A/N: I hope that the advent Naruto fans, of which I consider myself one, will forgive me this one thing. While I know that the episodes consider the sand protection a side effect of Gaara being possessed by Shukaku, I have found another way to explain the protection. Also, even though, the English series considers Shukaku like Gaara's mother, I know that it is really a boy, and Gaara only calls it mother because of when Yashamaru said that the sand was like a mother protecting him, so in my story, I have Shukaku a boy.

Another thing, (more translation clarification here) you can just generally assume that, when Kai is speaking to Ukobi and Jason, she's speaking in English, but when she speaks to natural Naruto characters, or village natives, she speaks in Japanese. Jason and Ukobi also speak Japanese to the characters and villagers. The characters and natives will always be speaking in Japanese, which because of this note (which you all read I hope) you will know without me telling you each time. Probably Ukobi will be the only one I tell you when he speaks in Japanese because his is so halting and he knows so little, so that way you'll know when the characters understand him.

Chapter 5: Gaara and Kai

"What does he mean?" Ukobi sputtered in English. "What did he say?"

"I told you not to talk Ukobi," Kai said smiling.

"Did he just call you Kai?" Jason asked. "But your name's Raila." Kai smiled at him.

"Remember I told you I was here before?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jason said.

"When I was here before, I went by a different name."

"What name?" Ukobi asked.

"Kai, obviously," Jason responded.

"Are you speaking English Kai-chan?" the Kazekage asked. Kai nodded. "Interesting. You look different now then you did last time I saw you; however, since you took such care of my son, I could not possible forget you, even though you left so quickly."

"Left? Why?" Ukobi asked, now deciding to speak in Japanese.

"It was long time ago," Kai said.

* * *

After she had been in Sunagakure for a month, Kai began to want to travel again. She wanted to go back to Konoha and see how the people there were doing. At that time, though, she took young Gaara out with her through the village everyday. For some reason people avoided her, but she didn't care as long as she was with the baby. He was the reason she hadn't left yet. She didn't want to leave Gaara. Sometimes she spoke to Gaara, feeling like he would understand.

"It is not that I do not want to take you with me," she said. "It is just that your father will not let me." The child looked at her as though he understood. One day, when she was out with Gaara, some older kids were standing to the side of where she was sitting, whispering about Gaara.

"Is that it?" one of the kids asked. The kid was a boy with short brown hair.

"Yep," answered another, a blonde boy. "He had demon put into him and killed his mother when he was born."

"I heard it attacks people when it goes to sleep," said a girl who was sitting with them.

"Wonder why that girl is always with it?" said the boy with brown hair. "She is probably suicidal."

"Or maybe she is evil like child," the blonde boy said.

"That child deserves to die," said the girl. Then Kai, angry at what the group had said, stood up and went over to them.

"Everyone deserves life," she said. "He could not help what happened when he was born. Now you take that back." The boys stood up, towering over her.

"Or what?" asked the boy with brown hair.

"Or I will teach you lesson about life," Kai said. The boy looked her up and down as though sizing her up. Then, all three burst out laughing.

"You? What can you do?" Kai was very angry now. They shouldn't treat Gaara like that. She gently sat the baby onto the grass a few feet away from the three older kids. The child started crying as soon as she put it down, but she had to repay these kids. She jumped onto the one with brown hair and started beating him up.

"Do you like to be hurt?" she said as she pounded his face in. "Even babies understand pain! No one likes to be hurt!" For a second, the others looked as though they didn't know what to do; then, they pulled Kai off the boy.

"Never do that again," the boy sputtered after he had stood up. "I should punch you myself."

"Do it then, if you are so brave," Kai said, and then she spat in his face. The boy was furious now. He pulled back his fist, getting ready to take Kai up on that offer, when suddenly, it seemed as though he had a better idea. He looked at the girl and held his hand out for a kunai. Then he walked over to Gaara.

"Since you seem to love this thing so much, let us see how you act when it is dead," the boy said. The child cried even harder. "After all, I am sure Yashamaru-sensei will not miss him, and I think Kazekage-sama will not care. He has been telling the guards that he thinks this child was bad idea anyway." He picked up Gaara and aimed the knife at his heart.

"No!" Kai cried. Then she began speaking in Spanish, the birth tongue of the Demon of the Fangs. "Gaara-chan, I won't let you die. By the power of my life, and the blood that I have, I send part of my spirit to live within you, to protect you from death and pain. No one will kill you, for I will protect you. By my love you will not die." Then, a fog seemed to leave Kai and flow into Gaara. As the knife came down, what she had done became evident. Sand from the ground flew beneath the knife, keeping it from piercing Gaara. Repeatedly the boy tried to attack Gaara, but the barrier kept protecting him. Gaara could not be hurt. In anger, the boy threw Gaara to the ground, but the sand surrounded him, lessening the impact. The baby stopped crying, now reaching for Kai. The older kids suddenly were afraid of Kai, and dropped her to the ground.

Kai went over and picked Gaara up. He cooed softly in her arms, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Everyone deserves second chance," she said. "Remember that forever, Gaara-chan." As she comforted Gaara, she rushed back to the house, where she left him in the crib. A few days later, Kai packed her bags and left Sunagakure. She promised to return to see Gaara when he was older.

* * *

"I had to move on, so I left," Kai said after finishing her story.

"So you are reason Gaara can do that," the Kazekage mumbled to himself.

"Wow," Ukobi said. "So what did you do?"

"Is it not obvious?" Jason asked, also deciding to speak in Japanese.

"No," Ukobi said.

"She sent some of her spirit into baby and protected it from death." Ukobi stared blankly at Jason.

"What did you say?" he asked after a while. Jason repeated what he said in English, and Ukobi nodded dumbly. "And that is obvious?" he asked, back to speaking Japanese.

"So," the Kazekage asked. "I suppose you returned to Suna to see Gaara, then?" Kai nodded.

"Do you think he remembers me?" she asked.

"I do not think so," the Kazekage said. "He was just baby at that time." Kai's face fell. "But that is not to say you cannot see him. We still live in same house, so if you go by, you will find him, but more likely is that he will find you. Especially with your friends."

"Hey," Ukobi cried.

"I mean, they are clearly not from Sunagakure."

"I will protect them, Kazekage-sama," Kai said as she bowed slightly. Then she left the building to find the home of Gaara. As they left, the Kazekage called one of the other men in the room to him.

"Make sure that Gaara attacks them," he said. "Perhaps if he, Kankuro, and Temari kill Kai, then sand will stop protecting him." The man nodded and was soon on his way to find the kids.