A/N: When Kai the demon surfaced, the narrator started calling her by that name, but as I'm sure you've noticed, Ukobi and Jason still called her Raila. As Kai was in Sunagakure before, the people there call her Kai because they sense her chakra, not because they actually recognize her. Remember, Kai looked different than Raila did. Any way, soon, I think, Jason will start calling her Kai, because he will figure out that the people here know her by that name.

This chapter is where the people start speaking Japanese, but Kai, Jason, and Ukobi will still speak English when they are talking to each other with no one else around. To make things easier, I just wrote what would be said in English, to save the annoyance of translating.

To save trouble, at one point in this story, I'm going to stop telling you when they return to speaking Japanese, so you should just assume that, unless it says they are speaking in English, they are speaking in Japanese.

Chapter 4: Coming Home, of Sorts

Ukobi lay down on a soft sand dune, and closed his eyes.

"I can't walk another step," he said.

"Let's rest here then," Kai said. She put the map back in her bag and looked for a place to hide while they slept.

"Raila, I have a question," Jason said. Kai looked up in question. "Um, up till now, you haven't ever spoke in contractions. Why?" Then, Kai remembered that Raila was a very proper girl, but Kai didn't think that she could be as proper as Raila was, so she made up an answer.

"I never talked proper when I was in Japan, so I'm not going to now, but I'll talk proper again when we leave," she said. Then she found a small desert bush. "We can sleep under there." She pointed the bush out to Jason, and with him, she crawled under the bush. Ukobi, too tired to get up, simply fell asleep where he was.

* * *

"Ow," Ukobi cried as someone kicked him in his side. "What's your problem, Jason?" he asked as he sat up and looked at the person who kicked him. It wasn't Jason, but rather, a boy with sandy blonde hair. "You're not Jason!" The boy stared.

"I am Kikoha of sand, who are you?" the boy asked, speaking in Japanese.

"Nice to meet you," Ukobi said uneasily in his own flawed Japanese. "Uh, guys," he called in English to Jason and Kai. "Can you wake up and help me?"

"Who are you?" the boy repeated.

"I am Ukobi."

"From what village."

"Village? I do not know that word."

"Village."

"Um, uh…uh I uh-" As the boy pulled out a kunai, Ukobi got even more nervous. "I- I'm uh…"

"He is from Sunagakure, as am I and our teammate," said Kai just then in fluent Japanese. She and Jason had crawled out from where they were sleeping, and Kai had put on a sand headband from her bag. "He is Ukobi of Sand, and I am Kai, and this is Jason-kun."

"I see that you have sand headband," Kikoha said, lowering his kunai. "But where are headbands of your teammates?"

"We came from Kumogakure, village hidden in clouds," Kai responded. "Kazekage-sama sent us there while ago, and we just returned. While we were there, Ukobi-kun and Jason-kun lost their hitai-ates, and Ukobi-kun lost much of his memory, so he is having trouble."

"What are you saying?" Ukobi asked.

"See?" Kai said. Kikoha looked back and forth between the team.

"Very well," he said. "But I will have to take you to Kazekage-sama first, to see if you speak truth."

"I would expect nothing else," Kai said. Jason, looking very nervous, pulled Kai to the side as Kikoha began to return to the Sand village.

"Raila," he said. "How are we supposed to get out of this? As soon as this Kazekage guy sees us, he'll know he didn't send us on a mission. And besides that, Ukobi doesn't speak Japanese."

"I can too speak Japanese!" Ukobi said angrily. "She just speaks too fast."

"So will they! So how are we going to convince Kazekage that we're from his village when you don't even speak the language?"

"Don't worry," Kai said. "I've been here before. Kazekage-sama knows me."

"And where did you get that headband?" Ukobi asked.

"When I was here before, I, well, borrowed it from a man, and I wasn't able to give it back."

"You stole it from him," Ukobi said.

"Of sorts. It was a joke, but before it took effect, I had to leave suddenly." She turned back to Jason. "Do you speak Japanese?"

"I took a few classes," he said. "I know enough."

"Then Ukobi, you just don't talk for now."

"Hurry up you three," Kikoha called back to the group. The three ran quickly to catch up with him. As they entered the village, past two guards at the gate, Kai began recognizing places. She was truthful when she had said she was here before.

* * *

Kai awoke from her journey, and found herself in a small bed. As she sat up, she found that she was surrounded by a young girl, about three, a boy, about two, and a man. The boy looked at Kai with distrust, but both the girl and the man seemed happy that she had awakened.

"Well, good morning," the man said. "I am Yashamaru. Who are you?" Kai didn't answer, because at that time, she heard a baby crying. The child's cries seemed oddly familiar to her.

"Answer him," the boy said.

"Easy, Kankuro," Yashamaru said. "After all, she is our guest. Your father said so." Kankuro mumbled what sounded like a sorry, and Yashamaru left the room. Kai followed Yashamaru, wanting to see the baby. When they got to the room, Kai saw the young boy, and immediately felt as though the boy were her own child. Even though she was only six years old in her body, her mind was far older, and once she had mothered a child.

The child was a boy with lovely pale skin, and red hair coming over his head. Kai went over to him and picked him up, putting her finger in his little grasp. Suddenly, to the shock of those present, the baby stopped crying and sucked happily on Kai's finger. Soon, he had fallen asleep, and the family cringed, as if expecting an attack. When none came, they were surprised.

"How did you do that?" the three-year-old girl asked. "Gaara cannot go to sleep or his demon will rampage." Even Yashamaru didn't know how Kai did what she had done, but for Kankuro, it only increased his distrust of her.

"I am sure he is problem sometimes, but I doubt he is demon," Kai said. "Maybe he just needs little love. Are you his father?" Yashamaru laughed.

"No dear," he said. "I am his uncle. His father runs this village."

"What about his mom?"

"His mother died giving birth to him." Kai looked down at the child who slept in her arms.

"Aww, that is so sad," Kai said. "Everyone needs mother." She smiled at the sleeping child. "Gaara, what beautiful name." The baby, as though recognizing his name, stirred lightly in Kai's arms. Kai smiled at the child. "You are so handsome, Gaara-chan. Probably look just like your dad." At that, Kankuro snorted. Kai glared at Kankuro, and then began playfully nibbling at Gaara's hand. Yashamaru laughed at the girl, and wondered again why Gaara's demon didn't attack her. Then, as Kai sat in a rocking chair in the corner with Gaara and began singing a lullaby to him, he pushed the young girl and Kankuro out the door. Before leaving though, the girl poked her head back in and said-

"My name is Temari, by way." Then she left Kai alone with Gaara, and softly, Kai sang to Gaara in his sleep.

* * *

Kai wondered if Gaara was still in the village. She had always felt like a mother to him. Perhaps it was because she spent so much time with him. Anyway, she had always thought he was adorable.

As Kikoha led the group to the Kazekage's office, she began to grow hopeful that Gaara was still in the village. The Kazekage looked the same, and he was Gaara's father, so Gaara must be there. Kikoha bowed to the Kazekage.

"What?" he asked the boy. Kikoha began explaining to the Kazekage who the group said they were. After he had finished, the Kazekage sent Kikoha home and turned to the three. Jason shook, thinking that they would be killed. Ukobi stood stock-still. Only Kai seemed to have no worries.

"Welcome back, Kai-chan," the Kazekage said, and both Ukobi's and Jason's mouths dropped. "I trust you had good reason for lying to Kikoha."