This chapter is really short but I'll be updating again in a couple of days.

"You guys might want to get out of the way for this next jutsu," I told Dai and Sadao. I had succeeded in becoming a jounin and joining their team. We were on one of our numerous missions. I had been with them for quite a while now. They knew all of my secrets besides one. They didn't know that I wasn't actually human.

"You sure, Nari?" Sadao asked. I glanced down at my cuffs. They had started to crumble. This had only happened once before, when Gaara had passed out after rescuing Matsuri. That had been with the old cuffs. I didn't know how it'd affect the new, but I certainly didn't want to risk it.

"Positive. Just get back, okay?"

"We'll get out of your way," Yuzuki, Dai and Sadao's sensei, assured me. Technically, they were equals now since both Dai and Sadao had been promoted to chuunin after their second attempt at the Chuunin Exams. I dodged a kick from one of the enemy ninja and started my hands signs. We had been ambushed on our way back to Konoha. The fight was slowly falling to their favor so it was my turn to take the initiative and show them what I had.

"Blast style: firestorm jutsu!" My vision flashed white and my entire body went numb. A loud ringing erupted in my ears before slowing fading to silence. All became dark…

Heavy breathing drew me out of darkness. I glanced around the dark forest, looking for the source of the sound, only to realize it was me. I could also hear my heart beating, physically feel my pulse thrumming through my neck. My sight was blurry, almost as if I was in a dream. I pushed myself to me feet, only to stumble and fall back down. I was numb all across my body. I couldn't feel a thing.

I glanced down at my hands, more like paws. They were stained red. From what? I didn't know. Again, I tried to stand. This time I succeeded and took a step forward. Vertigo seized me and I fell back to the ground. When I stood again, my movements were discombobulated, but I could stand. Around my fifth step, my nervous system seemed to kick back in. I yelped in searing agony, collapsing and writhing on the ground. Fire coursed my veins, backed up by the feeling that someone was slicing me open over a thousand times. Every twitch sent needles stabbing at my muscles. What happened to me?

When I finally managed to overcome the pain, something registered in my brain. As I stared at my red paws, which I now guessed were blood-stained, I couldn't help but to think there was something missing. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't seem to figure out what. Finally, I gave up and stared at the moon, liking it's shape. I wonder if Gaara's staring at the moon, I thought. Gaara! Something was telling me that he was hurt, maybe worse. Why? Why do I think that? If I wanted to be sure, all I had to do was check my cuffs. I glanced at my paws. My cuffs! They're gone! Waves of memories seemed to crash down on me all at once.

I remembered the time Gaara had went after Matsuri. I had been left behind, stuck in council meetings. My cuffs had begun to crumble while he was away but they soon returned to full strength. A couple of days before the ambush yesterday, or whenever that had happened, my cuffs had been crumbling. That's how I knew he was hurt. But where were they now! I forced myself to stand and glance around. There was no sign of them anywhere. Did I destroy them with the blast? I imagined it was my jutsu that had me in such a state. No, I couldn't have. They were infused with chakra. The only way they could've been destroyed is if Gaara did it himself or if he is… No, no, no. He can't be. I couldn't bring myself to think the word. I just couldn't.

I glanced at the moon again. Surely, if I followed the moon, it would lead me to Gaara. After all, both Gaara and I enjoyed staring at the moon. Gaara would be there. Maybe that's why the cuffs had disappeared, because Gaara had gone to the moon. It was my best shot, so I took it with everything I had. I dragged myself through the agony, the thirst and the hunger, and followed the moon. It had to take me to Gaara. It had to.

Sometime during my trek, I wound up in a desert. This meant nothing to me until the sun came up. I tried to keep walking in a straight path, to keep following the moon, but I was sure I curved at some point. It wasn't until it rose again that I knew for sure that I had gotten it wrong. I followed the moon again, determined to reach it.

On the second day of this incoherent trip, I saw cliffs in the distance. Somehow, despite my feverish state, my instincts had led me to Suna. Of course, I didn't register just how lucky I was at the time. Instead, I reassured myself that the moon must be inside of the city. At least, my moon had to be, the moon I wanted.

I walked right into the city, too small to be noticed anymore. Unbeknownst to me, I had been subconsciously shrinking to make up for the constant loss of blood and the lack of food and water. I was numb by this point and absolutely delusional. To me, the city was vacant, tragically so. There was no one around. I hobbled straight to the center and into the Kazekage building. I could barely see by this point, too tired to open my eyes. I stumbled along and hopped up steps, literally navigating the building with my eyes closed. Finally, I reached the destination I wanted.

I curled up into a nice ball in some shade and laid down. I could feel it in my soul; I had reached my moon. Now, all I needed to do was wait for nightfall.

Thanks for reading; I really do appreciate it. Anyway, on Friday I'll be leaving for a three - four week trip where I may or may not have internet access. This means I can't update :'( and it also means I won't be able read your reviews. So, if you have any suggestions for the story or something that you'd like me to include here's your chance to tell me so I can write it while I'm gone.

P.S. I've decided that, instead of including Itachi in this story, I'm going to give him his own one-shot. I'll tell you when I put it up for those who are interested.