Sitting on top of a roof of a sand-made house, a tall male with red blood hair and a few grey strands of hair, sea foam eyes, and pale skin stare out into the open desert. The night wind freeze up in the cold atmosphere under the full moon. The man sit with one leg props up and the other laying straight out; his hand rests on his prop up knee as the wind dances gently in his blood red hair and the moonlight shines on the male's pale skin. The man's bright seafoam eyes scan the hidden village while his clothes rustle in the breeze. The male then turns his gaze to the moon, reminiscing on an old memory.

-Flashback-

The red head man was thrashing around in the desert. His anger had exploded. He destroyed everything that came across his path. He was going to blow down a group of wild purple flower a voice reach his ears.

"Gaara-sensei, onegai yamete!" a high voice yelled. (Teacher Gaara, please stop it!)

"Gaara" turned around to see sniffling four years old girl, eyes full of tears.

"Yamete Gaara-sensei, onegai," the little girl cried. (Stop it Mr. Gaara, Please.)

The man slowly calmed down, realizing his actions, and walked towards the girl. He kneeled down to her height and smile gently.

"Watashi wa mo okoru na koto wa arimasen," he stated, hugging the girl, "so mo nakanai." (I won't get mad anymore, so don't cry anymore.)

The girl wiped away her tears and nodded, "Hai."(Yes)

The man then picked a small purple flower and put it in the girl's hair. The child giggled as she return the hug.

-End of Flashback-

Suddenly two shadows appear and bow down behind the man.

"Gaara," the female next to him states. "The recruit told me the outsiders have declared war on the village."

"How did they know about the village," Gaara questions plainly.

The man next to him replies, "We got a traitor."

"Find that traitor," Gaara remarks. "I'll will deal with the war."

"What," the two ask.

The red haired man say, looking at the starry sky, "I will win the war myself."

-The Next Day-

The Young Justice team are walking around the large Sahara Desert, looking for large tanks that were sighted a few days ago. Heat waves rise and clash against the teenagers body, making the group sweaty and tired.

"Why are we here anyway?" whines Wally. "It's really hot here."

Kaldur replies, "Our mission is to the locate the tanks. To what we know, the tanks belong to CADMUS. After what happen at Big Bear, the Justice League are more on guard. With that, we are investigating every possible activities that CADMUS conduct."

After a while, the team found the tanks in a large cave-like cover. The group then hide behind scatter rocks. Analyzing the area, the kids soon realize CADMUS is setting up a base.

"Why bring tanks here though?" Robin wonders out loud. "There isn't actually anything in the Sahara Desert that would perk CADMUS's interest."

"I agree," adds Artemis. "There is nothing in this desert that can make CADMUS bring tanks."

"What do you think Shadow Beast?" questions Wally, turning his head towards the said heroine. Everyone turns their head to their female teammates when they didn't get an answer to only find Shadow Beast missing. The teenagers glance around frantically to see Shadow Beast running towards the tanks.

"Shadow Beast wait!" exclaims Aqualad. The rest follow in the direction Shadow Beast left in. Suddenly, loud explosions and the clouds of dust stir up near the CADMUS's base. When the team reach to the area, they see one side is CADMUS tanks and the other side are people fighting and breathing...fire? Angel knows right away who they are dealing with. She also spots someone that make her gasp. The rest stare at Shadow Beast, but she already dashes towards the battlefield. Angel runs and run until she hears someone calls out, "Sabaku Hitsugi!" (Sand Coffin!)

She suddenly stops in front of a battle between a red haired man with a gourd on his back and a CADMUS soldier, being engulf in sand.

"Sabaku no sogi!" the man screams, clenching his fist from his paw form. (Desert Funeral!)

Suddenly, the sand squeezes the soldier until blood splatters out. The team behind Angel see everything. They are horrified by the scene. Megan almost faint, but she keeps her steadiness. The blood hair man turns to stare at the group. He then walks toward them and raises his hand for another attack. Shadow Beast jumps out of the way before the sand can get her. Unluckily, the sand got the team.

"Sabaku Hitsugi," the man declares lowly. (Sand Coffin)

His hands are in a paw-like shape again.

"Kazekage-sama," Shadow Beast calls. "Onegai yamete." (Lord Kazekage, please stop!)

The Kazekage doesn't ignores the cry. The Young Justice are in a bound of sand. The man is going to clench his hand when he hears familiar voice shouts to him, "Gaara-sensei, Onegai yamete!" (Teacher Gaara, please stop it!)

The memory rushes back into Gaara's mind as he stare at the person that call to him. The voice is more mature than when he heard it last. Gaara's hand releases the paw-like shape and he set his hand on his side. The team is set free. They fall to the ground, slowly regaining their strength.

"Soreha suru koto ga dekimasen deshita," He breaths. "So Darou ka?" (It couldn't be, could it?)

The Kazekage is too distracted that he didn't notice the tanks firing at him. Angel runs towards Gaara and pushes him out of the way, taking the hit. She screams out in pain as she fall down on the burning sand. Gaara runs to Shadow Beast and pulls her body up into his arms. He then remember what his old friend told him about Angel. How she was exiled and she took on the name Shadow Beast. Also that she have join a team, and also that her identity was a secret to all.

"Eiju wa, anata wa watashi o kiku koto ga dekita," he calls, shaking the fallen girl. "Eiju wa, me wo samasu! Me wo samasu shite kudasai! Watashi to issho ni taizai shite kudasai, Eiju!" (Shadow Beast, can you hear me? Shadow Beast, wake up! Please wake up! Please stay with me, Shadow Beast!)

He then picks Angel up bridal style and dashes towards his warriors. Gaara reaches a female with blonde spiky ponytail and yells, "Temari wa, watashitachi o koko kara nuked asu! Amarini mo, korera no kodomo-tachi o issho ni motte kuru!" (Temari, get us out of here! And bring along those kids, too!)

"Hai!" the female, Temari, exclaims. (Yes!)

She then tells the other warriors to fall back. Some of them grab the Young Justice team.

Temari does some hand sign and yells out, "Suna Hyo!" (Sand Hail!)

Large boulders of sand fall from the sky, landing on top of the tanks and soldiers. The group of ninjas escape the tanks and towards their village.

-That Night-

Angel is in the medical wing with the doctors while Gaara and the team are in his office. Gaara sits at his seat with his hands intertwine with each other, his elbows on his desk, and his eyes closed.

The Young Justice are standing in silence when suddenly, Gaara asks, "How long have Shadow Beast been with you?"

The team is surprise that the red hair man has spoken in English, with no mistake or hesitation. Even so, there is still an Asian accent in his voice.

Kaldur bravely answers, "Shadow Beast have been staying with us for about a month sir."

There is silence until Aqualad speaks up again, "Sir, is Shadow Beast okay?"

Suddenly, the door to Gaara's office opens to find a male and a female standing in front of it, panting. There is a man with purple marking on his face, wearing a black jumpsuit, and the same woman that help the escape in the desert.

"Is there something wrong," Gaara asks with his emotionless voice.

The man with purple markings on his face smiles, "She is awake and okay."

Gaara's eyes widen as he races to the medical wing. When he, the team, and the two ninjas got to the medical wing, Angel is awake and waiting for them.

"Shadow Beast!" the team exclaims as they hurry over to her. Gaara and the ninjas stand in the back, looking fondly at the younger ninja.

"She has grown far beyond what we have expected, right Gaara?" states Temari with her arm cross.

"Aah," Gaara sighs with a gentle smile on his face. He then intentionally coughs. "A-hem! Please, may I have a word with Shadow Beast?"

Everyone then leave the room, leaving only the Kazekage and Shadow Beast. There is silence between them. Shadow Beast is going to get out of bed and kneel down to Gaara, but she fall. Luckily, Gaara catches her. He then pulls her close to him, wrapping his arms around Angel.

"Why didn't you come to me when you were exiled," Gaara questions, hugging his former and present student tightly. To few's knowledge, Gaara loves Angel like his own granddaughter.

Shadow Beast returns the hug, "I didn't want to risk yours and the villages' lives. The beasts inside me are too powerful. No one can control it; not even me."

"I'm just glad that you are alright," he sighs. The Kazekage's lips curve up a little.

Gaara then let Angel go and returns to his emotionless self and states, "You still have training to do."