Love's Misconstruities
Spoiler Warning: Events in this chapter coincide with and include anime episodes 216-220 which I don't believe have aired in the US yet (as of June of '08). These episodes concluded the Naruto filler story arc and paved the way to Shippuuden. If you don't want to be spoiled, I suggest you skip to the next chapter.
Chapter 7
Though he hadn't necessarily been the kindest teacher, Hinata had very warm memories of the week they'd spent together. In just that short time he'd been able to push Hinata harder than she'd ever been pushed by anyone, including herself. Yet not once during their time together did he break his promise to not harm her. He had managed to earn her trust, and because of him she was beginning to gain a level of confidence in herself that she never knew she could possess.
Both her teammates and Neji noticed a difference in her performance. While she may not have learned many new techniques, she made up for it with her newfound enthusiasm. Even after he left, she continued to strive towards perfecting her mastery of Jyuuken and continued to develop unique jutsu of her own. Gaara had taught her that mistakes were an inevitable part of living, and that all one could do was acknowledge that they would happen and to learn from them, making oneself stronger.
"No one will respect you or your clan if you do not believe in and respect yourself," he'd told her. It made sense, and though achieving it would be difficult for her, she refused to give up.
She still was not on even terms with Neji when it came to sparring, but he had Hinata's father tutoring him now. She had a long way to go in order to earn Hiashi's respect. She'd managed to work up the courage to ask him to start teaching her again but he'd declined, telling her that he'd spent years trying to tutor her and they had all gone to waste. She'd actually argued with him about it, which surprised him. His timid daughter had never talked back to him. He'd finally conceded with the stipulation that if she could surpass Neji in ability, then and only then would he begin to train her once more.
She'd been quite depressed for a time, but Neji finally sat her down and forced the reason out of her. She was relieved when he smiled and told her, "It won't be long before I'm even in skill with your father, Hinata-sama. If you can surpass me, there is little you could learn from him. I think he knows that, too. He may not say it, but I'm sure he's been impressed with you lately. Your success rate with missions, creating new jutsu…"
"I'm sure he still wishes that Hanabi-nee-san or you were his heir."
"Then prove him wrong! Make him see you for who you really are...like you did with me."
Having her cousin's support meant the world to her. That's why it pained her that he still regarded Gaara as dangerous. Neji had kept his word to Hinata and hadn't interfered with their training, but it didn't mean he hadn't still protested it. He made it clear that he still didn't trust the younger Suna shinobi.
Neji was grateful that, because of Gaara, Hinata had begun to change, but he still didn't feel he could trust the Suna boy; not when it came to his cousin's sensitive heart. It bothered him immensely when he began to notice that she would talk of and react to him the same way she did Naruto. Of all the boys she'd met, why did his cousin have to have crushes on the losers? Although, Naruto had proven that he wasn't as much of a loser as Neji had conceived him to be. Still, he'd been able to accept that. Accepting Gaara would take more than just a week's worth of confidence boosting.
Also, as far as he could tell, Naruto was oblivious to Hinata's feelings and he did not reciprocate them. Such was not the case with Gaara. He and Naruto were somewhat similar in a certain light, but vastly different in others. Naruto had a sort of dumbfounding innocence and naïvety. Gaara was colder, more ruthless. In his eyes, Neji could see that he knew what it was to take a life and it worried him in regard to Hinata. The only reason he'd accepted Hinata's request not to interfere was that on the night when he'd caught the boy at the main house, he'd put up no fight when he had every chance to, and Neji could see in those same ruthless eyes a softness in regard to his cousin. Even if he hadn't realized it at the time, Gaara cared for Hinata and wasn't lying when he said that he meant her no harm. But, Neji had sworn to protect Hinata long ago, and though he'd done quite the opposite at one point, he was willing to uphold that promise now.
When Shikamaru came to them one day asking for their help on an impromptu mission to aid the Sand-nin, Hinata was quick to accept, with Neji right behind her.
"Shikamaru, what are the mission details?" Neji asked once he, Hinata, Sakura, and Shino had gathered by the front gate.
"I'm getting to it already. Sheesh. A four-man team of shinobi has kidnapped a Suna Academy student under Gaara's supervision in an attempt to lure him into a trap. He, Temari, and Kankurou are in pursuit. The rogue shinobi are now here-" he pointed out on his make-shift map in the dirt. "River Country. They're headed into Fire Country, but we're going to cut them off."
"Alright, let's go!" Hinata declared in haste.
"Hey, hey… I'm not finished." Shikamaru waited until he had everyone's attention again. "You four won't be involved in the fighting."
"What?!" came several surprised voices.
"I'll be leaving with a second team later, but this team will be the most vital part of this plan. Whoever these shinobi are, they think they're powerful enough to take on Subaku no Gaara. We have to be prepared for the worst. There's a good chance that they'll split up and the fight will be taking place in different areas. You four will be traveling separately, dedicated to tracking down the enemy and relaying messages between battles should that occur. Neji, Hinata: I need you two especially for the scouting. Your Byakugan makes this easy. Sakura, you will be our medic. You'll have the responsibility of moving quickly over the terrain and taking care of any casualties."
"How will I know if someone is hurt if we'll all be separated?"
"That's where Shino comes in. Shino's bugs are experts at tracking. We'll be using them to relay messages and locations. Now, any questions?" Silence ensued. "Don't wait for the second team. Get as far ahead as you can."
"Hai!"
Shino then gave everyone, including Shikamaru, a pouch with the scent of his female kikaichuu bug and a bottle of strange liquid with a small brush and explained their uses.
"Okay. I'm counting on you, Shino."
"We'll be going then."
"Be careful," the young chuunin ordered, signaling their departure.
"Hinata-sama," Neji called a few hours later as they approached their approximate destination.
"Hai?"
"Whatever happens, remember that it is not our job to get involved in this battle."
"…I know."
And with that understanding, the two went their separate ways.
It would be still be a while before the enemy was located, and the entire time Hinata's heart raced. She was excited at the chance to see Gaara again, while this wasn't exactly what she'd imagined for a reunion. She was also quite worried for his safety, though she tried to dismiss it as silly. After all, Gaara was one of the strongest shinobi that she knew. He wouldn't easily be beaten. Lastly, plaguing the back of her mind was a nagging thought.
'So, he's taken on other students. Of course he has. I heard his team was largely responsible for creating the Suna Ninja Academy. They must have volunteered as instructors, too. I'm sure Gaara has lots of students…enough that he's probably forgotten about me…'
After another anxious hour had passed, Hinata was surrounded by a swarm of Shino's bugs.
'He's found them. Gaara's team has almost caught up to the kidnappers. The battle is about to begin,' she learned as she forced her body to move even faster in the direction the kikaichuu specified. 'Gaara…'
By concentrating her flow of chakra, she focused her Byakugan to its maximum magnification and scanned the terrain. It was difficult to see through the many living things in the forest, but she strained to make it possible. Just then, she sensed someone approaching her from behind. She whirled around to meet her pursuer.
"Neji-nii-san!"
"Hinata-sama. One of us should stay in this area while one continues west and follows the two shinobi with the hostage who Gaara is pursuing. I suggest that-"
"Neji-nii-san, please wait here. I'll move ahead."
Neji stared at her a moment. This was the first mission they'd ever been on together, and had it involved a rescue for anyone else, he wouldn't have worried a bit. This time, however, he didn't know if he could trust her judgment. Still, he would try and have faith.
"Alright. I'm counting on you," he replied.
Hinata nodded and sped off. Soon after, a swarm of kikaichuu came to guide her to an unfolding scene of battle.
"It's over there, right?" Using her Byakugan once more she focused in on the opponents. A large man wearing armor and carrying a long-handled flail made the boy before him appear small and weak...but Hinata knew better.
'There's no reason to worry,' she told herself. 'Gaara is strong. He'll be fine. …But, what if…what if something does happen? No, I shouldn't think that way. I don't even know why I'm so afraid. …When did I start to care for him this much…?' she wondered, thinking back to the short amount of time she'd spent with the boy.
"It's getting late," Gaara remarked as Hinata caught her breath. "You should return home soon."
"W-why?"
Gaara stared at her a moment, as if deciding on how to respond. He'd figured the answer was obvious. "You have a family."
"I…I don't understand. I'm sorry."
"Your parents might worry if you're out too late. Isn't that…what parents do?"
A sad smile made its way upon Hinata's lips. "Some parents do…but my father isn't one of them."
Gaara approached her, unfolding his arms from across his chest. He stared at her a moment, which made the girl before him squirm uncomfortably. "You don't get along with him?" he stated more than asked. When her eyes widened, he knew he was right.
"N-no, he's just…too busy to notice if I were home or not, that's all."
"You're lying," he said, stepping closer.
She looked at the ground dejectedly and a heavy silence grew between them. Hating to see his new student pained, Gaara tried to think of something to say. Anything.
"Let's work-"
"Do your-"
The two stared at each other.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you," Hinata squeaked, bowing.
"Finish what you were saying," Gaara insisted. Hinata glanced at him, then looked away, remaining silent. "Please," he added softly. Like magic, that special word worked its wonders and the girl began once again.
"Um…well…I was going to ask if…uh… Do your parents ever worry about you? You're always going on dangerous missions, right? They must worry…"
"No," he answered, turning slightly away from her, averting his gaze.
"Why…why do you say that?"
The boy was silent for a moment before answering. "They're dead."
"I-I-I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have asked!"
"Don't be sorry. I'm not," he replied, his piercing gaze meeting hers once again.
"What?" she replied, shocked.
Not wanting to sound like the horrible monster he feared himself to be, he sought to elaborate. He looked away once again as he began.
"I never knew my mother. She died when I was born. My father was Yondaime Kazekage. By the age of six, he'd begun making attempts on my life. Now that he's dead, I don't have to worry anymore."
Hinata was horrified. "W-w-why? Why would he-"
"He was afraid of me."
"Afraid?" Hinata was having a difficult time accepting his claims without all the facts, he knew. He stared again into her concerned eyes and took a deep breath.
'If this is ever going to work, I want it to be because she's able to accept me…all of me…without fear,' he reasoned. "Thirteen years ago, the five great shinobi nations were at war. The Kazekage wanted to ensure Suna's strength and sought to create a powerful weapon which only he could control. He sealed the legendary one-tailed demon raccoon, Shukaku, into his unborn child - me." Hinata raised a hand to her mouth. "When he realized that he couldn't use me as a tool like he'd originally planned, he deemed me 'unstable' and decided it was too dangerous to keep me alive."
"That's…horrible! I'm so sorry…"
"Don't be."
"I…I'm sure your mother loved you," Hinata said, trying to find some way to console him.
"No. She didn't want me…just a tool for revenge. My name bears proof of that."
A solemn moment passed between them, Gaara watching her horrified reaction and Hinata stunned beyond compare.
"I…" she eventually whispered, breaking the silence. "I…like your name."
It wasn't quite the reaction Gaara had hoped for, but he found that it eased his heart nonetheless. "Let's practice your Shugohakke Rokujuuyon Shou again."
"Hai!" she said, thankful for the change of topic as she jumped away from him and assumed her fighting stance.
"Hinata-san…"
"Yes?"
"…I'd…appreciate it…if you didn't repeat that story."
Hinata smiled. "Of course," she responded, still upset by the painful information he'd shared, but overjoyed that he trusted her with it at the same time.
The larger shinobi attacked with his weapon, finding Gaara's shield of sand hard to surpass. Gaara then went on the offensive, performing Sabaku Kyuu. He tried to finish with Sabaku Sousou but Hinata watched as the sand fell away from the large man, powerless. With her Byakugan, it was obvious why.
'His armor…it's leeching out the chakra from Gaara's sand!'
Hinata watched as the man swung once more at the boy with his weapon. Gaara merely grabbed onto it with an arm of sand and began to rise on a pillar he created from the earth below. He had risen at least 50 feet in the air when he began to spin his opponent overhead like a cowboy with a lasso, then finally let go, throwing him far off into the forest. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.
'Looks like I was worrying for no reason. Gaara would never--wait, what's this?' Chakra began to pour out from the ground and center at Gaara's position. 'What is this? It's not a barrier, it's a…waterway? Oh, no…' Hinata watched in horror as the water emerged from the earth under Gaara, took the form of several dragons and knocked him down, collapsing his tower. He cushioned himself with the sand in his gourd but did not get up as the large shinobi approached him once more. Hinata quickly took out the bottle and brush Shino had given her. She wrote a message on the tree next to her and watched as Shino's kikaichuu bugs landed on it and then disappeared. 'Get up, Gaara. Get up!' she willed, but he did not move. 'I…I want to help you…I want to, but…Shikamaru told us not to get involved…and Neji-nii-san… But… Gaara!!'
The large man had closed the distance between them and began to swing his flail once again, except this time Gaara could offer no defense. His sand had been saturated and would not obey his commands. Having been wearing his sand armor, his body was now much heavier and that made motion all the more difficult, not to mention he was in pain from his fall. He instinctively raised an arm to shield from his opponent's attack as he prepared for the worst.
"Konoha Senpuu!" a green figure called as he leapt from the bushes and kicked the spiked ball away.
Hinata breathed a huge sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness!' Lee and Naruto had finally made it to back him up. Gaara tried to stand but staggered and fell. Luckily, Lee was there to grab him. Just then Sakura arrived and took over his care.
'She got the message. Thank you, Sakura-chan.' Hinata watched as the kunoichi medic hovered her hands over Gaara's body, healing his wounds. After a few moments, Hinata found herself experiencing something she had never expected: jealousy. Not only was Sakura able to help him where she could not, Gaara also did nothing but stare at her intensely the entire time she treated him. Hinata tried to shake off the feeling but it lingered. 'First Naruto-kun, now… No. What am I thinking? I…I must focus on the mission,' she told herself, moving back to follow the shinobi with the kidnapped Suna student. It wasn't long before she was back on his trail, and soon Gaara was right behind him as well. Hinata kept pace with the two from a distance.
'He has the last enemy trapped in a dead-end valley!' she discovered, reporting it. She soon received reply from Shino ordering her to meet up with Neji and himself. With hesitation, she obeyed, peeling herself away from the battle at hand. 'Gaara…please be alright…' After a bit of searching with her Byakugan, she found the two. Soon, Shikamaru and Temari joined them. Lee, Sakura, and Ino were next to follow.
"Shikamaru-kun!" Lee called.
"What?"
"Where are Gaara-kun and Naruto-kun?"
Not having an answer, he called forward. "Neji, Hinata! What's the situation?"
"Beyond the rocks ahead, there's someone trapped in a cage," Hinata explained, using her Byakugan. "There's also a huge amount of chakra being pulled from inside it."
"Gaara is probably inside!" Neji figured, only adding to Hinata's concern.
"Hey, Shikamaru," Temari called, her tone quite serious.
"What?" he asked, falling into step with her.
"You know that Gaara has a terrifying power sleeping inside him, right?"
"Yeah, for the most part."
"If Gaara has his power sucked out and loses consciousness…things will get really bad! Shukaku will rage out of control. Once that happens, there's no way to stop Gaara."
"Are you serious?"
They all quickened their pace.
'Gaara, please… Please be alright…'
By the time they arrived, Gaara was no longer being held captive. Shikamaru was first on the scene and couldn't believe his eyes. "Hey, is that supposed to be…" he asked, taking in the creature before him.
"Yeah, that's Gaara," Temari confirmed. "He's starting to turn into Shukaku."
"Gaara!" Kankurou called as he arrived with Kiba and Chouji.
"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, rushing over to the injured boy and the formerly kidnapped girl who sat beside him. Apparently he'd had some success during all this chaos, though he'd paid a price for it. Hinata followed the medic's lead.
"Naruto-kun!"
"Hinata, Sakura-chan…"
"Matsuri," Temari began, approaching the blonde and their recovered student. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, but Gaara-sensei…" she reported, clearly frightened.
"Keep an eye on her for me," Naruto ordered, standing. He struggled to walk back to the battlefield but Sakura stopped him.
"Hold it! You're seriously injured!"
"But-!"
"Even if you go out again, you'll just end up unable to move! I'm going to tend to your injuries first." And with that there was no arguing. Naruto grumbled a bit but did as she said.
'Sakura-chan…arigatou…' Hinata thought. She really did admire the spirited kunoichi. Still, a part of her was also envious. At a time when the two boys she cared about most needed help, she could do nothing but watch, yet Sakura had been there for both of them.
"This is bad. It's only a matter of time," Temari warned, trying to mask the fear in her voice.
"Just as I thought… Sakura, hurry it up! Looks like we don't have much time," Shikamaru yelled over his shoulder to the group.
"Got it!" Sakura replied, beginning to work on Naruto.
Neji activated his Byakugan and studied the half-transformed Gaara and his opponent. "What is this?" he asked in a baffled but concerned voice.
"What's wrong, Neji?" Lee inquired.
"There is a powerful chakra flowing between the armor that this bastard is wearing and the half-transformed Gaara," he explained as he watched Gaara and his opponent in their standoff.
Matsuri stood and responded to Neji. "That person said that he was Seimei, the founder of Takumi Village, and that he had been reborn as the ultimate weapon."
"That bastard! He stole Gaara's chakra!" Naruto yelled.
"Come to think of it, we also fought someone with similar armor and my chakra was stolen, too," Lee recalled.
"Armor that absorbs chakra…" Shino contemplated. "We can't be careless and get too close to it."
"Well, what can we do?" Shikamaru asked, more to himself than the crowd as he tried to devise a plan. Peering out to the battlefield, he watched helplessly as the standoff between the two monsters continued.
"Fighting Shukaku wasn't in my calculations," began the resurrected shinobi facing Gaara. "But this is in my favor. Defeating Shukaku will prove that Takumi Village's ultimate weapon is unbeatable," he declared, referring to himself and the collection of armor and weapons which he wore.
Gaara grinned maniacally at the floating apparition before him.
Yes! Finally! I will taste blood! the demon inside of him cheered. Come on, what are we waiting for? Let's waste this guy! And then…then we can pay back those Konoha bastards over there!
'No! I won't let you touch my friends!'
C'mon! They deserve it. I deserve it! It's been so long… You owe me!
'NO!!' Gaara screamed in his mind, fighting with all his strength to suppress the demon.
Gah, wait! What are you doing? You need me! Without me, you're nothing. You'll lose! You'll feel nothing but pain and suffering without my protection. GAARA!!
'It's YOU that causes me pain and suffering! I do not need you!'
The internal battle was taking a physical toll on the injured boy but he didn't let that distract him from pushing his demon back with all the strength that he possessed until, finally, he regained control of himself once more. Shukaku's arm which had manifested began to fall away.
"Gaara!" Naruto yelled.
"Gaara-sensei is returning to normal!" Matsuri remarked with astonishment.
Naruto watched in amazement. "What's happening to him?"
"He could be trying to suppress Shukaku with his own will," Temari hypothesized, in awe of her little brother.
"But why? Won't that only weaken his attack power?" asked Shikamaru, thinking only from a tactical point of view.
"Even so, he chose to fight using his own power, not one that he can't control," Kankurou explained. He knew Gaara's heart better than most and proudly watched as the rest of the arm sloughed off leaving his brother grimacing and trying to catch his breath.
"You can't maintain Shukaku's form with that chakra?" Seimei falsely concluded, laughing as he floated high above the boy.
"I will help my comrades with my own power!"
"Pathetic. Shinobi have no need for emotions. Those that kill their emotions become more powerful. And that power is the only justice. You're already finished," he overconfidently stated, readying his weaponry. "Take this!"
His three-headed dragon blade flew toward Gaara who jumped in an attempt to dodge the first hit, but was grazed by the second blade and struck hard in his right side by the third. Falling back to the ground, he managed to land on his feet. He covered his new injury with his hand, the pain apparent on his face as blood began to seep out.
"This is as far as you go, monster of the Sand Village."
Gaara forced his gaze upon his opponent and grinned, making himself stand up straight, acting as if he were no longer hurt. He prepared for another attack.
"A bluff? You don't even have enough chakra left to fight."
"It's true that I'm almost out of chakra, but did you really think that I was just sitting in that cage twiddling my thumbs?" he remarked, referring to the time earlier when he'd been held captive in his opponent's chakra-draining contraption.
"What?"
Gaara's grin widened as he clapped his hands together. "Ryuusa Bakuryu!" he shouted.
Everyone stood anxiously watching the face-off, waiting for something…anything to happen. After a moment of silence and stillness, it appeared as if Seimei had called Gaara's bluff.
"Heh. You don't have any more sand to control."
"I am Sabaku no Gaara! Breaking stones and turning minerals into sand is something that comes easily."
As if on cue, the walls around them began to crack and large boulders fell all around them. Before Seimei could figure out what was happening, he was swept under the forming sand. Gaara rode atop it easily, still creating yet more.
The observing ninja stared in awe at the oncoming desert tidal wave and quickly retreated to higher ground.
All was silent for a moment and Gaara dropped his seal.
"Kujaku Senpuu Sen!" called forth a voice from beneath him. Seimei rose to the surface once again in a powerful whirlwind jutsu. "So, you still had some power left. I'll take all of it, then!" he shouted as he increased the effects of his chakra-absorbing armor.
Both Hinata and Neji activated their Byakugan once again, fearing the worst.
"Gaara's chakra is being sucked out!" Neji reported. Hinata was rendered speechless as worry consumed her and she watched in horror, trying to hold onto what little hope she had left of the situation.
"Gaara-sensei!" Matsuri cried out to her teacher.
"Damn it!" Naruto cursed, preparing to jump into the fight.
"Wait, Naruto!"
"What, Shikamaru?! Don't stop me!"
"Even if you go, you'll only be in the way," Temari told him. "That, and our Gaara is strong," she finished with a proud smile.
Naruto turned his attention back to the battlefield. "Gaara…" He watched as his friend raised an injured arm and began to collect sand. It soon solidified, becoming a long solid rod, but it didn't stop there.
"Saikou Zettai Hougeki, Shukaku no Houkou!" By the time he was done, he had formed a mighty spear which resembled the arm of his demon. He gathered all of his strength and threw it expertly at Seimei who had no time to even react. It pierced through his chakra-absorbing armor as it stabbed right through his abdomen. The broken armor shattered and fell to the ground.
"W-why? Why are you…" the defeated zombie stuttered, trying to wrap his head around the reasons for his seemingly impossible defeat.
"Someone like you, who only sees people as weapons, wouldn't understand."
"I don't understand! How? How?!" he screamed as he fell to the sand, which began to suck him under.
"Sabaku Taisou!" Gaara called, mustering the last of his chakra in his final attack, at last crushing his opponent.
"All right!" Naruto cheered from the sidelines.
"Gaara-sensei won!"
"Yeah! Gaara!" Naruto called, rushing out to meet him. Matsuri and the others followed his lead, but Hinata stayed behind.
'Thank goodness!' she thought, feeling her anxiety finally drain away. 'Gaara was right… If he had truly been trying to kill me that first day of training, I would be dead… Gaara is stronger than I ever imagined,' she realized in awe.
Gaara turned to greet the crowd but collapsed before he had the chance.
'Oh no! What's wrong?' Hinata found herself too scared to move further, though she wanted desperately to be by his side.
"Gaara!" called his siblings, rushing to his aid.
Sakura began examining him. "He's fine," she reported with a smile. "Just exhausted from using so much chakra in one go."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Gaara suppressed Shukaku with his own will," Temari said, still in awe.
"Yeah," Kankurou remarked, also finding it hard to believe it. 'He really is trying his best,' he thought, recalling a conversation they'd had not long ago when he'd told Gaara that he was nuts for trying to become Kazekage. Despite the progress he'd made, there were still many in the village that hated and feared him. His younger brother had shown a softer side then when Kankurou had pointed that fact out to him. Gaara merely admitted that it would not be easy but that he wanted to try anyway. He wanted to show everyone that he was more than just the container for Shukaku. He was Sabaku no Gaara, and he yearned for the day when he would be needed by someone, not as a monster or weapon like his father had envisioned, but as a man - a man who would protect what was precious to him. And since he valued the entire village, he aimed to be its Kazekage. He would protect his home and all those who dwelt within. He would work hard to make them accept him. Seeing his efforts today made Kankurou believe that his brother would definitely achieve his goal someday.
Translations/Term Definitions...in no particular order:
- Jyuuken: The "Gentle Fist" fighting style of the Hyuuga Clan.
- -Nee-san: Nee meaning "sister" and, of course, -san attaching respect to it. Hanabi is Hinata's younger sister.
- River Country: A small country bordering both the Wind and Fire Countries, inbetween them. They are small enough not to have their own Hidden Shinobi Village.
- Shugohakke Rokujuuyon Shou: "Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms," a technique created by Hinata during the filler story arc of the anime.
- Konoha Senpuu: "Konoha Whirlwind," an attack of Maito Gai and Rock Lee. It is a powerful kick.
- Yondaime Kazekage: Yondaime meaning "the fourth," Gaara's father was the fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure.
- Kikaichuu: The type of bug that the Aburame (Shino's) clan uses.
- Takumi Village: A village of weapon makers. They create weapons for other shinobi villages to purchase.
- Ryuusa Bakuryu: "Quicksand Avalanche," an attack by Gaara that causes a wave of sand to fiercely sweep the foe under and away.
- Kujaku Senpuu Sen: "Peacock Whirlwind," a technique used by Seimei creating a powerful whirlwind around him, cutting through Gaara's sand, and freeing himself in this instance.
- Saikou Zettai Hougeki, Shukaku no Houkou: "Ultimate Absolute Attack, Shukaku's Spear," a technique of Gaara's to mold the best minerals at his disposal into a long, hard, and sharp spear, the point of which resembles his demon's claw.
- Sabaku Taisou: "Desert Imperial Funeral," an attack of Gaara's in which he sucks the enemy far beneath his tidal wave of sand and crushes them by applying waves of pressure into it.