A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I last updated this, but a lot has been going on lately. My dad went in for surgery to try and get rid of the MRSA infection in his system and now they're just trying to drain the last of it from his system. He won't be out for a while, so keep him in your thoughts.

For your guys' information, Kimi's Ice Prision Jutsu is like a...genin level jutsu whereas the one she uses later is more of a Jonin level jutsu which is why it had the effect it did. She is a very powerful ninja, as are Yui and Ji. Anyway, just thought I'd let you guys know that. Read and review, much love,

-Kit

-Kimi-

I glared at Sasuke as I crouched infront of Gaara.

"Kimiko!"

I heard Temari shout in surprise, but didn't look away from Sasuke who was looking at me in shock before narrowing his eyes and glaring at me as if that would intimidate me. He took a step forward and I threw a kunai at him and it landed inches from his foot making him stop and look up at me.

"Don't even think about it Sasuke."

I said and he smirked at me before taking another step forward. I growled at him and pulled a kunai and held it tightly in my hand.

"Do you really think you're a match for me?"

He asked with a smirk as he took another step closer.

"That depends."

I said and he looked at me curiously.

"On what?"

He asked and I smirked at him.

"If you think you're a match for me."

I said before charging at him.

-Gaara-

I watched as Kimiko charged at Sasuke and they engaged in battle. He'd activated his Sharingan, but it didn't seem to be of any help to him. Kimiko knocked him back into a tree and he glared at her before kicking off from the tree and launching himself at her. She tried to block him, but he knocked her to the ground and pressed a kunai to her throat.

"Kimiko!"

I heard my sister yell, but couldn't look away from the two people infront of me. Just when I was about to send my sand to help her Sasuke cried out and jumped away from her. I saw her get to her feet and rub at her throat where he'd held the kunai to and smirk up at Sasuke who was crouched in a tree holding his left arm. I noticed it was a dark shade of blue, almost purple.

"What the hell did she do to it?"

I heard Kankuro ask, but ignored it when they charged at each other. I saw Kimi do some hand signs and the next thing I know Sasuke is suddenly encased in ice from the neck down.

"The fuck...?"

Sasuke asked and Kimi laughed as she walked closer. She drew a kunai and lifted it to Sasuke's neck and made him tilt his head back.

"Stop acting, I know you're a clone."

She said before stabbing Sasuke in the throat only to prove it was in fact a substitution.

'But when did he…?'

'When he was in the tree.'

Shukaku answered my unspoken question and my eyes widened a bit when I realized he was right.

"Now you're mine."

I heard someone say from behind me and turned to see Sasuke right behind me with a kunai in hand. He drew his hand back before thrusting it forward to stab me, I was too low on chakra to use my sand to block him. I waited for the pain of the blade piercing through my skin, but there was suddenly a white blur and my eyes widened along with Sasuke's when I saw Kimi standing between me and Sasuke, the kunai he'd meant for me embedded in her stomach.

"Kimiko!"

Temari yelled and Sasuke jumped back.

"You're an idiot. Why protect him? He attacked Sakura and he's from another village."

He said to Kimi who just laughed as she wrapped her hand around the hilt of the kunai in her stomach.

"It's simple really."

She said before her face scrunched up in pain as she pulled the kunai out and threw it to the ground. She lifted her head and stared at Sasuke with determination the only emotion on her face.

"I protect those I hold dear, even at the cost of my life."

She said and I blinked and she suddenly disappeared. I looked around the clearing to try and find her, but she was gone. I suddenly heard her voice fill the clearing.

"Freeze, Ice Plain Jutsu!"

She shouted before suddenly dropping from one of the trees and slamming her hand into the ground. I watched as ice seemed to come out of nowhere and cover the entire clearing, but it seemed to go around me. I looked over at my siblings to see the ground around them was left alone as well.

'She has remarkable control over her ice.'

I thought as I watched as she did a hand sign I recognized from our fight as her Ice Clone jutsu. Suddenly, ice shot up from the ground and slowly formed complete duplicates of Kimi. All three drew kunai before rushing as Sasuke. He dodged the first one, but the other two caught him from behind and forced him to the ground. The two clones held him down while Kimi stood over him and signed something I'd never seen before.

"Frozen Prison Jutsu!"

She said when she'd finished signing and spears of ice shot out of the ground to form a type of spiked cage all around Sasuke.

"Let me out of here!"

He cried from inside and I heard him trying to break through the ice, but it didn't do any kind of damage. Kimi's clones disappeared and the ice covering the ground slowly receded except for the bit surrounding Sasuke's prison. I noticed she seemed a little unsteady as she walked towards me and caught her as she started to fall.

"Kimiko!"

Temari and Kankuro shouted as they ran over to us.

"Is she alright?"

Kankuro asked and I looked at Kimi's face before looking down at her stomach. She was bleeding heavily from the wound she'd gotten by protecting me from Sasuke.

"I'm not sure, but we need to bandage her wound."

I said as I laid her on the ground. Temari used a kunai to cut Kimi's shirt up to her ribs, then started to bandage her wound. She winced when Temari applied pressure, but otherwise didn't make a sound.

"There. It's not much, but it'll hold until she can get back to the village and get someone to look at it."

Temari said as she stood up. She looked back at Konoha before looking down at me and Kankuro as we knelt next to Kimi.

"We should get going."

She said and I glared up at her.

"What about Kimi?"

Kankuro asked and Temari sighed.

"We can't take her with us, it'd be considered kidnapping of another village's ninja."

She said and I frowned, but I knew she was right.

"Alright then, let's-"

I said as I got to my feet, but stopped when I felt something grab my leg. I looked down to see Kimi had a hold of my leg, but she was unconscious. I could feel that that last jutsu had drained a great deal of her chakra.

'It would appear that she doesn't want you to leave her.'

Shukaku said and I frowned.

'But I can't take her with us.'

I said and saw him frown from inside my mind.

'She just risked her life to save yours. Are you really just going to leave her here, bleeding and wounded for some random Sand or Sound ninja to find and kill? She has told us on several occasions that we are someone she holds dear, are you trying to tell me she isn't someone you care about and hold dear as well?'

He asked and I couldn't help but mentally smile at his logic. Without another word I bent down and picked her up bridal style. Her head rested on my shoulder and I could feel her breath on my neck.

"Gaara, what are you doing?"

Kankuro asked, but I ignored him and jumped up into the trees. I heard my siblings follow.

"Gaara…"

Temari said and I sighed.

"I'm not going to leave her."

I said as we made our way towards Suna. It looked like Temari was going to argue, but she stopped and just nodded. I looked down at Kimi as she slept in my arms. I couldn't help but want to smile at the feel of her so close, then the fact that she had just risked her life to protect my own made me realize just how dear I held her to my heart. Without me even realizing it I'd grown to care for her. I'd let her in close to my heart even after the betrayal I'd gone through the last time I let someone close. But she was different than the others. Kankuro and Temari understood and cared for me because we were family. Naruto didn't hate me because he was like me and knew what it was like to be hated and alone. But Kimi, she had a past just like mine. She knew what it was like to be feared for something she couldn't control. To be hated for existing just because of what resided within you. She had managed to connect with me on a whole nother level that no one else had and I wanted to protect her and keep her safe for it. I didn't want to lose her now that she'd gotten so close. I loved her.