Well, I do believe it is only fair of me to post this for you guys, for I am leaving on a vacation early early Wednesday morning, and I will be gone a WHOLE week. So I will not be posting for a time after this chapter, sorry! But, here is Chapter 7, where Kira reunites with some of our favorite characters :) Enjoy!

Chapter 7, Changes.

Tsunade gave me a few injections into my arm with some liquids that made me feel more awake. Stronger. I was able to change out of my hospital gown and into a pair of sweatpants and a big shirt Jiraiya left for me. Tsunade made me eat a little bit of food, but I couldn't hold much. She made me drink a lot of water, but made sure to monitor everything I took in.

She stayed with me the whole day and part of the night. I remember falling asleep with her there, sitting in the chair Kiba had been in when I first woke up, reading a book. And when I woke up the next day, she was still there, reading that same book.

"Feeling better?" she asked. She set the book down and stood to take my vitals.

"Yes," I answered. It was the first question I had been able to answer since waking up that first time here. My voice is hoarse, but it works. All of that screaming I did tore it up. She made me eat some breakfast, wrote down what I ate, and sat next to my bed again.

She crossed her arms over her big chest as she leaned back in the chair. "I talked with both Kiba and Jiraiya, and they both mentioned your condition." Her voice was clear and firm. "And I do not think it will be possible."

My anger flared, but she quickly went on.

"The second you entered this world again, I felt it. Everyone did. I've already had to calm Naruto and Sakura down twice. They both want to know what is going on. They don't know you are back, but they know something has happened. Others are restless as well." She paused for a second before continuing. "The Kazekage must have some suspicion. You have no idea how hard it is to keep this information from him, Kira."

My heart skipped a few beats. "What do you mean?" I asked quietly. "He is so far away... It should be easy!"

Tsunade's face remained neutral. "Jiraiya never explained, did he?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes closed and she pinched the bridge of her nose, thoroughly agitated. "Since the war started, we have become very close. Suna was attacked last year and completely destroyed. There was nothing anyone could have done to save it. Nothing. Since then, Suna and Konoha have merged, everyone in Suna now living here, in Konoha."

My blood turned to ice and a shiver wracked my body. "How...? How is that possible?" Why Suna? Suna had the strongest defense I had ever seen! And Gaara could have destroyed anyone who set foot on his dessert without any sort of problems. How could they have lost!

Tsunade gave a small shrug, merely just a lift of a shoulder. "They were attacked by to big of a force. And the Kazekage had been... distracted at the time."

My mind was set. "I want to see him. Now."

Tsunade's eyes snapped up and met mine head on. "Kira, that would not be a good idea. He has... changed. He isn't the same man you knew ten years ago."

I shook my head. "I don't care. I want to see him. Let me see Gaara!" His name sent shivers through my body, but this time I welcome them.

Tsunade stood, her eyes locked on my face. "You will wait. I will not allow you to see anyone until you are strong enough to defend yourself. Got it?" She didn't wait for my answer. She walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

I felt like screaming. I grabbed the glass that she left on the small table and I threw it as hard as I could at the door. It shattered and rained on the floor, creating a beautiful chime sound. Nurses rushed in and grabbed hold of me, stabbing a needle into my arm and keeping me restrained until it took effect, knocking me out.

– –

I came to in a different room. I felt much more rational, and stronger. I stood on my own and walked on my own. The door was locked, of course. And there was nothing other than a bed and chair and a small table with a glass of water on it in the room. I gulped the water and roughly set the, now plastic, glass back down on the table.

The next day I woke up even stronger. Tsunade came back and checked my muscle tone, making sure my body was regaining everything perfectly normal. She made me take pills, helping to get my strength back quicker. I took everything she gave me, asked for seconds on food, and drank enough water to have to pee every hour. She was impressed, nodding with approval every time she came to see me.

It wont be long now, I told myself. I will be able to see Gaara in a few days.

It was the fourth day of being in that room that I felt the earth shake. Not an earthquake, but an explosion. Tsunade rushed in with a change of clothes for me. I dressed in record time and swallowed the pills with a gulp of water. Then I was following her out of the room, for the first time, and down the hall. She gave me a mask to put on. An ANBU mask, but blank. No signature marking to make it my own. Then she did something to me, and I felt my chakra being masked.

We left her privet apartments, where I guess I have been, and entered the rest of the Hokage tower. She spoke quickly and firmly to me.

"You will not say a word." The earth shook again and I reached out to the wall for support. "You will stand by me and not move. You will not speak. If it is to much, you will leave the room. Understood?" I nodded dumbly, trying to figure out what is going on. "No matter who is in that room," she said, stopping and getting in my face. "You will not say anything."

I gave her a mock salute to show I wouldn't say anything.

Then we entered her office. She walked over to her desk and sat down beside it, motioning for me to stand beside her. I did so. And almost immediately there was bangs at the door and people started entering.

I noticed every single one of them with a shock. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Hinata, Shino, Kiba. Kuranai, Tenten, Neji, Lee. Then the last three, which had my heart in my throat. Temari. Kankuro. And Gaara. Everyone looks differently than I remember. Older. Wiser. Stronger. Tsunade's words left my head and I opened my mouth to say something, to tell them everything is okay, that I'm back, but my tongue laid on the bottom of my mouth. Motionless. I couldn't even swallow.

Tsunade, that clever little crap head! I thought harshly.

But then he was speaking. "It is Kiri this time, Hokage." His voice is deeper. His hair longer, the rims around his eyes darker. He is thicker, his body looks big. Instead of the leanness I remembered, he has these bulking muscles. I felt my eyes grow wide. "The men are already on it."

"Good," Tsunade nodded. "Naruto, status."

Naruto is different, too. His muscles are thicker, too. His hair is much longer, framing his face and falling over his headband to a point where you can't see the symbol. He is taller, also. And fairly cute, I noted in the back of my mind. "From what I was able to tell, they have not attacked the walls yet," he said. His arms crossed over his chest, and his sleeveless shirt made his muscles look bigger. "But they are close."

"Sakura?" Tsunade put her chin on her fingers as she stared at the pink haired girl.

Sakura's hair is longer, too. Almost as long as it had been in that picture I saw of her as a kid. The one with her old team, the one with Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke. Her chest has grown, a lot. It is hard not to notice. Her hips are more round, too. If anything it makes her look tougher. More dangerous. "I have already sent the medics out, Tsunade-sama. I do not know the injury counts at this moment, though I do not expect them to be high whereas they have not attacked our walls yet."

Tsunade nodded, seeming satisfied.

I could not help but notice the looks I kept getting. Being in complete ANBU attire, with a blank mask, everyone is probably wondering who I am. Naruto's eyes glanced me up and down, and his brown furrowed. "Who is this?" he asked. And I had once thought him stupid and childish. He is anything but that now. He has matured greatly in the ten years I have been gone, I can already tell.

"Never mind that," Tsunade said briefly. "I need you all to get out there. Sakura, keep in touch. I want to know immediately."

"Hai!" Everyone started filing out, all but Gaara and Naruto. Sakura glanced over her shoulder at me before she left and closed the door behind her.

Gaara went over to the other desk in the room and had a seat, swiveling his chair so he was facing the window. Smoke rose in the distance.

"What is it, Naruto," Tsunade's voice sounded tired. I wouldn't doubt it if she was, I've been a handful.

His eyes were still fixed on me. "I think you know."

She sighed loudly and pulled a bottle from the drawer in her desk. I couldn't help but smile. Old habits never die. "No. No, and no."

His eyes left me and went to her. "Can she fight?" he asked, nodding towards me.

I felt Tsunade's gaze, though her face wasn't towards me. I glanced down at her. "I suppose so... Though she has been out of practice for a little while. I doubt she would be much help in battle."

He nodded. "I will be giving updates." And he was gone. I stared at that spot for a whole minute before I looked down at Tsunade.

"He is his father's son," she muttered. "A good for nothing flash."

I smirked. I wish I could talk. I wish I could walk over to Gaara and run my fingers in his hair. I can still feel the softness of it that I remember so well. I can still smell the sent that is always his, no one else. My heart rate started to quicken, and I felt my feet starting to move on their own. But Tsunade's hand lashed out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me back and down towards her face.

"You will stay right here, girly." Her smirk was mocking. "I don't want you to get hurt."

I glared at her from behind my mask.

The sound of Gaara's chair swiveling had my eyes glancing his way. He was staring at us, now. His face blank, his eyes blank. But his eyes roaming. They moved over my body like hot coals burning my skin. It made me shiver. Then his eyes focused on my mask, almost like he was trying to see through it.

There was a slight knock at the door and then it was thrown open without being asked to come in. Two little kids, maybe ten years of age, ran over to him yelling and screaming at each other. My heart almost stopped. The girl climbed up into Gaara's lap, clinging to his neck and she kicked at the little boy. The little boy struggled to climb into his lap, yelling at the little girl to stop kicking.

My legs buckled and I fell to the floor, leaning back against Tsunade's desk as I stared at them.

Gaara pulled the girl from his neck and set her down on the floor next to the boy. "Both of you, stop." The two instantly stopped their yelling and looked up at him with big brown eyes. "What are you fighting about now?" Gaara asked, sitting back in his chair.

The boy's face scrunched up. "Jessica put another dead skunk under my blankets, Dad!" he complained. "I was going to get dressed to go and help the others, but I couldn't! All of my stuff smells like skunk!"

Jessica was trying to keep her face blank, but the smile was showing through. "Did not! Daddy, Yukio is lying!" She stuck her tongue out at her brother and crossed her arms over her chest.

Gaara held up his hand and both of them fell silent again. "Jessica, you will clean his room. You will wash all of his cloths, by yourself, and shampoo his rugs. Yukio, you are not going anywhere. You will both go right over to that couch and sit there, where I can keep an eye on you."

Both of them grumbled as the walked over to the couch and flopped down on it, Jessica upside down.

I stared at them, my mouth hanging open slightly. Jessica is beautiful. Her brown hair is tinted with red, giving her highlights that accent her pale features. I can see a lot of Temari in her, but there is also a lot of me. There is so much me in my baby girl. So much. And Yukio, my baby boy. He is no doubt his fathers child, with his flaming red hair and pale skin. But he is all me. All his uncle Kaleb. The cheek bones, the set of the nose, the chin, it is almost an exact replica of Kaleb. I could feel the hot tears run down my cheeks. Those are my babies.

My babies!

Tsunade's hand rested on my shoulder. "Are you light headed?" she asked softly. I nodded, not knowing what else to do. "Just sit there for a little while, it will go away." I nodded again.

Yukio was watching me. I could feel his gaze on me even as I stared at his sister. I looked at him and met his gaze. His brow was furrowed, and he looked like he was concentrating hard on something. He looked over at Gaara, but his eyes made their way back to me. After a few minutes of staring, he nudged his sister and whispered something to her. Now they both stared openly, both of them frowning.

I stood and wobbly walked out of the room, and shut the door behind me.

I can't take it. I can't take it at all. They are my babies. My babies, and they don't even know who I am! I choked on the tears and tried to swallow, but couldn't. Has Gaara ever told them about me? Do they remember anything of the time they were in my womb? I steadied myself against the wall and gritted my teeth together. I can't do it. I can't watch them. I can't. I can't sit there and watch them across the room without saying anything to them.

"Who are you?" A little voice asked behind me.

I jumped and glanced over my shoulder. Yukio stood there with his hands behind his back, looking at me with a tilted head. My heart rate picked up again. I knelt in front of him and reached out to touch him, touch his hair, but I quickly drew my hand back. He doesn't know who I am.

Yukio's eyes bore into my own. "Do I know you?" he asked.

I shook my head. No, you do not. I have been gone for ten years. You would have been to small to remember me.

His lips pursed. "Are you sure? Because... I feel like I know you..." His hand lifted and reached out to touch my mask.

"Yukio," Tsunade's harsh voice reached both of us. He spun around. "Your father is looking for you."

Yukio glanced back at me for a split second before he rushed off, re-entering the office. I grabbed at the front of my shirt, where my heart beats painfully. Like it was trying to run after him.

Again, I will be leaving so I will not be posting for a little over a week. But I hope you LOVED this chapter enough for you to wait a little bit for the next chapter :) Review please? AND let's hope for good weather Where I am going :D