Spirited Away: Wind and Sand

Notes: It has been 84 years. Okay, it's been 4 years. I'm sorry that it has taken this long but I just couldn't continue it. I don't know what it was that was blocking me from writing. I worked on this over the years a little at a time but I finally finished this chapter but it turned out really long so I split it. At this rate, there may only be five chapters or so left. Hopefully they won't take me four years to write but like I promised before: I will finish this story, no matter how long it takes.
So things have changed over time and you may see that in the writing style. You may see the change more in the next chapter.

Special Thanks:

To everyone who has followed or favorited this story from the beginning and is reading this now. Also, welcome newcomers and thank you for your support as well. I know it's discouraging to read notes like the one above.

Thanks to Shadow-Ninja-Captain69, I hope this chapter doesn't fall short on the writing.

Thanks to MuteReader, I'm sorry if you have to reread the story again. I wish I had updated sooner.

Thanks to Vivid, that really means a lot to me.

Thanks to nekomata, thanks for sticking to this story as long as you did. :)

Thanks to Yukira-Kuchiki, he may be showing it more and also more in this chapter too. I know this is written in first person but I do keep other's thoughts in mind. I don't know if I'll write his thoughts on it all but maybe it could be an extra some time.

Thanks to GaaraRules29, here is some more. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

Thanks to meimei, updated and ready to go. ;)

Chapter 7: Letting Go

Fighting against the fatigue in my legs and the burning in my lungs, I pressed on. Falling farther and farther behind Gaara only frustrated me. I needed to be strong if only for these next few hours. If my heart could beat any faster I'm sure it would burst. The combination of fatigue and anxiety caused my body to eventually numb. The scenery became a blur until I was only concentrated on following Gaara. We had to make it, we just had to.

The desert let us know we were close but there was still no sign of Ryuu. Was it a trick? Or was he already there?

We reached the narrow chasm at the entrance of Suna only to be greeted by a guard. I took this time to catch my breath.

"Kazekage-sama," he addressed.

"Has anything unusual come through here recently," Gaara asked urgently.

"No, nothing sir," he assured.

"Kazekage-sama," some else addressed walking up to us, "and Aura, it's been a while."

He smiled at me as if he knew who I was but I couldn't place his face.

As he looked more closely at our expressions his smiled faded, "What's wrong, did something happen?"

It finally came to me, "Takan."

He smiled again, "Oh, you remember."

I was glad to see him, he was actually one of the first people to be kind to me when I arrived here.

"Have you seen anything odd?" I asked.

He thought for a moment, "No, but I don't know exactly what you mean by odd."

"Have you seen anyone . . . with powers like me," I was reluctant to relate myself with someone like Ryuu.

"What?" he seemed confused.

I sighed a bit in relief, nobody had seen anything though I felt frustrated at being tricked.

"Are you hurt?" Takan asked as I noticed a cut on my arm.

"When did I get this? Maybe while we were traveling," I thought out loud.

"Here, I'll treat it for you," he offered his hand.

I walked up to him but before we could even touch a wall of sand separated us. Takan jumped back with a glare in his eyes. I was stunned in place once more. How could this happen to me again? Not Takan, it couldn't be Takan. What did he have to do with all of this?

"You're a little more perceptive than you used to be," Takan complimented Gaara, "but even so, that will not save you. My master's wish will be fulfilled and your path will end here."

Electricity and static started to buzz in the air and make the chasm glow, "I have no need for this puppet anymore."

Takan then looked stunned before passing out on the ground. The woman from Land of Lightning appeared out of vapor in her red mermaid dress. A bolt of lightning then struck the ground causing everyone to flinch. It left Ryuu behind on one knee. As he rose to his feet he wore a serious expression and stayed in silence.

"Don't worry, we won't kill you Wind. If you come with us no one will be harmed but if you don't, then I can't guarantee this village's safety or even yours. Bringing you back alive or barely alive works for me," she spoke with a cool tone.

I couldn't figure out what to answer. If I went with them then they could continue their plan to make a new world but the village would be spared. If I didn't, I would have to fight them here and maybe innocent blood would be shed.

"I will go-" I was about to say but I was cut off.

"Aura," Gaara said as he moved closer to me, "Even if you go with them they will not keep their word."

"Don't sell Suna short," the guard we met earlier said and motioned to the other hidden guards to take aim and be alert, "We will defend Suna with our lives."

I felt better knowing I had others to fight with me but Ryuu worried me. Why was he so quiet or even working with these people?

The woman only sneered, "Kill them."

Ryuu's electricity charged and he was about to race forward but I wasn't going to let him do it. I didn't want to make the same mistakes again.

"No!" I yelled sending some wind blades at him.

They were too slow and he avoided easily but I took this time to advance for a closer range attack. I went in for an attack on his midsection but this time he had a short sword that he blocked with. The sword itself seemed to glow with his electricity. I tried to strike a few more times but he blocked them all with the sound of clinking metal. This was starting to frustrate me already but I had to try to stay calm because the more agitated I became the more mistakes I would make. He smirked and with a flash, pushed me back. Nearly tripping back on my feet he fled into the city in a flurry of sparks causing rocks to break and fall apart. I pursued using my wind to quicken my pace and avoided the falling rubble.

Gaara was about to follow after when he stopped as if paralyzed by something. His eyes trailed over to the woman in the red dress who held a red shimmering string attached to his ring finger.

She smiled deviously, "I wonder where your fate lies sand ninja."

Some of the guards went after Ryuu and Aura but others stayed behind and were unafraid when approaching the woman.

"Right behind you Kazekage-sama," The leader of the guard commented.

"Follow Aura," Gaara ordered still staring at the woman, "I will take care of this myself."

The ninja nodded and they took off in pursuit of Aura and Ryuu.

"You're worried about the girl," the woman said as everyone else cleared the area.

Gaara only remained, silently ready for anything.

She put the red thread up to her mouth, closing her eyes, "I can see your heart clearly, such a combination of colors."

Lightning flashed in the distance an explosion was heard.

She smiled and opened her eyes, "So it begins."

The sand around Gaara came to life slowly swirling in different direction unsure as whether to attack or defend.

The woman raised her other hand to grasp the shimmering red line, "Today I will decide your fate."

The sand rushed at the woman who only smiled in the face of this danger.

I raced after him as he hurled lightning in random directions crashing into random buildings. Using my wind to propel myself forward I threw some wind blades at him but he only deflected them sending them off in different directions. He would fling lightning in any direction if only to destroy as much of the village he could, but I had to stop him. This is when I decided to make my move and rushed forth to clash with a short blade he had unsheathed. With a serious expressed he shoved me back with all his might.

I gasped for air after being blown back into a wall. The pain in my back and fire in my lungs made it hard to stand back up. Ryuu rushed at me with his short sword and I blocked still trying to work through the pain. This time I was on the defensive trying to forget the painful pressure in my chest, it was enough to make my eyes water. After deflecting one of his attacks I ran for it rubbing the tears from my eyes and moving from building to building as best I could but I slipped on one of the edges. I caught myself on a ledge but ended up dropping one of my blades. I pulled myself up in time to block a lightning strike from Ryuu.

I rolled and turned to face him just as he stabbed my shoulder. For a moment I felt nothing except hot steel through my flesh. As soon as he removed it, pain came crashing down on me. I screamed and held my left shoulder; the electricity was still shocking and jolting my muscles making it even more painful. I instinctively curled into myself as if it would lessen the pain and bit my tongue making it bleed. With the taste of blood I forced myself to stand back up with a will I didn't know I had.

"I'm not supposed to kill you but they never said anything about bringing you back in one piece," Ryuu finally spoke in a voice that was almost unamused.

"What are you doing with them? I don't understand," this was all I could muscle out of my mouth.

He had talked so much about freedom the last time I saw him so why would he take orders from anyone?

"I'm not with anyone, stupid human," he scoffed before going into a different fighting stance, "Different chains may bind me but not for long."

Within an instant they were surrounded by ninja. Some arrows whizzed toward him but he only broke them with unmatched speed. The ninja were careful to approach Ryuu but he had no patience to spare. He growled under his breath as his electricity charged around him.

"Be gone!" he yelled and unleashed a devastating flurry of bolts.

It blinded me so I shielded by eyes but when I looked back at the scene before me everyone was gone. Where did everyone go? Did he really . . . ?

"What did you do?" I ran at him and sent wind blades of fury at him using my good arm.

He deflected them but not as well as he did with everything else. His electricity was nothing when it came to wind.

"What does it matter? Don't tell me you are concerned about these people," he said with slight curiosity.

"Of course I'm concerned they're . . . " the words didn't seem to come to me.

"They're what? This isn't your world, why would you even care about what happens to them?" his eyes showed signs of something I couldn't put my finger on.

Something was tugging at my heart. The words were right there but I had a hard time trying to get them out.

"This place," I began with the strain on my heart growing more, "is like a home to me. These people didn't have to take me in but they did."

It was like ripping off a bandage.

"I care about these people because this is my home!" and like that I felt like I had finally let go.

I let go of my old life. It was scary and comforting all at the same time.

"You're home, don't make me laugh," he smirked.

A loud sound came from far away as I heard a horrible ringing in my ears and flashes of sand. The feeling in my chest hurt but it wasn't a pain from my own body. It was something hard to explain even to myself. Ryuu's eyes moved back and forth as if he saw something else besides what was in front of him with a troubled expression.

"So that's how it is," he finally said after the ringing my ears and strange feelings subsided.

More ninja appeared only this time Ryuu looked like he didn't care about them but was concentrated on something farther away. His eyes then set on me and he rushed forward and grabbed my neck. The pressure made me instantly choke.

"Humans are so weak," he said with anger but I could have heard something that sounded like sadness too.

He then pulled me in closer and whispered in my ear. What I heard only confused me more. He let out a grunt and backed away then he held his stomach in pain where blood started to seep through a crack in his armor.

"We'll meet again, Wind," he said angrily before taking off in the opposite direction.

Some ninja had taken off after him but a few stayed behind. What had just happened?

"Are you alright?" a ninja asked me.

"I'm fine," I said still confused, but when I came back to my senses the pain set in and I held my shoulder once again.

"Hold on," the ninja said calling out to someone nearby though I couldn't help but be lost in my pain and thoughts.

'Meet me in the village of stone; I'll tell you what you need to know, come alone.'

Those words replayed in my mind. What did he mean? Why would he tell me that? Even more disturbingly, why did he stab himself before he left?

I couldn't connect the dots no matter how hard I tried.

"What happened to Gaara?" I said out loud disrupting a male ninja who was treating my shoulder.

It's then I felt my thoughts waver and darkness took over my vision before I could even process another thought. Maybe it was the shock that got to me this time.

I awoke in a sore pain to an infirmary in Suna.

"She's awake," a medical woman shouted out.

I couldn't tell if she was a nurse, doctor, ninja or all of the above but my head was swimming with too much pain, fatigue and confusion that I didn't even care.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked me as I tried to sit up while she hovered over me like I could break at any moment.

Although it hurt I had bigger things on my mind, "I'm fine, where's Gaara?"

"He's talking with the defense units at the moment, but you should really be worrying about yourself right now," she answered concerned, still trying to keep me from getting out of bed.

"I'm fine, really, just let me go," I forced my voice to come out in a normal tone before pushing her hands aside and practically racing out of bed and into the hallway.

"Hey you shouldn't be running like that!" she yelled after me but I rounded another corner and was out of sight.

The more I concentrated on getting to Gaara the less I actually felt my own pain. Reaching out with our connection I could locate him quite quickly. I opened the door to the meeting hastily to reveal Gaara and a group of people, probably the defense unit leaders, gathered around talking, although, they had stopped as soon as I entered.

"Gaara, you're alright," I sighed in relief knowing that the vision and strange feeling I experienced during the attack yesterday was nothing.

As soon as I realized this I felt embarrassed. Why did I barge in so suddenly? Everyone was staring at me a little confused.

I smiled sheepishly and tried to apologize, "I'm sorry everyone, I didn't mean to interrupt."

This time the pain caught up with me and I held my shoulder and looked down at it and for the first time noticed it was bandaged up and my clothes had been changed to what I assume was a simple hospital robe, although it was dressier than the ones back in my other world. This only made me feel even more embarrassed. How could I have not even noticed? Was I that concerned over Gaara?

Gaara had walked over to me while I was concerned over my own obliviousness, "You shouldn't be moving around too much or you'll open the wound again. I'll get someone to take you back to the infirmary."

He was about to call for someone in the hall but I didn't want to go back there so I instinctively caught his arm, "Wait, is everyone else alright? Did anyone get hurt last night?"

This had to be a stupid question, of course there were people that got hurt. I just didn't want to ask my real question. I didn't want to ask if anyone died.

Of course, whether it was through the bond or by other means he knew what I meant, "There were a few injured but no casualties. The only serious damage was structural."

"Miss Aura, is it?" a man questioned from the defense force.

I turned my attention toward the group of men in the room. Although I wished I had forgotten they were there, considering my attire.

"Yes," I answered a little wary.

"Thank you for aiding the village in our time of need," he bowed slightly in front of me which caught me off guard.

I could feel the warmth in my cheeks as I tried to wave off his polite gratitude, "It's nothing really, I just fought without even thinking. I mean, it was just the right thing to do."

It felt awkward and cheesy to say but it was definitely true. I didn't honestly think much about it at the time. It just seemed naturally the right thing to do. I don't know when I had become the kind of person to fly into danger without a second thought. In fact, when did I become so reckless when it came to the safety of others?

"No matter the reason, we are definitely in your debt," he bowed once more.

"Aura, this is Takahiro, the head of defense in Suna," Gaara said as an introduction.

"Oh, nice to meet you Sir," I held out my hand.

"You as well, Aura-San," he said bowing again.

I fumbled to bow as well forgetting that shaking hands wasn't so common here. I had to hold my clothes together to make sure they didn't shift unexpectedly. It was only one more thing for me to feel embarrassed about.

"Now you should rest," Gaara continued his concern from earlier and called over a guard from the hallway.

"But Gaara, we need to get to Iwagakure before Kakan does," I worried.

If he got to the next element before we did then all our traveling until now would be for nothing.

"Temari and Kankuro can handle things until we get there. He hasn't found the next Element yet," he said confidently, "but you'll also need you're strength if we are going to travel and we also still need to prepare. We don't want to be hasty and make any mistakes."

Gaara told the guard who came over, to escort me back to my room and after taking one last look at Gaara I hesitantly followed. He was right, I probably wasn't fit for traveling but I was really concerned over Ryuu's words. Would he really be waiting in Iwagakure? Wasn't he after the next Element as well? I held my shoulder where he had wounded me, feeling the pain at the thought of him. What was he really up to?

Because my clothes were damaged in the fight I was given a new set from the village. These ones were an off white with blue accents and a blue sash that tied it altogether. Something really simple but easy to move in because it wasn't too long either. It had only been a day but my wound was healing abnormally fast and I wasn't in pain like I was before. It possibly could have been because I was an Element that I healed faster but otherwise I didn't know what it was at all. I hadn't seen Gaara much since that afternoon. In fact, it felt really strange to be apart. I had spent so much time with him lately that I almost felt like I was missing something important when he wasn't around. Maybe it was just because of the bond that I was feeling this way or- No, no, no. I mentally slapped myself. I had promised myself not to think of love until things were resolved. Maybe I had fell for him purely because we had spent so much time together. Anyone would become attached to someone they spent a lot of time with right?

Trying to distract myself I concentrated on the future. I was sure we were going to leave soon so I had started packing for the journey. Sifting through my things, I packed only what I felt was necessary because now that I was traveling with my own strength I figured out that things really start to weigh you down when you travel on foot. I tipped over and emptied one of my smaller bags of objects I had collected along the way like seashells and rocks but I froze when I saw the small red rock that rolled on the desk. That was the red stone Kakan had given me, or whoever he was.

Picking it up, I looked at it more closely. What was I going to do with it? For a moment I swore the stone was getting smaller but only too late did I realize it was actually sinking into my hand. I frantically shook my hand and tried to grab the stone but it disappeared in my palm leaving behind only a slight red glow.

I stood there, staring as the glow faded, expecting that something might happen but there was only the sound of my own heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat. What was I going to do now? This couldn't mean anything good. What was the stone supposed to do? I had to tell Gaara about it as soon as I could.

I ran out of the room as the guard freaked out and followed me. I was too frantic to address him yelling after me as I found Gaara with the bond. Luckily he was close by. I met him in the hallway and ran up to him in my panicked state. He didn't seem surprised that I was there at all but I didn't really have time to wonder if he knew I was looking for him with the bond.

"What's wrong?" he asked seeing or even sensing how I felt.

"Gaara, I-" but my voice stopped.

My voice; where did it go? Why couldn't I say anything? As much as I tried, nothing came out of my mouth.

Looking at him I could see that he was worried but I couldn't tell him what happened. This time I tried to picture the event and send it to him but I couldn't even conjure a single image. What was going on? I thought I could just show him my hand and try to tell him that way but I couldn't even go through with that action.

I held my throat feeling like there was something blocking it. Could it be the stone?

Gaara then held my shoulders and looked me directly in the eyes which caught me off guard. His eyes stared intensely into mine as if trying to see what I was thinking.

"You can't speak. Can you show me what's wrong?" he asked, talking about the bond.

I shook my head.

"I see," he said looking away thoughtfully.

I decided to try again, "Gaara, I can't-," only to be cut off again.

We were both surprised that I still couldn't speak.

I was so confused, "Why can't I tell you?"

"It's fine, you can tell me later," he said with some kind of emotion I couldn't distinguish, "I was just about to see if you were ready to leave."

"You don't understand, I have to tell you-" I tried again but Gaara cut me off this time.

"I said it's fine. Prepare to leave and meet me outside," he said almost coldly and left.

Watching him walk away I was left there slightly puzzled. Well maybe more than slightly puzzled. I would say I was utterly confused. Why couldn't I say anything to him? Why did he react that way? What did he think I was going to say?

I made my way back to my room with the guard who had watched our whole little scene. I looked at my palm guessing that maybe the stone had stopped me from telling him anything. This definitely was a bad thing if it wouldn't even let me share its existence. Besides that I didn't feel any different although I suppose I would find out later.

Walking outside I found Gaara and a small crowd of people surrounding him. Feeling a little out of place, I walked up to them cautiously and kept my distance. Gaara always ended up being on the popular side when it came to his village. Although that is to be expected, he is the Kazekage after all.

As I waited patiently a couple people started to notice I was there and then a few more until there was a crowd forming around me as well. The sudden rush of people made me stumble backward a bit feeling awkward at the attention. Everyone had something to say but I could only make out a few 'thank you's.' Not to mention there were people trying to give me things. I was so baffled by the scene of people I didn't know crowding around me that it almost made me feel dizzy.

The crowd had opened to let Gaara through who found his way toward me but no sooner had he reached me, a man separated himself from the crowd with a few other people that stayed close behind him.

"If I may," he started raising his voice enough that the crowd lowered their volume, "I would like to present you this token in gratitude for aiding our village in a time of need."

"I really didn't do much at all," I waved my hands in front of myself trying to refuse.

"Wasn't it you who drove off the thunder demon?" he asked.

"Well, I, uh, that was nothing. I really didn't drive him off I would say," I stammered out.

Ryuu was the one that wounded himself and left, but how would I explain that?

"Never the less, because of your quick action there were minimal human and structural damages and that is something to be thankful for," he stated offering the item again.

I really didn't know what to say. Would it be rude to refuse twice? I received the item wrapped in a cloth. Unfolding the white fabric, it revealed a blue forehead protector with the symbol for Sunakagure.

"Isn't this something given to shinobi of this village? Why would you give this to me?" I asked dumbfounded by the gesture.

Why would they give me something like this? I wasn't any kind of ninja by far.

"You were willing to risk your life for the village and we would be honored to have you as part of it," he said with honesty that matched on the faces of those around him.

At a loss for words I grasped the gift in my hands while tears started to form in my eyes.

"Thank you, so much," I bowed, hiding the tears that were now falling from my eyes.

I had a home, here, in the village. Even if I didn't do much of anything, even if I felt useless, I was so glad by those words. I didn't realize until now how relieved it made me feel to have a place where I could be home and how sad I suddenly felt to be leaving it so soon.

I wiped my tears away quickly hoping that no one saw before straightening up again.

"I will treasure it," I smiled while tying it onto my left upper arm with a little difficulty.

I turned to Gaara still beaming with a new energy, "Is it time to leave?"

"Yes," he nodded then directed his next words to the man that had given me the forehead protector, "I trust everything will be taken care of here."

"Leave it to us Kazekage-sama," he saluted as well as the men and women near him.

We then began to leave as I waved goodbye to people yelling 'take care' and 'have a safe journey.' When we had actually reached past the gates I had noticed that the guard had more than doubled from the last time I saw it. I guess the defenses were really on high alert after what happened. As we both sped out into the desert I couldn't help but feel a little strange leaving now. It had only been a few days ago when we found out about the new Element, met a new threat and defended the village. Now we were hopefully back on track and also hopefully Temari and Kankuro were alright. I also couldn't help but feel eager to meet this new person. From what I had seen before, he was only just a boy. I suppose the only way to find out more about him was to meet him. Or was it?

Couldn't the Elements communicate with one another like the bond between Gaara and I? I had to try and find out. Feeling around in my mind I tried to sense someone else besides Gaara. I wasn't used to this kind of thing but I really had to try to make the best of it. Concentrating, I thought I could feel something, far off, very faintly but at that moment my vision wavered and started going black making me trip on my own feet. I was about the fall into the sand but a different type of sand kept me from toppling over.

Gaara had stopped looking back at me while his sand started to coil back to him.

I felt kind of stupid at that point, "I'm fine, just got a little dizzy is all."

I then took off so he knew I was alright and he then followed without a word. I would have to try again when we stopped to rest. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to try to access images while moving.

We ended up taking a break in a forest just outside of the desert because of a clean river flowing through it. I washed my face in the river and drank in the cool water. It was really refreshing after the dry winds of the desert. I felt like I had sand in every fold of my clothing.

Looking in the gently flowing water I noticed my reflection seemed a little different. My hair had grown longer and my clothes had changed but there was something different about my face. I really couldn't put my figure on it but it definitely had changed. It had become sharper maybe? More grownup. How long had I been here anyway? Months? Had it even been a year?

I sighed and looked up at the blue sky wondering when I had changed. Though I suppose change always happens, when you aren't paying attention. Glancing over at Gaara filling our canteens with water I wondered how he had changed as well. Before, I hardly knew him and he stayed very quiet but he talked more, well, more for how he is and he was just really natural to be around. I felt like he changed more than I did or maybe it was just my perspective that changed.

Once he was finished filling the containers he walked over to where I was and asked, "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah," I said, perking up even though I knew my legs were really tired.

"Right, then let's move out," he said and prepared to take off.

I gasped as something in my mind clicked.

"I'm sorry Gaara, I had forgot that I was going to try to find images of the next Element," I apologized feeling a little embarrassed at delaying our travel.

"The village had found him. Temari and Kankuro are also there with him," he said flatly.

"What? You already looked? How come you didn't tell me?" I questioned feeling like I was a little out of the loop.

"You had never asked," he responded simply.

He was being a little more distant lately.

"How do you do it by the way; look for images of the other Elements? I had never done it before so I was just wondering."

He looked at me for a while, probably trying to figure out how he would word it then walked over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders which through me off guard.

"Close your eyes," he said staring straight at me.

I was glad to do anything to get away from those eyes that made me so nervous.

"Think of what you want to see," he continued when I had followed his first instruction.

I already had in mind what I wanted to see. I wanted to know about the next Element and how Temari and Kankuro were.

"Alright got it," I confirmed so he would know to continue.

"Look for it with your mind. Reach out with your thoughts. You should feel a presence near you but reach beyond that. Keep your thoughts clear on your target," he instructed.

This was the hard part I suppose. How could I learn to do something I can't normally do with my mind? But, indeed I could feel a presence near me, a strong presence at that. It was kind of like a really strong signal. That signal had to be Gaara. All I had to do now was think beyond that presence and seek the one I wanted to see.

It took a while of concentration and focus but I eventually could see a slightly darkened image of Temari and Kankuro talking about something I couldn't hear. While a small meek looking boy stared off into nowhere as if thinking or listening to something.

I got so excited that I could finally see something, "I can see them! Gaara I can-"

I stopped abruptly when I opened my eyes, forgetting how close he was to me.

He took his hands from my shoulders and stood back, "You saw them? Are they well?"

"Y-Yeah," I answered, simply feeling instantly awkward.

"Then you should be a peace. Now we should leave so we can meet up with them quickly," he suggested calmly.

"Right," I felt more determined knowing I could check on things any time now. Or well, at least when I had time to concentrate.

Iwakagure was closer than I had expected. We were almost there and it wasn't going to take more than another day. When we had stopped to rest that night I had noticed a small scar on Gaara's left hand. It really didn't go well when I tried to confront him about it.

"Hey Gaara, what's that?" I asked pointing at the ring finger of his left hand.

"It's nothing," he said then continued placing another log on the fire using his sand. I thought this was kind of handy considering he wouldn't have to worry about getting burned. Wait, Gaara always had his sand around him. How could he have gotten scared at all?

"Wait, I thought you couldn't get hurt. How could someone breach your defenses like that?" I switched from my relaxed position to sitting up.

With this he stared straight at me. This was the second time on this trip that I had felt really awkward around him. This is also when I noticed that we had been alone together a lot lately and the looks he gave me seemed unfamiliar or maybe I was just being crazy about this whole thing.

He then looked away allowing me to slump back down and sigh. I didn't know if he was ever going to answer my question until I heard him say something.

It was low and barely audible, "Aura, would you go home if you had the chance?"

It wasn't an answer to my question of but something else entirely. Why would he even ask me that? Where did that question come from?

"I don't know," I said truthfully, "I know I miss my family and friends but I've met so many people here that I care about too. I suppose that's what makes it so hard because no matter what I'd be missing someone."

Plus, I had already given up on going home but obviously I couldn't totally forget those years of my life.

"You told me before that you had a mother, father and sister there," he said still not looking in my direction, "I don't know much about family, but I'm sure they're worried about you. If you get a chance to go back, you should take it."

He then got up quietly and walked off saying something about fetching more wood, although there was clearly enough for the rest of the night. Somehow those words really tightened in my chest. This was a Gaara I didn't know too well. What was going on with him?

Notes: What is up with Gaara? I could explain what happened to him during the attack in Suna but it's much more intriguing if people don't know yet. What could the request from Ryuu be? Can he be trusted? Well I suppose I don't have to say much since I have the next chapter up already. Enjoy!