1 7 Years Later

(Mai POV)

I sighed and looked at who was in front of me in line. Only two more to go. I sighed again. This was going to take forever. I mean, I know it's the Genin exams, and I heard they got a lot harder. I was the second best - if not the best - student in my class. The only one who could possibly even scratch me was Gaara. And that's only because we trained together every day. Even though this was true, I couldn't hurt him, even if I wanted to. He doesn't have a weakness that I knew of. The next person was called in. One more person to go.

Man people are going to stare at me when they call out my name. It's not every day that you hear someone with that name. It's not even my last name, but Gaara made me take his after a few years, so that way, my mother couldn't find me. I am grateful that he would let me do that. It's just that I'm sick of hearing whispers about it...

"Next up, Mai!" A slight pause before they called my 'last name' and I started walking in by the time they had said it"Mai Of The Desert!" His voice was almost shaking just from saying it. "Huh wimp,"I muttered under my breath. I could almost feel Gaara smirking behind me, only enough for me to notice."Ok, Mai, we want you to do the sand clone jitsu. Then transform the both of you into myself." the sensei growled. It was his way of trying to take control of the situation. I did the hand signs down so fast, my hands were just blurs. I knew that I shouldn't be able to do it. Most Jounin make hand sings that fast. "Sand clone jitsu!" I shouted. Then, five more of me blasted into existence. I then transformed them all into the sensei. When he nodded, I released the jitsu. "Good job. You pass," was all he said, and passed me a black headband with the Sand village symbol on it, proving that I was a Genin. I grabbed it, tied it around myneck, and walked away without a word.

They knew I would pass. I'm one of the most powerful ninjas in this village, thanks to my training with Gaara. I wonder why they even put Gaara and I through this.

My thoughts shifted suddenly to Gaara.

Oh Gaara, if only you could tell how much I like you, how much I – I love you. Ever since you made that promise, I guess I've always loved you. It's not like I could get almost any guy in the village. I found out that most of them only talked to me because of my looks or the fact I live with Gaara…Gaara treated me like he cared about me, even if it was in his cold, emotionless way. I knew that he wasn't emotionless. I could kind of tell what people were feeling and if I tried hard enough, what they were thinking…

"Mai, let's go." I looked up to see Gaara staring at me, waiting. I nodded and started walking, not wanting him to see my face since I was slightly blushing. I could feel his concern coming off of him. It wasn't the first time either. Whenever I wouldn't look at him, or talk to him, he was always like that, but there was something different that he was feeling when we talked and sat watching the night sky together. It was never there when he was with anyone else. I wondered about what it could be, since I had never really felt that before. I heard Gaara stop in front of me and turn to face me. "Mai is there something wrong? You've been acting...different around me lately." I could feel my face start to get warmer. "Don't worry about it Gaara. It's nothing." My voice trailed off.

He looked at me, disbelief on his beautiful face. I didn't tell him. I just lied to him for the first time ever, in all the years we'd been friends, and the many years I knew I loved him. He was getting ready to say something, but I didn't really want to be questioned. So I walked off to my favorite spot to be alone. My mind wandered to the meadow that Gaara found when we were little. I tried to stop thinking about it, but I couldn't. I kept thinking about the green grass, the flowers in full bloom, and most of all, Gaara. I couldn't believe I had just run away from Gaara. He was my best friend, and, most of all, I was in love with him! If I want him to love me, or hopefully, keep on loving me, I need to go back! I knew if he wanted to find me, he would know where to look. Soon enough after I had calmed down, I started to wait for him. I didn't have to wait for very long.

"You ran away before I could finish." I could hear, and feel the hurt that I had just caused him. I hung my head, sadly, wishing I could rewind and just start over. Gaara looked at me my head bowed and lifted my chin lightly with his hand. "Don't look so sad, I like it much more when you laugh and smile. It makes me happy to still be alive." I looked up at him in shock. At first I couldn't look him in the eyes, but when I felt them never leaving my face, I looked into them. Much to my surprise, I could see caring and gentleness in them mixed with something else. I couldn't tell what but I did know that it was the same thing I felt coming off of him when we were alone.

I stared deep into his eyes, never wanting that moment to end. "Mai, please tell me what's wrong so I can make it all better." he said almost pleading with me. I sighed and wished that I could hide my emotions like he did. "Ok, I will tell you. But you might not like the answer too much. He just looked down at me as if to say 'try me.' I sighed again and told him "Gaara I-I love you. I have for a long time and didn't want you to know, because I thought you would reject me, so I don't know why I'm telling you now because I didn't want to wreck our friendship. But I can't help myself." he looked at me with shock, and that strange emotion rolling in huge waves off of him. Then he took my chin in his hand again and his other hand around my waist holding me close to him. Then, he did something that I usually wouldn't have expected. I loved this, and was extremely shocked about it. He leaned down and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, not wanting to ever let this end. Soon enough, I had to pull away so I could catch my breath. He wouldn't let me stop very long. I then realized what the emotion coming off of him was. And I shared that emotion.

He loved me, I loved him, and nothing would ever change that fact. "Gaara do you really, truly l-love me? I need to know." I murmured, blushing a deep shade of red that made Gaara smirk in the twilight. Then he looked at me in the loving way I had already become used to. What I didn't realize what that he had always looked at me that way even if it was hidden in the cold eyes he gave most people. He sighed and murmured the answer to my question in my ear. "That was the dumbest thing I have ever heard you ask in my life. You should've known that I have always loved you, I do love you, and will always love you, even if I am a monster that shouldn't feel love. I don't deserve it, especially from you."

I could feel sadness and love coming off of him. It was strange, since those feelings almost never came together in most people's lifetimes. I looked up at him and kissed him passionately, letting him know I did love him whether he thought he deserved it or not, when the truth was, I didn't deserve him. "Gaara, you are not a monster, and never will be as long as I'm alive. It's the demon inside of you that wants to kill people, not you. You care for people, and their safety, even if you don't know that, I can tell." he looked at me in shock, not knowing what to say. "It's getting late. How about we go home?" I said. He nodded and held me even tighter to him if that was possible, and we vanished in a swirl of sand and reappeared at our house, only to see Kankuro and Temari waiting for us.

Kankuro looked at Gaara holding me, with amusement across his face. "So Gaara you finally got a girl, huh? It sure took you long enough. I mean, she's been living in this house with you since you were what, six? It took you till you guys were thirteen to realize you liked each other? I guess I lost my bet, Temari. Here you go." Kankuro was joking the whole time till he got up to the bet part. Gaara and I gave a glare at both of them when we heard this, they flinched from both of us looking more scared at the fact I could get a glare the rivaled Gaara's. "You two made a bet on us? What the hell Temari? I thought we were friends!" she looked a little saddened and hurt when I said we 'were' friends. I could feel despair coming from her at the thought of losing her only friend. "I'm sorry Mai. But Kankuro said that you two would never figure out that you liked each other and I disagreed until he asked if I wanted to make a bet and I was mad and said sure and now..."

I looked at them, both shocked. I was about to speak, but Gaara beat me too it. "You two knew she loved me and didn't tell me?" I could feel everything they felt. I turned to look at him, shocked at the use of the word 'love', since he had never used it before. Kankuro and Temari were shocked even more! I saw the sand start to come out of his gourd in the corner of the room. Kankuro spoke before Temari could recover. "D-did you say love? You love him?" I glared at him and spoke with as if venom were my voice. "Of course I do! My heart will belong to only him and stay that way for as long as I live." I saw the sand start to retreat back into the gourd, and Gaara looked at me.

He didn't know how to say it, but I could feel that he loved me too, and it was the same for him. I smiled and kissed him, and he returned it, until he broke away and looked at his older siblings. "Now what do you two want?" his emotionless voice had returned although I could still feel his emotions. There was happiness, caring, and most of all, love. That word had been used more in the past few hours then it had been for almost ten years of my life. Temari answered him, glad that I had forgiven her since I had stopped glaring, and was looking at her like I always had. "We know all four of us are going to be put on the same squad, and we know that our biggest mission will be coming up in about two months. We need to start training you two to work with us as a team. I know you and Mai can work together flawlessly since you're the only person she will train with and she passed the Genin test top of your class. We will see you tomorrow at the training grounds at six, after you meet us as your ninja team."

Kankuro nodded, still looking at me funny, and walked out followed by Temari who looked over her shoulder and spoke words that were meant for me."Oh, and Mai? If you break Gaara's heart, I will have to kill you, ok?" I nodded, knowing I would never do that, and watched them leave. I turned to Gaara, knowing he would be sad after hearing that, but I needed to say it. "Gaara…" I said. He looked at me. I could sense his fear. It was all an act.

I could never do that to you, Gaara. I love you. Whether I deserve your love is different...

"I need to take a walk, alone. It'll help clear my head. I need to think about things that just happened okay?" he nodded, still afraid and sad. I sighed, and kissed him again, he kissed back, with an interest in the way he did it. This was so right. Then I turned, and walked out into the night alone. I knew I would go to the wall to be alone. I did that a lot when Gaara thought I was sleeping, just to think everything over. To tell the truth I only got about two to four hours of sleep a night. I started think when I was walking, knowing the route so well I could walk it blindfolded.

Gaara does love me! Things change so fast…I don't know how to react to all of it at once…I guess we can just take it one step at a time, starting with the fact that we're Genin now, so we have to start training harder…Luckily, I had figured out a few ways to work with Temari since I had seen her fight with her fan a few times before. All I have to do is distract at close range with my Tijitsu and she can work her Ninjitsu from a distance. Gaara, who I know so well, I don't even need to think about him…Kankuro? I had only heard he was a puppet master and that was it. I know nothing else about his fighting style...

I looked around and saw I was at the wall and jumped up to the top, to watch the stars for a little while when I sensed a strong amount of Chakra coming from around me. I stood up and grabbed a Kunai from the pouch on my leg and then quickly did a Genjitsu to make me look like I had relaxed, and started watching the stars again. I didn't have to wait very long for my enemy to come out and look at me. He crept out slowly. He had long black hair and almost looked like a snake, accept he had grey skin.

What the hell? Who has grey skin? Then again, who looks like a snake?

"Ah, Mai! I see you know some tricks too. It will make you even better for what I have planned for you." he held his hands together to make a hand sign "Release!" he had broken my Genjitsu. I will admit it wasn't very strong, but he saw it so easily, it amazed me. "Ok, you found me, so what the hell do you want from me? I'm pretty sureI didn't want some pedophile-looking snake guy to plan something out for me." I sounded cocky, like I didn't care, but truth be told I was terrified that he wouldn't get everything he wanted out of me and go after Gaara too. Snake Guy laughed at me. That pissed me off more than most things could. I'm not really sure why though.

"Oh Mai, you've become so strong, when you don't even know your full powers yet. That's why I offer that you come with me to get strong and become my apprentice. You should feel special. I normally send someone else to do these type of things for me, but you...you just capture my interest more than the others do…" I had no idea what to say so I just settled for what I thought of first. "Ok, first off, who the hell are you? Second, why would I want to go with you? I have people I care about here. I could never leave! Third, I don't feel like fighting you, so when I say no to your offer, can you just, you know, leave?"

He smirked at that. I could tell he liked my cocky attitude and that he knew I didn't always act like that. The sand siblings were the only people I cared about, everyone else here, I hated. "Oh dear, Mai, how have you not heard of me? I am Orochimaru." My eyes widened at that. He just laughed more. "And don't think I don't know about you and the sand siblings! Especially the one who holds the Shukuka spirit inside of him!" I stared at him wanting with all my heart to attack him, but I knew it would be no use. "And lastly I will gladly leave, but only if you come with me and if you don't I will kill the boy." I didn't just want to attack him now. I wanted to kill him so painfully that his screams would be heard from the leaf village.

I know sadistic but very true I tried to calm down and think things over. "If I leave with you do you promise to never hurt Gaara or the other sand siblings?" he looked at me. An even creepier smile came to his face. "My, my, my, I didn't realize you cared for them so much, Mai. I will not hurt them as long you come with me." I sighed and knew I had no choice but to go with him. I put my Kunai back in the pouch and took the headband I earned today down on the ground with a message I left on some scrap paper I carry around. The message was made out of Chakra. It explained what had happened, and I knew only Gaara would be able to see it since our Chakras were connected in some spiritual way.

"Ok, let's go." Orochimaru smiled, jumped away, and ran after him close to tears from leaving Gaara behind, but I knew the whole village barely stood a chance against him, let alone a Genin all by herself, no matter how strong I was.

Gaara, don't hate me…I will always love you no matter what...don't let your fear doubt that…I almost hope you move on after I'm gone so that way you don't have to deal with the pain I'm going through…I hope you don't come after me when you find the note…but in some way, I wish you would…

I couldn't hold them in any longer. I started to cry, but kept up with Orochimaru nonetheless. I could feel the hot tears stream down my face as I tried to wipe them away with my hand, even though I knew that I was crying too hard to get rid of them. 'A Shenobi must not show their feelings' ran through my mind as I stopped all of a sudden as a plan came to my head.

Orochimaru...he won't keep me with him for long. No, he'll train me to be as strong if not stronger than him...when he's done, than I can attack and kill him…I have many years of waiting before I will be able to see Gaara again, but if I can kill Orochimaru, then it might almost be worth it...

I put on a poker face that you learn fast enough from hanging out with Gaara all the time. The only reason I learned it at first was to show him how unhappy he looked, and then I started using it more and more often. I looked at our surroundings and saw we were getting close to a forest. It looked like The Land of Fire to me. We ran at speeds that most Jounin couldn't handle. I figured it out later. Suddenly, a group of ninjas jumped in front of us "Show us your passes, and headbands at once or we will have to make you leave! By force if needed!" I looked at the ninja. She seemed like a good ninja. She had short black hair, falling loose around her shoulders. She looked about twenty five, give or take a few years.

Orochimaru laughed and looked at me. "Go on! Show them that they will have a problem taking you by force. I could take them out easily but I want to see what you do." I stared at him, not believing what I just heard. These guys were all Chunin or Jounin and here, I was barely a Genin.

No not even that anymore. I'm a traitor and a horrible lover.

I sighed and said tiredly, "I don't stand a chance, and I'll probably die, but I can't give up. I have to save him. I love him, and I made my choice to protect him!" by then I was screaming and attacking the ninja with rage at myself and Orochimaru. When they got over to me, while I was still in shock of my words, they whipped out there weapons. The girl had poison tips. I could tell that it would only knock me out though. The big man next to her had some sort of huge sword that he swung as if it were a feather. And the small teen off to the side just had a Kunai to fight with. I blacked out after I saw them ready to fight. I didn't know what happened, till I woke up.

(Gaara POV)

It had been hours since Mai left. I knew that she left quite often, and I know just where she went, so I got up and started heading towards her little night-time spot. When I got there I didn't see anything until a cloud moved away from the moon and I saw a glint of metal. It worried me, if she had gotten into I fight I would have known, so I didn't have a clue as to why there was metal on the ground. I slowly walked over to it, and saw it was a headband of the sand village. No scratches or anything like that. It was just laying there.

When I saw the paper I knew who's it was, and I could feel my heart almost burst in pain when I realized what it meant.

S-she left me, and the village...how could she? She said she loved me, and now I know that no one truly loves me. They don't care! She never cared…I don't want to read the note, but I know I have to or I may be hurting myself for no reason.

I walked over to the note and saw it was written in Chakra. Mai had left it for only me to read then...or didn't have the time to write anything down on paper. I opened it, and started to read what it said, and I felt rage and sadness come over me as I read the words.

Dear Gaara,

Please don't think I left you…please. I love you! And I would do anything to be with you right now instead of this. This evil man, Orochimaru took me…I know it sounds bad, but don't worry about me. I did this by my own choice to save you, Temari, and Kankuro, but mainly you. I'm so sorry I had to do this to you after all that happened today. When you said you loved me…it was the best thing that has ever happened to me. You confessed your love…that makes you a real man. You will see me again someday after I kill Orochimaru or sneak away from him. I wanted to explain so you didn't think I hated you or something. My last words to you are that I love you more then you could ever know and I will miss you.

Don't come after me. I love you.

-Mai Of The Desert

I could feel my heart dying inside of me. My sadness was almost overwhelming. I knew I couldn't let Shukaku take over me because of Mai. She would be upset if I did that because of her. So I tried to control it and set myself a goal of kill Orochimaru myself as revenge for taking the love of my life away from me. Before I knew it I was on my hands and knees crying tears of loss and sadness. I jumped from roof top to roof top till I got back home and went into my room and cried until I could pull off an emotionless face with no trouble. It took awhile to say the least but no one ever knew that I had cried that night and that was the whole point of going to my room. I would feel nothing for months, maybe even years until I saw her again