My most humble thanks to ALL that have read and reviewed this story. Your reviews and support have been a tremendous help to me and I thank each and every one of you…

blows kisses to all

But if you're sucking up to me because you have the misconception that I own Naruto…stop, because sadly it does not belong to me.

:-P

Again, thank you.

One elder aggressively reached for Temari.

His mistake.

My sand shot out immediately and wrapped around his hand. The man let out a surprised yelp and tried to pull away, but I was holding on to him with a vice-grip.

"We will go quietly." I said, speaking to everyone, including my siblings who I knew would put up some sort of a fight. "There is no need to force us. Now untie Kankuro."

A staring contest then commenced.

They didn't trust us, and we didn't trust them. Eventually they gave in though, they knew that they couldn't take me by force and if I was now protecting my siblings, they wouldn't be able to take them either.

"Bakas…" Kankuro mumbled as he rubbed the indents left over from the rope being tied too tight. He then moved to stand next to Temari and me. Temari immediately asked him if he was alright. With a nod he answered her question and they both looked at the old men standing in front of us once again.

"What do you want?" asked Temari.

Sometimes I wish my siblings didn't talk…it was obvious what they wanted. They wanted us, they wanted our blood. They knew the mission had failed and because of that failure all of Suna would feel the consequences. And they needed to punish those responsible or else feel the fall-out from the regular citizens.

"You need to come with us." is all the leader of the pack said. And with that, he turned and started to walk out of the room.

Without hesitation I followed after him. My siblings, on the other hand, needed some encouragement…so I sent some sand behind them to hiss and nip at their heels to get them moving. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place: either go with the elders and feel the pain of the whip, or stay in the room and face the wrath of my sand. They chose the lesser of the evils as I could hear their footsteps fall in line with mine.

They led us to the main Kazekage's building. Upon entering, I could immediately tell that something was wrong. The stench of fear and indecision hung in the air, thick like fog, and people were running every which way. Some of the people running by noticed me and panicked for a second, I could tell they were trying to decide on whether or not to continue their current path of movement or turn and run the other way.

I didn't even spare them a glance…imbeciles, all of them.

We were no less pushed into a room that was obviously set up to deal with the punishments of the ninjas associated with the failed mission.

Inside the room, a few ninjas were already there. They were sitting on the floor in one of the back corners of the room. Apparently we weren't the only ones who had known to get the hell out of Konohoa.

Among them was our teacher, Baki.

"Baki!" Temari exclaimed and ran at the startled man, Kankuro right on her heels. They both stopped dead in front of him and stared at him with worried glances. I could smell his blood from the door, he was injured.

"What…what happened out there?" Temari asked him.

Baki sighed deeply and leaned back against the wall that he was sitting up against.

"When you guys left the arena with Gaara, we carried out the mission as planned. Only…" he took another deep breath and let it out all at once along with his explanation. "Not all of the people in the audience were asleep and they fought us. Many of the citizens in the city defended as well. That was something we weren't counting on. Our only chance would have been when Gaara showed up but…"

He stopped there and looked at me. I only spared him a sideways glare.

"We tried…" Temari said. Baki stopped looking at me and brought his full attention back onto her.

"Gaara changed into Shukaku fully. He even fell asleep so that Shukaku was under full control but… a boy defeated him. And afterwards he was too weak to do any more fighting, so we decided to retreat back to Suna."

Baki's eyes widened, "He was defeated?! By who?!"

Before my siblings could answer, I said, "Uzumaki Naruto".

Baki let out a short laugh of disbelief, "the most powerful shinobi in the world can't even scratch you, and a runt like that loudmouthed kid beat you?"

Before another word could be uttered from his lips, my sand covered his mouth and his throat, squeezing the breath out of him. I calmly walked over to him and leaned down into his face. I looked him right in the eyes. I could see fear there, exactly what I wanted.

"He has the nine-tails sealed within him." I said monotonously "he's just like me."

I added a little more pressure to the sand that was holding Baki before I released it. I had to let him know I was still ruthless. If he thought I had changed in even the smallest way, he would try to walk all over me.

The other ninjas in the room stared at us quietly. Once our little confrontation was over, they put their attention back to the conversation they were having.

I took up a spot leaning against the wall, waiting for the elders to return. My siblings sat besides Baki, waiting as well.

"What do you think they'll do to us?" Temari asked quietly.

"You know the punishment." replied Baki.

"I know but…but what if they decide to make it worse?" Temari muttered.

"They won't. Other S missions have been failed before, this is nothing new…"

Suddenly the doors burst open and all of the elders came streaming in. They took their positions behind the long desk in the front of the room and stared daggers at us.

"You..." the head elder bellowed.

I could feel my sister shake slightly at the sound of his voice.

"You all were in the S-ranked mission to infiltrate and destroy Konohoa. This is not all of the shinobi that were sent on this mission, but you are the only ones that have returned so far. We are unsure of how many were killed, but those that were killed should give thanks, for they are not about to experience the pain of which we are about to give you."

He paused there and brought his full attention onto Temari, Kankuro, and myself.

"Your father is dead." he stated simply.

Temari and Kankuro gasped in surprise.

"Wh…What?!" shouted Temari.

"How did this, no, how COULD this have happened?!" Kankuro shouted as well.

I didn't even flinch at the news. His death would explain why everyone was running around in a panicked state. Without the Kazekage, this village's leaders were like chickens with their heads cut off.

I looked up at the head elder who had given us the news and was surprised to see that he had his full attention now focused on me. His eyes darkened and he kept his attention on me when he told us how they found our father.

"He was found by a few guards outside of Suna in the surrounding desert. He was at the bottom of a pit…slain. He was out there for a few days judging from the condition of the body…"

Knowing full well what the desert and its creatures will do to a body after a few days, I couldn't help but smile. After all the injustice he had inflicted, he finally got what he deserved…something you don't see very often.

"You find this amusing Gaara?" the elder asked me, apparently he noticed my smile.

I didn't respond with words. I just looked at him and continued to smile, that was all the reply he needed.

"You have no remorse or regrets for your father, our Kazekage?" he was baiting me. I knew it, but this wasn't going to stop me from speaking my mind.

"My only remorse or regret is the fact that I didn't see him shriveled in the bottom of that pit as the bugs ate at his flesh."

Silence.

Silence filled the room. No one talked, no one dared to talk.

"Maybe you were the one that killed him." the elder accused. So that's what they were setting me up for.

"If I had killed him, there would be no remains left for you to find once I was through with him. I wish I was responsible, for that man had death coming to him by my hand for many years…but sadly I am not responsible. Perhaps the one responsible is the man that posed as our father during the Chuunin exams."

That shut them up.

"Is this true?!" the elder asked the remaining shinobi in the room. "Was there a man posing as Kazekage-sama at the exams?!"

Everyone nodded. The elders stared at each other in disbelief. Apparently this little detail had slipped by them.

Coming out of their shock, the head elder spoke once again, "This still does not mean that you will be spared from punishment. Each of you will be given twenty lashes…"

The man kept talking but my vision was suddenly overtaken by that girl's green eyes again. They were staring at me, urging me to do something. Only I didn't know what they wanted me to do.

Were these green eyes that conscience thing that people sometimes talked about?

And if so, since when did I have one?!

Trying not to bring unwanted attention to myself, I squeezed my eyes shut, willing those eyes to disappear. But the more the elder talked about everyone's punishment, the more vivid and urgent they became. Finally, I had had enough.

"Stop!" I yelled. My voice echoed off of the walls and everyone gasped in surprise.

I now had everyone's attention… only I didn't know what to do with it.

Calmly looking at the elder I said, "I'm the main reason why the mission failed. Spare everyone else their punishment, and punish me only."

My siblings' mouths, along with Baki's fell open in shock. The other ninjas in the room stared at me expecting this to be some kind of a joke but silently wishing that I was serious.

The elder all but smiled at this, "You would take on the burden of everyone else's failure?"

I nodded.

"Since when does the monster of Suna care about what happens to its people?"

My sister moved to say something to the man, but I silenced her by sticking my arm out.

"Since when do Suna's elders not wish to punish me for all of the things I've done?"

A smile now graced the elder's lips. I could see his mind working and thinking of ways that he could punish me.

"Very well. Gaara will be the sole person punished for this failure. But since he is taking on everyone's punishment, a more severe one will be given."

"Gaara don't do this." Temari pleaded, reaching for my arm. She grabbed my sleeve but I didn't move, I didn't even look at her. I just kept my eyes trained on the man who was all but laughing at me.

"Instead of a regular whip usually used in this situation, the bladed cat o' nine tailed whip will be used. If at any time during your punishment you lose control and assume the form of Shukaku, you will be bound to the room and we will begin the chants to remove Shukaku from your body. Gaara, now knowing your punishment, do you accept it? And will you go willingly to the sand-less room without so much as a struggle?"

I knew that whip. I've seen it once before. It's a whip that has nine ends instead of one, and on each end a razor blade is attached in order to inflict massive damage to the person it was being used on.

A nine-tailed whip, I mused, how fitting.

Without flinching I replied with a sturdy, "Yes."

"Done!" the elder said, pounding his fist on the table. "Guards, prep Gaara. I will await for you in the room."

"NO!" Temari shouted rushing towards the elders.

"Please, punish me too. Don't let Gaara take on my punishment. Use the regular whip on him, don't make him suffer through such torture!"

Kankuro rushed at them as well. "Same with me! Punish me! Keep that cursed whip in the box that it was shut away in many years ago!"

The elders hesitated. They had never seen my siblings act in such a way towards me. This was truly a day for new things. But I still did not wish them to be punished…

"Temari. Kankuro." I spoke. "Leave it alone. This was a decision I've made for myself."

Stupid boy! Shukaku yelled at me. What are you thinking?! You know that those plotting elders have something up their sleeves that they did not tell you!!! What are you doing?!

Relax Shukaku. I wanted this.

Why?!

Because, it made her eyes smile…

I could feel as Shukaku moved around inside me with intolerance and irritation.

Boy…you are insane.

I smirked at this.

Yes, I am…

Temari had tears flowing down her face once again. Baki had now joined my siblings to question me about my decision.

"Gaara…" Temari sobbed. Kankuro put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. I could see the mixed feelings he had in his eyes about the current situation.

I looked at each of them, and then at Baki.

Baki only nodded at me, it was the closest thing I had ever gotten to a kind gesture from him.

Temari moved to hug me, my eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to touch me, she wanted to hug me… but before she could wrap her arms around me, I was suddenly seized by the guards. They forcefully folded my arms behind my back, all but breaking them. It took all of my will power to stop my sand from attacking them.

I watched as Temari moved to come after me, but she was retrained by Kankuro and Baki.

Her protests followed my down the hall as I was led away to the one thing I feared in all the world…that room.

During the walk there, I remained silent. I stared at the ground and refused to look at anyone. I reflected on a few things, but the thing I thought about the most was that girl in Konohoa.

I wonder what she's doing right now…

Shukaku hissed with agitation. You've grown weak boy… stop thinking about that girl and start worrying about surviving this coming punishment.

You heard the elder, right? You cannot take control, otherwise I'm dead and you're back inside that teakettle.

More hissing vibrated my insides. I know…stupid, stupid boy!!! Why did you agree to become a martyr for a village that hates you, for a village that will ALWAYS hate you?!

I already told you, I didn't do it for them… I did it for…

I know, I know…that girl. That stupid girl! She has made you weak already and there isn't anything between you yet!!!

Yet? I asked him in amusement.

Don't be amused boy… there won't be a chance for there to be anything between you two if you die. You know these elders have had it out for you ever since you were born…each year of your existence was like a slap in their faces, a thorn in their side that got pushed in deeper and deeper…

Shukaku stopped talking when a shadow loomed over us.

We had arrived.

The guards removed my gourd and threw it against the ground. They then stripped me of my shirt and forcefully pushed me into the building and closed the door behind me.

ÃÃÃÃÃÃ

Inside the elders were waiting along with a man who would be giving me my punishment.

Two men forcefully grabbed my arms and shackled them tightly against a stone pillar that sat in the middle of the room. I lifted my head and took in my surroundings.

The room was full of people. The elders, the man holding the whip, along with others who held scrolls that contained the reverse of the possession technique. And finally, directly in front of me and demanding all of my attention was the tea kettle.

"Begin." an elder spoke.

I heard the whip whistle in the air and felt the sting as the blades cut deeply into my back.

"One" and elder counted.

I felt as warm liquid seeped from the newly made cuts on my back.

I didn't even flinch. I just kept my eyes trained on the tea kettle, concentrating on keeping Shukaku controlled inside of me so that the kettle wouldn't be used.

My body was slick with sweat and blood when finally the elder counted "Twenty".

My legs were shaking, but I refused to collapse or show any sort of emotion to amuse those around me.

I would not be broken by them.

Suddenly my back cried out in pain once again.

"Twenty one". the elder counted.

"What?!" I hissed "the punishment is twenty lashes!"

"On the contrary, Gaara. YOU'RE punishment is twenty lashes. So is Temari's, and Kankuro's, and Baki's, and the other handful of ninjas that have returned and that YOU have accepted their punishments for. So according to my calculations, that is a total of 160 lashes."

"You tricked me!" I hissed. Shukaku pressed against my skin once again begging to be let free to slaughter them all.

NO! I yelled. I will be killed.

You'll be killed anyways by the time they are through with you!!!

I stared daggers at the elder who was now coming closer to me.

I regretted agreeing not to lash out at anyone when he whispered into my ear, "you're lucky I don't punish you for ALL of the shinobi assigned to this mission. I tried to get the others to agree, but they felt that they weren't justified to partake in such an action since they have not returned to the village yet…"

Leaning in closer, the man whispered venomously into my ear, "You know that girl you just crushed in the streets? That was my daughter. You have shamed her and all of our family by your actions, and now you must pay."

I glared at the man and responded with an evil smile gracing my face, "Cowardice must run in the family then, old man." With that said, I summoned all of the moisture that I had left in my dry mouth and throat and spat in the man's face.

Backing away wiping his face, the man called out, "Twenty Two!"

Over and over again the whip raped the skin on my back. Standing was now becoming difficult as my blood surrounded me. I tried to not freak out at seeing it like during my battle with the Uchiha; because I knew that any noise I made would only make everyone in the room happy.

My body began to shake uncontrollably and I fell to my knees. I leaned my head against the pillar that was holding my wrists in place.

Closing my eyes, I was surprised to see her eyes again. They had not abandoned me.

They were still there. They looked sympathetic and sad…they, felt sorry for me…

It looked like they were about to cry.

Confused at such a look, I walked towards them.

Blackness was all around me, I seemed to be walking on air. The echoes of the elder's voice counting "One Hundred! One Hundred and One!" surrounded me, but I didn't pay them any heed.

I just kept walking towards those eyes.

As I got closer, I noticed that it just wasn't her eyes, but the whole girl was there…and she was reaching for me.

I reached my arm out for her as well.

Then…she smiled at me.

I quickened my pace and was all but running at her, but suddenly I was falling.

She disappeared and I was left alone in the darkness and the cold.

I hit something solid. It felt like a stone floor with some kind of warm liquid covering it. But this warm liquid was quickly losing its heat and soon turned cold as I continued to lie there.

I heard something bang close. A door maybe?

I no longer heard counting…was my punishment over?

I didn't sense anyone around me.

I was in pain.

I was cold.

And I was alone once again.

I don't know how long I remained there. But the silence was soon interrupted by Temari's voice in the distance.

"Gaara!"

She was calling for me.

Soon Kankuro's voice joined hers.

They hadn't abandoned me. They were coming for me.

Their footsteps got closer and closer, and then they stopped and I heard Temari gasp.

"Oh my God Kankuro…there's…there's nothing left of his back…"

"What have they done to him…" Kankuro whispered angrily.

I felt as someone wrapped some sort of cloth around me and as strong arms lifted me up gently off of the freezing floor, holding my broken body against their form.

"We need to get him help…" was the last thing I heard before the darkness engulfed me completely.