Avaya was practically giddy with excitement. It had been a while since anything exciting had happened for her, and this Forest of Death looked exciting. The large wolf's nose was twitching and her ears were flicking all over the place as she took in all of the scents and sounds around her.

Gaara stood stoically at her side with his brother and sister on his other side. On their way to the forest, Kankuro had tried petting Avaya and she snapped at him, just barely missing his hand. Gaara was the only one she allowed to touch her.

All around, other genin were talking to each other. Avaya caught the strange scent that she had smelt earlier from the blond boy in orange. She looked towards the direction the scent was coming from. He was causing some sort of commotion with the lady who had crashed through the window. Suddenly there was another man behind the woman.

Everything about the man gave the wolf-girl the creeps. He looked like a woman, but Avaya's nose could not be fooled. And everything about him smelled wrong. Unconsciously she began to growl.

Gaara looked down at the wolf when he heard her begin to growl. Her ears were tilted back and the fur along her spine was bristled. Her tail was rigid and down. The wolf's amber eyes were locked on something. He followed her gaze.

A woman from the grass village was standing behind the woman from earlier, a kunai held in her long tongue. Something about the grass woman was off. He could not quite place it, but if the wolf decided she was a threat, then Gaara would trust its judgment.

He placed a hand on the wolf's head. Instantly she stopped growling and looked up at him. Her tail relaxed and wagged slightly as her fur fell back to its normal place. Gaara gently rubbed behind her ears, which were now perked forward. Amber eyes closed in contentment at the treatment.

Beside them Kankuro and Temari exchanged a look. They had both witnessed what had transpired. Kankuro, if anything was more creeped out by the massive wolf that had taking a liking to his brother. Temari, however, was beginning to think about things. She watched the wolf as it interacted with Gaara.

It was slight. So slight, in fact, that if it had been anyone other than her, Temari doubted anyone would have noticed. But when Gaara looked at the wolf, the hate in his eyes was never there. He was the feared monster of Suna, a remorseless killer. Yet here was, comforting the demon wolf. Temari suspected there was more to the wolf than anyone else knew.

Avaya shot into the forest with the sand siblings. A wolfish grin was on her face. The entire place smelled amazing. There were so many hidden dangers in the area that Avaya was tempted to start exploring. She had her redhead with her, so she knew she was in no danger.

Her nose flared as she picked up the scent of another group. She looked up at Gaara, catching his eye. He gave a minute nod and the group took off toward them. They landed in a clearing where three Ame genin were. She could also smell some other Konoha genin hiding in a bush. The puppy with them stank of fear.

Avaya was tense. She could feel Gaara's blood lust. She stood beside him, her shoulder pressed against his leg. Temari and Kankuro stood back behind them, giving the redhead room to fight. They all exchanged some words before the leader of the Ame team reached behind him.

"Then let's do this." He pulled out several umbrella's and threw them in the air. Avaya watched them blankly.

"Die kid!" Umbrella's? Was the guy and idiot? She quickly understood their purpose though when they began spinning, sending out needles.

"These needles are infused with my chakra, enabling them to hit my target." Neither Gaara nor Avaya moved. She had a feeling she would be safer standing next to the redhead. And she was right.

Gaara's sand rose up around the two of them, blocking the needles.

"Is that it?" Gaara questioned. Avaya wore a wolfish grin on her face.

The Ame genin were speechless and infuriated. The one that had attacked them charged towards them. He did not get far. Gaara caught him in his desert coffin.

"This isn't so tough." The genin bit out as he struggled to move in the sand. Avaya snorted at him as she followed Gaara contently as he moved forward to pick up an umbrella.

"I could cover your mouth and kill you," Gaara raised the Ame genin with his sand as he opened the umbrella, "But that would be too miserable on your side." Gaara crushed him.

Blood went flying everywhere, but Avaya was shielded from it by Gaara and the umbrella he held. The look on the other two genins faces were priceless. Avaya was in no was disturbed or shocked by the scene. She had caused worse on the rare occasions she became human.

Gaara discarded the umbrella, satisfied that he and the wolf were without any filth. He watched as she trotted off to one of the bushes but paid no mind to it. He had two others to kill.

The redhead ignored their pleading as he sent his sand toward them. They stood no chance and were destroyed. Kankuro picked up the scroll.

"It's the one we need. Now we can head to the tower."

"Not yet. I still want to kill more."

Avaya trotted over to where she could smell the Konoha shinobi hiding with the puppy. She snuck into the bushes and appeared behind them.

'Hello pup.'

The puppy whimpered in terror and the other three genin whipped around to be face to face with a massive wolf. They were absolutely terrified. Avaya was sure they were about to wet themselves.

She nudged the puppy, earning a terrified whimper from its owned as her mouth passed by his face.

'Don't worry. You are safe. We are leaving now.' Avaya had always liked puppies. So she decided she would be nice and comfort the puppy here. Communicating with another canine did not use up her precious words after all, so there was no harm in it.

Hearing Kankuro, Temari and Gaara begin to argue, Avaya turned and left, heading back to the sand siblings. Upon seeing Kankuro grabbing the front of Gaara's vest, she let out a snarl, causing them to freeze.

Gaara spotted the wolf leaving the bushes from the corner of his eye. But when he heard her snarl, he turned to look at her. Her eyes were locked on Kankuro. And she looked angry. Kankuro released him and Gaara could not help but to feel a small twinge of victory. The wolf was on his side.

She walked over to him, the growling now silenced. She pressed up against his leg, looking up at him. Gaara glared at his brother and sister.

"Fine." He corked his gourd and then began walking off. He would go to the tower, but only because of the wolf. She trotted after him, a wolfish smile on her face as she looked back to Temari and Kankuro. Temari and her locked eyes for a split second. The blond nodded and began following her youngest brother and the demon wolf.

A/N: Review my dears. And if you watch this episode of the anime, you will notice that Temari and Kankuro disappear for part of the fight.