Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
AN: Gaara makes an appearance and joins the group. =D
"Zabuza-sama, we're being followed."
"I know, Haku. We have been since we crossed the border into Kaze no Kuni."
Naruko glances behind her and stops suddenly. Zabuza, Haku, and Kimimaro stop running and spin to look at her.
"What are you doing, gaki?"
"The person following us is lonely and sad. I think he's like me."
"How do you know it's a he?"
"Because I saw him. He hid behind that sand dune when I looked back."
Zabuza pulls Kubikiribōchō off his back and advances on the sand dune.
"Come out now or I'll use your blood to repair my sword."
A redheaded boy sticks his head out from behind the sand dune.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been following you, but Mother said that girl is like me."
Naruko smiles grimly and runs over to the boy.
"I knew it. You're a jinchuriki too, aren't you?"
Zabuza almost drops his sword at Naruko's words. Haku and Kimimaro look up at Zabuza in confusion.
"What's a jinchuriki?"
"A human who has had a bijū sealed inside of them. It is incredibly rare to find one outside of their village. The boy must be the Ichibi jinchuriki, but I'm not sure which bijū is sealed inside of Naruko."
"The Kyūbi, dattebayo."
"The Kyūbi is sealed inside of you."
"Hai, the Yondaime Hokage sealed it inside of me the day I was born."
"The Yondaime Hokage? Why don't you call him Tou-san?"
Naruko tilts her head and a confused look appears on her face.
"Why would I?"
"He was married to the only Uzumaki woman in Konoha which makes it extremely likely that he's your father and Uzumaki Kushina is undoubtedly your mother."
"Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were my parents. My own father made me a jinchuriki. I hate him. He's the reason I've been treated horribly my whole life."
Gaara steps closer to Naruko and smiles sadly at her.
"My father did the same to me and now he's trying to kill me because he thinks I'm a failure as a jinchuriki."
"Then come with us, Gaara."
"Really? You'll let me come with you."
"Hai. Right, Zabuza-san?"
Zabuza nods and grins below the bandages on his face.
"You're welcome to come with. You will be required to train just as hard as the rest to make yourself useful."
Gaara nods frantically at Zabuza's words, then he looks at Naruko.
"Would my siblings be allowed to come with as well?"
"Are they here?"
"No, they're back in the village."
"Then they can't come. It's too risky for us to go near your village, gaki."
"My name is Gaara, not gaki."
Zabuza nods, then he turns and heads for the border.
"We'll board a ship at the nearest port. We're heading for the ruins of Uzushiogakure."
"Uzushiogakure? What's that?"
"It was the home of the Uzumaki clan. It was the true first hidden village, no matter what Konoha claims. Senju Hashirama stole the idea of a village of allied clans from his wife's home."
Naruko, Gaara, Haku, and Kimimaro listen intently to Zabuza as they follow him. Zabuza leads the four children across the border and into Hi no Kuni. Naruko glares at everything that moves as she walks.
"I hate being in Hi no Kuni. Who knows where a Konoha shinobi could be lurking. There are too many hiding places here, dattebayo."
"We'll be out of here soon enough, Naruko."
"Good."
Gaara quickens his pace to walk next to Naruko and she glances at him before returning her attention to scanning their surroundings for any Konoha ninja.
"Why did you leave Konoha, Naruko?"
"The villagers hated me and used to have fox hunts every year on my birthday. I was thrown out of the orphanage when I turned two and was living on the streets. Leaving was not hard for me. There was nobody in that hellhole that I cared about. Quite honestly, I would level that place if I could."
Gaara frowns and falls silent.
"What about your family, Naruko-chan?"
"My parents died the day I was born and if I have any other family, they've never been around. I don't really care if I have any relatives. If they cared about me at all, they would have been there for me."
Haku smiles sadly and falls silent. The group travels in silence until they reach the small port village.
"There's the boat we're taking."
Zabuza leads the four children onto the boat and into a cabin before laying down on one of the bunks.
"Get some sleep. It will take us a few days to reach the ruins."
Naruko, Haku, and Kimimaro spread out across the floor and stare at the ceiling before the rocking of the boat lulls them into sleep. Gaara remains seated at the table and makes sculptures with his sand. Zabuza frowns, but remains silent and makes a mental note to get a fuinjutsu master to look at Gaara's seal before rolling over and closing his eyes, falling asleep within minutes.