Hey! I hope left off on a good spot, you know, enforce those cliff hangers that we all love! haha this is a short one and these first three chapters are nothing but to fill you guys in before the shippuden arc. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Naruto, only AIKO.
It stopped. The spike was only centimeters from Gaara's face.
"He's dead…" Lee spoke, amazed that it had just stopped.
Aiko was still tense, and Gaara took a few minutes to regain his posture and let them set down on the ground, relaxing against trees. Aiko didn't hesitate, she began to check Lee again, making sure he hadn't upset anything while trying to go after Kimimaru again, and then sat down next to Gaara, speeding up the process of replenishing Gaara's chakra.
"I swear, you boys." She muttered under her breath, "You fight until you can't walk, that just plain out stupid, you're asking to die." She shook her head. "But I am glad that both of you are alive." She looked at the two, and Lee only smiled and held his thumbs up.
Gaara looked to the side, seeing another ninja, from leaf. Aiko stood, seeing the ninja as well, and turned towards the man.
"You're the Sand Shinobi Lady Tsunade sent?" The man said.
"Yes." Aiko replied, standing in between the man and the two boys. "Is there any news on the others?"
He nodded, "Two are critically wounded, those are Neji Hyuuga and Choji Akimichi; first aid has been applied to them and they're being transported to the village as we speak. Shikamaru Nara has slight wounds, and the sand shinobi with him is fine. Kiba Inuzuka is suffering slight minor wounds, and the sand shinobi with him is fine as well."
Aiko still didn't feel settled, "What about Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, has anything new showed up?"
"No ma'am. Nothing. How's everything here?"
Aiko closed her eyes, "These two are fine, there was nothing seriously done that I couldn't handle, of course…" She opened one eye, hinting to the green clad boy, but she dropped it, "Everything's fine. The two are going to be able to walk in a few minutes, they're just resting, the enemy we fought.." She now looked up at the spikes, "He's dead." she looked at the man, "Go with the others, or scout ahead. Which ever you see fit."
The man nodded and left, while she looked back at the two, "At least we know half the team is all right." "But what about Neji and Choji? They're hurt critically!" Lee spoke standing up.
Aiko gave a somber face, "I don't know. It's up to the medics that take them, which, Leaf is pretty good with their medics, so they're going to be in fine hands, don't worry Lee."
Gaara stood up, "Speaking of which, we should head back, just so they know we're okay."
The other two genin nodded, and the three started off.
Of course, when they had gotten back, everyone else was waiting, and Aiko stood back, watching everyone walk and pace, waiting for news of the others. She shook her head and headed to the roof. Sitting down on the edge she looked over the village that was so much different from Suna. A lot more colors, that was for sure, and a lot cooler as another fact.
'I can't believe I froze like that. If he hadn't died when he did, Gaara wouldn't be here.' She thought holding her knees, burring her head into them, 'How pathetic, some friend I am.'
"Aiko."
She looked up and saw behind her; Gaara. "Oh, Gaara, what are you doing here?"
"Wondering where you went off too." He said, now standing next to her. He looked down at her, noticing something was off in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"
"huh? Oh um, nothing." She said turning her head. She gave a slight pause before sighing, "Yes." She looked at him, "You're not mad at me are you?"
That took Gaara back for a moment, "No? Why would I?"
She looked back down out to the village, "Cause. I didn't do anything, I'm pathetic for not trying to help, I just froze."
"What are you…" he trailed off. "Oh." He paused, "But why would that upset you?"
She looked at him, disbelief, "Gaara.. How could I NOT be upset? You're my friend, I'd die if you died." She said, simple and innocent.
Again, that took Gaara back. "You'd… die?"
She nodded, "I'd die if any of my friends die; you, Kankuro, or Temari. You guys are like family, the only ones that really look at me, since.. Well, you know how people look at me with the genkai." She said giving a nervous chuckle, "So that's why it upsets me."
Gaara didn't say anything for a while, he was still trying to figure out the concept of being friends.. "How?" He spoke, now sitting down next to her. "How are we friends?"
Aiko blinked, but laughed, "Um, not sure, but we are. I know I don't hate you. I don't think I could, even when I first came on your team and, no offense, you were a cold hearted killer. But I think I understood to a slight degree. You see, people are arrogant, they get afraid of something they don't know or trust, so they transform that fear into hate. But the worst thing was that they didn't get a chance to even know you, they only saw Shukaku, not you, which just shows the arrogance. I will admit, I was afraid of you, no, I was afraid of Shukaku. But once I got to be around you, I wasn't so afraid."
"Are you still afraid?"
She smiled, "Do I look like I'm afraid?" She said, looking at the kid, "I'm not afraid, not a slight bit, because I know you have a lot of self control."
Gaara looked at her, a bit bewildered, but looked away, "I think I could stand having you as a friend."
She took it as a joke, "Hey that's more than enough. But you're going to promise something all right?"
He looked at her, uneasy, as she held her hand out, fist bawled except for her pinky. "Promise we'll be friends, and we'll never leave each other."
Gaara didn't say anything, her voice had been so serious, but after a minute, he hesitantly locked his pinky with hers, "All right."
She smiled and pulled her pinky back, "And if you break the promise, I get to break your pinky, and vice versa." she started laughing when he gave her a serious look. "It's a joke Gaara!"