Well, this took a while, but by the end of the chapter the story lines will meet together again. Lots of fun for the sand sibs, some character development, and a little back story for Baki! Yeah! But this was a fun chapter to write, and I think I've shown Gaara's inner conflict rather well. More will continue after this chapter, of course, as the chuunin exams progress.
Well, that's enough of them. I don't have much time before my ride shows up after all!
generic disclaimer
oh, btw, due to rides etc, this chapter will have more grammar errors than usual, but I'll be back to fix them later...after the 10+ hours of driving I'll be a part of today.
"Yeah! We score," yelled Tsuchino, pumping his fist. He and his friends had all healed since the incident with Gaara three days before. They were all excited to be out playing again, though Korobi seemed to be a little more reserved than them. He didn't let it spoil his fun, but he kept thinking about what Lady Temari had said to him, that he was the monster for not letting Gaara play with them. As luck would have it, he saw Gaara standing by the same pole he usually hid behind. As his friends spread out again to start the next play, he looked at the ball now held in his hands. He walked slowly over to where the red haired boy stood.
"Do you want to p, play," he asked, tentatively, holding out the ball. The other boys held their breath as the saw where their friend had moved to, and Korobi felt a spike of fear as a malicious glint appeared in Gaara's eyes as he discussed with the voice he'd always heard before, but never listened to.
He doesn't care, just like Yashamaru. He will turn on us.
What should I do?
Make him bleed; make him bleed for us? Blood for your mother!
"Play," he questioned softly. Korobi nodded, gulping as the fear increased. Gaara smirked and lifted a hand, spreading out the fingers lazily. "Yes, I think I'd like to…play." Sand erupted all around him, speeding towards the little boy as he screamed.
"Noo!"
"Korobi!"
Gaara began laughing, a cold, maniacal laugh. A vein like blue, mixed with sand, creeped across his face as an eye turned yellow. The sand rose into a dome that shadowed the small boy, but as it dropped, there was a sudden gust of wind. Korobi was blown out of the way as it all crashed down, a few scrapes and bruises. Despite his fear, he did not run when he friends came to grab him and pull him away.
"Gaara-sama, I'm sorry! Please, don't do this." Gaara paid him no heed as frowned, looking for the boy's savoir. He found it in a girl, still on one knee, open fan extended behind her.
"Temari," he growled. "What are you doing," he demanded, the blue veins fading. Temari stifled a shiver, but steeled her face, putting on a strong stance as she stood, propping the end of her fan on the ground, the other hand on her hip.
"I'm stopping you, little brother. I don't care what happened, but this isn't you." Gaara laughed.
"And you would know? You never spent the time to be near me; to know me. You fear me, you hate me, just like everyone else."
"I don't hate you," a small voice said. Korobi had walked over, once again, and placed the ball on the ground, as if in peace offering. "I'm sorry," he said, turning. Gaara's face twisted the veins becoming prominent once more.
"No!" Temari whipped out her fan again, directing it at his sand. It scattered somewhat and he turned his rage on her again.
"You shall not stop me! I will vindicate my existence!"
"Then vindicate it on me," she called out, pointing a thumb at her chest. "I won't let you hurt anyone else, Gaara-kun. You may think I don't know you, but I know you enough to stop you. You'll regret it one day, and hate me for not stopping you."
"I'll kill you…"
No!
But she's stopping us! We need blood….
But it's Temari! She doesn't want me hurt.
That's what Yashamaru said, and look what happened!
No… not, not yet…
…Fine, not today, but one day, mother will call for her blood as well. We will be vindicated, and mother's death will be avenged.
The sand dropped, but it still stirred around the boy. Temari watched in fascination as it formed itself into a gourd and floated over onto Gaara's back.
"One day, I'll fulfill that promise, and with this very sand, infused with my charka, with my promise, I will do it." He turned, walking away, and Temari collapsed, on the verge of tears. A comforting hand gripped her shoulder.
"He'll remember one day," he said. "He'll remember that you love him. And once dad's gone, we'll show him." She smiled at her brother.
"Thanks." He nodded.
"Come on; people are already calling you the people's protector, and I'm sure dad will want to talk." She grimaced, but stood. Would it be all out in the open now, or could they still hide what they felt.
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"That's my girl," the Kazekage said proudly. "Already taking on the dangerous. Who knew Gaara would act like that? And still, you stood up to him; darn near beat him, it looks like." She shook her head.
"No, Gaara chose to not fight. I don't know why, tou-san, but I, I couldn't let him hurt our people."
"Very good; maybe you'll become Kazekage one day, if you keep up that strength. Remember, your duty is to the people, and so you must be strong; stronger than anyone! Understand." Temari bowed her head, biting back her tongue and swallowing the bile in her throat.
"Hai, tou-san."
"Very good. It won't be long before I get you on a team; just keep working on your skills, and you'll make me proud yet, girl.
"Hai," you stinking son of…."
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No, no, noo!
Gaara was clutching his head in agony. He was a war with himself. He had nearly hurt his sister, one of the only two people he'd always felt warmth from. He even thought he remembered her holding him when he was very young…a baby still? And a promise….a promise to his mother…to protect his sister…
Your mother died with you, boy; it is but a dream.
But, but it seemed so real! And I thought, I thought kaa-san was, was there…
You were too young; what child remembers anything that young? You'd have not been one year old.
Of course…but why do I feel like there's someone out there…waiting for me?
It is a dream; no one cares, and we shall show prove our existence to this hating, uncaring world. We shall turn the sands red with blood.
Yes, yes of course…the girl is not real; I have only one sister, and her name…is not Naruto…
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In Konoha, a small blond girl suddenly clutched her heart and stopped walking. The purple haired chuunin, carrying a bucket of paint, looked over her shoulder.
"Naruto-chan? What's wrong?" Naruto turned her eyes towards the southwest.
"I…I don't know," she said. "I just…I just felt really sad right then, like someone important was hurt." Anko frowned, her eyebrow's creasing. She knelt down.
"Hey, no one you know is even out of the village right now. Sometimes, we just get bad feelings, but it doesn't mean anything really. Everyone gets sad, sometimes, but we have to try and be happy anyways, no matter how sad we feel. K?" Naruto sniffed, letting Anko wipe away a tear, even though it left some of her blue paint on her face.
"Thanks, Anko chan."
"No problem," she said, grinning like her usual insane self. "Not, are we going to paint you jii-san's office or not?"
"Heck yeah!"
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Gaara never listened to anyone after that, unless he felt like it, and Yashamaru was not the last attempt on his life. It became a game for the young boy, how long it took for him to find his next killer, and then how bloody he could make it. It hadn't been bloody enough when his uncle died. His 'mother', as he referred to the voice in his head, hadn't been sated by that death. He gave in to the voice, and killed without care. He no longer tried to play with the other children. In fact, he took pleasure in ruining their games. He always wondered at how the one soccer ball found its way into his room, but he kept it as a reminder to one day kill the other boy.
Eventually, the assassinations all but stopped. They didn't come more than once a month and his father had begun to speak to him again. Not that he cared. He knew it was father that wanted him killed in the first place. Like everyone else, he hated him. He just saw what Gaara could do, now. He stood by while Gaara was tutored in shinobi skills. The boy began to truly excel, though his teachers did not always come out better for wear. Only one became subject to Gaara's vindication, his self love. This teacher had been teaching him about jutsus and how hard it was to create new ones, but that since Gaara had a unique use of sand, he should begin learning.
The screams were most…pleasing to Gaara. "Desert coffin," he said as he clenched his hand shut. This had been the most glorious death yet. He chuckled. "I cannot create my own yet, you say? Tell it to the devil." His father had not reprimanded him much, but it became harder to find new teachers after wards. Thankfully, some years had passed and there was little time left before he would reach the typical academy graduation age. The only reason he hadn't been passed before was a fear that no one would be able to handle being on a team with him, yet be on a team he must. He was to be flaunted before all the other lands, the perfect weapon. He needed a team, and he needed to advance. He could not do that stuck in Suna…and soon his blood lust would take its toll on the village.
To that end, his father called Temari and Kankurō back from their missions early. They were both strong, as it turned out, prodigies in their fields. Temari possessed a strong wind chakra, and Kankurō was deft in his use of puppets. In a rare visit he'd heard the old bad Chiyo exclaim that he might surpass her skills one day, though she refused to train the boy herself. The reason he choose them was only partly because of their power, though.
"As I recall, there was once a time the two of you were around Gaara quite a bit, is that not so." Temari shrugged.
"I guess so," her brother said. "Why? What's Gaara been up to now?" Their father pursed his lips. Kankurō's disdain for him had become evident over the years, but he still obeyed orders.
"Its past time that Gaara graduated from the academy, but there is no one who is willing to be on his team. Everyone his age is afraid, running from him like rabbits from coyotes. You two, will be his team." Temari's eyes flew open and Kankurō's head shook in surprise.
"On, on a team? With Gaara? He doesn't even look at us anymore."
"But you will stand by him. The world needs to see his power, and it will only look more impressive for us if my whole family is associated with it-" Probably because you're weak, old man, Kankurō thought. The Kazekage continued to speak, but neither of them were listening. They had tried to talk to Gaara now and then, and even though he would eye Temari, almost as if saying not yet, they still loved him. Of course he brushed off any attempts to show him, but on missions? Outside the village? This was the chance they'd been waiting for.
"Who's our sensei to be?"
"It will be me," a voice said. Temari looked over to the door. A figure was in the shadows, but even from here she could see half of his face covered by a cloth. He was Baki, a Jounin of great skill. He had also been Gaara's combat instructor. That was when his face had become scared by the boy's sand, and why he wore the cloth now. Temari frowned. Baki was good; there was no guarantee they'd be able to sneak off and talk to Gaara, and she feared he'd hate him like all the others did, maybe more because of his face.
"Yes, it is Baki-san. Now, go and get Gaara. Baki already has the details for you first mission together."
"Hai, Kazekage-sama," they said, bowing and following their new sensei out of the room. No one spoke for a while, until Baki asked if they knew where Gaara might be.
"He seems like enjoy being in the desert," Kankurō said. "Says he doesn't have to deal with us foolish people." Baki nodded, glancing around them before halting.
"Fine, then that is where we will go. However," he said, turning to face them, "I want you two to know something. Gaara-sama is a person. He is certainly disturbed, but that is the fault of you two and your father. I will not have the same attitude carried in our team that you carry as a family. If I find it in you two, you shall not like the punishment I dole out. I can do little about Gaara, but I think in our time he at least came to respect my skills, if not me." Temari gapped.
"Wait; you, you don't hate Gaara-kun?" His visible eyebrow lifted.
"You will address me as Baki-sensei, and since when was Gaara rate a 'kun' from you?" Temari blushed, looking away.
"Hey, don't talk to Temari like that!" He soon found himself face down in the dirt, Baki's foot in the small of his back.
"I shall address the Kazekage's brats as I see fit. If she shows a lack of proper respect, that is her fault. I don't care who your father is. To me, you're both little brats that can't even support your own brother enough to keep him from going crazy.
"You think we didn't try," Kankurō said through the sand in his mouth as he tried to push himself up; a futile effort with Baki's foot still on his back. "Every time we thought we could get away with it without father knowing we tried to show him we cared! And we still do!" The pressure on his back lessened and he managed to squirm out though he remained on the ground, fear over realizing what he'd just revealed beginning to rule out the anger he'd been feeling. Still, Baki's gaze was cold.
"Obviously you did not love him enough," he said, "or it wouldn't have mattered." He turned. "Come on; it's time to tell your brother that he finally has a team." Temari helped him up, a confused gaze on her face.
"So…weird. I was sure he'd hate Gaara…but doesn't he understand we did what we could." Kankurō huffed.
"Who cares; he's a jerk! At least he won't care if we try to talk to Gaara," he said.
"Right…come on, let's hurry up," she said. "We don't want sensei madder at us than he already is."
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"Gaara!" The jinchuuriki turned at the sound of his name. He looked at the new comers curiously.
"Baki…how is your face," he asked, though it was without real concern. "And why are Temari and kankuro here."
"Kazekage-sama has finally made you a team so you can go on missions outside the village."
"You mean so that he stops losing shinobi to my existence."
"Gaara! That's not right!" A small grin appeared on his face.
"Temari…you are on my team?" His sand shifted restlessly and Temari nodded. "Hmmm…I believe I made you a promise once. Perhaps I shall yet fulfill it." Temari shrugged, refusing to feel fear.
"You'll change your mind," she said. "I'll prove you're not alone." This surprised Gaara as he looked incredulously between his siblings and Baki.
"Prove it? You'll prove it? When you never say it, except now, in front of other people? Ha, you make me laugh. You're just like uncle. You will continue to pretend until you, like all the others, have no more need of me."
"Be that as it may, it's time for our first mission." Heads whipped around in shock.
"What? Already? But we only just got made a team a few minutes ago." Baki waved an uncaring hand at Kankuro's outburst.
"That was simply a formality. Kazekage-sama already had it planned and our first mission is information retrieval from an outpost near Ishigakure in the north. Its b ranked so you three will have to listen closely to what I say."
"C-rank?" Kankuro shook his head. "Well, dad's gone nuts now."
"Who cares," Gaara mused. "The more dangerous, the more I can be satisfied." His siblings shivered, and even Baki felt a tingle of fear.
"Right. Pack for four days and meet me at the gates. Understood?"
They were on their way soon after, traveling with Baki in front. Temari and Kankuro were a few feet behind him, but Gaara was walking off to the side, arms crossed and contemplative. It was some time before Temari spoke again.
"Baki sensei, what type of information are we retrieving, exactly? What's so important about it that it's a b rank?" Baki rolled his right shoulder along with his neck, not answering immediately.
"We have an… asylum, in that area, full of shinobi who lost their minds in the course of duty. The information we're gathering tells of their progress and treatments, and also…tests," he told her, muttering the last bit.
"Tests? What kind of tests, sensei," asked Kankuro. They could not see it, but Baki frowned, his covered eye twitching.
"Some shinobi that loose themselves had unique abilities, and some believe that if keep them alive and study them, we can , in a sense, mass produce those same abilities in all of our shinobi. Of course, its is very dangerous and makes the information highly valuable for enemy nations."
"Then wouldn't it be better to keep it close, sensei?"
"Perhaps, but remember, what I said about them losing their minds. Everyone working near them is in constant danger of the more powerful ones lashing out and killing them, which, closer to Suna, would mean high potential for civilian losses. We can't afford to have it so close."
"Hmmm… I guess that makes sense, but isn't there a more formal system for this, if the info has to be gathered consistently."
"Usually there are anbu available, but lately there's been a… shortage of available anbu for this mission, so your father started assigning it out to chuunin and some genin teams. There's never been an incident yet, but that doesn't mean nothing will happen. Now come on, it's time we picked up the pace."
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"Ah, Baki-san! How have you been since your last visit?" Baki grunted to the squat man with round glasses. He was wearing a lab coat and had a huge smile on his face, though it seemed more of a fools smile than a friendly one, even if his tone was a pleasant one.
"Well enough; how are the patients."
"Oh, they're quite healthy. A few more died, but it's mostly been from old age. We are very careful with our subjects…"
"Don't call them that," Baki whispered, a dangerous glare in his eye that had even Gaara quirking an eyebrow in an almost eager interest. The doctor sweated.
"Ah, yes, yes of course. My apologies. We'll have the data for you shortly. You may walk around as you like as it will take about a half hour to make the final preparations and check out." The man shuffled out quickly as Baki sighed, letting his frustration flow out before turning to his genin.
"Alright, we have a little time. Rest up and eat. I'm going to take a look at the patients here." He should have known that someone would follow him. He walked through a door and down the hall, taking a couple turns before stopping at one window and putting a hand up to the glass.
"Hello, Taki…"
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"Sensei knows someone here," Kankuro told Temari as they sat, eating some moosh provided by the 'hospital.' His sister raised an eyebrow.
"Really? What makes you say that?"
"I followed him, and he stopped at one guy, and called him 'Taki.' Why do you think he knows someone here?" Temari shrugged.
"He's been a shinobi for a long time. It's probably an old teammate and sensei feels sorry that he went nuts."
"Hmmm, I don't think so. He seemed really sad, yeah, but not like, teammate sad. It was-"
"None of your business really, but yes, Taki was a teammate of mine, until other people made him the way he is now. Now," he said, motioning with his head towards the doorway, "we have what we came here for, and now it's time to go." Gaara, who had been reclining in a window, slipped down to the ground, arms crossed and bored.
"Very well. Perhaps once we leave someone will attack us en-route."
"Well, wouldn't it be better to attack with only the doctors around?"
"No, Kankuro, though one might think that. The doctors have their own defense set up, and its familiar territory. Not to mention the risk of them releasing a patient instead of fighting them directly. The better option is to set up a surprise attack for someone heading back and take the documents then."
"Oh, I see how that would be better…so I guess now is when it gets dangerous, isn't it?" Baki nodded and Temari and Kankuro both quieted, contemplating the journey home while Gaara grinned.
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"Sensei, when are we camping tonight? I mean, we already passed our campsite from yesterday."
"Kankuro, the oasis is a perfect place to spring an attack from, especially because it offers a sense of ease. It is better that we find a spot that is away from comfort, that will keep us on our guard. This place will better warn us of incoming danger."
"Hmph; well, I'd still like to stop there and get some water."
"It's your own fault for dressing so darkly," came Gaara's gravely voice. The three almost stopped as the spotted Gaara sitting on a nearby dune. He'd gone ahead, telling Baki to leave him alone. They hadn't been sure where he was, but he'd made it very clear that he was to be left alone.
We were promised blood, and it has not been given! It's time we took her, that we fulfilled the promise we made!
No, not yet; it isn't time. We should wait. She may yet give us something more. If she continues saying she cares…
Which she doesn't. No one does. We must kill them, take their blood. Prove to us our existence!
But she may yet provide the way to more. We need a team to go out more, to find more strong people. The weaklings at home aren't enough.
…true, they are no fun. They do little to prove our existence. Yes, we will wait a little longer, but we must have blood soon…
Yes, mother, we will have it soon. Good blood. After all, something is near…
"Kankuro, if you did not dress in such dark clothes you would stay cooler and not need so much water." He stood up, stretching out his hands. "I am camping here tonight. The sun is down already, so it is time." He flicked his fingers and a small structure appeared. "You are free to do what you will," he said as he walked in, "but I stay here." Baki grumbled.
"Alright, we stay together, since Gaara is in a better mood. Set up camp. I've got rations prepared. We won't use a campfire tonight." The sand siblings nodded, taking off their packs and setting up their own shelter to stay warm.
"What do you think?" Temari paused as she unwrapped her bed roll.
"About Baki, or Gaara?" Kankuro rolled his eyes.
"About the mission. I think it's odd that Gaara choose to stop here, right where we ran into him. I think something's up. I mean, with Shukaku inside him, wouldn't that give him something else besides the sand? Do you think he can sense other things?" Temari rocked back a little in shock, looking at Kankuro closely.
"Maybe," she mused, "but wouldn't he have said something else? Hinted at it?"
"Maybe," was the reply, "but you know how he's been since…you know…" Temari bowed her head.
"Yeah, you're right. He's out for blood, but what can we do?"
"Get ready or something, I don't know. You're the smart one."
"I'm only a genin!"
"So is Gaara!"
"Oh, that's good to know…" The two stopped arguing as a man appeared next to them. "That means this will be easy."
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Baki was reading through the reports on his own, scowling, when he heard a war cry. He jumped up, cursing himself for not paying better attention, or even posting a watch. Across the camp he saw several figures, but not enough. He ran towards them, lighting a flare and throwing it in the air as he went.
There were five enemies, and two were waiting for him. One was holding Temari by her hair while the other two dodged around Kankuro's puppet and attacked him with kunai. He was doing quite well Baki had to admit, but they were being toyed with. He'd swallow his tongue if more than two of these were chuunin. There were almost all certainly special Jounin, trained in espionage. He was in trouble. The kids were in trouble.
Baki was not without his talents, of course. He was very fast, and he specialized in ninjutsu. His brand was particularly effective in the desert. Much like Gaara, he used sand infused with chakra, but it was difficult to do in the midst of battle, and not actually as effective. While Gaara could attack and defend, as Baki well knew, his brand was mostly used to distract.
Kunai met kunai as he engaged the two waiting shinobi. He dropped to the ground, successfully causing them to shot past him. He smirked as he threw the two kunai he'd just used at his targets. They dodged to either side as he prepped some sand and threw shuriken at the shinobi holding Temari. They grunted as the shuriken impacted, causing him to drop Temari. She didn't move expect to grip her head and writhe a little on the ground. With the flare getting closer to the ground he could see all the bruises she'd already received before he saved her.
Baki flipped up, a small wall of sand coming with him and forming into three more of him. It bought him a precious second to gather more sand shoot it at the injured shinobi's eyes. It was normal sand and didn't hit hard, but it did blind him. He was surprised when Kankuro used the opening to attack with his puppet. The boy knew that he was not fairing well on his own and decided to risk an attack to take down an enemy. Baki was grateful for the help, but winced as the boy was engaged in close combat. Baki would be on his own in another moment. He readied himself, infusing the sand. Kankuro went flying and the four enemies surrounded him. They shot forward as one and then sand shot up all around them. Baki whipped out a pair of goggles, making him the only one that could see thanks to the heat vision his goggles gave him. However, as he moved to attack, all the shinobi sputtering out sand from their mouths and staying in defensive positions, the sand fell. Looking up, he saw Gaara, hands outstreached as he hovered over the ground on a sand disk.
"Kankuro already took one of my victims. In get the rest," he stated, sweeping a hand over the field, knocking Baki out of the way with a wall of sand.
"So, you're the brat we've heard about," one of the shinobi said as he wiped the last of the sand from his brow. "The Shukaku child. Never thought we'd meet you here, but I think we can handle you. After all, you have one great weakness." Gaara grinned.
"Well then, prove it to me! Show me your strength! Vindicate me!" he laughed as three of the shinobi launched themselves at him. They were fast, but none of their strikes reached through his sand. He kept laughing.
"Yes, yes, attack me with all your might! Attack! Fail! And no…bleed!" A hand reached out and one shinobi was engulfed with sand.
"Ahh! Senpai! Save me! Argh!"
"Sand Coffin!" Blood rained from the sky as the man's body was crushed. "Yes, that's it; feed my mother! Give us what we desire!" Sand was gathering around Gaara more and more until he was looking less and less human. Another shinobi was batted to the side.
"Water style, water pistol jutsu!" A jet of water hit Gaara's side. He turned, annoyed, and Baki stared as part of Gaara's sand began to slide off.
"This is…"
"You will pay for that."
"Will I? I just proved your weakness, didn't I? Your sand doesn't hold together with water soaking it, and I've just gotten us all the water we'll need!" Gaara looked around, seeing a large pool of water that had come from below the ground. He would surmise that the man had earth chakra and had pulled up the well the held water for a nearby oasis, but for now he didn't care. He could only use so much sand in this form, so mother said.
Its time, came the voice. Its time to show them all what we can do. Give me the power, and we shall have all the blood we desire! Gaara grinned.
"You have not weakened me, but ensured my power. Behold, forced sleep jutsu!" He made the sign, and for the first time in his life, Gaara's eye's dropped, and his head dropped. The sand around him swirled and gathered, clinging to his body, lifting him up and growing. The small bit of wet sand became of no consequence next to the massive volume of sand that was now the obstacle.
"Attack! Don't let it grow! He's calling out his beast!" The two remaining shinobi began using jutsu after jutsu of water, trying to slow his growth. He worked, but only a little. They were, after all, in the desert. Sand was in a much greater abundance than water. Baki forced himself not to watch. If Gaara was no longer in control, they had other problems to deal with. He needed to find Temari and Kankuro. He spotted them, next to the quickly disappearing structure Gaara had made earlier. Temari had recovered and was helping Kankuro up. He had gotten his puppet back and was storing it on his back.
"Temari! Kankuro! Get over here!" The girl looked up, seeing their sensei and helped the limping Kankuro make it to their sensei.
"Baki sensei, what's going on!"
"It's Gaara, he's let his bijuu take control."
"How do we stop it?" he stared at them.
"Stop it? There's no way we can stop that! Look at those two! They found a weakness for Shukaku and anyone could tell that they're not going to win. The only thing I can do is save you two now, and hope he calms down later." Temari clenched her fists and Kankuro shook his head.
"No," he said, "there's a way. There has to be. Nothing's invincible."
"Human's against bijuu? No, it would take another bijuu. Now that Gaara's asleep-"
"That's it!" Both males looked at their female counterpart. "Gaara made himself go to sleep. If he was awake again, he wouldn't be like this. He might still be dangerous, but we can handle a normal Gaara." Kankuro looked over at the battle. Another shinobi had been caught and was screaming his last breath before he was crushed like his teammate before him. Gaara was embedded in the giant beast's head. None of them could jump that high, though. It would take something extra, pull still controllable…
"Temari, let me lead you."
"What?"
"Not even sensei can jump that high, but if I attach my chakra strings to you, while he's still beating this last guy then sensei can take him out while I take you up and you wake Gaara up." She nodded, standing up and holding out her body.
"Be quick; we don't have any time."
"You're both crazy!" Temari glared at him.
"Maybe, but he's still our brother. One day, one day he'll regret this, and I'll make sure he has as little to regret as possible!" Baki was taken aback. He looked between the two, and Temari dashed off.
"…I'm sorry for what I said before, back in the village. Perhaps…I am the one who lacks respect…you love your brother more than I did mine." He looked across at the enemy shinobi and stood tall. "Well, I believe I have a job to do. Good luck."
"What-" Kankuro began, but Baki was already gone and Temari was at Shukaku's base. Like Baki said, Kankuro, too, had a job to do.
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Temari raced up to the sand colossus, pushing aside all the fears she'd had. If ever there was a time that Gaara would fulfill his promise, she knew this would be it. She had once chance, and one only, to get to him and wake him up. As she got near she felt the sudden lift and she also yelped. Silence was still key; the ability to remain unnoticed. Even with all the water hitting around her, the sand sliding down around her in great gobs.
She jerked up again, looking down to see a concentrating Kankuro. Even from here she could see all the effort that it was taking him, and she saw Baki actually joining in the fray, mostly adding simple distraction rather than attacking Gaara. He was setting himself up to attack the other shinobi once Temari canceled out Shukaku's hold on Gaara. She looked up just in time to see a huge glob fall and then she jerked to the side as Kankuro pulled her to avoid it. She was nearly there, but right then she felt Kankuro's strings fail. Glancing down she saw that sand was falling hard on those below. A spike had skewered the final enemy shinobi and Kankuro and Baki had barely avoiding such a fate themselves. But she was so close…
"No one can stop me! I'm free!" No, for Gaara, I have to make it! She grabbed her fan, whipping it around.
"Let go of my brother you monster!" Fan wide open, she pushed to the ground and a great gust of wind propelled her up and above the great beast. "Now take this!" Another swipe and the sand that began to shoot out at her was flattened and she landed next to Gaara's prone form. "And wake up!" The slap echoed across the desert as Gaara's eyes started open.
"T-Temari…"
"Gaara," she said, tears in her eyes as the sand began to crumble around them. "Thank-goodness your back." Her fan cast aside she grabbed onto him. "Never do that again," she whispered. Gaara's eyes remained widened as they fell, his sand softening the fall.
"Temari, Gaara! You okay?" Temari shakily stood to her feet.
"I'm fine. What about you, Gaara?" The boy began to sit up, but before he could speak a new wave of water came over them knocking all the Suna shinobi down again. Coming out of the small pool of water still left came the shinobi who had been knocked away after Shukaku began his transformation.
"That monster may have killed my team, but I'll see him end here. Water style, water needles jutsu!" Fortunatly Temari landed next to her fan once again.
"Oh yeah? Suck on this; and stay away from my brother!" The needles never came close, and as the wind knocked the shinobi away…and straight into the kunai of Baki. He died with no more sound as the Jounin tossed his body to the ground and limped over to his team.
"Is everyone alright? Kankuro, Temari, Gaara?" The first two nodded in turn, but Gaara remained silent, a battle going on inside him.
She stopped us! We had blood and she interfered!
…she hugged us…a real hug. Didn't that mean something once?
It's all a lie. No one cares, and she was manipulating you just like everyone else does.
That hug was so warm…
So were Yashamaru's hugs, and look at what he did to us!
But it felt…familiar, too, not just nice, and she only jumped in at the end.
To keep us from our blood!
…but we had enough,
Except for that at her feet! Take her; make her pay!
…no….
…What?
No, I won't. Not today. There is something….different and unexpected about her.
Do as I say! Mother cries for her bl-
DO AS I SAY!
The voice became quiet and Gaara stood up, not answering the questions given to him. He walked back over what remained of the shelter he'd made earlier, raising his arms and construcing it once more.
"No one else is here," he said, he teammates encouraged by his words. "No leave me alone until you're ready to leave in the morning." With that, he walked away, into his meditaion chamber.
"Right," Baki said, straigtening. "I don't think there's much point in avoiding it now. Get a fire going, get some food, and hit the sack. I take first watch." The genin went about the work of the camp as their sensei went over to stand against one of the newly formed pillars of sand. He started out into the horizon, wondering.
"Sensei?" He turned to see Temari.
"Yes?"
"Kankuro mentioned that you said something, right after I left in the battle with Shukaku. What was it?" Baki sighed.
"I owe you both an apology, and an explanation. I was wrong in what I saiad about you two and your brother. Also, I should explain why I came down so hard on you two." He glanced at Gaara's quarters and continued.
"You see, it wasn't just a teammate I went to see in the asylum, it was my brother." Temari barely kept from gasping.
"What happened to him."
"During the last great war, my brother was a master spy. He warned the village of incoming attacks and sought to keep our enemies off our backs. At a crucial point in the war he gave an enemy, Konoha, information regarding our actual troop movement and strength. Because of that we avoided a battle that would have caused our village substantial damage in troop strength." He looked at her hard, but without malice.
"Taki's actions were made public and he was condemned by the kazegae, who openly criticized him for leaking such explicit and valuable information to the enemy. Everyone turned against him…even me." Tears began to poor down his face.
"I turned him away, the very man I'd always looked up to, the one who me basic sand manipulation, and I rejected him. He secluded himself little by little until he became obsessed over a small set of possessions. He went crazy, and there was nothing I did about it, and it doesn't help that he created so many sand techniques, so they captured him and sent him to that….torture house." He looked at Temari with tears rolling down his face.
"I loved my brother, but I didn't do anything until it was too late, and now he's stuck there. He's stuck there and now there isn't anything I can do about it. I won't let that happen to Gaara, too."
"Neither will we," Kankuro said, walking up to them. "Its true we didn't do as much as we could have, but we love our brother, and we're doing everything we can to help him. Father doesn't know how much we know about him, but we won't let him destroy Gaara."
"That's right! He's our brother, and we're protecting him from father!" Baki wiped away his tears.
"Right; that's right. Forgive me for what I said to you before. You are good siblings. I'm honored to have you on my team." Baki surveyed the scene of the battle earlier that night before speaking again. "And one thing we have to do, is keep Gaara's weakness a secret. Kazekage-sama would use it somehow to hurt Gaara, so we can't let him know about the water." The sand siblings nodded.
"Hai! No one will know." Smiles of grim determination were shared all around.
"Good; now, you two go and get some sleep. I'll wake you up in a couple hours to take second watch, Kankuro, so you'll need your sleep." As everyone went about their own business, a red headed figure was rocking back and forth in their sand structure, whispering to themselves.
"It's not real, they don't care; but they do. No they don't; we're alone, and it's all a trick. We're alone, we're alone, we're alone…"
.
.
.
The sand siblings did several missions after words, including an A rank assassination mission. Never once that Gaara transform again, and he never threatened Temari again, though he kept up his emotionless persona and still reveled in killing. Baki would occasionally talk with him about ninjutsu and alternate ways to use the sand, and it amazed them all that Gaara actually listened. He still wouldn't let them in, though. Kankuro would clench his fists sometimes, as Gaara walked away from them after a mission was over, cursing his father under his breath. Of course, none of them knew what to think when they were called to their father's office and met a strange pale man with yellow slitted eyes.
"Children, the chuunin exams are coming up, and I've decided to have you three enter them."
"What? Really? Well, it's about time!" Kankuro was getting excited until he noticed his fathers odd stare. "Wait…what's going on?"
"As clever as you say, Kazekage-sama. Heheheh. Yes, young Kankuro, there is more going on. MUCH more…" The Kazekage shifted slightly.
"Hm, yes. Well, the exams will be held in Konoha this year. We've been saddled by them too long. Our treaty with them is holding us back. That is why, with Orochimaru's help, we will be invading Konoha at the end of the exams."
.
.
.
So, three weeks later, the sand siblings found themselves in Konoha, strolling down the lane scoping out the village. The next day the chuunin exams would start, and it was imperative that the three siblings pass the first portions of the exams to make it to the elimination rounds. That was when the invasion would begin. They didn't expect a random child to run into kankuro, or his friends to follow and defend him when Kankuro got angry. It was useful to get a look at the last Uchiha before the exams started. Too bad he was so undistracted by Temari or they could have used him, swayed him to leave his village. Then came the words that stopped them in their tracks.
"Yeah, and my name's Naruto," the strange blond girl yelled after them. They froze, looking back at the girl, mouths agape. They took in the marks on her cheeks as Temari spoke.
"N, N, Naruto, did you say," the girl, Temari, asked.
"Yeah, it's Naruto, and I'm gonna be the next Hokage, so I'm gonna be the one you'll have to worry about in the exams, believe it!" Memories flooded their minds of a time in childhood when they were so excited to have a sister. But, she had died! It couldn't be; it couldn't be!
"Well, hey, come on Garra, we need to meet Baki sensei, remember? We'll…we'll talk about this later," Temari said, whispering the last part, tugging slightly on her brother's sleeve.
"Hnnn," he grunted, turning to follow her. Naruto…perhaps I wasn't dreaming that all up after all, he thought. I need to find out for sure; if it is her…well, if it is her, I have a promise to keep…
Okay, that's that! New chapter will be out...I'm not sure when. But leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Tell me what you liked best and least, and your thoughts on Gaara's progression.
Oh, and even though she's reading over my shoulder as I'm writing this, little shout out to my hime. I love you! And I want everyone to know that you're the most awesome woman in the world!
Take care everyone!
(oh, and hi to you, too, momma bear)