Alright! Gaara's friend has a name! I'd like to personally thank Mew Rin for the suggestions that inspired it! THANK YOU!!!

Otulia: We don't own anyone but our newly-named OC…you'll know her when you see her!

Chapter One

Gaara raced through the village streets, slowly gaining on the black-haired girl. They wove through the throngs of people with practiced ease, leapt onto the rooftops with perfect balance, and then back to the streets. The girl tried to lose him in the crowds, but he wasn't about to let her out of his sight. Here there was a flash of the black cloak she always wore; there he caught a glimpse of her glancing back at him, grinning.

He came closer and closer, until he could reach out and grab her shoulder. Which, of course, he did.

"Aw, man! I thought for sure I'd outrun you this time!" she complained, slowing to a walk.

"Just face it Chiocho, I'm faster than you," Gaara said teasingly.

"Aw, shut up!" she complained, smiling at her best friend. They had met when they were much younger, and had remained friends ever since. She cut her black hair herself, resulting in it being very messy. It was short on the right side of her face, but covered the left, reaching to her shoulders. She had a birthmark under her left eye that made it look as if she were crying and a red upside-down triangle on her right cheek. She had always hated that triangle, but it was the mark of her clan.

"Hey, Gaara!" They both looked over their shoulders to see Gaara's sister, Temari, approaching. "Baki-sensei has a mission for us."

"I'll be there in a minute," he replied. She nodded and returned from whence she came.

"Man. You go on too many missions," Chiocho complained. "I get lonely when you're gone."

Gaara nodded, knowing full well what she meant. Neither of them had any other friends. Everyone was afraid of Gaara, and Chiocho had lost any friends she once had the day she stood up for him.

Chiocho looked up at him sadly. "You come back safely," she said quietly, taking her ninja headband off her arm as he did the same.

"I always do," Gaara said, pretending to be annoyed as they exchanged headbands. They always did this when one or the other went on a mission; Chiocho said it would bring them good luck, since they'd have to come back to return each other's headbands.

"Good-bye," she called, as he turned and walked away. He looked over his shoulder at her and waved, and she was just able to see the love kanji on his forehead. She smiled upon seeing it; she also sported a kanji, but instead of love, hers was hate. It was black, and rested above her right eye. She felt it suited her quite well; she felt hatred coming from all sides, and hated the world for it.

She turned and walked back to her own home, her blue-green eyes flashing in the sunlight as she blinked away tears. Without Gaara there, Suna closed in on her, and her own personal fears returned to haunt her. But he would come back. He always did.

When Gaara left Suna, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He knew how much Chiocho hated it there; he was the same way. He also knew the pain of being alone, with no one to go to who would help ease your fears. Their only means of survival had been their friendship, and that desperation had served only to strengthen their bond.

Baki-sensei had warned the squad that this mission was their most dangerous yet; they had to travel to the Land of Bears and infiltrate Hoshigakure. If they weren't careful, they could very easily get themselves killed. Gaara touched Chiocho's headband. I'll come back; I promise. He wasn't about to leave her to face the world alone. Everybody needed a friend to face it with them.

Chiocho wandered restlessly around her house. She was bored out of her mind, and hadn't a clue what to do. She longed for the sun to set, for then the people of Sunagakure would retire to their own homes, and the streets would be hers. But dusk was still hours away, and she needed a way to entertain herself.

"Chiocho! Stop being so fidgety!"

She sighed in exasperation. Her mother never missed an opportunity to scold her for something or other. She had never wanted Chiocho to be a kunoichi, but had instead wanted her to be an obedient daughter. Chiocho rarely did as she was told. Ever since the day she had befriended Gaara, her decisions had been hers alone.

Deciding against further provocation aimed towards her mother, Chiocho made her way to her room, where she collapsed onto her bed. Staring blankly at the ceiling, a sense of peace began to descend upon her.

Pow!

Chiocho started, and looked around her room hurriedly. A rock was sitting on the floor, and there was a hole through the window. Mocking laughter drifted in from outside. Infuriated, she scooped up the stone, threw open the window, and hurled it back at the group of children gathered in the street. They immediately ceased their laughter and ran, screaming in fear.

"Go ahead and run, you cowards!" Chiocho shouted after them furiously. When they had gone from sight, she slammed the window shut and fell to her bed once more. "Those cowards," she mumbled angrily, a tear slipping down her cheek. "All they ever do is play dirty tricks." Burying her face in her pillow to stifle her angry sobs, she cried herself into a restless sleep.

Gaara observed the quiet of the village before him. Hoshigakure lay asleep, peacefully dreaming, its people believing themselves safe, surrounded by a canyon filled with poisonous gas. He could almost laugh at the thought. How could they even think that a measly poison-filled canyon would protect them from enemy ninja? It was ridiculous.

He glanced at Temari, off to his right. She was kneeling on the ground, deep in thought; obviously planning how they would get in and out of the village undetected. Off to his left was Kankuro, who was gazing blankly at the star-filled sky, waiting patiently for Temari to finish formulating the plan.

Baki-sensei was nowhere to be found, but experience had taught Gaara that he was always around somewhere, watching them from some hidden place. Every time a fierce argument broke out among the sand siblings, he would suddenly appear to end the fight and get everyone back on track. And the sand siblings fought a lot.

After a time, Temari nodded and stood. "It seems simple enough," she said quietly. "There aren't any guards anywhere." In hushed tones, she explained the plan to them, making sure each understood his part.

"Alright," Kankuro said, hoisting his puppet onto his back. "Let's get this over with."

The three of them took of running down the hill, their teacher soon joining them. The night was calm and quiet, but Gaara couldn't help but feel uneasy. It felt as though someone were following them…

And a cliffie! What will I do next? Is someone really following them? Does Chiocho's mother have a name? Well, you'll have to wait for me to update to find out! And I promise to try not to procrastinate! Review, onegai?