Here we go!
Otulia: That was fast. We don't own Naruto.
Friendship, Forgiveness, Healing
The bleak darkness of unconsciousness began to lift, graying at the edges, a dim light slowly working inward. A lone bird chirruped somewhere nearby, it's song delicate as the leaves on a withering tree. Voices, intermingling with one another, drifted into hearing; no words, just the melody of human sound, daily life, moving on. The grey of vision faded away into the colors of dim light on closed eyelids. The feel of a gentle hand on a shoulder, a soft shake. And one voice, cherished above all for its calm acceptance.
"Chiocho, wake up."
Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred for a moment, and she nearly panicked. But then it cleared, and she found herself in her room, leaning against the wall beneath her window with Gaara kneeling before her.
"Gaara!" she exclaimed, joyful despite her fatigue. "You're alright!"
She couldn't have missed the guilt in his eyes. It leaked into every pore of his being, but if she saw, she said nothing. "I've brought it back," he said quietly, taking out the small pouch. Carefully, he removed the lifeless butterfly from it, as if he were afraid to damage it more.
"Thank you," she murmured, leaning forward to take it from his hands. She closed her eyes, concentrating, and the butterfly melted into her, vanishing without a trace. A bit of her strength came back to her.
"I'm sorry," Gaara said softly.
"Don't be," Chiocho replied with a forgiving smile. "It wasn't your fault. Besides, I'll recover; the butterfly will live again."
"You shouldn't have done that," Gaara said, looking away. "It's too dangerous."
"I had too, Gaara. I'm the only one who can fully suppress Shukaku. You know that." She shifted, touching him lightly on the shoulder. When he turned to look at her, she held out her hand. In it was his headband, shining dimly in the morning light filtering in from outside. "I'm glad you came back safely."
Gaara nodded, removing Chiocho's headband from his arm, and returning it to her. "You should get some rest," he suggested gently, knowing full well what her reply would be.
"But you need rest more than I do, Gaara. You just got back from a mission!" She opened her mouth to continue, but her words were blocked by a large yawn.
"I'm fine, Chiocho," Gaara insisted, doing his best to keep his guilt from his voice. "You're the one who got hurt, not me."
"Well…maybe a little sleep won't hurt…" The exhaustion which comes after projecting her soul was now catching up with her. She stood on shaky legs and made her way to her bed, dropping gratefully onto it. "Gaara?" she asked, just before she drifted off to sleep. "Shouldn't you be reporting in with Lord Kazekage?"
"I should be," Gaara admitted quietly. "But you're more important." She didn't hear him, however, for she was already fast asleep. He sighed, and settled himself in the corner of the room, prepared to wait until his friend awoke.
"Where is Gaara?"
Temari nearly flinched at the tone of the Kazekage's voice. To say he wasn't pleased would be a severe understatement. "He's probably resting," she answered. "He needs time to recover from Shukaku's emergence." She was going to kill Gaara for running off on them like that, as soon as she found him.
Kankuro and Baki stood nearby, keeping silence lest they further anger the Kazekage.
"You fail to complete your mission, and you report in without your entire squad present. I am disappointed. However, I have another mission for you. This one should be much easier, so you should have no trouble at all succeeding."
From the shadows emerged a tall figure, the very sight of whom sent chills down Temari's spine. It was Orochimaru.
Forgive me for it being short, but I'm stuck. I should have a longer next chapter, really, I promise! And better! I mean, the creepy guy with the even creepier snake-like tongue has showed up! It HAS to be better! Now, review, flames are accepted, as long as you don't add insult to injury or tell me to do something stupid like ump off a bridge. Okay? Oh, and if you don't review, I will find you, drag you back to Orochimaru's lair, and leave you at his mercy. Got it? Good!