his throat and the panic in his eyes when he realized his airway was tightening and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any air. Upon closer inspection, when I went to retrieve my senbon, I could see the way the vessels in his eyes had burst, and how his saliva had frothed and dribbled past his lips onto his chin.

"Good," he then focused his attention on my minion. I could see she was practically shaking where she stood, eager to report to him, "Machiko...have you anything to add?"

"Machiko's broke soooo many bones! Not Machiko's bones though...the bandits' bones. Snap." She gave him a blinding smile. So cute.

"It sounds like you had lots of fun then?"

"Yes! So much fun!" She nodded, but then frowned and threw a scowl at Gaara, "But then the Betrayer threatened to kill Aisako-sama and Sensei yelled at us. Sensei can be scary. It was weird."

Brown eyes shifted towards Gaara once again, but a smirk was dancing on the edges of 'Sora's' perfect lips, "And what did the Betrayer say, exactly?"

I snorted, hearing 'Sora' use Machiko's new name for Gaara without hesitation.

"The Betrayer said 'I've decided that I'll be the one to kill you', after he found out that Aisako-sama still has the occasional attempt on her life." Was...I the only one a little bothered that my minion was so eager to give him information? She hadn't even asked if it was okay to tell him...

There was an obvious, knowing smirk on 'Sora's' face as he regarded Gaara, and he let out what I'd almost call a...cooing sound?

"Oh the folks back at the Temple will love to hear this, won't they Machiko-chan?"

She nodded, looking thoroughly put out by the idea...but I...he...he made it sound like Machiko had already been to the Temple.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, the niggling suspicion I'd been feeling about Machiko grew just a little bit larger, and whispered in the mind just a little bit louder. Had she just been pretending to not know? Why would she hide it from me?

What was happening?

"Now Ai-chan, no need to look so alarmed...I'll explain everything in a little while. For now, I have an important mission for all of you-"

"Mission?" Gaara asked. It was the first time he'd spoken since we'd entered the room.

"Yes, it's vital to the future of the village that-"

"You can assign us missions? Wouldn't you need the permission of the Kazekage?"

Weeeiiiird. Gaara sounded like he actually wanted to obey his father. Don't tell me he was a Daddy's boy AND a Mama's boy. That was just sad.

"Gaara-kun..." 'Sora's' tone changed, losing the friendly lilt it usually had, suddenly turning into something cold and commanding, "Your father has given me free-reign. In fact, he doesn't want to know what I do. It's better for his reputation as Kage not to know as well. Plausibly deniability and all that."

Gaara stared at him, expression somehow both blank and completely disbelieving at the same time.

'Sora' shrugged, "Fine then. If you want, Gaara-kun, I can get you an escort out of here and to see your father, and you can ask him if you can follow my orders. I promise you, he'll go a shade or two paler."

Oh, I'd love to see that.

Sea foam eyes narrowed for a moment, slightly drifting upwards and to the left as Gaara and his 'mother' had a quick conversation, before he spoke, "That will be unnecessary. Mother wants to know what you're doing."

"Everyone wants to know what I'm doing. Where I live, what I do all day, do I have any hobbies, am I single- Can't promise you'll find out everything," the brown-haired man said with a tired, dramatic sigh.

I snickered, bringing him back to the moment.

"Right. So. Before we head to the Temple...Ai-chan, we're gonna have to make some...changes to your public persona."

"Um...what?"

"Well...I'm sure you've noticed by now that you and Machiko are the only students I teach...the rest of my time is spent with my work. There's a special reason why it's only you and her. You see, Aisako-chan...I've made you my apprentice, and Machiko has been trained to by your protector. As my apprentice, I expect you to take over my position at some point in the future. You'll be everything that I am...a commander in the Alley, an adviser to the next Kazekage...and one hell of a politician if I have any say in it," he explained to me, "Think of this as the next phase in your training if you can't see it as a mission...any good politician knows how to charm the masses."

I groaned, already knowing where he was going with this. He was saying that somehow, I was gonna have to convince all the fucking Sheeple in Suna that I was someone they wanted to be in charge. They couldn't vote me off- this wasn't a democracy after all- but they could try to revolt if they were desperate and stupid enough to try. Sooo...I had to make them like me. Ew.

Why the bloody fuck hadn't he told me this sooner!?

"Hush Ai-chan, I can hear you mentally screaming from here."

"How the heck am I gonna pull this shit off!?"

"Hush." He repeated, "We'll be starting with the Loved Ones, and have them convince their friends and family outside of the cult that you're a kind sweet little girl who has been forced to act the way you do in an attempt to protect yourself from people who treat you like a monster for something that should be considered a miracle."

"Miracle?"

"Yes...Ai...just wait a little bit longer. I'd rather explain everything at once."

I gave a sigh, but nodded along anyways. There was no way I was going to get the answers out of him sooner than he was willing to give them.

"Now then. As for how we're going to 'pull this shit off'...we'll be making you into the Loved Child they think you are."

What? That didn't answer anything!

"When we get there Ai-chan...I want you to be warm and sweet and kind. I want to see the girl who gave homeless people food, the one who embraced another for who they were when even their parents rejected them...the little girl who taught a lonely boy what love was, and the girl who was willing to forgive a monster from ripping off her own limb...surely you can do that much, can't you? Ai-sa-ko-chan?"

My eyes darted from him, to my wide-eyed minion, to Gaara, whose eyes were fixed on 'Sora' with a barely hidden gleam of insanity shining within.

Again, I sighed and nodded.

We didn't head for the temple right away. First, 'Sora' led us further into his 'home', directing us towards the different washrooms in the abode. He ordered that we clean up and meet him back at the front door.

It was strange how after spending a decade in the desert, I had become so accustomed to using as little water as possible. Especially after the drought had persisted longer than expected, and now water was more expensive than gold. Naturally, 'Sora' could afford it, but most people could only spare enough for bare necessities.

It wasn't like this back in the Test Drive. There had been so, so much fresh water back in Canada.

Sometimes, I find myself missing the feeling of snow packing underfoot, and of wading through slush...I missed the rain in April and the rivers flooding when all the ice and snow thawed. Maybe...someday I'd get to travel? And see the snow again?

Jolting out of my thoughts, I finished getting dressed and headed to where 'Sora' awaited us. Gaara was already there, and Machiko joined us after only a minute or two of waiting. He opened the door and led us back out into the Alley. Shinobi were still darting around, and many still kept their eyes trained on us. The four of us ignored them as 'Sora' lead us to another door, with a little sign hanging over it, depicting a spool of thread and a senbon instead of a needle. We were...getting custom duds?

"Miiiiikaaaaasaaaa!" 'Sora' called into the shop as he led us inside, "I need your help with my apprentice!"

Shelves covered in threads, beads and rolls of fabric lined all the walls. A table covered in catalogs sat in the middle of the room, while mannequins stood throughout the space, showing off some of the various styles the seamstress 'Mikasa' had created. Further into the store, I could see several doors hidden behind curtains of fabrics lining the back wall, likely work spaces or changing areas.

A woman appeared before us in what had to be a silent, cloudless shunshin...impressive. She had chin-length caramel-coloured hair, and her eyes were so dark a shade of black they looked black. An old, faded burn scar covered half of her face, looking more like a childhood injury than something she'd gotten as a shinobi.

Black eyes locked onto me, and without a word, she began to practically slink around us, like some predatory animal. The sand in the folds of my clothing and on the ground around us twitched, showing Gaara's distrust. To my surprise, Machiko didn't move or say a word, despite the way the woman moved around us. She usually was the type to get pretty...rawr...when someone was even slightly threatening in the vicinity of me.

"And I was hoping you could help with her little friends too. It's time they made an appearance at the Temple together."

"You want her done pretty or capable?"

"Pretty for now. Capable might scare the Civilian Skeptics off. We want them to be lured in further."

"We'll dress her in orange...like what she's wearing...they love the whole amber thing...and it'll go well with her eyes...bit of makeup here and there -best not lay it on too thickly- and I'll see if we can tame her hair." Mikasa said, grabbing my chin and tilting my head this want and that.

"I was thinking the sweepy-drifty one would look nice...make her seem a bit ethereal."

"...I hate it when you name my things like that." She sighed, releasing my face and spinning on her heel. She made her way to the back of the shop, then stopped and glanced at me over her shoulder, a confused expression on her face, "Well, Aisako-san? Aren't you coming? We have quite a bit of work to do."

Confused, I trailed after her, glancing at 'Sora', Machiko and Gaara as I left. The first two seemed completely at ease, while Gaara looked just as confused as I was...in his own...blank...way. I was getting really good at reading Blank. Maybe I'd be able to read a Hyuuga or an Uchiha someday?

Maybe. I'd check it out during the exams.

As we passed through a door hidden by a curtain of purple paisley. The room inside features a vanity, a mirror wall, a raised platform for a model to stand on, and several cabinets, dressers and shelves. I barely had a chance to take it all in before she pushed me towards the platform. Understanding what I was to do, I climbed up onto it and stood to face the mirrors.

"Now then...I'm sure Sora's been rather vague about what the plan is...hasn't he?" Mikasa asked me as she began riffling through one of the dressers.

"Kinda...yeah."

"He likes to be pragmatic. Has been ever since he first showed up."

My brow quirked up at the wording. 'Showed up' implied that he'd just appeared one day even though Mikasa and 'Sora' looked pretty close in age. They would have attended the academy together, war or not. "Showed up?"

"Ah...well...Sora's always known his role. His teacher started working on him pretty early...compared to you," Mikasa said, pulling out a swath of airy, thin fabric. It was an all too familiar shade of orange, so startling similar to my eyes, or the mark on my face, that I'd swear it had been dyed specifically for that. Of course...knowing 'Sora'...it probably had been. Mikasa glanced at me, "He was chosen for his role and spent most of his life preparing for it. Never went to the academy, or even had a genin team. There's only a few people he spends time with outside of council meetings and missions. Three of them are you, your bodyguard and your cousin."

Why was she telling me this? Was she even supposed to- Ah. You know. She'd probably been given a script. Something to keep me occupied while she dressed me up like I was a life-sized doll, eh?

"So...what exactly am I supposed to be doing? Shouldn't I know before we get to the Temple, or whatever it's called?"

Mikasa smirked at me, something akin to amusement in her eyes, "Told him that wouldn't work. On someone like Machiko, maybe. She'd be very eager to gather information on him for you. Should have worked for a little girl your age...especially one with such a cute little crush on Sora. If I was you, I'd have snapped up a change to hear a sob story about him. I mean hot damn-"

I snorted.

She flushed, "Aaaaannnnd let's get back on track."

In her hands, she held out the fabric. Up close, I could see that it was actually a garment of some sort, but I wouldn't really be sure what it looked like until I was wearing it. It appeared to be made out of multiple layers, each with different trailing segments. I could see what 'Sora' had meant by 'sweepy-drifty'. It was accurate.

Knowing what she wanted me to do, I began unhooking the kunai pouches and removing the headband and scarf from around my neck. I hesitated for a second before pulling off the robe next.

"So, the mission ahead of you is to set the stage for when 'Sora' announces that you will be taking his seat on council. That won't be happening for a while yet, but keep a heads up. Most likely, you won't be taking over any of his roles completely until the next Kazekage is announced-"

"The...next Kazekage?" I cut her off. That sounded awfully suspicious. Of course, Kages were replaced over time...something happens and they die, one way or another. I personally just happened to know how our current leader would die. But, it wasn't like they would be involved. Right? That was Snake-pedo's job-

Someone will have to convince Rasa that it's a good idea...who better than the man whispering everything else into his ear?

I ignored that thought, and continued speaking, "Why? Is he sick?"

Lion King, really?

"No you- It's just...It's nothing for you to worry about yet. We've got a suspicion that certain powers are shifting. It's likely that with the recent economic troubles there may be a rebellion, or more frequent attempt on the Kazekage's life. Things happen...Kage's die. It's just...It's how things are done. Sora was trained to serve Rasa, his teacher the Kage before him...to the start of the village. One person can't lead an entire army." Mikasa shook her head at me as she yanked my tank top over my head, leaving me in just the wire-fishnet shirt. She thankfully left that on, instead working to unwind the bandages on my wrists and ankles.

"Sure thing."

She heaved a sigh, "Anyways. When the next Kazekage is announced, you will be expected to become an adviser of sorts...give the Kage someone to bounce ideas off of. You'll also act as a go-between for him and the ANBU. You'll speak at council meetings and be in charge of running things down here in the Alley. Eventually, you'll have to take on your own apprentice...preferably someone who isn't as well-known as you were when Sora chose you. Of course, part of the reason why you're so well known is because of Sora, but still. An orphan is typically the chosen one. They're eager to please and usually free of the naivety children are notorious for."

Cold.

"Starting from today, you'll have to tone down the Monster persona you have going on. We know it's a defense mechanism, but try to control yourself. You want to convince them that you're not a monster, even if you aren't a normal little girl-"

"Who said I wasn't- Yeah...I can't even pretend to protest there."

"Exactly. You've never acted like a child. Even if you are completely human, the way things are, they won't even think about believing that."

What...did she mean by 'even if you are completely human'? What else would I be? Just...what did they think I was?

"When you meet the Loved Ones, you'll have to greet them warmly. Tell them how much you appreciate their support, how happy you are to meet them. You've taken the classes, and Sora's spent enough time teaching you, so you should be able to convince them that you're friendly and caring. And they'll be more than willing to believe that the Loved Child loves them...You'll use that eagerness and ask them to spread the word, and to convince others that they've seen the good in you."

The garment was bundled up and slipped over my neck. As she spoke, I found the armholes. It was like those shirts that were long-sleeved, but had bare shoulders? So, it rested on my shoulders like a tank top, and then there was a segment without fabric before sleeves attached to the armpit. The sleeves continued past my hands, so that even the tips of my fingers were hidden, opening into swooping bell-sleeves. The neckline was v-shaped, formed by the way the fabric was layered, one layer crossing left, the next crossing right. Despite the multitude of layers, the fabric was thin enough that it was still cool enough to wear in the desert heat. Each layer ended at a different length. The top layer was the shortest, stopping at the bottom of my rib cage. The bottom layer was the longest, trailing on the ground behind me. I could imagine that if I were walking around, many of the streaming pieces of fabric would float behind me.

It was likely that the floating effect was to encourage the 'Loved Ones' to believe me some sort of ethereal god-child-thing. Whatever the hell they thought I was.

As I was looking at the reflection in the mirror, I failed to notice Mikasa reach under the layers and grip the dark red pants I wore until the moment she pants me. The sudden force she'd pulled them down with made me stumble, and she grinned at the annoyed look she sent me.

"Ah-ah-ah. None of that Aisako-sama. Glaring isn't proper behaviour for the Loved Child."

I stared at her for a long moment, before widening my eyes slightly, drawing my shoulders in slightly and clasping my hands together as they hung in front of me. In a tone that was softer than usual, I quickly rushed to speak, "I'm so, so sorry Mikasa-san! It was rude of me to react like that. It's just that I really wasn't expecting you to do that."

Black eyes stared at me for a long moment, "You know no one who's met you before is gonna buy that."

"Ah, but I haven't had the pleasure of meeting my Loved Ones yet," I told her, still using the earnest, innocent tone.

I'd give it a try, but honestly, I wasn't expecting this plan to work. There was no way in fucking hell I'd be able to keep up an act like that. They were asking me to be someone I clearly wasn't. I wasn't kind and innocent like they wanted me to be. I swore and killed people without regret, I antagonized people knowing full-well that someone would kill them for hurting me. I had manipulated two other children into depending on me. Both of them were currently certifiably insane. I drove children to madness. What did that say about my personality?

"We'll figure out something eventually. Just...try not to scare them all off for now. Pretend to be shy or something. They'll find it endearing."

Yeah...I could work with shy...

I was handed a pair of white sandals, and put those on as she riffled through a drawer. She came back with a hair brush and comb, set on attacking my rat's nest.

It was Hell.

By the end of it, there was little difference from before due to the wild waves, curls and cowlicks my hair naturally formed.

Then there was the make up. It wasn't much, as she'd said. She redid the kohl around my eyes and added a layer of some sort of lip gloss to my mouth before she decreed that I was as good as I was gonna get.

She was probably right.

Gaara was the same as always, and it looked like he hadn't moved an inch since we'd left. 'Sora' stood a small distance away from him, his hand resting on Machiko's shoulder. She'd brushed her hair and changed her hair style so that rather than being high pigtails, it was instead gathered into two low pigtails tied with blue ribbons close to her ears instead. She'd also changed into a set of white pants and tank top with a light blue vest over it.

"Ah, good. You've finished." 'Sora' said cheerfully, steering my minion away from Gaara, who she was glaring at hatefully. I briefly wondered what I'd missed, but figured it had likely been Gaara's 'mother' insulting Machiko somehow or another, and left it at that.

'Sora' looked me over, nodding to himself, "Yes...this should work. For now. Eventually we won't have to dress you up, but I figured it'd be nice to make a good impression on the Loved Ones, yes?"

"Yes sir."

"That reminds me...when we get to the Temple, you will need to refer to me as your 'Guardian'. It's the role the Loved Ones gave to me when they realized I was acting to stop the council from...dealing with you. Machiko is the 'Maiden'...something about her being an innocent who you took under your wing."

Machiko, Mikasa, Gaara and I all made varying sounds of amused disbelief.

'Sora' nodded in amused agreement.

Machiko...Innocent? Maybe at one point...but that ship had long sailed. Girl was more sadistic than I was. I'd never met anyone who was so happy to break bones.

"Gaara is known as the Demon." 'Sora' continued, his voice growing more serious with each word and he focused on Gaara, "They will also refer to you as a 'beast' and a 'monster'. There was a time you were regarded with much respect among the Loved Ones. They had their own shrine for you. They even call you the Loved Demon...You were thought to be the Loved Child's right hand and protector. Basically...since you two had your little break up, they've used you as a representation of their idea of evil…that is to say, anything that isn't Aisako...even though you two clearly have a great deal in common."

Gaara's sand shifted, telling all of us just how annoyed he really was. Personally, I was wondering why the hell 'Sora' thought it was a good idea to antagonize him like this. Calling him a monster, demon and a beast and then reminding him about that night wasn't a good way to keep Gaara calm.

"All this being said...you will not be lashing out on any of them."

Great. Now he was ordering him around. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Gaara tilted his head, like he was silently asking 'Sora' why he should listen to him. 'Sora' must have understood the look, because he smiled a cold, cold grin and said, "If you do not, I'd hate to see what would become of someone rather close to you."

I scoffed. That was a horrible threat. Someone close to Gaara? Who the Hell would that be? Well...there was always Temari or Kankuro, but they were the Kazekage's 'normal' children. There'd be no way he could...or...I mean, he could have them killed, but that kinda counter-acted the entire 'protect the Kazekage' shit so I mean...

Ugh. I hate thinking.

My male team mate stared at him or a long moment before slowly nodding his head.

Huh.

Who would have thought something like that would work? The more you know, eh?

We moved through the sunny streets of Suna, 'Sora' leading the way as Gaara and Machiko followed behind me. Machiko was there likely to stop people from attacking me. Gaara…I assumed he was there to make me paranoid. My pace was slow and relaxed as we traveled, and my three companions matched their pace with mine, making it clear that they were there to accompany me…and not because 'Sora' had ordered us all to be cordial.

I imagined we made a pretty awesome scene, what with the serious look on the faces of my three 'guards', and the way my robes floated and seemed to hang in the air as I moved. To complete the scene, I made sure to keep my expression serene and my hands tucked safely in my sleeves. It was actually kinda hard, since all I wanted to do was sneer and snicker at the gormless expressions on the faces of the sheeple we passed.

It was easy to hear their whispers. Honestly, you'd think in a village full of shinobi, they'd learn to whisper more quietly. Didn't they know that the average shinobi subconsciously enhanced their senses using chakra?

"Is that Councilman Sora? Why is he with them?" A woman whispered.

"Didn't you know? Sora-sama is in charge of the monster and that poor child she ruined. He reins them in." Another person answered.

"Really? Ahh…he's such a good man." The first woman let out a breathy sigh. Not that I could blame her. 'Sora' was definitely worth a breathy sigh or three…

"What is she wearing though? Something like that shouldn't be wearing clothing as nice as that."

A cold, elderly voice answered them, "Watch what you say. She can hear you, you know. I'd hate to see what could happen to you if they found out you've angered her."

I sent more chakra to my ears, eager to hear. Not bothering to hide me interest, I kept my expression serene, but turned towards the conversation ever so slightly.

"They? Who?"

"Of course, this is just a rumour…but I've heard people speak about her like she was a deity. There's an entire group of them, all willing to do her bidding and eager to punish those who are unkind to her," the old man said, "Call themselves her 'Loved Ones'."

"Pfft. Who'd want to worship something like her? Disgusting and evil."

The man made a noncommittal noise, "I don't know…maybe the fifty starving people she fed the other day? The food was quite good."

A giggled bubble up as we continued walking, moving away from the whispered conversation. After listening to that conversation, I was like…150% sure that the old man talking to them had been the same old guy who told me about my 'cult'.

Maybe I should try to convert him or something?

As we walked away from the crowded part of town, 'Sora' looked back at me and smiled proudly, "Good work Aisako-chan, you didn't provoke anyone or even give them your scary smile. Keep it up and you'll have them confused about their initial opinions in now time."

Yeah right.

"And this, Aisako-sama, is the Temple." 'Sora' said, not even making a face at the way he addressed me. It was all part of the act, after all...and the Loved Child outranked the Guardian.

It didn't look like anything special. It wasn't like one of the churches back home that blatantly showed where all the donations went while also cutting into the scenery with boring contemporary architecture. It actually looked identical to the other buildings around it. Of course, that made sense given that it was a place to worship one of the village pariahs, and there was no way in hell a sane person would advertise that.

Given that they were worshiping me, I took it that the blending-in thing was 'Sora's' idea. Otherwise there likely would have been a lot more orange. And skulls.

The building was three stories high, made of the same sand-coloured stone as every other building in town. There was a wide doorway, and several windows on the floor facing us. Amusingly, little garden boxes were placed at every window, growing an assortment of cacti and desert flowers. Someone must have told them about my cactus. There was no indication that this place was anything special.

Save for what looked like a carving of a water droplet surrounded in light, which was carved deeply into the wall to the left of the door.

I took it that that was 'my' symbol. It could have meant anything though. Was is a drop of my amber blood? Was it a tear? Was it rain (something of great importance to the people of Suna, naturally) or was it a reference to my surname?

'Sora' placed a hand on my shoulder and gently lead me up the front steps and into the 'Temple'. Inside, it looked like the front room of a normal little family. Pictures of a little boy with black hair and green eyes decorated the walls. A couch and several chairs filled the room, as well as a coffee table and small desk that was pushed into one corner.

We barely had time to look at the room before 'Sora' was once again leading me further into the house, through another doorway and into a hall. Peeking through open doors as we passed, I could see that it was, indeed, someone's home. At the end of the hall there were two staircases. One lead up into the rest of the house, while the other lead downwards. Judging by the droplet carved over the second set, I was assuming we'd be going down. After only a few steps, I could hear the murmuring of voices below.

"Remember you three...Ai is to be kind- or as nice as you can be. Gaara is not to kill or maim anyone. And Machiko...try not to be too violent when speaking to Gaara, because they still think you're an innocent little girl."

"They know she's a ninja...right?" I couldn't help but ask, giving him an incredulous look.

"Of course they do. They just think she doesn't like killing people."

"But Machiko loves to kill things." I pointed out.

"Yes well they don't quite know that yet." 'Sora' said with a long suffered sigh, "Now let's get you three down there so they can finally meet their idol and their devil, and then Machiko and I can explain the whole thing to you."

I shrugged, but let him usher me down the steps. Internally, something sharp was stabbing away at my insides as I thought over what he said. The fact that he'd said 'and then Machiko and I can explain' pretty much made it clear that Machiko had been lying to me. I...I don't know how I was feeling about it. Angry? Yes. Upset...yes. Betrayed...not as much as I thought I would. Some part of me was numb to the idea. Maybe it was because I'd already done this with two other, and by this point I was too used to the people I trusted stabbing me in the back one way or another?

Even if I was as upset as I should be, I didn't have time right now to deal with it. I'd save it for later. Right now I had to plaster on a 'gentle' smile and pretend to be some kind-hearted deity in human flesh or some bullshit like that.

Fuck it.

Fuck what?

Everything. Fuck it. I've already died...who cares if they betray me? Been there, done that. Boring. Who cares if 'Sora' has plans that rely on me being nice? The worst he can do is kill me...but I'm already dead. I thought to myself. The thoughts were a lot like what had drifted through my head when I was in the hospital after the...leg incident.

We exited the stairs and stood in a large room filled with rows of chairs and a raised podium, where I assumed someone would stand and rant about my amazingness. Along the walls of the room, paintings of me (creepy) hung over tables covered in snack foods. Things like fried tongue and lizard, figs and pasties...it actually kinda looked like they'd raided that one food stand...

As it were, a good thirty or so people were milling about the room. They all wore brown robe-cardigan thingies over their clothes...like casual monks or something. As soon as we entered the room, they all seemed to freeze after turning to stare at us. Then, it what had to be the result of several hundred hours of practice, all of them dropped to one knee, bowing before us. Me.

I could get used to that...but...it was kinda weird. Them bowing like that. Too much respect. Don't get me wrong though- part of me was fucking reveling in it. The knowledge that these people were all on their knees, bowing before me like I was queen of the fucking world…

Seeing them bowing like that, it made me realize that these people…would probably do anything I said.

'Sora' gave me one final nudge and a look that told me I had better address my adoring acolytes.

Fuck it.

I took a deep breath and stepped away from my three companions. Then, I opened my mouth and started saying the first things that came to my mind. If they wanted to worship me, then they were going to worship me. Not some idea of me that 'Sora' thought they'd accept better. I wasn't nice. Dramatic and formal...sometimes. Evil...sometimes as well. Motivated to be tolerable? Yes. Nice...pah.

These people knew what they were getting into.

I'd try to be nice...but I wasn't skilled at it like Taiki. I hadn't gone on a motivational rant since I tried to teach Gaara about Lo-

"Guys...the bowing thing is done now. You can stop and get back to whatever you were doing." I wasn't about to tell them to never bow down to me again…more like they could just bow for a little while at a time. Wouldn't want to hurt their knees or anything.

Several of them looked up in confusion.

"Seriously. It makes me kinda uncomfortable-" Instantly, all of them sprang to their feet, "-seeing you waiting for me to tell you to get up. I mean...you're called my Loved Ones, right? That would imply we're close, at the very least. And if we're close, then I can hardly have you bowing down to me like I'm some sort of tyrannical leader, waiting for permission."

There were various murmurs around the room as they shifted awkwardly, not sure what to do now. It was kinda cute. Hearing Machiko giggling behind me, I figured she agreed. I couldn't think of anything else to say though, and it was clear that none of them felt comfortable speaking to me just yet, so there was a heavy silence in the room. I wasn't sure I liked having this many people silently staring at me. I could literally feel their eyes on me as they tried to take in every little detail. Finally, from the back of the room, three people stepped forward. I raised an eyebrow, recognizing them all instantly.

Ren, Rina, and the weirdo, Shigeru, all approached me with warm smiles.

"Aisako-san! So nice to see you," the 'twins' greeted in their usual synchronized fashion.

Once again, hands clasped mine, bringing them up to frustratingly soft lips, "Aisako-san! It is a pleasure to have you here, in my home."

Ah. That was why the little boy in the photos upstairs was so familiar.

"Thank you for having me...?" I responded, not sure if I really meant it or not. All the same, I made sure to use a softer tone than usual, trying to be 'nice'. Behind me, I heard Machiko give a little hiss as I extracted my hands from his loving grasp. Before he could say anything else to me, I turned to the twins, "I didn't know you two were Loved Ones."

"We weren't." Ren said, "Then, we ran into Shigeru-san, and he asked us if we were very close to you. We told him how you liberated us from the control of 'Blondie', and that we'd often sat with each other at the academy."

"Shigeru-san then mentioned how we'd make a great fit in with his friends, and invited us over...and next thing you know we've got robes and everything." Rina said with a shrug, "I mean, the things they say do explain a lot about you, you know."

"Oh?"

"Well yes...you've never been very normal." Ren pointed out, ignoring the way several eavesdroppers gasped. Maybe they thought she was being disrespectful?

"There's always been something...more...about you. You never acted like a little girl. Even that day when you chased us all across the village, and instead of getting angry when 'Blondie' insulted you, you tried to use logic to reason with her. Most kids at that age would have just cried or hit her. I sort of wished you'd hit her." Rina chimed, "Plus you never paid attention during class, but already knew how to read, write and do maths. Like you'd been doing it for years. Your writing was also exceedingly neat...something no one at that age should be capable of, simply for the lack of muscle memory and hand-eye co-ordination."

"Really, we always sort of wondered if you were an adult pretending to be a child on some sort of mission."

"Buuuuuut seeing as even your family gives you weird looks...that seems even more unlikely than the possibility that you're actually some sort of celestial being born into human flesh."

"That and we're bored...so why not get converted to a strange underground religion?"

Dear god. I've missed these two. What the fuck.

"Aisako-san, would you allow me to introduce you to everyone?" Shigeru asked me, once it was clear the short conversation between the twins and I was tapering off. We'd always been like that. The three of us weren't really chatterboxes. I had too much going on in my head to try to handle that AND holding long conversations.

I glanced back to 'Sora', and he gave a nod, saying it was alright. In fact, he looked a little amused that I was asking him for permission.

"Yeah, sure. I'd love to meet everyone." I said, forcing my face into a pleasant smile, feeling my cheek twitch painfully.

In an instant, he was holding one of my hands, tugging me into the crowd. Internally, I began to panic, not liking the contact with him, or the distance growing between me and the people I knew in the room.

"First there's my mother and father- they were in the hospital the day you were born- they're the founding members and the ones who usually organize weekly meetings and give speeches-" he was so excited as he spoke that he kept dropping sentences halfway through, not explaining things fully before moving on to the next sentence, "They raised me telling me stories about you, your birth in this world, what you were up to on the streets, and even who they had punished for treating you poorly."

I nodded, somewhat alarmed by that last bit. Did that mean his parents were the ones who were killing people who hurt me?!

"Oh! Then there's Gramps- he isn't actually my grandfather, but all the Loved Ones call him Gramps. He heard from his brother about the time you fed the hungry. It was a very kind and generous thing for you to do, by the way, Aisako-san. Times are hard and now that you have to comply with the demands of a human form, it's important that you yourself are fed properly- You are, aren't you Aisako-san? If you aren't, we'd be happy to provide for you and the Family."

Before he could start up again, I spoke, "Shhhhh Shigeru."

He instantly closed his mouth, growing pale and looking wounded. Shit. How the fuck was I supposed to word this nicely? I just wanted him to slow the fuck down and explain things more.

"I'm so, so sorry Aisako-san, I didn't mean to offend. I'm sure the Mother and he Father do an excellent job providing for you- if they didn't you wouldn't be as radiant as you are! It's just that if ever there is a time things become too difficult, just know that the Loved Ones are always willing to help you in any way we can! We are here to serve!"

I placed my hands on his shoulders, giving him a stern look, "Slow down, relax. I'm not offended, my mother makes wonderful Poison Soup, and if we ever need help I'll be sure to stop by here. Now…introduce me to everyone, one by one, and actually take me to them. I want to put names to faces. If everyone here wants to be a Loved one, I'd like to know who they are. It's important that I know I can trust each and every one of you."

Shigeru nodded eagerly, "Yes, my goddess."

With that done, I turned to address my adoring acolytes, who were all watching the interaction with wide eyes, "Unfortunately, it may take me a bit of time to memorize everyone's names and faces. You have to forgive me…my memory in this body isn't what it should be-"

There was a flurry of murmured 'don't worry about it's and 'please do not apologize Aisako-sama's and all manner of things. All spoken politely and reverently.

I even heard some of them coo and say things like 'she's so cute' and 'the transition to a mortal body must be quite difficult'.

This was going to take a while to get used to, wasn't it?

Eventually, Shigeru finished introducing me to everyone there, and we'd eaten some of the snacks provided. Apparently, we'd already missed the lecture for today, so not everyone had still been there when we arrived. Loved Ones began to reluctantly leave the building, forced to take care of other things outside of the Temple…like cooking dinner for their families, going on missions and their jobs.

"Shinkiro-san," 'Sora' said as he addressed Shigeru's mother, "Would it be alright if we stayed down here for a moment. There are some things that must be explained to Aisako-sama and Gaara-san."

Shirgeru's mother, Tengai (and lemme tell you, I'm pretty sure Tengai isn't an actual name…but with a surname that means mirage and a 'name' that translates to 'heavenly shores'…hot damn what was with Suna and the weird names?), had bright green eyes and dark brown hair that was cut very short (almost a pixie cut at this point).

She nodded eagerly, "Of course, Guardian-sama. You go ahead and make yourselves comfortable, and let me know if there's anything we can do for you…but are you sure you want the Demon to remain- Not that I'm questioning your wisdom it's just-"

Sand shifted across the floor. Machiko hissed a warning at Gaara. 'Sora' shot them both a look before turning back to Tengai.

"Of course, Shinkiro-san. I understand your concern. But don't worry. I'm sure the Demon will behave properly. He too is unaware of the roll he plays."

She nodded reluctantly before bowing to him and then leaving the room. She returned after a moment to grab her son by the shoulder and steer him up the stairs and out of the 'Temple' part of the building. Before he was out of sight, he blew me one last kiss, quickly saying, "If you need anything Aisako-sama, I will be sure to please!"

Machiko grumbled something unintelligible and sand rose to form a wall over the doorway to stop him from coming back. 'Sora' was laughing without a care at our reactions to Shigeru's…offer. While he and I were the only ones who understood the real meaning of what he'd said, I knew Machiko was just annoyed that he was trying to gain my favour. Gaara…I don't think he like Shigeru's voice or something.

There was an awkward silence for a moment before I spoke up, "So…story time?"

'Sora's' laughter died pretty quickly as he walked to the nearest chair and slumped down in it, getting himself comfortable. His expression became serious.

"Well, you see Aisako...the story starts with your parents and the rumour mill."

This was off to a great start, wasn't it? I knew that most of the fear I instilled was fueled by some strange rumour I'd not had the pleasure of hearing. Gossip was all the villagers seemed to do. Whisper and mutter things until the result was a twisted mockery of the truth.

"While not many people know the exact reason for their leaving, most people in the village know that at one time, Saki and Taiki became missing-nin. They were criminals, fleeing Amekagure and the so-called 'god' that watches over it. As we are relatively close to Ame, it's natural that we sometimes hear tales about Pein-sama, and now he and his 'Angel'. We know that people worship them…a bit like how around here folks worship you…Except it's the norm and much more socially acceptable to worship Pein than it is to even look at you kindly in public.

"When they were captured by ANBU, it was discovered that your mother was pregnant with you. Your father bargained with the Kazekage, and your family was welcomed into the village, as long as he worked for us. Shortly after their arrival, your mother went into labour. I'm sure by now you know that your birth came with complications due to your bloodline. The 'egg', as we'll call it, had to be surgically removed. Unfortunately, the 'egg' caused significant damaged to your mother and she was left unable to produce another child."

Guilt hit me, sudden and greatly unappreciated. It wasn't my fault. Not really. There was nothing I could have done to change it. But I still felt guilty, knowing that when Taiki and Saki were being their cute, loving selves, they likely would have wanted more than one child. It was why they had adopted Takeo and practically taken in Machiko. I'd taken away their chance at having their own children. Their own flesh and blood. I hardly counted as a child. I ruined their chance to be real parents.

"What many have tried to hide from you are the events that occurred shortly after the extraction." Sora continued, not caring about the guilt wracking through me, "The doctor have never had the...privilege...of helping to deliver someone with your bloodline. He could not have known that the chakra contained within the shell was highly volatile to anyone who isn't blood related to you. Saki was unable to warn him of the danger. As a result, because he did not allow her or Taiki to break the shell and instead did it himself, the chakra contained inside the shell burst out, affecting the blood within him and the nurses in the room. When the burst was over, and several medics had come in response to Saki's screaming, they found her to be the only living person in the room."

"But...wait...the only living person? What about-"

"Exactly, Aisako-chan. You were born dead. And you stayed dead for several days."

A chill crawled up my spine.

"Your parents were heartbroken. Of course, Taiki was called away on a mission a day after your birth, and was unable to keep an eye on Saki. Saki, as we both know, is quite unstable already. The loss of her child had a horrible impact on her. She begged and begged the medics to 'bring her baby back'. When the medics said they could not, she vanished one day. We suspected that she had abandoned the village, but had no way of tracking her after she drugged her ANBU monitors. Witnesses say she was rambling about 'getting her back' and 'begging God if she had to' shortly before she disappeared. She was gone for several days before she returned. While she and Taiki were out of the village, we had no choice but to carry on the embalming process.

"When Saki returned to the village, several organs had been removed and the blood was drained from the corpse, it happened. A second large burst of chakra, originating from the morgue, swept through the lower floors of the hospital. The blast contained the same chakra that killed the doctor and nurses. The morticians and several others in close vicinity to the morgue were killed. Further from the blast, doctors and nurses were forced to amputate limbs from dozens of others after amber began forming in their blood. All the water in the hospital's plumbing system was effected. IV fluid within range of the blast also formed amber, forcing doctors to disconnect patients from much needed medicine...Anyone sent down to the morgue to investigate was injured as well…up until your mother strolled into the hospital, took one look at the amber everywhere and walked into the morgue without a problem. She plucked you up, staring at you like you were a god, and strolled back out of the hospital without a care in the world."

I stared at him in slack jawed horror. I could fully understand now why Gaara said I was 'unnatural'. You didn't just...get back up after you'd been dead for several days. In the Test Drive, there had been a lot of stories in mythology and religions where things like this happened…but…those things didn't happen to people like me. I wasn't…good enough for that. I wasn't an innocent child like Dionysus or Osiris and Tammuz who both had a wives who could just…bring him back. And I sure as hell wasn't Jesus.

"When you were born, Aisako-chan...Many, many people were killed or injured. You turned a large portion of one of our most valued resources, water, into stone. You came back from the dead. Of course everyone was going to find out about you. Rumours were going to begin...especially considering how your mother disappeared, rambling about getting you back and begging god, and the day she returned was also the day you rose from the dead. You can see why the sheep would be alarmed. I'm sure you can also see how some are in awe of you."

I nodded slowly. Yeah…being born dead, partially embalmed and then just…coming to life…was kinda alarming. And cool. Kinda.

It made me wonder though. How did I come back to life? Was it something to do with the reincarnation? I mean, I remembered most of my life. There were days here and there that I forgot, but all the important ones were practically seared into my memories. I'd always wondered why I didn't remember being born…but if I was dead at the time…well…there was the answer. Earliest I could remember, I was in my crib at home, a blurry Saki staring down at me with a strangely unsettled expression for a mother to be wearing when looking at her child. It was why I hadn't thought she was my mother at first. Why I thought she was a scientist or an alien instead. Of course…if said child had been dead and then just…came back, she had every right to be alarmed.

But…hadn't she left the village to find a way to bring me to life? Pein didn't have that kind of power. At least…I don't think he did? I know he could bring the village to life, but that killed him in the end…there was no way he could have been the one responsible. Since Saki was still alive, that told me she hadn't performed the technique either. So…who? How?

Was it just an accident? Some weird quirk of 'fate' that my soul ended up in the body of a stillborn baby?

As these thoughts raced through my mind, I suddenly became aware of how Gaara, Machiko and 'Sora' were all staring at me, waiting for some sort of response. My mouth started moving before I had time to properly filter myself.

"Well. That explains why I didn't remember the rebirth."

Rebirth.

Fuck. I'd said rebirth.

From the way 'Sora's' eyes widened in surprise, I'm sure he understood the implication.

Hello Darlings, look who's back~! Sooo...it took a while to get this out. Not as long as last time, but definitely a lot longer than I'd hoped. Of course, I'm blaming the word count...'cause this is like 12707words...give or take a few. It was just really hard to get everything in...and since i promised we;d get some answers...I also blame work for being stupid. AAAAAANNNNND I suppose I'm kinda to blame, 'cause i started working on a lil' spin-off chappie called Divine's Eyes...which is kinda the the half of Devil's Eyes...this time Ai goes to Heaven before she's reborn. So i worked on that a little instead of the actual story. Whoops?

Anyways! Yeah. We learned why Ai is treated the way she is...yeah. Zombie baby would definitely make some people feel awkward. Especially Zombie baby that kills WAAAAAAAYYYYY too many people without trying. Some of you are probably disappointed by it...but ah...I tried? It looks like her reincarnation came with some complications, no? For those of you who read Devil's Eyes and decided it seemed canon enough, you can probably blame the delay in soul placement on paperwork errors. For those that heaven't read Devil's Eyes...let's just imagine Fate done goofed for the time being.

So many characters in this chapter. Gah. Gaara, Machiko, Carl, 'Sora', old homeless guy (why do I feel like he's just gonna keep showing up?), Mikasa, Shigeru, Sally Anne...Tengai.

The Poll for chapter 20 is closed! Winner is: Machiko's POV!

1. Machiko's POV - Not an Eyeball, or Ai-sama: 74

2. Saki's POV - Raising a Monster: 71

-sensei's POV - Watching the Class Shrink: 59

4. Takeo's POV - Gaining a Sister Complex: 31

5. Taiki's POV - Sanity's Lifeline: 7

6. Flashbacks of the Test Drive - Shiny Red Cars: 3

Sooooo close to being Saki's POV. So close...you realize that now we get to read an entire chapter of Machiko speaking in third person? And her need to say everyone's names as often as possible. Soooooo much Machiko.

I'll be posting the next Poll on my profile right away, so make sure to vote! The options are:

1. Satoru's POV - Rising Gods all Around

2. Sora's POV - A Successful Successor

3. Carl's POV - The Cuddly Cactus

4. Sally Anne's POV - Witnessing Grand That Sanity

5. Shigeru's POV - Raised In Love

Personally, I really wanna write Shigeru or Sora's chapters. And Carl's chapter, because Carl.

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