Our Dark Waltz Chapter 14: Weapon Part 7: I Won't Show Mercy On You, a naruto fanfic

Weapon Part 7: I Won't Show Mercy On You Now

Blackness, that's all I can see. My body feels heavy, as if arms of steel are holding me down. Did I fall through the earth? I can't move, but I can feel my arms and legs. My heart beats. My mind, I feel so exhausted. Unearthly.

Gaara tried to open his eyes, the dark lids twitching.

The yelling, all the screams I heard. Whose were they? Wait, now I remember.

"Hinata…"

Hinata, where are you? You can't be so close…don't be.

"Gaara, you need to relax. I am on top of this. Stay still."

Odd energy. I feel my stamina returning. I am being healed. Check my vision again. Try once more.

Gaara's eyelids flickered open, his eyesight settling on a female figure hunched over him. His vision wavered between black splotches to a nearly grainy image, as if he were standing in the middle of a dust storm with sand disrupting his sight. Black hair…he saw bluish black hair.

"Hinata…I can't…ugh…"

"Gaara, you mustn't move. It's ok. It's me Sakura. Relax your body or I cannot heal you. Your chakra is incredibly low. The water damaged your sand," a low female voice spoke slowly.

Gaara managed to open his eyes completely, the black splotches disappearing eventually. The female was indeed Sakura, her pink hair spiking up and tangled all over. Her green eyes were focused intently on her hands, the healing chakra seeping into his left arm.

With a grunt, he pushed his upper body up and half sat up. His clothes were soaked with water, his pants and long lapels of his tunic dripping onto the sand he conveniently had landed on. He would have slanted an eyebrow at the irony but felt the flimsiness of his body. Gaara could make out the rumbling sounds of what he assumed to be a fight going on in front of him and swiveled his head to narrow his vision at the outlines of a blonde in orange and a thin raven haired boy in green fighting the bastard with the mace.

Naruto…

"Ah, how ironic that he lands on sand. Your little friends fight for you huh? I didn't see that you had any in the dossier. Haha!"

Get up, young Gaara. This man, this fool, deserves to let your sand taste his blood. Give it to me!

Gaara grunted in pain, the headache returning in his left temple and growing stronger. He rubbed his palm over it, feeling the etchings of the tattoo he had carved in with his sand as a young boy. No, he mustn't let the bastard win. This bastard could never win. He rose a limp hand and began to release the chakra into the sand below him. The sand rose from the ground then drifted back onto the earth below him.

"Gaara!"Naruto shouted from nearby, jumping back from Suiko.

"Ha! You don't have any sand left to use. Bring out the Shukaku! I suppose the fight has left you to save that weak child. Maybe Hoki was right in suggesting we go after the other one he suggested..."

Gaara stiffened and felt his body shake, before shakily unfolding from the ground and ignoring Sakura's pleas. He moved forward, feeling the rage flow through his veins…

XXXXXX

Suiko whispered the last part, almost to himself before the feeling of a burning frost hit the skin of his face and nearly through his armor. Something felt amiss, something felt terribly wrong and dark.

It wasn't coming from the fools who had attacked him to defend Sabaku no Gaara, then who? He turned his attention to the direction of where the cold waves came from and the pleas of the pink haired medic erupted from. What were these fools bleating about now?

His eyes opened wide and he felt his body grow weak, the blood leaving his face. It was Gaara, the sand demon. He had stumbled forward, correcting himself, then rose his body upright to slowly move toward him like a wolf about to circle a lamb. Suiko felt something he had not felt in a long time, if ever. He felt fear, fear he had not ever felt in his long life.

Gaara's eyes were cold, the greenish blue now a sharp emerald surrounded by the haunting black color that circled his eyes. The angry red tattoo seemed to become the dark color of blood, blood that Suiko might be oozing out if he wasn't careful. The demon began to raise his arm upright, his small fist slowly closing tightly.

"You have nothing, no weapon, nothing!"Suiko shouted anxiously, the fear nearly closing his throat. His smug ego couldn't contain the fear now.

Then it happened.

The boy growled and punched his own face, on the right side of his face. Suiko gasped while the others near Gaara sucked in breaths of shock. Gaara's face did not even register pain or any reaction Suiko could decipher. The sharp eyes remained the same.

This Gaara did not even blink.

He did not blink an eyelash. Nothing. Nothing at all!

Then the sand crumbled from below his eye, the brown specks cracking and falling from his face like pieces from a jigsaw puzzle. There wasn't blood underneath, no signs of a wound from the fierce punch he had delivered to his OWN face.

"This is my weapon!"

Suiko barely registered the dark rumble of the boy's voice before a spear was formed from the boy's sand armor and thrown into his belly, cracking his armor and piercing flesh. He felt the spear pass through his organs and pierce through his back. The weapon felt like a light kiss, the pain quick before radiating through his stomach. He knew he was hemorrhaging when he fell on the ground, his knees hitting the grass.

His wavering vision focused on the demon as he slowly walked over to him before standing, legs apart and arms crossed. His hands gripped his arms and his body trembled.

My body…I am dying. What is he going to do? Oh gods, he is bending down to me…oh gods.

Sabaku no Gaara, the vessel of Shukaku, bent down on one knee and met Suiko's eyes. They were nearly eye level, piercing green eyes meeting dying grey ones. The boy closed his eyes tightly, a tick in his jaw and his temples pulsing before relaxing and slowly opening the dark lids. His eyes became blank dead slates once more and his body loose.

He reached an arm forward, one finger extended to Suiko's mouth where blood trickled.

Suiko watched in horror as the boy dipped a finger into the blood trailing down Suiko's chin and willed grains of sand to swirl through it before returning into his large gourd. But not before smelling it, his nostrils flaring and his body stilling. Suiko could have sworn it was as if the boy was waiting for some sort of approval…

"Your leader will not have her. Your blood pleases us."

Suiko frowned then felt life leave him, not able to understand the boy's last sentence and never having the chance to ever.

XXXXXXX

"Gaara!"

Sakura watched in near horror when Gaara had dipped his finger in the blood of the large enemy before snapping his head up and unfolding his body quickly.

"Matsuri…"He whispered out loud before looking at an object he brought forth from his sash then returned after a moment of silence.

He moved forward, barely hearing Naruto's shouts about going with him before both bounded off.

Sakura fell to the ground, barely caught in time by an exhausted Rock Lee. She looked at the ground, trying to focus on anything but the images of what just happened.

Think of flowers, training, Sasuke…well scratch that. Think of being in the hospital helping others, being in the fields or shopping with Ino and Hinata with Hinata's intense bodyguard close by.

Sakura froze then turned her body, looking back into the forest.

Oh gods, Hinata. He said her name when he was barely coherent and weak. He thought I was Hinata above him. Oh no, no, no, NO! Not good, Sakura. This shinobi with the strange armor must have goaded Gaara about her, that's the only conclusion I can deduce. This gang must be thinking of kidnapping her if he fails with his student.

Sakura frowned to herself and placed her hand under her chin.

But why go after Hinata for? How do they know about Hinata? Hyugas are a renowned clan among the nations for their kekkei genkai. That would make sense politically. Then…Gaara must have mentioned her or something. Why would he mention her? Why would they kidnap her to get to him? They mentioned capturing precious people close to him each day if...oh no. That could only mean one thing…

Sakura turned her head to Rock Lee and placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly and meeting his dark eyes.

"We gotta go, Lee. We need to meet up with our guys before the scouting team get to Naruto and Gaara. Quick!"

Lee nodded, his bandaged arms cradling around Sakura and lightly swooping her into his arms. She barely let out a squeak before slanting an eyebrow at him and frowning.

"You know I can walk right? This is serious, Lee!"

Lee smiled. "Yes, it is Sakura-chan but anything to rarely assist such a youthful and spirited lady is always much desired! Lets go!"

Sakura rolled his eyes at his wink and slapped his back, urging them forward after Gaara and Naruto.

Stupid Master Guy.

Hinata, please don't get there before all of us.

XXXXXXX

"There! I sense a shinobi carrying a child!" Hinata shouted tightly, her head turning towards Shikamaru.

Neji nodded to him in agreement before taking his spot near Hinata on the high tree branch above the ground.

Shikamaru looked over at the rest of the team, noticing the roughed up and dirty Sand Siblings had joined their party.

"Where is Gaara?"Both siblings yelled, anxiety and anger wrapped in their voices.

"The enemy is moving forward quickly, not too far ahead with Gaara's student. Gaara is no doubt following them. I sensed his chakra,"Neji replied dryly.

Temari swung her fan behind her and shared a long look with Shikamaru before he sighed and looked over his team slowly.

"We move forward then."

XXXXXX

Hoki bounded into the dead end of the sandy valley, his eyes scrutinizing the area before he chuckled to himself. He had to give himself credit. He did not expect it to go so well and this perfectly. He turned slowly as he heard the slow, weak footsteps of the only person who would follow him this far.

"This is as far as you go. Release Matsuri…"

Hoki smirked smugly. He had lead the young Gaara exactly where he wanted him. It did not matter that the rest of his team was dead. Only the final objective mattered to him. Priceless.

Hoki looked over Sabaku no Gaara, taking in his weakened and dusty appearance. He noted the drying tunic, the crack along his cheek, and the johyo he had briefly looked at before returning into his soaked sash. How…boring and sentimental. Hoki knew the johyo belonged to this girl, this Matsuri, and it puzzled him briefly. Hmmm…is this item of some precious worth to this little bloodthirsty creature….

"You look terrible. Am I really so cornered? Maybe you're the one cornered, little demon."

If the boy's pallor could become more ashen, then it did at the moment as his eyes flickered and his mouth moved silently.

"What?"

XXXXXX

"Byakugan!"

T-there, there. I s-see him a-and the enemy c-carrying his student. Gaara-san, your c-chakra is so low. I-I will g-get there i-in time!

Hinata came to a sudden halt, her sandals digging into the old wood of the branch she stood on. Pieces of wood fell from under her and nearly splintered, piercing her sandals. She felt Neji behind her, touching her arm that was braced against the trunk of the tree.

"What does she see? Spit it out?"Temari bellowed from nearby, hoisting her fan on her back and rubbing dirt from her pink face.

"Final enemy is cornered in a dead end valley. Gaara is with him! The student is also there. She seems unconscious. Naruto isn't far!"

Hinata felt her voice waver at first but forced strength into her soft tone. Neji's eyes flickered over her, forcing her to meet his own.

"Hinata…"

"Neji-nii-san, we must help them."Hinata whispered in a tight voice then looked over at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru nodded again and unfolded his his steepled hands, raising his crouched body from below the tree.

"Lets move forward! Sakura and Lee shouldn't be far behind."

Hinata felt her heart race, every step and jump a foot closer to Gaara and Naruto. She felt her eyes flicker and another pair of Hyuga eyes on her back drilling holes but she shrugged them off…barely. Right now, the team had a mission. Provide backup in whatever capacity.

She would not fail this mission.

I won't b-be a f-failure. Self-confidence! Gaara, we a-are all coming!

Gaara-san, I'm c-coming.

G-gaara, can you hear me?

I a-am so close…I w-will help you a-as you did f-for me.

Almost there.

XXXXXX

A/N: This is much belated and a bit short. I think the grammar and spelling as well as consistency are fine. Consistency is important! What will happen next? If you've seen the anime, specifically this arc, surprises are in store if you have. Read and review. Stay with me on this journey...its going to deviate greatly in most ways from the manga and anime. This story will hit its M rating with Gaara and Hinata moving into their teenage years.