Many apologizes for the last chapter! Ritachi told me about the big goof I made and after rereading it, I realized the second paragraph was writen twice. ;; I double checked to make sure this chapter was all right.
Some thanks go to my baby brother (he's actually 10, but I still call him that), for helping me move forward with this chapter. Usual disclaimer applies.
Chapter VII: Doubtful Reunions
The steel door squeaked loudly as it was opened. Light entered the darken room, producing two silhouettes by the doorway. Sensing no danger, the two Leaf guards approached the lone figure on the dirt floor. The once powerful Sand kunoichi lay on the dirt floor, body blanched and bright teal eyes covered by blonde bangs. She wasn't moving.
Temari…
"I told you she'd be dead," the older guard said to the younger one almost jokingly. "I guess we'll just have to tell Ibiki about this…. Hey what's up with you?" he asked realizing his comrade's strange behavior. "Oh I get it, first time seeing a corpse?"
The younger chuunin did not respond, so he figured his assumption was correct. "You're gonna to have to get used to it. We have to do standard procedures with a corpse," he stated bending down to view the body. Using his left hand, he shifted her blonde head.
"Hmm… Looks like a fever got—AHAA!"
Now the tables were turned, and the presumably dead kunoichi held the Leaf chuunin into a headlock.
"W-what the hell?" He choked out feeling the metal handcuffs against his throat. Perhaps what surprised him even more was hoe someone could do something so bold.
"We, Sand shinobi don't get taken off so easily," she muttered, eyes flickering dangerous. "Where is the rest of my team?"
Using his own speed, he pulled out his elbow and hit her squarely on the stomach. Temari fell back onto the dirt floor but felt, as the guard pulled out a kunai positioning dangerous above her. "You'll see them soon enough," he muttered viciously. In a flash, blood spewed on the floor and the guard slowly fell backwards, a kunai in his own stomach. His eyes widening as he saw his murder, it was the new chuunin.
"Temari, are you alright?" The Leaf Genin asked quickly shoving the body aside, and approaching her. Performing a quick jutsu, a puff of smoke appeared replacing the green vested Leaf chuunin with a young boy dressed in black and violet kabuki face paint.
"K-Kankurou? H-how do I know it's you?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"When you were seven you hid a scorpion under Baki's turban."
She gasped, and immediately wrapped her arms tightly around him. Kankurou didn't say anything, but held her tightly, closing his eyes and muttering a quick prayer to whatever deity was up there. For a minute, both siblings forgot they were miles away from home, heavily suffering from wounds, and incarcerated for simply following orders. They were just two children forced into a shinobi life. The metal clangs of Temari's cuffed hands brought them back to their current situation.
"We really put Baki through hell didn't we?" Temari said laughing, regardless of the situation.
"Nah, he deserved it. He nearly killed with his training," Kankurou replied, suddenly finding his mood shifting now that he was with his sister. Another quick jutsu and the cuffs were gone. "Temari… you're burning up" he finally noticed. Putting his palm on her forehead, he immediately felt the heated glow of her skin.
"It's just a little fever," she said trying to smile at him. She tried to stand up, but found it difficult.
"Temari… this isn't just some little fever. That wound… its gotten infected hasn't it?" he asked looking at her arm. The sickly flesh told him what he needed to know.
"I told you don't worry about it."
"You're too stubborn for your own good," Kankurou said putting her back to the floor. Taking out a few bandages from Karasu, he moved her sleeve and started to carefully wrap the wound. "We're gonna have to get this treated after we get out of here," he said tying the bandage securely.
"Kankurou, what… what about Gaara?" She asked softly looking down at the floor.
He knew what she was trying to say. Are we going to leave Gaara behind? This was perhaps the only chance of escape, since there was less surveillance going on, but wandering off would be foolish. They had no clue where Gaara was, and there was probably a good chance he was under high security after his performance in the chuunin exams. To make matters worse, Temari was suffering from a really bad infection and a high fever that was getting worse by the passing minute; and he had three disabled fingers which meant that Karasu wouldn't be as high functioning as possible. But he supposed that wasn't the problem. It was a hesitation within them on whether they should go looking for the nefarious Sabaku no Gaara. After all the fear and cold treatment they'd gotten from him, this was perhaps the only chance of finally getting rid of him. They would wake up from the nightmare they'd been living through and things would go back to the way they were supposed to be, with just the two of them.
He looked at Temari. She was probably thinking the same thing, maybe even deeper since she suffered deeper psychological wounds from long ago. Closing his eyes, Kankurou thought deeply of their further plan of action.
He never really acted like their brother.
Don't tell me what to do you piece of trash.
He treated them no better than the enemy.
Shut up or I'll kill you
He never cared about them.
I don't really consider you as my siblings… if you get in my way; I'll kill you, too.
I don't really consider…
…you as my siblings…
That was probably what bothered him most. Suna siblings were often close together and it was painful to have someone that shared your same blood be that cold to you.
Temari, Kankurou… I'm sorry.
"C'mon Temari," Kankurou said having made a decision. He rose from the floor and grabbing her hand. "We're going get your fan... Then we're gonna find Gaara."
----
The chaos within him raged uncontrollable. Not his bloodlust trying to satisfied itself, but rather his own thoughts. Questions would be answered by more questions, and in the end it left him confused and susceptible. It was like he was a child all over again unsure of the world as he was seeing it for the first time. But that was ridiculous, he was Sabaku no Gaara.
His existence was to eliminate anyone other than himself.
He fought for himself.
He loved only himself.
Those were the definition of the strongest. But why? Why? Did he keep remembering that loudmouth blonde?
I'll definitely protect them until the end!
I don't want to lose even if I die!
The battle kept playing over and over again in his mind. He was supposed to be the victor, but out of nowhere the child got this strong surge of power.
I'll definitely protect them until the end!
He thought about it so many times. Why? Why can this simpleton, this feeble mind idiot be so strong?
Why do you go so far for other people's sake? He asked, watching as he slowly crawled to him.
The pain of being alone is not an easy one to bear…. Your feelings… why is it… that I can understand your pain?
I already have many people who are important to me now… I won't let you hurt those people important to me….Even if you try to kill them I will stop you…
That was his respond. Somehow the hyperactive ninja knew the same pain he had gone over , but he was able to break away from it.
They saved me form the hell of being alone… the hell of being alone… they acknowledged my existence… that's why they're all important to me…
Love… that's why he's so strong.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara said out loud, his voice sounding strange from not using it so long. He turned his head gradually rising. Approaching the wall that he was been staring so long, he softly touched it and closed his eyes. This room was carefully design to absorb the user's chakra. They had taken special precaution in dealing with him, but not all.
He lifted his hand, extending his index finger. It took sever minutes longer, but swiftly a thin string of sand approach him, like a snake approaching its master.
----
Gripping Temari's hand, Kankurou led the way down the dark corridor. Their entire defenses were raised up high for anything that could be going. Any sound of footsteps and they would fall back into the shadows not daring to even breathe. It was better to avoid any fight quarrels but that was easier said then done. Nearing the door, where Karasu used to be kept he slowly opened the door and sneaked a peak inside.
The coast was clear.
Unlike the other rooms in the prison, the light bulb shone brightly in the poor decorated room. Three desks were against the wall with many documents and scrolls piled up. A wooden door stood shut at the opposite end of the room, where the valuable of prisoners were kept. Creeping against the wall, Kankurou opened the door with a quick jutsu and peered inside carefully. The room held no objects, almost making him think they'd reached a dead end. But as soon as the lights turned on, the walls weren't walls, after all. Rather they were drawers.
Long metal bars stood out from the walls awkwardly some reaching the ceiling. "Let's start looking," Kankurou stated letting go of Temari's hand. Obviously Temari's fan was inside one of those drawers, the problem was which one. "Alright," she nodded walking to the end of the room and frantically opening up drawers after drawers.
Thirty minutes passed in silence as Temari and Kankurou started open drawers after drawers.
"Kankurou," she said out loud "How did you get out?"
"It wasn't easy. I had to break two of my fingers to squeeze those cuffs off," he said opening another drawer. "After that I grabbed one of those rats and used my chakra strings to control it. They're so small, so it's no problem controlling them. Luckily I was able to find Karasu in no problem, but one of those guards was being a complete dumbass and opening Karasu's bandages. So I just struck him in the throat with Karasu's poison needle hidden in its head, and he was out cold.
"It gave me some trouble though seeing as the guy yelled out and his partner ran back into the room. I knew that if he saw the dead body and Karasu's head on the floor, I was screwed. So at the last minute I did a replication jutsu and disguised Karasu with that dead guy and vice versa. Hmm… the idiot completely believed. Karasu was pretending to be that guy, so he had to meet Ibiki. I think he might have caught on. So we'll have to move quickly."
Temari looked at her brother in complete awe. He had managed to do this all by himself without getting caught? During the chunnin exams she realized that he was the best one for gathering information, but she didn't think he could do something like this.
"Good job little brother," Temari said grinning at him. He looked back at her and shrugged. "It was nothing. D-did you hear that?" he whispered.
Thump. Thump.
"Shh…" Temari whispered putting her index finger on her lips both of them frozen on the spot.
Thump. Thump.
Slowly the door squeaked open, follow by the sound of footsteps walking towards them. Judging from the rhythm of the footsteps, there were three of them.
"Who's here?"
The question instantly froze their blood. In a flash both their eyes turned into horror as the doorknob slowly turned.
Shit! Kankurou cursed realizing the vacant room. They couldn't hide, so they'd be force to fight in their weaken state. He pulled out Karasu from his binds, just as the door sprung open.
Kugutsu no Jutsu!
Coming back to life Karasu spat out several kunai from its mouth. The newcomer was thrown across the room at the surprise attack. But he brought his own surprise to the siblings, as he turned out to be a wooden log.
"Get down!" Kankurou yelled out shoving Temari to the floor. In the nick of time, they avoided a sea of black kunai crashing to the wall.
Another move of his finger and Karasu flew to the other room and was met head on with a wave of kunai. The puppet spun its head, taking in the location of the enemy. There were only three of them, but they weren't showing themselves. Ducking behind three kunai, Karasu pulled back in front of the doorway extending its wooden arms to prevent the entry of the enemy. It pulled its upper arm behind about to spray the enemy with its own counterattack, when out of nowhere it stopped.
It just froze, like a machine would when a foreign object was inserted in its gears.
"C'mon Karasu," the puppet master muttered moving his fingers, in a desperate attempt to shift the puppets forearms. "C'mon." It still didn't move.
"What's wrong with Karasu?" Temari asked in fear. It didn't move with its usual agility, instead it was almost limping, like wounded animal. His fingers… they haven't healed yet… they've gotten worse!
Two other kunai hit the wooden surface of the marionette. Karasu wavered from its spot. Right now the only thing that was shielding them from the enemy was the puppet; if it stepped aside then they would be met with a sea of kunai. Temari spun her head noticing her brother's struggle in operating a puppet with only six fingers. She stood up and began to open drawers after drawer furiously.
"What are you doing?" he asked noticing her throw random things aside.
"Looking for my fan!" She yelled out throwing things aside. Three more kunai met Karasu.
Where is it? Temari thought, finding new bound strength. Here it is! She cried out happily, seeing the polished surface of the iron but paused as she saw the rough texture of the Gaara's gourd. There it was standing so innocently beside her weapon. She gulped remembering the sand slowly transforming Gaara. She shook her head; there was no time to think about such things.
"Stand aside!" With as much power as she could, Temari grabbed a hold of her iron fan.
Kamaitachi no Jutsu!
The chakra created windstorm blew back another wave of kunai. A muffle of yells cried out, as the hidden people were blown away along with the few objects in the room.
"Grab Gaara's gourd," Temari huffed, putting the fan down on the floor. Her hand was shaking, and she was sweating profoundly.
That fever's getting worse, Kankurou observed. She should be resting not fighting.
"Take it easy, Temari," he said worriedly. "You're in no fighting position."
"Look who's talking," she said slyly.
He didn't respond but stared off briefly at the round sturdy shape of Gaara's gourd. There was something about seeing the gourd completely defensively. It seemed as though it was nothing but pestering sand not the deadly weapon that Gaara used to crush his enemies and make the sky bleed with crimson. This was the symbolical form of Gaara. They were really going through this, their last chance of awakening from this nightmare?
"Let's go," Kankurou said balanced the gourd on his back along with Karasu. Entwining his fingers with Temari's, they dashed out of the room. The background started to change, as they ran deeper and deeper within the prison. The corridors opened to a large field that rose high to the ceilings. Levels jointed out created from the carvings of rocks. Irons bars made up most of the walls most likely cells from common criminals. There was the shifting of movement and yelling as the prisoners recognized the foreign shinobi.
"Kankurou, how are we supposed to find him?" Temari asked keeping up to him.
"Let's ask someone," he responded slowing down and looking into a random cell. He spotted two overlarge prisoners with tough brownish skin and tightly pulled black hair. They had a dense look on their face and constantly muttered nonsense. "You, have you seen a short kid with red hair and dark rings around his eyes?"
"Let's see?" the prisoner said putting his overly large finger on his chin like he was trying to think. "I don't remember. I know you should ask Brother! He knows everything!"
"I saw him! But we'll only tell you if you give us food!"
"That's very smart brother! We can get food for this! Food! Food! Food!" They chanted together.
"We're asking a bunch of idiots," Temari sighed. "We should just get going before guards start appearing."
"The hell we don't have time for this! Where is he?" Kankurou said angrily.
"Don't mind them," a voice came from the next cell. They saw a tall muscular man with long white hair. "I saw red walking by with some guards… just staring off into space. Ibiki walked by there a couple of times, and came back frustrated each time."
"Which way…?"
"Over there, but you'll run in trouble since that place is the most heavily guarded."
----
"Haven't seen you for a while," Anko said referring to Ibiki.
"Everyone's too busy now days," Ibiki said coolly walking ahead to the small gathering of black. There was a small gathering of those that arrived early for the memorial of the Hokage and the fallen shinobi that had died protecting the village.
"Is it alright for you to leave the institution like this?" Anko asked her cheerful tone gone.
"Don't worry I everything will be alright," Ibiki muttered taking a seat and watching as a monk stood above the crowd. "I saw past that trick, once, and I certainly saw it again."
----
Dashing through a deserted corridor, Temari started wondering why they hadn't met any opposition so far, except for the encounter in the storage room, they hadn't spotted anyone. The prison had changed once again and instead of rough dirt walls, white walls started to show up. According to the prisoner, this part of the prison was heavily guarded, but there was no one. Something was definitely up.
"Hold up," Temari said pulling out stopping to catch her breath. She definitely wasn't feeling any better, but this whole scenario was bringing in strength to her, she supposed it would be the same for Kankurou since he was supposedly incapable of doing any puppetry. Kankurou shifted the gourd on his back, and grabbed her hand to continue their search.
Everything seemed to go well until an unexpected fork met them. "Which way?"
A speeding kunai told them the left was in their best interest. Another one barely missed their heads, urging them to continue. Both siblings turned briefly to view three guards behind them.
"I think we lost them," Kankurou observed noticing the lessening kunai. But that was short said as they nearly crashed into two guards that stood in front of them. The three that were attacking them suddenly showed up behind them.
They were hiding.
The enemy could see from their few encounters that both of them were long range fighters. They had purposely set up the battlefield in a small cramped corridor where fighting would be almost impossible for them.
"This is the end for you," one of them said smiling maliciously.
"Block your eyes." Kankurou whispered. Reaching into his retrieved pouch he pulled out a small violet powdered ball, and slammed it violently to the ground. Instantly the air filled up with violet fog making it difficult to breathe.
"G-get them! They can't get away!"
But the guards stared in bewilderment as they touched what appeared to be sand replicas. They were fakes! Merely replication clones to throw them off. "What's that sound?" One of them said hearing a faint sizzling.
"Get out! Quick!"
There was no time for questions as the guards started scouring away. But it was too late.
BOOOM!
A deaf crying explosion split the air, sending a wave of flames in the small corridor. Bodies were thrown aside most of deeply burnt from the sudden heat. Bits of the wall were blown off into other rooms and the roof started showing sign of caving in. Smoke lingered in the air as the explosion subsided giving off a stench of ashes and burning skin. A few yards away three guards stood protectively over an enormous steel door shut tightly with seals and many locks.
"What was that?" one of the guards yelled out feeling the dull vibration in the air. He began to grow uneasy. Ibiki had warned to keep the topmost security despite the few guards, after the attack in the storage assembly went into motion. However, the other prisoners proved to be a problem. They could become tempted by the fight against those Sand shinobi and might rebelling. That was the last thing they needed right now: an entire uproar from the prison. The ambush created was done to stop the problem from growing, but that explosion didn't sound too good.
"Go check it out," he said ordering the two that were by his side. Nodding, they went to investigate.
"Ibiki was right. Those Sand shinobi are… you!" Speak of the devil they stood right in front of them, each of them holding a long sharp kunai. They had formed a plan of their own, as well.
"We won't let you finish that," Kankurou said pushing the fallen body aside. "Temari, I think Gaara is up ahead. The sand… it's moving like crazy," he said motioning to the sand. It had behaved itself so far, but now it was hissing to be let go and return to its master. Temari didn't say anything but continued searching the unconscious body of the fallen guard for keys to open the door. Finding it, she slowly began to unlock the locks. With the final lock, she took a final look at Kankurou almost as if asking him whether this was alright. He stared back at her sternly, completely focused at the upcoming obstacle ahead.
The thick door made hard to open, but once it was Temari and Kankurou couldn't help but gasp at the room. They had half expected to see Gaara; instead they viewed a large spacious room. The room inside was nothing compared to the rest of the prison. It was brightly lit with strange markings on the white walls. Everything was eerily quiet except for their footsteps.
"This place gives me the creeps," Temari whispered looking up at the oval high ceiling. Two spiral stairways were to the side leading to many floors above.
"I know. Let's just find Gaara and get out of here," Kankurou answered getting the same eerie feeling as Temari. He shifted the gourd on his back. The place resembled an asylum, was ironic since they all thought Gaara lost his sanity long ago.
"The markings on the walls, they're design to stop the formation of chakra. That's why there aren't a lot of guards out here." He nodded understanding her point, once again moving the gourd. The longer time they stood there, their bodies would become weaker as well.
"What's wrong?" Temari asked noticing her brother's struggling.
"The sand," he said trying to hold the weight of the heavy gourd. It kept hissing and moving violently within the gourd, like a snake. He couldn't take it any longer, dropping the sand to the title floor. A larder crack instantly formed on the top of the gourd followed by the flowing of golden sand. The simple action echoed loudly in the room, while the sand continued to litter the white polished floor.
"Crap, Gaara's gonna kill us," they muttered in unison bending down to put the sand within the gourd.
"You just had to drop it, didn't you?" Temari scowled lifting the sand to no avail. It was like trying to pick up water.
"Shut up!"
Thump. Thump.
Both looked up as they heard approaching footsteps.
"No… it can't be…"
Standing right before them, were three animal masked shinobi dressed in black and gray armor carrying a katana on their back. Konoha's ANBU stared down at them.
Shit!
"You, Sand are very impressive. Not a lot of people could manage to escape. Using clones to make it seem as though they were you, then sending off that explosion as a distraction. You knew trying to avoid a fight, but in the end you walked right into one. This time we won't be so nice and give you mercy," he said eerily. He motioned his hand in the air and like once the ANBU completely surrounded them.
There was no way they could possible take all these guys. That fever was still draining away Temari's energy. He looked at his own crushed hands. They'd both seen first handed how far Karasu could move.
This was just like how they were captured; it was the same thing all over again. He looked down at the floor.
The sand was stirring.
"Kankurou…" Temari whispered. "We can take them…" She smiled with bravado.
He nodded. "Yeah, we'll fight until the end. We'll show these Leafs what we can do."
Releasing Karasu from his binds, he looked over at Temari as she opened her fan to the three violet shaped moons.
Kugutsu no Jutsu!
Karasu sprang back to life, spinning around the enemy. Another movement of his fingers and kunai were released from the puppets mouth, hitting the enemy from all places. It would have been effective with any other enemy, if they hadn't been clones and popped away in a cloud of smoke.
Two of them appeared behind him, however a quick push of Temari's iron fan in the stomach and they were thrown aside.
Kamaitachi no Jutsu!
Temari called out waving her fan and created the fierce winds. Using a jutsu, one of the ANBU returned the vortex back to its owner. Temari gasped out loud before she was picked up her feet and thrown aside. He heard Temari yelped out as she was thrown across the room. How much longer? This chakra feeding room was draining away what little energy they had left. After being reunion, they were going to be separated again? Karasu leapt to its feet and threw a series of poison blades to the distracted ANBU, but they threw their own weapons completely stopping the attack. He made the mistake of forgetting about the other ANBU, since he suddenly appeared behind him with a katana ready in his hands. His shoulder met the sharp blade as Karasu threw another kunai to lure away the attacker.
Gripping his shoulder, he peered over to make sure that Temari was alright.
The sand was stirring.
She stood up just in time as a set of kunai was about to reach her. Using the fan as a shield, Temari stopped the impact of the kunai. Karasu dashed to the attackers, but one of them simply hit him aside with his katana dropping the puppet on the floor. Karasu was too slow. His damaged fingers had allowed the enemy to easily detect the movement of the marionette.
He looked at the floor and approached Temari's side. They would get killed off in no time with their current position. He stared back at the floor. The sand was stirring.
"You've been lucky up to this far," they said surrounding them on either side getting ready to make their finishing move. "We'll make this quick."
In a flash, Kankurou grabbed a hold of Temari and leaped to the second floor.
A low rumble echoed in the large room. The hallway in front of them quickly emitted a sea of sand knocking anyone standing on the ground floor. A cascade of golden sand appeared out of nowhere not stopping until it licked the walls of the white prison room. The few that could manage to run away from the sea of sand, otherwise they were drowned in the sand. It only lasted less than five minutes, but the sand reached the second floor where Temari and Kankurou stood wide eye viewing the scene.
The dust subsided, and they saw a lone figure slowly coming out from where the sand had come from.
"Gaara."
Phew, that was a rather long chapter. Hope it wasn't too much all at once.
--Mel