Ch. 12 A Broken Squad

In the distance, Temari and Rain saw someone unusual atop the gates of the village. When they got to them the unfamiliar person jumped down and greeted them. "Hello, you must be Rain, Gazu told me about you." The boy said. He then turned to Temari with much interest "And who might you be?" he said taking her hand to kiss it which Temari jerked it back. "Back off you little cretin. I have no interest in you."

He stepped back. "Sorry, I haven't introduced myself to you, I am Dan, your new squad member Rain." He said. Rain grunted and pushed him aside as she walked passed him. "You are no squad member of mine, Gazu told me he mopped the floor with you, you have right to be here. Go away!" she shouted.

Temari and Dan watched as Rain disappeared into the village. "Well I guess it's just the two of us now, eh baby?" Dan said. Temari turned to him with death in her eyes. She whipped out her fan and swung it with all she had, sending Dan flying clear across the whole village.

Mean while Gazu was in Gaara's office discussing future plans for his squad when they both spotted Dan flying across the village. "Looks like Temari is home." Gaara said. "Looks like it Kazekage Gaara. Though why is Dan flying though the air like that?" "Only time I've ever seen that much force behind a swing like that is if a man to her disliking hits on her." Gaara replied smiling some.

Rain managed to get home quickly and she went on top of her roof to meditate. As the hours went on through her meditation, she had visions about Don. While this happened, tears streamed down her face. She could see their past adventures together, the days they trained and such. She saw him walking away in his black kimono waving at her, and beside her was Gazu. He waved goodbye to them and said he would be back.

She broke her concentration and realized that it was night. She headed down into her room to get to bed.

Temari left her house and walked through the streets. She stopped in a local restaurant where she chilled and drank some sake. Gaara was in his office with some late night work when Temari busted through his door with a giant bottle of sake in her hand. She was very drunk.

"Temari, why are you here? Why are you drunk off your ass?" he asked. "Listen you, just because you are my younger brother does not mean you can abuse your power by doing that!" she said. "Do what Temari?" She walked up drunkenly to his desk and slammed the bottle of sake on his desk and some drops got on his desk. "That damn bastard you assigned to my love's squad. He's a pervert beyond all believe!"

"Dan?" Gaara asked calmly. "Who else? God that is such a rip off of a name, could you have picked anyone with a worse name brother?" "He's part of an experiment, and what do you mean he's a pervert?" Temari looked at him drolly, "He made improper advancements to me." Gaara looked at her peculiarly. "What did he do? Touch you in an inappropriate area or something?"

"No you idiot, he tried to kiss my hand and he hit on me" she said angrily and then began to drunkenly cry. Gaara got up and walked Temari back home. He brought her inside and placed her in bed. He took her bottle of sake. "Hey! That's mine, I need that." Temari shouted at him. "I doubt it sister. Now go to bed, I will see you later, after you have slept off that hangover." Temari heard the door close shut and she pouted to herself. "Hmph, Don would want me to have it, then we could get drunk together and play games." She giggled.

She reached into her kimono and pulled out Don's letter that she found back at the hotel and placed it on her night stand and fell asleep.

Gazu lay in his bed thinking of what was to come for his squad and how Rain and he would cope with Dan. Just then a rock came crashing though his window and he jumped up. He went to the window and saw Rain down below looking up at him. Rain walked up the wall to Gazu's window.

"Could you have use a bigger rock Rain?" Gazu said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to break your window." She said somewhat sadly. "Why are you here? Please do come in." he said and opened the window so Rain could come in. They sat on his bed and he looked at her and her at him. "What's the matter Rain?" Rain turned aside. "It's about Dan, you think we, I mean the two of us, can really handle that kind of guy. I can already tell he is weak and will show no signs of improvement."

Gazu chuckled "Yeah, I ought to know, you picked me out a mile away." Rain looked back at him. "Even so, I did see a hint of improvement." Gazu looked at her awkwardly, "Really?" he asked. She nodded at him. "You have come a long way and you have busted your ass to become stronger to fit Don's wishes for this squad. That is what I call in my book a real squad mate. Plus I have noticed a significant rise in your abilities which I recognize as admirable."

"You don't really mean that do you? I was always the weakling and the dumbest in our squad…." "Even though that is true, you have maintained the high standard of this squad and you belong with me…" she stopped. "And Don, if he were here?" Gazu added. "Yes." Rain replied.

"Can I ask you one last question Gazu?" Rain asked. "Um sure, shoot." He said. "Can I stay here with you tonight? I need some comforting and I want to be with someone I am comfortable with, a fellow squad member." Gazu smiled at her. "Of course Rain, you are always welcome here, it's the least I can do for a fellow squad mate. I'll take the floor, you can take my bed."

Rain blushed a bit. "I was hoping I could sleep with you. Just for tonight." Gazu turned a bit red "Oh, you sure?" She nodded back at him. Rain pulled her pajamas from the small bag that she brought and changed in Gazu's closet. Gazu prepared a second spot for her by placing another pillow on his bed next to him. He crawled in bed and turned over.

Rain came out the closet in her dark violet silk pajamas which illuminated in the moonlight. She came and lay in her spot in Gazu's bed. Gazu felt a pair of soft hands wrap around him. "Thank you Gazu. You're one of the best team mates I could have ever hoped to have." Gazu turned red even more.

He turned to her and held her. "Good night Rain." She hugged him, "Good night Gazu." She replied softly. "We will make it through this Rain; we are squad seven after all." Rain giggled, "Yeah, we're squad seven, always will be." "Until the day that we die." Gazu replied. They both fell asleep soon afterward, a broken team they were a part of, however their common bond was what kept the squad alive. It was up to Gazu and Rain now, to lead squad seven and maintain its strength.