((I got a laptop that can hook up to the internet at my house so it's all wonderful right now. My laptop doesn't have spell check and I don't know how to set it up. So if there are any misspellings, I apologize in advance but I've tried to keep everything at least legible.))

Chapter 9: Trouble In Paradise

Gaara never came back to Mishka that day. Temari didn't know what had happened and though she tried, Lee wasn't helping things at all.

"How could he leave such a beautiful young lady alone!" the green-clad young man roared in outrage before laying out the compliments as thick as molasses. "Do not fret, my white-haired beauty! This does not mean that he doesn't love you! He's just too blind to see the gift that he's been given from the Heavens above! Why, if you were to love me as I do you, I would treasure every moment we spent together as though it were out last! In fact, let's go find him and tell him of our secret plans to elope right now!"

Mishka desperately tried to remove herself from his company, face bright red. "I don't know you, Lee-san! We can't go elope, the feelings aren't there! I don't love you!" She backed away from him in an attempt to escape and quickly found her cornered.

"So do you love Gaara-sama?" Anali and Zia appeared into the room, their eyes glinting madly. Anali held herself in a leader-like way, short brown hair tossed back haughtily. Zia's strawberry-blond hair was straight and tied up in an intricate bun. "You'd better give up now before you get hurt."

"Is that a threat?" Mishka asked softly, tilting her head to the side. Her golden eyes focused on them as Lee rushed up to her opponents with a happy smile.

"Anali-chan! You told me that this lovely young lady had already been pushed aside! Why would you say that if it simply wasn't the case?" he asked hyperly, going from happy to confused.

"Lee, it's okay. Gaara-sama is only toying with her. He has to pick two people by the weekend and Megumi has already been evicted from the competition. Right now, he's going out with Kaya and I heard that she's got both our bachelor and his brother wrapped around her little finger. You must go save him from himself, Lee, that harlot will only bleed him dry!" Anali had small tears in her eyes as she tried to convince him to leave.

Zia nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face. "Please help him, Lee! I don't want Gaara to die!" She started crying loudly, covering her face with her hands.

The bowl-cut young man saluted. "But of course! I cannot let a friend down. Mishka, you stay here where it is safe from evil and I will return into your loving embrace as soon as possible! Farewell, my love!" He raced off faster than the wind, leaving the white-nette with her two opponents.

"Gaara is not in trouble..." Her words were soft and melodic as she looked at Anali.

Zia popped her head up, confused. "He's not? But Anali said-"

"You're right, Mishka, but I needed to talk to you without Lee here." Tears gone as if they'd never been there, the brunette stared coldly at the pale beauty. "I invited Lee here so that you could be taken off my hands. You are a nuisance that needs to be shot down as soon as possible. Besides, Lee's in love with every girl until he finds one who loves him back. As you can imagine, that will never happen so long as he keeps freaking out like that. So you'd be doing everybody in Konoha a great justice by taking him off our hands and keeping him out of our hair. Besides, it's not like you stand a chance."

Mishka took a step back, biting her lip. She couldn't say anything that could ruin Gaara's plan at pleasing the Council members. But this was a verbal attack, meant to break her down. Only she and Kaya knew the truth. But... could she pretend to be affected by the girl in front of her? Or was it wiser to show some backbone and shoot her down, acting unlike herself. The white-haired female didn't have a bad bone in her body but every so often, she detected a hint of darkness that she desperately tried to hide. Everyone had a bad side, some showed it more than others. She never showed it so it ended up slowly becoming stronger. And now, it desperately wanted to break free. "You need to get away. I-I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt us? Like you could. Come on, fight me. I'll show Gaara-sama my wounds and you'll be kicked out for aggressions towards my innocent person! I'll show him what an ugly bitch you really are!"

"Get away from me!" Mishka screamed loudly, a rush of air and fog forcing the two girls back. In an instant, everything around them was cloudy and the white-haired female appeared to have vanished.

Anali waved a hand in front of her face before smirking. "Is this the best you got, freak? Mist? That won't prevent me from exposing your slutty little-!" Her smirk was gone when she came face-to-face with a small fist. And the blow forced her into the wall, plaster crumbling around her.

"Didn't I say to get away from me? You should have headed my warning. After all... Gaara isn't here and my dormant personality has finally been released." Mishka's hair was now flowing in wind that was unfelt, a ring of fog circling both of her wrists. Her usually bright gold eyes were now darker, almost honey-like, and fluid looking but no tears made them seem that way.

Anali tried to nurse her broken nose and scramble out of harms way. Looking around for backup, she discovered Zia had already run away. And the way it was looking, she was lucky for doing as such. But now she was stuck in the belly of the beast with a crazy lady and that story that she'd only heard the intro to... now she wished she'd listened to all of it because it had become reality.

-With Gaara-

This date was pure torture! Not only was he there with Kaya, but the female was only paying attention to Kankuro! He paid her compliments, she fluttered her eyelashes and flirted back, and Gaara was just... paying. No longer was she at least trying to get on his good side. He almost wished he was back in that crowd of angry, crying females, alone and unsure of what to do.

He was supposed to be taking notes but what was the point? There was no way he could just... and Mishka wasn't like... no way, nuh-uh! If Kaya and Kankuro were continents, Gaara and Mishka would be on the other side of the world!

Just as he was pulling out his card to pay for another shop that they'd gone too, a rush of wind blew past him. Now normally, that wasn't so unusual. But the wind held way too much chakra to be natural for the Wind Country. And it wasn't Temari's chakra. It was too malevolent, too violent even for his sister.

"Gaara-san! I have come to save you from the evil that has befallen you!"

He fell over, leg twitching. Leave it to Rock Lee to say something so truthful, it was rude. But the green-wearing Leaf shinobi was behind him- it wasn't possible for him to be the cause of that fortuitous wind. "Lee... do you feel that?"

"The evil? But of course, my friend! That's why I'm here! My mission right now is to save you so your semi-finalists will no longer shed tears for your safety."

"Shut up, you moron... Gaara, what was that?" Kankuro asked as he took care of the tab. Even if his brother had agreed, he knew that the Council would be upset at him spending so much. Kaya wasn't too happy but at the moment, she couldn't care less.

Her lightly nasal voice commented, "It seems to be coming from the house... I don't like this one bit, guys..."

Kankuro took hold of her hand as Gaara lead the way towards the Kazekage Tower. Along the way, Zia met up with them. She was in a state of panic and the redheaded leader-to-be grabbed her by the shoulders and made her shut up with his sand. "Calm down. Now tell me, slowly, what has happened..."

The sand was removed and Zia took deep breaths before shrieking, "Mishka went crazy! Anali was just talking and there was this wind and fog and I-I... I had to get out of there! The fog is covering the Tower! Temari is waiting for you outside. She just got back from shopping and I ran into her outside. She said to find you and get you over there." She was slowly calming down but shaking violently. "I-I'm so sorry, Gaara! I love you and all but this is just too much! I quit!" Jerking out of his grasp, she ran off, yelling for him to send her stuff to her when all that got settled.

Kaya brushed passed them all and headed onwards, withdrawing two kunai from underneith her white shirt. Her tan skin was exposed for a moment before it was covered in the soft material. "Let's keep going. We're not gonna be able to save her if we stand around, talking to idiots."

Gaara and Kankuro exchanged a look before following her. Both were wondering the same thing- what kind of dainty princess-girl walks around with weapons while wearing heels?

((Okay, so there was drama... Mishka is so nice but everyone does have a bad side and hers has finally been unleashed. Will Gaara be able to save her from herself? Will Anali die a horrible death by the hands of the most gentle and understanding girls that he's ever known? Will Mishka ever be 'Mishka' again? And did Zia just do something incredibly smart? I think so. I know I wouldn't want to deal with an angry Mishka. It's always the quiet nice ones that can do the most damage when provoked. See you next time!))