Author's Notes: Not really much to say, I guess. From here on it'll be different as far as matches go. And I would like to point out that I have been keeping up with the manga religiously but even with that I don't agree with how everything is being played out. As the story moves along I will end up stepping on a lot of toes but that's what fanfiction does.
Since the beginning I have inserted several twists of my own, alternating what I wish the storyline would be played out as while still trying to retain some of the originality of the series. I really enjoy writing and reading this, so if the readers are still with me through it all, than you have my deepest thanks.
DarkRavie, you are one of the people I would like to thank first and foremost. Even if you're the only one to review you've made me feel prouder of this fic :)
The exams are in one day so this chapter will be more or less dedicated to the on-goings of how everyone relaxes/trains and their thoughts as well as a few flashbacks.
Disclaimer/ Warnings: From now on I will only post these on the first chapter. I don't want to fill up the chapters with these things and annoy you, the readers. Sound fair?
"Family Ties"
By: Beloved Shadow of Light
+ Learn Yet Live +
The final exam was in just one short day and everyone is the village was going into overdrive. Since early morning, lords and ladies from the surrounding villages and neighboring countries were entering into Konohagakure no Sato, looking like a colorful parade as each pavilion came through. Ninjas from said villages made an impression with their differently cut uniforms and colors. Shops were busy with their wares, advertising bargains and discounts; women dressed in their finest in hopes of attracting a husband; people were even taking bets on who they think would not only win in the upcoming matches but who would be promoted to the rank of chunin.
Up on the hokage platform, the sandaime looked out as all his important guests arrived. Preparations had already been made where all would be staying during the duration of the final matches. He was proud of the genins but there was something that felt like this would be a year no one would be able to forget.
"Finally..." he said to himself as he watched everyone parade down the street.
"They look like a flock of peacocks in hopes of gaining a bauble from those supposed gods," Hidama said with barely a backward glance.
"Will you ever forgive them for their actions?" His answer was silence but he knew better than to push her anymore. "Are they ready?"
"As well as can be expected. Kabuto hasn't tried anything else against Shiruba but it was like he up and vanished. I don't like it and I still think the exams should have waited a while longer."
"I understand your concerns but he made it clear when Uchiha Sasuke was marked."
"Feh. Treating that child like he's god on earth, that will be these bigots downfall."
"Hidama-"
"Don't try to get me to change my mind, Sarutobi Goku!" she snapped angrily, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to contain her rage. "You weren't there when Toshiro died in my arms. You didn't have to raise your family in secrecy. You didn't take in Naruto after both his parents died. If my kit hadn't asked to come back here I would have gladly taken him somewhere else where no doubt he would have been respected as a human being and not some crazed monster."
The hokage just remained silent. Outside his family Hidama was the only person to know his true first name but like everyone else she called him by his surname. To go so far as to use his full name only meant she was more upset than she let on. He kept forgetting how much suffering she had seen and how many precious people she had lost during her lifetime but she never let herself grieve properly, always hiding it. They were silent but as he opened his mouth to try and say something she walked away from him.
"I need a drink."
"Hidama."
"..."
"I only know a fraction of the pain you went through but I still have hope for this village and the people that dwell here."
"... I used to know what hope was, much less believe in it." With that, she was gone.
--
Hinata quietly walked down the streets of the village, looking lost in her own little world but she could still hear the hushed whispers as she passed people. Everyone knew who she was, all thanks to her accursed eyes. The apparent heir to the one of the most powerful and prominent clans in the village, if not the entire nation. But for all their worth she couldn't have felt more trapped. Trapped by a family so torn apart she had no one to confide in, inside or outside.
"Hinata-kun!"
She jumped and turned but couldn't help but smile. She stopped and waited as Haku approached her. Despite her father's crude remarks, the harsh words of her cousin and sister, and the loud comments of her teammate, this young man proved to be someone she could confide in and not have to be the perfect and powerful heiress.
"H-Haku-san, I t-thought you were visiting Naruto-s-san," she said softly.
"I did. He was released today and as soon as we left the hospital he went back to training. And, I was hoping to spend some more time with you," he said with a gentle smile.
She blinked and blushed so brightly she tried to hide it with her hand, turning away from him. "I-I'm glad that he is a-alright." Trying so hard to hide her flushing cheeks she didn't notice that he was still smiling gentle, his eyes full of loving compassion toward her. Slowly, he reached out and took her free hand in his own, a very light blush on his cheeks when she turned to face him, surprise written on her face.
"Hinata-kun... I was wondering that, after the exams... would you like to go to Amaguriama with me?"
"Y-Y-You mean a-as a d-d-date?" Damn her stuttering!
"H-Hai." Both youths were blushing so hard they were positively glowing! The two of them didn't know each other all that well but they felt a connection they had never felt before. A few years of age difference didn't matter to them nor did any hushed whispers or pointing from the other villagers. Hinata thought she would never stop blushing but she smiled and gave the smallest of nods, the gentle smile reaching her eyes.
"I-I would love to, Haku-kun..." she said softly. She was rewarded with a kind and sincere smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand as they walked down the street, hands still held in each other's gentle grip. For such an innocent act, the world could have fallen around them and they wouldn't have cared as long as the two of them were together.
--
Since that day he yelled at him, Hatake Kakashi had begun to wonder if what he was doing was right. Granted he knew he was the logical choice to train the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan but what his student had said hit him with more force than he expected. Having dwelled on it for subconsciously he kept replaying the harsh words spoken and forced himself to look back on their training together.
Naruto was a knuckle-head that was always loud and always trying to prove he was better than everyone but that was barely touching the surface. There were times when he wasn't looking that he noticed a longing in his eyes, of trying to fit in so desperately but with no one giving him the opportunity to. The only times he wasn't a 'dobe' was around his family. He noticed it only once but it was enough to be imprinted into his mind forever.
He became quieter but he appeared much happier, his eyes shining brightly as he laughed with his siblings, his body relaxed and unguarded enough around the two adults that he didn't shield away when they made to touch him, even if it was a slap to the back of his head. So alike but so different, it was as though a mask had been removed and his family were the only ones worthy enough to see what he really looked like without it. When his mother hugged him he embraced all the love she gave, as though it would be his last. When that former Kiri nin gave him a cuff in the back of his head he would shrug it off but learned from whatever error he had made. The boys he called his brother were all so different in personality as well as looks but their eyes each reflected a painful past they were trying to overcome with the help of each other. And the girl seemed to be the most complex of them all, always being a cheery and active young woman, more so than her blond brother if possible, but he felt as though it was a mask she hid even around her family. She was the glue that held her brothers together whether she knew it or not.
He sighed deeply, resting his forehead against his folded hands as he continued to get lost in his own thoughts. He had grown curious during the training of the blond and more so when he heard that his favorite author was in town. He had even spoken with him the night he found out he was in town and was surprised as what he heard.
"I've decided to take Naruto as my student."
Kakashi could only stare at the famed author of the Icha Icha series. So he asked the first stupid thing to come to mind. "Why are you training him?"
Jiraiya looked over at him and whether it was the trick of the lanterns of the moonlight, his eyes seemed to say 'You are a fool'. "I see a lot of potential in the boy; I know he already has a mentor but I think I can teach him what he really needs to learn, for the future."
"I see..."
"I heard you're training the last of the Uchihas."
"Hai."
"... Somehow I'm not surprised by that." Before the Copy-Cat could ask him what he meant the sannin turned and walked away. "Good luck with that one. I have a feeling that you'll be needing every bit of luck you can get your hands on."
'Am I doing the right thing? Have I really been neglecting Naruto in favor of Sasuke, of even Sakura?' he asked himself. A breeze mixed with the scent of the forest and restaurants in the village drifted by his face, stirring his hair and clothes. He was taken back to the day he found out the blond had been "dropped off" at the hospital for serious chakra depletion. He found himself cutting the training short with Sasuke and rushed to the hospital, barely stopping to find out what room he was in, and found the blond already had a visitor.
The red-head, Gaara if he remembered correctly, immediately stood when he entered the room, as if standing guard over the blond laying on the stark clean bed. When he entered he was taken back by the intent to kill, a deep growl filling the room, the sand slowly crawling towards him like vicious snakes, it took him a while to realize he was being pushed out of the room by Gai himself. Even with the door close he felt those pale green eyes burning a hole through the wood, as if daring him to try and enter once more. The Green Beast of Konoha said it would be wise if he didn't see the genin right now and told him that he was fine, just that he was resting. The scarecrow said nothing but quietly left and found himself at the Memorial Stone, silently staring at the names of those who had died in the line of duty since the founding of the village. Just how many times had he come close to having his own name chiseled into the smooth surface?
"Obito... there are times I wish you or Yondaime-sensei were here so I can ask for your advice... what I'm doing, is it really the right choice? Have I really been neglecting one of my students in favor or another?" he asked softly. There was no answer but he never fully expected one no matter how hard he prayed or asked. Silently he reread the names repeatedly even though he knew nearly all of the names by heart but one name made his left eye ache something fierce, as though it was on fire. He reached up and lightly touched the hitachi that covered said eye, idly brushing against the scar underneath.
--
Hidama silently stared into her drink, as if the mug of cold beer held the answers she was looking for. Nothing could be made out through the foam, making her frown as she drank it down. Silently she motioned to the bartender who placed another mug before her and took the one she had just finished to be washed. He watched her quietly, admiring her womanly curves like any hot-blooded male but he hadn't been a bartender for years without noticing the difference between civilians and shinobi in the village. She just stared into her mug quietly, so lost in thought she didn't notice someone sitting next to her. The bartender looked up at the man and set a cold beer in front of him but moved away from the two. He knew better than to listen in on jounins.
"Never begged you for a drinker," Zabuza said after a moment of silence.
"I don't but the moment felt right," she answered back. "And your excuse?"
"Long as its liquid." He loosened the wrappings just enough to reveal his lips and took a drink. Setting the mug back down on the bar he looked into it with the same quiet intensity she bore. "Naruto was released today and first thing he did was train. He managed to create several water clones without passing out and now he wants me to teach him my Suirō no Jutsu."
She chuckled and lifted the mug to take a sip of the golden liquid. "Somehow I know he'll have trouble with that one. He's never been much of a water type before."
"Wouldn't kill him to learn it, just in case."
"... How's the wound?"
If he was taken back at her concern for his well-being he didn't show it but his hand did reach down and lightly touch the scar he was sure he would have on his stomach. "I'll live."
"That's not what I asked."
"... It's fine."
They both fell silent, calmly drinking their beer as they listened to the soft clink of glasses as they were being washed, the murmurs of the other few drinkers in the bar, the steady footsteps of someone approaching the two from behind.
"Hey there hime, you look like you could go for a good time," the man said smugly. On the other end of the bar the man's friends were snickering as they watched with interest.
"It's too early and even then I wouldn't go near you if you were the last thing alive," she said calmly. Finishing her beer she set the mug down and dropped some ryo next to the glass. Sliding off the stool she turned to leave but she was caught off guard when a hand reached out and roughly grabbed her right arm, blunt fingers digging into the soft underside of her wrist.
"What makes you think I'll take no as an answer?" the man growled angrily.
"Let go," she hissed angrily, her other hand itching to pull her sword free.
He just smirked and tightened his grip, noticing the wince of pain flashing across her eyes. That was enough to have her forget about drawing her sword free, even as she tried to pry his fingers off "Who's gonna make me?" A large hand clamped onto his wrist and squeezed hard enough for the joints to make unnatural popping sounds, making him release his grip.
"I am." Zabuza now knew where he had seen this idiot before, a low ranking nin who always complained that his "so-called" talents were being wasted on guard duty. Basically a fool who was all talk and barely--if any--action. He smirked as the man struggled to break free but barely flinched when he felt the sharp edge of a kunai sink into his flesh. He could have dodged it but this needed to be taught a lesson and what better way than to snap his arm like a twig. "You drew first blood, so let me return the favor." He tightened his hand and squeezed tighter, feeling the bones begin to snap.
The bartender knew a fight was going to happen and sighed. Setting the glass he had been cleaning down and walked out from behind the bar. Moving with deliberate steps and with as few moves as possible, got the jounin to release the foolish chunin and pushed him back into his group of low-level ninjas. Having been trained as a shinobi for part of his life he found what he learned came in very handy when running his own bar.
"While in my bar I will not stand for violence. If you want to fight take it outside," he said simply but his words were directly to all in the bar. "Shinobi or not, any damages caused will be paid by those fighting, and I will report those responsible to the hokage himself."
"... He isn't worth it but he should consider himself lucky to still be alive." Removing the kunai from his stomach he threw it at the idiots, smirking as they fell to the floor to avoid getting hit by it. Turning he left with his partner who was still rubbing at her armored wrist. The journey was silent as they headed back home, finding it empty but it didn't really matter. Without saying a word Zabuza headed to his room, setting his large Kubikiri Hōchō on its stand, then removed his jounin vest and frowned at the amount of blood showing through the shirt. Removing it he realized the dagger had gone in deeper than he expected and that it managed to reopen the stab wound he had gotten from Hidama as well. Sighing he looked for the spare rolls of bandages he kept around only to suddenly look up.
Hidama stood there in the doorway, holding the small white box in her hand. Her eyes trailed down to his stomach where he was still holding to the bleeding spot then back to his face. "You should have that looked at."
"I've survived worse. That chunin is lucky I didn't snap his hand clean off," he said with a slight shrug. She said nothing but entered the room and pushed him to sit on the edge of his bed before silently dropping to her knees. "I can handle this myself," he said tensely.
"For once let someone take care of you," she said calmly. Meeting his eyes briefly she managed to pry his hand away and calmly pressed her fingers around the wound, temporarily blocking the flow of blood. Opening the first aid kit she cleaned up the blood with some anti-septic wipes before applying the sterile bandages. Taking his hand he had him hold it in place as she wrapped the gauze around his waist, tying it securely. Through it all she said nothing but her touch was kind and gentle, as though she was treating one of the boys. Even as she tied off the wrappings she pressed her hand along the gauze and gently pressed down.
"Shōsen Jutsu," she whispered and her chakra began glowing green, focusing around the wound and seeping in. Zabuza went tense before slowly relaxing, letting the chakra slowly fuse the insides bit by bit. He could almost feel the severed arterioles and capillaries come together. But there was something else behind it that made him feel, almost like someone cared about him as a person and not some tool. It didn't last very long but slowly the glow faded out and Hidama removed her hand.
"Give it a few days and you'll be healed. But do something stupid and you'll end up undoing all the work I just did," she said as she began picking up the items she used and closed the kit.
"How many times have you used it on the gaki," he asked, loosening the wrappings around his mouth so they hung around his neck.
"Too many times. I'm thankful Kyūbi heals him so fast though sometimes I wonder if it's a curse." Standing she set the kit on the table and threw the used items into the waste bin. "It usually takes him four or five accidents before it settles in that he's not suppose to do something that gets him hurt."
"I believe it." He watched her and noticed that she seemed to be favoring her wrist more than usual. "Have you tended to your wrist yet?"
"... It'll be fine. I just need to ease the swelling." Truth was it was still hurting and it was taking all she had not to use the medical chakra on her wrist even though it would be a useless gesture. "I'll leave you alone."
"Hidama." She stopped and turned only to be caught off-guard. She didn't hear him stand and she barely contained a flinch as he took her armored wrist into his hands. His sword calloused fingers felt surprisingly gentle as he traced over the mangled scars gracing the pale flesh. But even so the sensations were sending mixed signals that made her just want to pull away. "You never told me how you got these scars."
"Even the boys don't know how I got them... maybe, one day I'll tell you," she said softly. Something compelled her to look up and when she did she found herself meeting the gaze of her most unlikely of partners. Something about his gaze stirred something deep inside that she was momentarily lost until she felt his lips press against her own. She never let anyone ever get this close without her permission but this simple kiss was bringing so many emotions she thought had long since died. Her eyes slowly closed of their own violation, losing herself into the sensations as the kiss began to deepen.
"Aishiteru, Hidama-kun."
Her eyes opened slightly as she gently pushed against him. "Zabuza..." She tried to say something but her mind was drawing a complete and utter blank. Why did he kiss her? Why did she let him? Why was she thinking about him? What was happening to her? Instead she slowly pulled her hand free from his grasp and silently left the room, closing the door behind her. Needless to say Zabuza was in the same boat but instead of going after her he silently sat back down on the bed and wondered to himself what just happened.
The pale woman silently walked to her room, closing the door behind her she went to a silver box and opened it to reveal her elegant comb as well as some other precious items she owned but shifting them aside she pulled out a photo and gazed at it sadly. "Yasuo... Takehiko... I miss you both so much it hurts..." Silently tears began falling but she didn't bother to wipe them away as she continued to gaze at the old photo in her hand.
--
Evening was one of the quietest moments in the village, where shinobi were in the safety of their own homes; children were getting ready for bed; stores were closing for the evening; the entire village was getting ready for the chunin exams tomorrow. Everyone was relatively happy but for one such youth, night was just another time of uneasy rest. His mother had removed the seal so he was back to using the full power of Shukaku but he knew that if he fell asleep there was a high risk that his family would be killed in their sleep. So he made sure to stay as far away as possible. Naruto had even offered to stay with him the entire night but he couldn't do that to him.
"C'mon Gaara, it's gonna be lonely just by yourself," the blond told his brother as they walked to Ichiraku Ramen Bar.
"You have your fight tomorrow against Hyūga," he answered.
"That's the third match. You're fighting against the one with the puppets, Sasori. We both saw what he did to Lee... you need all the rest you can get."
"... Do you think I won't be able to defeat him?"
"Damnit Gaara! You know that's not what I meant!" Stopping he grabbed the red-head's arm and forced him to face him. "You said so yourself there was something wrong about him. He almost killed Lee and you're acting like this is nothing to get worked up about. How can you be so damn calm about it? Are you afraid of dying?"
"... Before Hidama-kaasan took me away my other outosan tried to have me killed more times I care to remember," he answered, slowly looking away; "he even asked my own ojisan to assassinate me, the same one who I thought cared about me when my other family didn't."
"..."
"How can I be afraid of something that I don't fear?"
Naruto could only stare at his brother, feeling his eyes mist over he released his arm only to draw his tightly curled fist back but he couldn't bring himself to hit him. "You may not fear death... but if anything ever happens to you or anyone else... I-I don't know what I would do..."
"Naruto-"
"Don't you dare die on us! If you do, I swear I'll find a way to seal your soul!" Not the most threatening thing but Naruto was not about to lose anyone of his family members to something that could be prevented. But it was mostly due to his monophobia. He stared into his brother's shocked pale green depths, silently demanding an answer.
"... ... ... Make sure you win against your opponent, or I'll lose any respect I have for you." Blue eyes blinked before pulling into a grin of relief.
Gaara's lips curled up into a smirk, remembering the look on his brother's face when they went to the stand and as soon as they sat down were given two huge bowls of ramen filled with lobster, egg, and other delicious foods. It was one of the stands most expensive meals but before either of them could say they didn't have enough for one bowl the girl, Ayame, just smiled and said they were both on the house. Even the old man said so, saying they both needed all their energy for the upcoming matches tomorrow. The blond looked ready to cry but thanked them both and slowly began to eat, savoring the taste. Even the red-head ate though he wasn't much of a fan of the noodles as his brother was. It was quite some time before they finished and even though the meals were free they still left a tip for the owners. Here he found himself atop Kikyo Castle, watching the moon cast his silvery light over the sleeping village. A soft breeze caused the chimes to dance softly, playing a simple melody that Gaara felt the need to join in. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew the slender box and pulled out the ivory flute. Even now it brought a genuine smile as he raised the end to his lips and began playing a soft, almost haunting tune.
Neji frowned as he walked the empty streets, unable to stay in the Hyūga manor for much longer, not without killing someone with his bare hands. Another disadvantage of being born into the branch family was the constant persecution of the main branch members. He wasn't sure where he was going but he knew he couldn't stand one more second of the compound for much longer.
'If only outosan was alive--if only he had been born first, we wouldn't be ridiculed for being born second,' he thought bitterly, cursing the household. But as he moved further away from the Hyūga compound he could hear a song being carried by the wind. He stopped and looked around but he couldn't see where the music was coming from; he was alone.
The music wrapped around his mind, causing his senses to dull but as he tried fighting it off he found that each note matched his feelings perfectly whether he wanted to admit it or not. Pain, loneliness, anger, hatred, even fear. It was almost as if the song was made for him alone but, it had to be coming from somewhere!
'Where is it?' he asked himself, looking around as he feet took him further down the streets he came to a stop and looked up. There, almost hidden by the shadow of the moon was the small figure sitting atop one of the fish statues atop the dark Kikyo Castle. Part of him wanted to enjoy the sad song, another part wanted to just leave and find a place of quiet solitude, but another part wanted to know who the player was and to shut them up. He went with the latter. With several well-timed and practiced jumps he reached for the roof but before he jumped up to the top of the fish he was once more caught up in the wordless melody.
Gaara didn't seem to notice he had an audience as he continued playing, slender fingers moving over the length of the instrument, his breathing steady as he played each note with such skilled. Deep inside he felt the sand spirit relax, almost as though he was dozing off to sleep himself. As he neared the end of the song he let the notes slow down and gently fade away. With care he lowered the flute from his lips, taking a moment to let the evening breeze carry off the last of the notes away.
"What do you want?" he asked, slowly opening his eyes to stare down into the pale lilac colored eyes of the genin down below.
Neji frowned, trying to intimidate the pale stranger but he seemed immune to his tactics. "You were the one playing earlier. I came to tell you to stop playing, it was getting on my nerves," he explained coldly.
"If it bothered you so much then why did wait until I was finished to tell me this?"
"...! I don't need to explain myself to you."
"I never asked for an explanation, I just asked a simple question."
The young Hyūga frowned, his temper rising faster than usual. Why this--boy--making fun of him? How dare he! He frowned and jumped up to the very top, standing at the edge up the upturned fish tail and glowered at the genin still sitting there but neither of them said anything. He winced when he felt an exceptionally strong wind blow right by, nearing knocking him off his stance but by focusing the chakra into his feet he managed to keep his balance. The red-head seemed peacefully at ease, unable to send any chakra residue from him what-so-ever. So he opened his mouth and asked him something that had been bugging the back of his mind since he first heard the song.
"What are you doing here so late?"
"Contemplating about the finals tomorrow."
"Hn. I will not go easy on the blond. Fate has already chosen me as the winner."
"That is why you will lose." Neji opened his mouth to argue but Gaara continued talking. "Nothing is ever set in stone no matter how much one wishes for it to be true. We all fight for different reasons, but whether we win or lose is not decided by fate but by our own actions."
"What are you talking about?"
"A long time ago, in another country far from here, a woman was pregnant with her third child and for a while she was happy but times were changing for the worse in the village she lived in. Times had become hard, making it difficult for the village to make money; the leader, not wanting to lose face and to prove to the daimyo that his village was the best, he made a selfish choice. Using the power of an ancient artifact known as the one of the Tools of Power, the Antler Teakettle. He had a skilled elder seal the demon into the womb of the unborn child of the woman, his own wife and mother of his two children, without her consent. When the child was born several months later, she was brutally torn apart by the very wind and sand around her. She was literally killed as she proud her son into the world. Her dying words were to name her son "a demon that loves only itself", for her hatred at losing her life to giving birth to a weapon of war. But she did love her son and hoped that he would destroy the village and avenge her death.
"The boy grew, trained as a weapon and haunted by the words or images of killing his own mother as he was brought into the world. Everyone feared him, no one wished to be his friend, even his own father and siblings wanted nothing to do with him so he was given to the care of his uncle, his mother's own brother. For a time he was happy, thinking that man loved him but that was not so for as he grew so did his powers. The leader realized that he could not tame the "weapon" and had the order to have his own son killed.
"One night, late into the evening, the boy was alone with his thoughts when someone tried assassinating him. Already hurt by the fearful looks and of being constantly reminded that he killed his mother he attacked and crushed the assassin on sight. It wasn't until the man lay dying on the rooftop that did he remove the mask only to find the attacker to be his own uncle. He learned the truth when one night he tried killing the boy. What hurt the most was that the leader asked him to assassin the boy and while he could have said no but he accepted because he loved his sister so much that he wanted to kill the demon that took her life, his act of vengeance. The attempt failed and the boy realized why his mother named him so, that the only person who could ever love a demon was himself. But it did not end there.
"More and more assassins were sent to kill him and each one was met with a gruesome death, crushed alive by the spirit's unwilling to let his host die or even be harmed. All who raised a hand against him were killed, their bloody remains feeding the sand that protected him better than any armor or shield ever could. The began to think this was what his fate was, to kill all who stood in his way in order to be sure of his existence but that was not true.
"A woman who represented the distant stars gave him more love and compassionate than he had known even in the disguised care of his oji. She took him in, made him a part of her family, and gave him a brother and sister who knew what he was and accepted him with no qualms. When they left the village the leader again sent his men to kill them all but the woman refused to let any harm come to her children. She protected them all with her life and asked for nothing in return. Traveling with this family the boy slowly began to feel real love, and vowed to always protect this family for as long as he loved."
Neji had remained quiet the entire time, having eased himself down to sit comfortably. He listened with quiet rapture at the tale of the boy who was betrayed by all that he loved only to find love with unexpected strangers. So similar to his tale but why had he told him this? What was the importance of such a tale?
"Why are you telling me this?" he finally asked. Gaara finally stood from his spot, silently stretching tense limbs and gazed into the evening sky.
"There are some fates worse than those you carry, but we chose not to dwell on the past and instead look to the future." He looked over at the young man and studied him for several quiet moments before looking away once more. "I do not believe in destiny or fate, but I believe that our choices and attitudes make up our future and where we will ultimately end up. That, is why I know my brother will win and you will lose."
Something about the way he said it caused him to flinch, slowly getting to his feet he looked down but his lilac gaze caught sight of the intricately carved flute. Such fine and careful craftsmanship surely went into the instrument he found himself in awe of it. "Where did you get that?" he asked, gesturing to the flute.
A soft smile came to the red-head's lips as he gently trailed his fingers along it before putting it into its specially made pouch and then into its box before tucking it away into his clothes. "It was a gift from the one person who believes in me unconditionally. You have someone like that... but you almost killed her when she spoke of nothing but the truth." Before he gave the Hyūga a chance to argue with him he tuned and vanished in a swirl of sand, leaving the boy alone to mull over the words spoken between them.
In a house a window opened into a bedroom, the curtains ruffling in the sudden wind as sand drifted in. It grew as it swirled, higher and higher before pausing and falling to the floor soundlessly. Gaara silently turned and closed the window halfway, feeling the sand shift beneath his feet before falling still. Now it resembled a sand colored carpet but that was fine as he removed the slender box and placed it on the tall chest of drawers. He reached up and the belt/sash he used for the gourd, tossing it to the side but turned when he heard a gentle knock on the bedroom door.
"Gaara? It's me, can I come in?"
He didn't say anything but the sand moved and turned the knob, slowly pulling the door open to allow Shiruba to enter. Her hair was loose around her shoulder, wearing an over-sized shirt with the collar stretched out enough to reveal a bare shoulder. "I thought everyone was asleep."
"I was but I woke up when I sensed you," she said softly, rubbing at her eyes with the heel of her hand. Blinking she smiled and closed the door behind her. "Heard you and Naruto got treated like royalty at Ichiraku's today."
"Hai. It was good." He turned away from her, removing his shirt and letting it drop but froze when he felt her arms slowly wrap around his shoulders from behind and pull him into a warm embrace, her breathe gently tickling his ear. "Shiruba-ane..."
"No matter what happens to me, I want you to keep living Gaara. Keeping living and one day you'll find someone who will love you so much he or she will gladly give you're their own heart if it made you happy."
"Promise me."
He didn't know what brought this one but slowly he reached up and hugged her arms tightly, closing his eyes tightly. "I promise." But as soon as those words passed his lips he had a terrible premonition of things to come.
Author's Notes: I had wanted to end this chapter with the day of the exams but it was getting long as it were. I liked how I did this and the emotional dilemmas everyone was going through. And while it may look like Shiruba and Gaara have more than a sibling love going on trust me, it's not incest or anything like that. Gaara just feels like his sister can understand him more than anyone in the family. It's kinda like how Haku and Naruto understand each other better than the rest of the family.
And can anyone guess why I gave Sarutobi the first name of Goku? C'mon, its not that hard to figure out but if you want a clue look at two other anime characters with the name Goku and see what one thing connects them together. Just for fun see if you can figure it out.
Next up the chunin exams are starting. It's gonna get tough from here on in because the first fight is Shiruba vs. Sasuke but what's this, Sasuke's missing!? Will he have to forfeit the match to his opponent or will he barely make it in time? Stay tuned for the next chapter.
Toshiro: Japanese name which means "great leader" (this name will be important later on)
Amaguriama: – a sweet tea shop on Konoha Tea Avenue. Otherwise known as the place Anko visits almost daily for her dangos.
Suiton, Suirō no Jutsu: Water Style, Water Prison Technique
Kubikiri Hōchō: Decapitating Knife (this is the official name for Zabuza's sword)
Yasuo: Japanese name which means "peaceful son" (this name will be important later on)
Takehiko: Japanese name which means "soldier prince" (this name will be important later on)
ojisan: uncle
monophobia: fear of being alone