Here it is. It took me a while to finish it. I hope I'm doing a good job at keeping Gaara in character. It's easier said than done. Anyways, I'll let you read now.

Disclaimer: I almost forgot (says in a monotone) I don't own Naruto or any of the characters for said show.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Shukaku"

Ok now on with the story

Ch. 3: First Two Exams

The trip to Konoha was uneventful other than the few fights between Kankuro and Temari. Kaoru pretty much decided that those two would probably die if they went a day without fighting. The medic stayed close to Gaara most of the time and surprising enough he didn't complain about it. In fact he seemed to ignore her presence near him.

The first night held the biggest and only real surprise of the trip. Kaoru only had one real fear which she kept hidden from everyone because they would all think it was ridiculous. Ever since her parents died Kaoru had been afraid of the dark. Even Gaara hadn't known about her fear of the dark. Only one person in the world knew about it and that was her grandmother, Kaede.

Baki told them to set up camp a few minutes before the sun set. They could have kept going but none of them were in much of a rush. Besides, they wanted a good nights sleep. Kaoru knew she wouldn't be able to sleep but she could pretend until the others were asleep. She made herself comfortable and let thoughts run around in her mind. After a moment she could tell that everyone else was asleep. The medic sat up.

Kaoru hated the nights she couldn't sleep. They always made her remember that night seven years ago. She shook her head. That was in the past. It was over now and that time had long since come to move on.

Something moved at the edge of camp. Kaoru stiffened and she looked in the direction it had come from. Gaara walked into camp. 'That's right. He doesn't sleep at all,' she reminded herself.

"Hey Gaara. You don't mind if I stay up do you?"

He didn't respond. That wasn't a very big surprise. Kaoru chose to presume that meant that he didn't and wrapped her arms around her knees. After a moment she looked up at the stars and, for lack of anything better to do, she talked to Gaara.

"I love the stars. It's too bad I don't get to see them often."

He surprised her then by actually answering her, "Why?"

She blinked and then looked at him. His face was expressionless as usual but she could feel the curiosity was coming off of him in light waves. He wanted to know why she wasn't asleep. Then she looked back up at the sky.

"I don't go out at night unless I have too."

He didn't say anything. In his experience if you didn't say anything the other person would fill the silence. What they said might be useless but it would be said. In this case however he was just curious enough to listen. Gaara was right. A moment later Kaoru began to speak again.

"I came home from a friends house back in Kirigakure. You remember that's were I came from originally. My mother had married a ninja from that village and had moved there with him. Both defied their clans to stay married and had me. Anyways, I came home one night and the house was dark. I was only five so that didn't strike me as strange. My friend's mother, who had walked me home at the time, left me on my porch so she could go home. I went inside and for some reason I was...scared. The house was pitch black. I could barely make out what was in front of me. I walked into the living room because there were windows there so the moon lit up the room and saw them. My parents were both there and...they were...dead. I don't remember much of what happened next but some how I ended up at the Mizukage's tower. I stayed there until they decided what to do with me."

"Your father's clan?"

"They didn't want me. His clan never got over the fact that my father married my mother against their wishes. So a letter was sent out to my mother's clan in Suna. The head of the Tsukino clan, my grandmother, sent someone to get me immediately."

"I thought your parents died in a mission."

"Yes, I know. That's what my grandmother told everyone. She didn't want anyone bothering me about it or mentioning it to me."

Gaara processed this information. This hadn't been something she had told him as children and he hadn't asked. A part of him had understood that she hadn't been ready to talk about it.

"So now you're afraid of the dark," he stated.

"Yes. I can't sleep very well at night."

"You slept just fine when..." he trailed off. Up to this point he hadn't even acknowledged that they used to be friends. This was the first time he had brought up the past in any form.

"Only when you were with me," Kaoru said as if he had completed the sentence. Her crimson gaze was trained on him, "You make me feel safe."

She had used present tense he realized dimly. Did that mean he still made her feel safe? That couldn't be. Gaara terrified people. He didn't make anyone feel safe. Hell, his own family was afraid of him. Then again Kaoru had never feared him. Even when everyone else told her what was in him or when she had become old enough to understand what was going on. She had never feared him.

"Go to sleep, Kaoru," he ordered.

"I can't."

He stood up and walked over towards her. Gaara sat down and leaned against a tree that was within reach of Kaoru's spot. He focused his green eyes on her, "Go to sleep."

Kaoru could feel it coming from him. A vague feeling of...protectiveness. That's when she understood what he wasn't saying. It was ok to go to sleep because he would watch over her. She laid down so that she faced Gaara. Her eyes began to drift closed. Subconsciously her hand reached out and grabbed his. Gaara jerked at first because it was the first time anyone had physically touched him in seven years. He glanced down at her and didn't move his hand.

---Konoha---

Kaoru was walking around Konoha and getting a good look. She liked it. The place was filled with people who were happy and prosperous. It was around lunch time when she realized she was lost. Kaoru looked around until she noticed a girl with pink hair. She looked extremely pissed off. Behind her was the obvious objects of her anger. Three little kids and a blonde genin. After a moment she decided to speak.

"Umm, excuse me?"

They both turned to look at her. Kaoru was about to say something when one of the kids said something about a big forehead. The girl got very upset and she ran towards them. The blonde and all three kids ran for it. Kaoru stood there for a moment feeling sorry for herself. She started to try to find her way on her own again when she heard a crash coming from the direction the group had run. Then a huge wave of anger coming from a very familiar source. Kaoru started to run in the direction of the anger. The anger was coming from Kankuro and it was because one of the little boys had crashed into him. That poor kid didn't know what he was getting into.

Kaoru caught up to the group and sure enough, Kankuro was holding a kid off the ground by his shirt. Everyone was trying to convince him to let the kid go but he wasn't listening. The blonde attacked him but Kankuro used his puppeteer chakra to throw him backwards.

"Kankuro put him down," Kaoru ordered in fear.

Kankuro was about to hit the kid when a pebble hit his hand forcing him to let the kid go. Everyone looked up and there was a boy sitting there. He was bouncing a pebble on his hand. Then Kankuro began to take out the Crow.

"Kankuro, stop. This is pointless," Kaoru shouted at him. She had walked over and was next to the kid. After making sure that he wasn't seriously injured she stood up and faced Kankuro.

"Why don't you make me, Kaoru? You're a medic not a fighter so back off," Kankuro spat right back. He had reached up and grabbed her arm. He was about to shove her back when something interrupted him.

"Kankuro, back off." Everyone jumped in surprise except for Kaoru. She had felt Gaara's irritation before he had spoken.

Kankuro gave a weak smile, "Hey, Gaara."

"You're an embarrassment to our village. Have you forgotten why we came all the way here?"

"I know...I-I mean they started it."

"Shut up, Kankuro." Gaara then turned to the boy the pink haired girl called Sasuke, "I'm sorry for any trouble he caused."

Something went on in their heads. Kaoru could tell that Gaara was feeling wary of the other ninja in the tree. The black haired boy was feeling just as wary of Gaara. Gaara disappeared in a whirl of sand that traveled down to the ground where Gaara reappeared. He turned to Kankuro who had yet to let go of Kaoru's arm.

"Let go of Kaoru and come on. We didn't come here to play."

Kankuro immediately released Kaoru. She rubbed at her sore arm. Kankuro had a strong grip and she got the feeling he didn't try to keep from bruising her. Gaara noticed the tell tale motion and glanced back at Kankuro. The puppeteer noticed this look and backed away hastily. Luckily for him Kaoru knew Gaara was angry and why.

"Let's go. I'm hungry," Kaoru said affectively distracting everyone.

"Didn't you eat lunch?" Temari asked.

"No, I was lost through lunch."

Gaara looked at her and mentally sighed, "Let's go."

The four of them began to walk away when the pink haired girl told them to wait and give their reason for being in Konoha. Temari answered her with a smirk. It was obvious that they didn't know about the Chunin exams. They started to leave again when the dark haired boy jumped down from the trees and asked Gaara to identify himself. Gaara turned to look back at the boy.

"I am called Sabaku no Gaara. I am curious to know your name as well."

"Sasuke Uchiha."

The two seemed to have a staring contest for a moment before Gaara turned and the sand shinobi left. Once they were back at the hotel suite Kaoru made herself something to eat. Baki looked over at her.

"So are you going to participate in the exams?" he asked her.

Kaoru stilled for an instant before speaking, "I don't think I will."

Everyone paused. Temari was the first one to break the silence, "Why not, Kaoru? You could pass."

"I know but the ninja life was never for me and you know it. I'm a medic. I belong in a hospital."

Baki had been watching Kaoru and saw what very few paid attention to. He knew what buttons to push to get her to do something without seeming to try. The Kazekage ordered him to make sure Kaoru participated so that's what he would have to do. Baki began, "That's understandable. You do realize that you'll never get to go on any missions even as a medic without being at least a chunin, right?"

"I know."

"People you care about and call your friend could be hurt because you weren't allowed to go," Baki stated with a meaningful glance at Gaara.

Kaoru smiled, "I know what you're getting at sensei but no one can hurt him. I won't have to worry."

"Everyone has a weak point, Kaoru. Someone could find his."

Kaoru seemed to consider this for a moment. She could tell that Baki was reluctant to force her to do this but he felt like he had to. Her kekkei genkai allowed her to see the reason behind the feelings. She liked Baki. He was ok as far as the jonin went and he did help her the best he could. She didn't want him to get into trouble with the Kazekage.

"Alright, Baki. I'll participate."

He smiled, "Good."

The other two smiled. Gaara just closed his eyes again. Kankuro patted Kaoru on the back, "Good. We wouldn't want to leave you behind."

Kaoru smiled at him. Sure Kankuro could be a pain but deep down he was a good guy. Temari smiled in the background. She was happy that her friend was going to be joining them, especially beens it looked like she was the only one that had any control over Gaara.

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It was the day of the first test. Kaoru was slightly nervous. If just one member of their team failed the whole team failed. Kaoru was suddenly wishing she hadn't agreed to this. Kaoru was sitting next to Temari. She was also at the end of the table. After Ibiki Morino, the examiner for the test, had finished giving all the rules for the exam they handed out the exams and started the timer.

Kaoru looked at the the test and relaxed. She could answer these with little to no trouble. After finishing the first test she realized that most people shouldn't be able to answer these questions. So that was it. They had to cheat in order to pass. Her eyes landed on Gaara. He was using his sand eye to cheat off of her paper. Kankuro was using Crow to get answers from someone else's test. Temari, like Kaoru, would be able to answer the questions without any trouble. Needless to say, they got out of that exam with flying colors.

The second exam was different. They were going into someplace called the Forest of Death. They had to read and sign a form that would keep the examiners for being responsible for their deaths. Now if that wasn't reassuring Kaoru didn't know what was. The examiner gave them a brief description of the test. It was a basic survival test and it was an everything goes kind of battle. Each team has to collect two different scrolls, a heaven and earth scroll, and they had to do all this in five days.

Kaoru sat down next to Sakura Haruno. Over the last few days the two girls had become good friends. They talked about the consent form and even about their teammates. Though it was an unspoken rule that they wouldn't discuss their techniques or strategies with each other. Sakura had told Kaoru about her feelings for Sasuke and Kaoru believed that what her friend felt was the real thing. She just hoped Sasuke didn't hurt the pink haired kunoichi. That boy had serious issues. They were almost as bad as Gaara's.

After a while the two of them went to their separate teams. Sakura watched her friend go. She wondered if Kaoru realized that she was in love with Gaara. Sakura didn't need the Tsukino clan's kekkei genkai to see it. It was in Kaoru's voice and expression when she talked about him. She figured her friend would realize it soon enough if she hadn't already.

Kaoru was walked up to her team. Gaara handed her their scroll. It was an earth scroll. She gave them a curious look. Kaoru wasn't sure why they were handing it to her. She probably wouldn't do any of the fighting.

"You'll look after it," was all Gaara said before walking towards their gate. Kaoru blinked then looked over at Temari.

"I guess beens you won't be fighting much the scroll is safer with you," her friend answered the unspoken question.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Kaoru whispered. Her voice was shaking slightly. This was definitely not going to be her strong point. She just wasn't cut out for fighting. Oh well, she had to now, for her team.

Kankuro put a hand on her shoulder, "Look, I know I haven't been the nicest person in the world to you but believe me when I say, you'll be just fine. We'll look after you."

"He's right," Temari agreed.

She smiled at them, "Thanks, you guys."

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A few hours later they were standing in the middle of a clearing. There was another team standing across from them from the village hidden in the rain. They were all upset because a couple of rookies wanted to fight them head on. At first Kankuro tried to talk Gaara out of fighting until they knew what kind of scroll they had but Gaara didn't want to listen to him. When that didn't work Temari and Kankuro both tried to warn the other ninjas not to mess with Gaara but they hadn't listened. Kaoru closed her eyes when Gaara killed the first one.

The other two started begging for their lives and even placed the scroll on the ground. They backed away and continued to beg for their lives. Kaoru thought that the battle was over. She glanced and Temari who nodded. Then Kaoru walked forward to get the other scroll. At first nothing happened. She reached the scroll without any problems. The instincts that Baki had spent the last year drilling into her suddenly kicked in but they were a moment too late.

"Kaoru!" Temari and Kankuro shouted her name but they were also a second too late in warning.

The two ninja from the rain village had attacked her. She looked up and saw it coming but she didn't have time to dodge it. She closed her eyes in preparation for the pain and possibly death. Neither came. When she risked cracking an eye open both of them shot open and she gasped. In front of her was a wall of sand. Gaara had saved her. She looked back at him. Crimson met sea green. His face held no expression but she felt a sudden wave of pure rage roll off of him. She quickly grabbed the scroll and ran back to him.

Gaara didn't even realize that his sand had protected her until after the fact. He hadn't even had time to will it to save her. It acted on its own. What the hell? That wasn't suppose to happen. Then it hit him. Someone had dared to attack her. They had tried to kill her. The rage swept through him. They would pay.

Kaoru reached his side. He was still pissed off at them for attacking her. What she didn't understand was why he cared. Sure she knew why he was angry but she didn't know why that made him angry. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

"They will pay," he whispered almost to himself. Kaoru gasped but no one had time to react before Gaara had the other two ninja and killed them.

Kankuro yawned, "Good now we can get out of this forest."

"No," Gaara said.

That made him and Gaara got into a fight over whether they should leave or not. For the first time Kankuro pulled the big brother card. Temari decided to jump in and she also used the sister card. For a moment they didn't think it was going to work. In fact they were terrified that Gaara was about to harm Kankuro.

Kaoru touched Gaara's arm again and said quietly, "Gaara, please. Let's go."

The sand had gathered in his hand. His eyes met hers and neither looked away. He clenched his fist and everyone but Kaoru gasped. Next think they knew Gaara was corking his gourd.

"Alright this time," Gaara conceded.

They all began to walk away. Temari walked up beside Kaoru, "It's a good thing you decided to come with us, Kaoru."

Kaoru's eyes widened, "What makes you say that?"

"If you weren't here today Kankuro would be a goner right now."

"No he wouldn't be. Gaara would never kill his own brother," the medic disagreed.

"I wish I had the same faith in him that you do. Gaara is a..."

Kaoru interrupted, "Don't you dare say it."

Temari's eyes widened. She had never heard Kaoru use that tone before. She was always so meek and quiet and here she was actually sounding angry.

"He's not a monster and he wouldn't have harmed Kankuro or you," Kaoru said stubbornly.

Kankuro and Temari looked at her. Neither believed her. Like everyone else they believed that Gaara was a monster. As far as they could see, Kaoru had been the only one safe from him. Even before she joined their team Gaara went out of his way to avoid the medical nin from his past.

Kaoru glared back at them, "Are you two coming or what?"

They ran to catch up with her and Gaara. None of them noticed that Gaara had heard every word of their conversation. Now he had two questions. Why did his sand protect Kaoru of its own accord and why did she defend him so much?

"Has it occurred to you that maybe she cares about you, boy?" Shukaku asked Gaara.

'Shut up. She doesn't care. Nobody does,' Gaara responded.

"Not only blind but stupid too. If she doesn't care then why does she defend you and how come you make her feel safe, hmm?"

Gaara didn't have the answers to these question but he intended to find them.

"And about the sand shield. It is also partly connected to your will even though it acts before you even think to will it."

'What do you mean?'

"It's simple really. Your subconscious partly controls the sand. That means that it knows what you want even before you do. Some part of you wanted to save her so it did."

Gaara didn't have anything to say to that. What did you say when you found out that some part of you cared about someone you thought you forgot long ago? That raccoon had to be lying to him, didn't it? He couldn't possible care about Kaoru. He hadn't even spoken to her in seven years. Yet here he was protecting her. Maybe it was time to consider that she still mattered a little bit.

There it is. The first part of the Chunin Exams. I hope you guys liked it. now if you'll please just review i can get started on the next chapter.