Sorry for the wait. I was having a bad case of writers block. This chapter is shorter than normal because of it. Hopefully this will help me work through the block. I think it has. I'll go start chapter 13 and see. Enjoy.
Oh, and to answer the most popular question from the last chapter...yes Yura was Sasori's spy in Suna. I believe he was a sleeper spy.
Disclaimer: We've been through this so I won't say it again. If you insist on the disclaimer go see one of my other chapters. At least one of them have to say it.
Ch. 12: Missing
He opened his eyes slowly to see someone with pink hair looking down at him. Who was that? It was hard to tell because everything looked blurry. The figure moved out of his line of sight then was back again. His vision was starting to come back into focus. Now he could see that it was Sakura Haruno from Konoha. He looked around and saw Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were there as well, talking with his siblings. He could just make out the words. Something about Aya and missing. Gaara closed his eyes. He was so tired.
Suddenly he bolted upright. Everyone rushed to him at once but he ignored them. His cold, angry eyes were on Kankuro. "What do you mean, Aya is missing?" he demanded of his brother.
The puppet master sighed, "We can't find her. She was here during the attack then she left with Yura for safety. We haven't be able to locate either of them since the attack."
Gaara shifted and started to stand. Sakura and Aya's father moved in to prevent him from getting up. The Konoha medic was glaring at him. "Oh, no you don't, Gaara. You haven't recovered yet. You won't do Aya any good if you don't finish getting your strength back."
"Besides, if you find Aya in the condition you're in, she'll kill you," Kaito stated with a grin.
Gaara let them push him back onto the bed. They were right. He wouldn't be able to help Aya without rest. His eyes moved back to Kankuro and Temari, "Find her. I don't care if you have the tear the village apart. Find Aya."
"We will, Gaara. Don't worry. She's our friend too," Kankuro replied. "The A...
Temari hit Kankuro on the head and glared at him. "Don't add to his worry, Kankuro. Let's go." She grabbed her brother and began pulling him out of the room.
"Nice to see you're awake now," Naruto commented.
Gaara sat back up but didn't try to stand this time. "She's gone. They've taken her, haven't they? That's what Kankuro was about to say before Temari stopped him. The Akatsuki have her because she's close to me."
Naruto ignored Sakura, who was shaking her head to tell him not to answer. The blond boy nodded gravely, "Yes. We believe they do. After you were unconscious, your village expected the intruder to keep attacking but he didn't. Instead he looked over towards the cliffs and then flew off. No one knows what he saw. Sasuke thinks it must have been some sort of signal."
"Damn it, Naruto. Now he won't wait until he recovers to go after her," Sakura snapped.
"So, if it was one of my friends I'd want to the truth anyway. Its his choice, Sakura. We're not the ones that are going to have to bear the guilt if Aya is killed," Naruto snapped back. He pointed at Gaara, "He is."
Sakura closed her mouth then let out a long sigh. "I know. He can't save her in the condition he's in right now though."
Kaito looked at Gaara. He saw the guilt in the young man's eyes. He placed a hand on the Kazekage's shoulder, "You'll save her, Gaara. They won't kill her because they need her. She's their bargaining chip. You trade yourself for her. That's what they'll tell you. Now listen very carefully to what I'm about to say." Kaito waited until Gaara was looking at him before continuing. "If you agree to their terms, I'll kill you for Aya. She would rather die than be the reason you're killed and that's what the Akatsuki plan to do to you. Now you will go and fight them. You will win and then you will bring Aya home. But under no circumstances are you to ruin Aya's happiness by getting yourself killed. Understand me?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now rest and then we'll see what to do about getting my daughter back."
Gaara nodded and laid back down. Everyone followed Kaito out of the room to let Gaara rest. Sasuke looked back into the room, "I can't imagine what he's going through."
"Let me put it into perspective then. How would you feel if it were Sakura?" Kakashi asked.
Sasuke barely suppressed the shudder, and looked at Sakura as if to make sure she was still there.
"How long until he'll recover?" Naruto asked.
"A few hours before he decides that he's recovered enough to help look for Aya. Being a jinchuriki has its benefits, like quick healing," Kaito replied. "It will take several more hours after he's stopped resting for him to recover entirely though."
"Alright. Let's see if we can find Aya before then," Kakashi said. "I don't want Gaara to rush off on his own."
"Right," they all agreed.
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"My head hurts," she grumbled, and tried to reach up and grab the offended body part. Her arm would move. Aya opened her eyes to find out why. Her arms were tied behind her back. She wiggled a little and managed to get into a sitting position. Where ever she was, it was dark. She could barely make out her own body in the darkness. Aya waited for a moment for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. She was in a cave somewhere. "Well, this is just great. I've been kidnapped by a bunch of murdering bastards and they've abandoned me in some cave. Wonderful. As if this day could get any better," she grumbled to herself.
"We didn't abandon you," said a deep, low voice.
She looked over to see what she assumed to be a man. If he was a man, he was a very deformed one. She couldn't be sure because his cloak his his entire body, and the hat on his head hid his face. When he turned away from her she saw a tail. Okay, maybe he wasn't a man. Standing next to him was the intruder who had attacked their village. Now that she could see him close up, she realized he didn't look like a bad guy. Half of his blond hair was in a ponytail with a lock of it falling over one of his blue eyes. Like his companion, he had on a black cloak with red clouds.
"Who are you?" she asked curiously. As usual, Aya didn't react to being in a life or death situation like others did. She knew that she should probably be frightened but she wasn't. Being afraid probably wouldn't do her any good anyway.
"We are member of the Akatsuki," the blond man replied.
"So you are a group of people who are all named Akatsuki?" she asked. "How in the world do you keep from getting each other mixed up?"
"We aren't named Akatsuki. The group is. My name is Deidara," the blond man snapped at her.
She smiled, "Oh, well why didn't you say so?"
"Aren't you afraid?" the other man asked.
"Not really," she replied.
He watched her for a moment then said, "My name is Sasori."
Her eyes widened, "Sasori of the Red Sand? The missing nin?"
"Yes."
"You don't look like Sasori," she commented with narrowed eyes. "I was told he was a red head."
He didn't respond. Instead he turned to Deidara, "It's time."
"Alright. I'll go tell them that we have her and they won't get her back unless they give us Gaara." The blond man walked out of the cave.
Now Aya was afraid. She knew Gaara. He would do it. If it would save her life he would sacrifice his own. The idiot. She had to do something. No way was she going to let Gaara die just to save her. She looked around and saw a sharp looking rock. With a little bit of shifting she managed to pick it up. Aya went to work slicing the ropes binding her hands. She watched Sasori carefully. It would be bad if he noticed what she was doing. Then he might do something to stop her. The rope gave a little. She wanted to look back and see how much she had managed to cut through but Sasori would see her look. Gaara's life depended on her getting away. If they didn't have her then Gaara wouldn't give in. Suddenly the rope fell away. She shifted so that Sasori wouldn't see it.
Now what? Sasori was standing between her and the entrance. She looked around and saw that there was a tunnel in the back of the cave. Well, she could go that way. She might even get away providing that it wasn't a dead end and she could outrun Sasori. Aya looked back at him. He didn't look like he could move very fast. It would probably help that he obviously didn't think she was going anywhere. The guy barely looked at her. He just kept standing there by the cave entrance watching for…something. Aya stood quickly and made her way to the back of the cave without making any sound. She just made it to the tunnel when she heard Sasori's voice.
"Where do you think you're going?"
She turned to see he was heading towards her. Aya panicked and ran for it. She didn't know where she was going or how she was going to get back to Suna. All she knew was that she had to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction of Sasori. If he caught her Gaara would be killed. No way was she going to allow that. Nothing in her could let that happen. Gaara had suffered enough. She didn't want to be the reason something else bad happened to him. She refused to be yet another bad thing in his life. So Aya ran with all she had. Behind her she could hear Sasori chasing after her. She wondered if it was possible for a civilian to outrun a shinobi. Probably not. At least, she'd never heard of it happening before.
"You can't run forever girl. I will catch you sooner or later. You'll tire out before I do and I'm faster than you," Sasori called from several yards behind her. "Then Sabaku no Gaara will be ours for the taking. Yura told us you were his weakness. We'll use his attachment to you to get him."
"You still have to catch me first," she called over her shoulder and put on a burst a speed. Aya began to pray to any god listening that she could outrun Sasori. She had to outrun him. What other choice did she have?
----------Meanwhile in Suna----------
Gaara read the message left by the Akatsuki. Shortly after finishing the last word on the page, he crumpled the note in his hand. If they thought for one second that he was going to let them kill Aya then they were crazy. They were all going to pay for laying one hand on his Aya.
He stood and pulled on his shirt. For the last hour he had done nothing but rest and he had enough of that. The Akatsuki had Aya and he had to make them give her back. Preferably without getting killed in the process. Kaito was right about that. Aya wouldn't want him to sacrifice his own life for hers. What he wanted to know was could he give her what she would want? Could he save her without getting himself killed? He wasn't so sure right now.
Gaara turned and walked out of the hospital. One way or another he would save Aya and make the Akatsuki pay for every moment of fear they put in her.
"Gaara, are you sure you should be up?" Temari asked when she saw him.
"No, but I can't lie down anymore. Have you located Aya?"
She shook her head. "We're still looking. It's like she's disappeared off the face of the earth."
Gaara glanced down at the crumpled note in his hands. He uncrumpled it and reread it. The Kazekage didn't really need to read it again. He already had the words memorized. Still, he felt compelled to make sure he hadn't missed some detail that could help them find Aya.
To the Kazekage of Sunagakure:
As you have probably guessed by now we are after the tailed beast imprisoned inside your body. Tomorrow at dawn one of our men will come to Suna to take you. If you come willingly and we will return the girl to the Suna council alive and unharmed. However if you resist then we will return Ayame Hayashi's dead body to you.
The Akatsuki
Gaara released a sigh as he wondered what he was going to do. Suddenly Sasuke and Naruto rushed up.
"We've found their trail," Sasuke informed Gaara.
That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
