It had already been several hours, but there was nothing.
Kakashi's team hadn't taken long to catch up to him, each of them expressing their worry in their own ways. They didn't waste any time starting their search once they'd caught up.
Their team had split up, and each person was paired with two of Kakashi's Ninken. They searched for a while, met back at a common point, moved forward, searched some more, each in separate directions. They covered as much ground as they could, hoping that at least one of the Ninken or Shinobi would detect any sign of Kumiko or her kidnapper.
Kakashi was panicking, to say the least. He did a damn good job hiding just how bad it was, but it didn't take a Yamanaka to read his thoughts.
He tried to push it to the side as much as he could. If he panicked, he might miss something. He can't afford to be unobservant again, not right now. It had already caused enough issues.
But as much as he tried to ignore these emotions, every second that passed with Kumiko's condition unknown was agonising. Every minute that passed was another minute where Kumiko could be killed, or tortured, or worse.
He didn't want to think of it. He didn't want to think of the possibility that if - when - he finally found Kumiko, she would be just another lifeless body. He'd seen enough of the people he cares about like that.
He hoped, prayed, begged that the world wouldn't be so cruel. That the Gods wouldn't take yet another one of his important people away from him far too early in their lives.
No. Stop. Now's not the time to be thinking about such things. Right now, he needs to focus solely on finding her…alive.
The moment Kumiko was released and fell to the sandy ground, she was suddenly surrounded by a vortex of sand. She couldn't see much of anything anymore.
She got up and prepared herself to start running away, but before she moved herself, a hand grabbed her wrist and started quickly dragging her away. She could barely keep up with the person who had grabbed her, but she tried her best not to fall nonetheless.
She wasn't sure if this person was another kidnapper, or if they were trying to help her. For now, all she could do was try to stay on her feet, prepared to run away the moment her wrist is released, or the moment she deems this person a threat.
She's not the best judge of character, admittedly. She didn't know enough people to know the signs of untrustworthiness. She knew Kakashi, and she knew his team. She'd become acquainted with some of the other shinobi in the village too. But all of them she knew she could trust, only because she trusted Kakashi and his judgement. If he said that loud green guy was good, she would believe him.
The inability to quickly decide for herself if someone is trustworthy could result in an even worse situation than the one she was already in. What if this person was worse than the previous one? What if they were actually nice?
She didn't know, so she decided to just follow for now. At the very least, this person might know their way through all of this sand.
Moving as quickly as they were, Kumiko found herself stumbling over piles of sand often. The environment below her feet felt unusual to her, and she couldn't help her mild clumsiness when she hadn't even been able to adjust herself to it before being forced to rush through it.
It wasn't too long until Kumiko could finally see around her again, without the sand blocking her view. Behind her, the sand was still chaotically swirling in the air, but she was out of it now.
Being able to finally see, she looked at the person who had brought her out. They had already let go of her, and they turned to face her.
It was a woman. Kumiko isn't quite sure how old she was. An adult, definitely, but she didn't look as old and wrinkly as a really old person. She had black hair tied neatly in a bun to keep it out of the way, and brown eyes.
Most notable was the expression she wore on her face. Disgust. Hatred. Anger. Fear? Kumiko wasn't quite sure, but it was clear that this woman was not happy.
"To think I'd have to deal with this even now." She said to herself in an exasperated tone, hand on her forehead as she faced the sky, eyes closed. She really didn't want to deal with any of it, and she cursed the heavens for her misfortune.
Then she looked back at Kumiko, wearing the same negative emotions from a moment ago as she almost glares at the child.
"You're away from that woman now. I suggest you find somewhere to hide and try not to get caught again."
When Kumiko fully acknowledged that this person had, in fact, saved her from her kidnapper, she was glad. "Thank you." She thanked, but the woman just gave her a nasty look. For some reason, it made Kumiko's heart start beating faster in her chest, and she couldn't help but wonder why.
The woman sneered. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it out of concern for you." The woman sighed, clearly frustrated before she continued, each word feeling like a needle stabbing Kumiko's heart.
"It would be the end if the demon got loose. If it did, I wouldn't be safe here anyway. In the first place, it's all because of you and that damn demon that the village got destroyed. I don't intend to have my life ruined again because of something like you. I don't want to be associated with you. Leave, and don't come near this area again, demon child."
It was her fault? Her village… it was destroyed because of her?
Deep down, Kumiko had already realised it. She wasn't as clueless as one might think.
Her seal. There are people who want whatever it is that is in her seal, and they would kill, have killed, for it. If she hadn't been around, maybe her village wouldn't have gotten destroyed.
She didn't like to think about the memory, but it still haunted her. She saw it sometimes when she slept, those times where she wasn't sent to that forest. She knew that she was being chased. She knew that there were people who died to help her get away.
No. To help whatever was inside her get away.
But she didn't like to acknowledge it, the fact it was all her fault.
That woman in her memory (Yuriko, she faintly recalled, though the name held little meaning to her still) had only suffered, been cruelly murdered, because of Kumiko. The people who were buried under the buildings, the ones who had been left in pieces… All of them suffered that fate because of Kumiko.
She hadn't wanted to think about it, to acknowledge it. It was too much for her. So now, having it forced into her mind by a woman, another victim of Kumiko's misfortune, she could no longer ignore it.
Kumiko was left standing there, unable to move, as the woman turned and left without another word.
She was overwhelmed, and she felt trapped inside her mind. So many emotions were swirling around right now: Guilt, regret, sadness, anxiety, fear, panic because what if she could no longer find her way back to Konoha? What if she never saw Kakashi again? What if other people suffered because of her?
She was brought out of her thoughts just before she completely broke down by a sudden voice, one that was accompanied by two vaguely familiar faces.
They had been on patrol just outside their village, just a routine check to ensure there were no immediate threats nearby.
Considering the risk of an impending sandstorm that day, they were the ones that were sent. After all, they were some of the best at navigating the Land of Wind's environment. If anyone could get through the sandstorm, it would surely be two of the most trusted jonin in Sunagakure (even if their appointment to the rank was newer than most).
They weren't very far outside the village, nearing the edge of the sandstorm that had started a bit ago, when they heard a voice. The woman's voice was loud, and clearly upset. Because of its volume, the words could be clearly heard by the two before they got near enough to be seen.
"-because of you and that damn demon that the village got destroyed. I don't intend to have my life ruined again because of something like you. I don't want to be associated with you. Leave, and don't come near this area again, demon child."
'Demon'?
They couldn't ignore it. In the first place, they had to see who would be foolish enough to be so close to the sandstorm in case they were a threat, or perhaps lost. But they also needed to know what they meant by 'demon'.
It's not like Temari and Kankuro haven't heard people being called 'demon child' or some variation of the insult before. Their own village was guilty of spewing such words against their youngest sibling (and regrettably, they were guilty of it as well in the past).
By the time they actually got to the scene, the woman was already walking away. They didn't bother with the woman in favour of the child standing before them.
To say they were surprised would be an understatement. After all, it's not like either of them expected to see a child they met in Konoha to be in the Land of Wind. Especially without any signs of Konoha shinobi around.
"Isn't that the kid that was with Naruto last time we went to Konoha?" Kankuro quietly asked Temari, as if to confirm he wasn't just misremembering or perhaps seeing things.
Temari nodded, in thought. "Naruto said Kakashi was supposed to be looking after her, but I don't see him anywhere." She mentioned. Of course, Kankuro had already realised this as well.
Wordlessly, they agreed that they should approach her and try to figure out the situation.
"Hey. Aren't you that kid from Konoha?" Temari asked when they had gotten close enough. She knew the answer, but she hoped the question would also help this child recognise them as well.
The girl seemed startled, as if she had just been brought out of her thoughts. She turned to face the siblings, and Temari was glad there was a look of recognition in her eyes. If she remembers correctly, the child seemed reluctant to be around people she didn't know. When they were in Konoha, the child had been clinging to Naruto the whole time since he was the only seemingly trusted person around.
The girl took a bit to process Temari's question, likely because she had been deep in thought before. When she understood what had been said, she nodded her head. She seemed hesitant, but it was likely because of the unfamiliar environment. Or perhaps something else? Temari just hoped it wasn't a lack of trust, because that would only make everything so much more troublesome.
"What are you doing here? Is someone with you?" Kankuro asked. This time, the girl processed the question much quicker, giving a response in the form of shaking her head 'no'.
Neither sibling knew what they should do. The child didn't seem to want to talk much, if her silent responses were anything to go by. And what the woman before had shouted bothered them as well.
It was evident that they probably wouldn't get very far like this, and they both seemed to come to the same conclusion.
"Come on. We'll bring you back to Sunagakure for now." Temari told her. When the girl nodded to show she accepted after a moment of hesitation and consideration, the two turned around to start leading her back to the village.
They had barely walked a few steps when they noticed the girl seeming to express hesitation, as if she had something she wanted to ask, but she was afraid to. Kankuro was the first to understand. He silently opened his hand, as if inviting the child. She gladly accepted and wrapped her tiny hand around his. She didn't want to be separated. It made sense, especially considering how she clung to Naruto's hand when they'd last seen her.
It didn't take them long to get to the village, considering it wasn't very far away. They were progressing quite slowly though, since the girl could only walk so fast on her tiny legs.
As they were walking through one of the more populated areas in Suna, Temari found herself getting increasingly annoyed by how slowly they were walking, especially since so many of the people noticed them, and they all expressed their curiosity of the situation in whispered tones.
And so, eventually, she decided she didn't want to move slowly anymore. She (carefully) picked the child up off the ground and carried her as she started moving quicker. The quicker they got to the Kazekage building, the sooner they could figure out what in the name of hell was going on, and why this child was here instead of safely within the walls of Konoha.
With that, the journey to the Kazekage building was much, much quicker.
Gaara hadn't expected an eventful day. Yeah, maybe there would be a sandstorm somewhere outside the village, but that's hardly a rare event. But what else was there? There were no wars going on right now, and now that the village no longer has a bijuu, it's not like the Akatsuki are likely to show up.
Gaara's glad for it, honestly. An uneventful day means that there are no bad events to worry about, and it was quite peaceful. Of course, there are things he still has to deal with, but none of it unexpected. None of it new.
And so, when he heard someone knock on the door to his office, he didn't expect to see Temari and Kankuro on the other side. And especially didn't expect to see a child with them.
It didn't take him long to recognise the child. (What did Naruto say her name was again? Kumiko?) It was because he recognised the child that he became increasingly confused and concerned. From what he'd heard, Kakashi was supposed to be in charge of watching over the girl, but considering the fact that Temari is the one carrying her, he's not around at the moment.
Did something happen to Konoha?
"What happened?" He decided to ask his older siblings as they walked in the room, Temari placing the girl back on the ground.
"We found her just outside the village. She didn't seem to be with anyone from Konoha, so we brought her back here." Temari answered.
"Why are you here?" Gaara asked the girl.
She seemed upset, and thinking about how to answer the question, she seemed even more so. "The bad woman grabbed me, and then there was sand everywhere, and now I don't know where I am…" The girl answered. She seemed on the brink of tears, as if there was only a thin barrier holding back the emotional overflow.
'The bad woman grabbed me'? Was she kidnapped? This realisation didn't take long, and Gaara knew he needed to do something immediately. "Temari, have a message sent to Konoha to let them know she's here." He said urgently. Temari nodded and left, clearly also concerned. Considering Kankuro's shared look of surprise, neither of them knew this.
"When we found her, there was a woman there as well. It seems she probably helped her get away from the kidnapper, because she left without issue before we arrived." Kankuro reported. He then seemed to think for a moment, deciding how he was going to say the next part.
"She mentioned something about a demon, and her village being destroyed." He then hesitated briefly before he concluded. "She called her a 'demon child'."
This caught Gaara's attention. If he knew anything, it was that 'demon child' was a nickname reserved for people with… special circumstances. People like him. People like Naruto. People who were shunned by their village, and by the people around them. More often than not, it was a title used when there was some kind of other entity involved. Could that mean… But no…
Gaara found himself a bit confused. A demon who destroyed the village, presumably one that had something to do with this child… The only beings he's heard to be genuinely referred to as 'demon' were bijuu, but it's unlikely this child could be a jinchuuriki. Aren't all of the bijuu already accounted for?
As he was thinking, he noticed the increasingly sad look on the child's face, as if the barrier holding back her emotions was about to collapse. And for some reason, he felt as though he should comfort her. He wasn't sure why.
Gaara wasn't the most social of people, certainly not someone that understands how to comfort others. He's just not great at understanding people in general, and he doesn't know what he's supposed to say, to do, to help someone cheer up.
But yet, he finds himself wanting to try. Could it be because of the possibility that this child is also someone like him? Someone who had been hated by their village for something they never chose to have?
He thought that maybe the child was still just scared from what had happened. She was kidnapped after all. Surely that must have been terrifying, and she was probably missing Konoha now.
"It's alright. You're safe now, and someone should be coming to bring you back to Konoha soon." He tried saying to comfort the girl. She nodded, acknowledging his words, but she seemed just as sad as before.
Was that not it?
"Are you upset because of what that woman called you?" He asked. When the girl looked down, he got his answer. He couldn't just let the issue go. Naruto wouldn't. If this girl went through a similar situation to him, is it not up to him now that he's out of that hell to help her through it?
He walked over to her and knelt in front of her to be closer to her height while he spoke. "You don't have to believe what she said. You're not a demon child." He reassured. She didn't seem to believe him.
And then, the barrier collapsed and the girl could no longer hold back her tears. It made Gaara's heart ache.
"It's all my fault." The girl cried. "Because of me, everyone got killed. Everything is broken because of me. Because of my seal. It's all my fault." So she does have a seal.
But what exactly happened? Who got killed? What is 'broken'? "What happened?" Gaara asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.
"The bad men attacked the village because of me and my seal, and everyone died and it was all on fire, and destroyed and…-" The girl had to stop because of her tears. "It's all my fault." She repeated again after her short break.
"You know, in the past I caused a lot of problems for my village, and a lot of people ended up hurt. I used to have a seal as well, and I used the power from it to cause a lot of harm… It wasn't until I met Naruto that I changed." Kumiko looked up at him, listening to his story. "You're not the one at fault for what happened to your village. It's the fault of the people who actually attacked it. Unlike what I did, you did not destroy your village."
Kumiko still looked hesitant to believe him. "But it's only because of me that they attacked…" Her voice and expression were full of guilt. It was clear she genuinely felt responsible.
"They were the ones who chose to attack. It's not like you wanted them to. No matter who your village chose to carry the seal, they would have attacked. And it's not your fault that you have the seal in the first place. It's your village that chose to have you carry it."
Kumiko was just looking at Gaara. Although the tears continued to fall from her eyes, she was ignoring them. Because… well, she can't find anything wrong with what he said.
But… is it really okay to believe that?
So many people had suffered during the attack… was it really okay to believe that it wasn't her fault? Is she allowed to not feel the guilt eating away at her? Truely?
Gaara was relieved when Kumiko's crying started to calm down. He wasn't sure his words would be effective, but he was glad it worked. He had wished he'd had someone to tell him it's not his fault he had to suffer the fate of being a jinchuuriki, and he was glad he was able to provide that support for a child in a similar situation.
"We'll have to find somewhere for you to stay until Konoha is able to come here." Gaara said as he stood up. He was going to walk back to his desk, but he was stopped when he felt something grab the sleeve of his shirt.
Kankuro, who was still standing there, suppressed a laugh as Gaara looked at the child with a confused expression. "I don't think she wants to leave you." He commented.
And it was true. Until Kakashi shows up, or someone comfortable from Konoha, Kumiko doesn't want to be separated from Gaara. So far, he's the most comfortable person in Suna, especially since he's like her. Or, was, anyway.
But, in the end, it worked out anyway. Somehow, someone had managed to kidnap her from Konoha. Gaara knows that that would not be an easy feat since Konoha is well protected. Surely, the kidnapper would want to find a chance to take her again, especially now that Gaara knows that Kumiko was likely targeted specifically because of her seal, and whatever resides within it.
He's the Kazekage. It's not likely anyone would be foolish enough to try kidnapping this child if she's with him. And if they did, he was sure he'd be able to take care of them. It was likely the only reason they'd managed to get her before was because they were unexpected. But Gaara expects them. He's not going to let them have what they want.
Not long after it was decided Kumiko would stay by Gaara's side while she's in Suna, Kankuro left. Gaara arranged to send him and another team to try to find the woman who kidnapped Kumiko in the first place. The girl had given them a description, and although it was fairly general (dark hair, blue eyes, mean look), they were sure there weren't going to be many others out right now anyway.
Gaara felt increasingly unsure about his decision to look after Kumiko for the few days it would take for people from Konoha to show up. He wasn't very good with people in general, so it's understandable that he's probably not much good with kids either. And it's not like he had a normal childhood of his own that he could reference.
He was glad, though, that Kumiko didn't seem to need much. As long as she had food, water, a place to sleep, and someone by her side, she was fine.
It had been more than half a day after Kumiko's disappearance when the message arrived.
Tsunade had been worried when one of the bird's from Suna suddenly showed up, and she had hoped it didn't mean there was some kind of emergency in Suna. Right now, she isn't sure she can afford to deal with more than one emergency.
But when the decoded message was brought to her, she became instantly glad for it. She immediately had a message sent to Kakashi's team, and she also had a notice sent to the other teams to let them know they can stop searching.
Kakashi and his team had just met in a spot in the center of their paths. It was when they were about to move on to continue their search that they got the message.
Kumiko is in Suna.
Kakashi was beyond relieved to know that at least she would be safe there. He started running in the direction of the Land of Wind almost immediately, his team following behind him. He wants to get there as soon as possible. He has to see with his own eye that Kumiko is alright. It would take a few days, unfortunately, but he can feel assured that she'll be there when he arrives.
It had been a few days since Kumiko was found in Suna. She was sitting in Gaara's office with Gaara when they heard a knock at the door.
Now, hearing a knock at the door was common, as Kumiko had found out, but this one was different. There was a noticeable sense of…urgency? Anxiety? Kumiko wasn't quite sure.
Gaara had barely said the words to invite them inside when the door swung open, quickly but carefully because it's bad manners to damage doors in other nations.
The second Kumiko saw the ever so familiar silver hair, she immediately got up and ran to give Kakashi a hug. He had crouched to be closer to her height so he could welcome the hug. When he stood up, he was carrying Kumiko.
The two were beyond overjoyed to be together again. Kakashi was glad, so glad, that Kumiko was alright. And Kumiko was happy she would be able to be with Kakashi again. Even if she felt comfortable with Gaara, Kakashi would always be the person to provide her the most comfort. To make her feel the most safe, and the least alone.
As Gaara watched the interaction, he couldn't help but think. Different than his own, different than Naruto's, is this another path someone like them could take?
Author's Note:
This chapter is a bit longer! I would like to say it's to compensate for the short chapter last time, but honestly it's just because I was so close tot he conclusion of this part that I decided I could fit it all in this chapter!
I'm sorry that I didn't go into much detail about Gaara's time babysitting a child. I just really felt like it didn't quite fit with the chapter. Please let me know if I should make a small bonus one-shot of what happened during those three days! If you guys would be interested in reading it, I would be glad to try to write it!
So, I almost had this chapter posted last night... I was so close to finishing it, but it was already almost 4 am and I had class today, so I decided I should go to bed. I had a bit of time this morning, before class, and I was able to finish writing the chapter, but I had no time to edit and post it! So now, it's night and I'm finally able to publish this part!
I hope you all enjoyed! Bye!