Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 31

Minoko was bored. She shouldn't complain since she was the one here the shortest amount of time, but she was used to exploring the village with Gaara, reading new book every other day, talking with her daddy, seeing new villages and countries on missions (even if the missions weren't pleasant). She was just bored. She really wished there was something that would change things up a bit. Maybe a new game or a new book. Though Hotoka would probably call dibs first on the book, but she'd get to it after he was done.

Minoko sighed and looked around the meager cell. They didn't have beds, which she had gotten used to. There were threadbare blankets tossed throughout the cell that people used and a pile of 'pillows' which were almost as hard as the ground itself stacked in the corner for them to use. There was a small area blocked off from view that had a toilet for them. Luckily it didn't stink and actually worked well. She was happy they even got toilet paper to use.

They got a 'bath' once a week which consisted of a cloth and a bucket of water that they all shared. It got rid of the worst of the sweat, but she never really felt clean. The guys would get heavily supervised moments with a razor to shave their beards once a month. The women weren't granted the same consideration for their legs, but that was par the course. Minoko was told that they were even stingy with monthly sanitary products for the women, so it could get uncomfortable and lead to rashes from not changing a pad for longer than recommended. At least they didn't use tampons and risk getting toxic shock syndrome. Minoko learned more about women's health and puberty than she wanted during that conversation and wasn't looking forward to that when she got older.

Minoko looked at the guard on duty. He looked as bored as she felt. He was new and had replaced the previous guard on duty about five days early. Not that she blamed the higher ups for switching them out so soon. She almost got the previous guard to let her out.

Minoko smirked at the thought, even though she was disappointed it didn't work. Shisha and the others came up with the plan one day out of boredom and hope. She just waited for a new rotation of guards, forced a few tears and asked the guard where her mommy was.

"Where am I?" she had said, "I just followed a nice shinobi down here. I didn't mean to be sneaky, but then I ended up locked in here and can't get out. Can you help me?" The guard caved and opened the cell almost instantly with no questions about how she could have possibly gotten locked in a cell in the first place. Unfortunately for her, that's when another guard came down early to give them lunch and busted her. The guard was reprimanded and told to look at her wrists. She had chakra cuffs and was supposed to be in the cell. Granted, she was wearing a long sleeved shirt, so he couldn't see them anyways, but still.

Minoko huffed. So close to freedom. So close to seeing her daddy and Gaara again. Now guards were purposefully told about her when they got there so it couldn't happen again.

Minoko flopped on her back and stared at the ceiling, counting the cracks for the umpteenth time. The others were playing a round of cards. Shisha got roped into the game and was laughing at Muni losing yet another round. He really had no luck with the game, yet he was always the first at the 'table' to play. Minoko smiled at the banter.

Even bored, she was still happy enough with her cellmates. She still didn't really pay much attention to the prisoners in other cells on this level. She knew their faces, but not their names or stories. She'd probably start asking soon. She felt kinda guilty for not doing so even though most people kept to their own groups too.

The dynamic between the other in her cell was interesting. Muni, like usual, got on well with just about everyone and could carry a conversation with ease.

Saki was similar, but had an aura of peace about her that seemed to come with age. Even though she wasn't too old, she was the oldest of the group and that made her feel like she needed to be the mediator and mature person in some situations.

Ganjou was usually seen practicing his katas or meekly asking Koumi for a song. He seemed the most interested in the arts out of all the others in the cell and would listen to tales or songs from the beautiful woman as long as she wanted to perform.

Koumi obliged often and smiled whenever someone requested a song. She said it felt like she still had a purpose, even trapped where she was.

Hotoka and Mia were an interesting pair. You could often hear them bickering over the smallest slight. It never devolved into a physical altercation, but sometimes their arguments needed to be broken up by an exasperated Saki.

Shisha, despite her young age, was the mother hen of the group. It wasn't only Minoko she spoiled with attention. She tried to make sure everyone was doing well and would pull people into conversations when they seemed to be getting down or frustrated. Minoko loved listening to her talk. She almost always seemed to know what to say.

She kind of wished Shisha wasn't busy with the card game so she could come talk with her, but she also didn't want to join the game at the moment either.

Minoko sighed again in boredom.

"Hey Mako, how's guard duty treating you?"

Minoko raised her head from her position on the ground and watched a shinobi talking to her current guard. Mako apparently.

"Uhg, its torture man. Nothing happens. People here are so calm it's almost disappointing! I think I'd rather be in Sector C or D. At least there I could break up a fight or something!"

The shinobi chuckled, "I hear you. Sector A almost never has drama from what I've heard. But hey, this isn't really a social call. Sorry. Got a guy from the Daimyo's palace coming in to discuss trade routes. Boss knows he likes brunettes, so I need to see what I can come up with, you know?"

Minoko stiffened up at the mention of the Daimyo and scrambled to sit up and move towards Shisha and the guys. This had happened a few times since she had been there, but it still left a bad taste in her mouth.

Mako sighed and stood up. He followed the impatient looking shinobi down a couple feet before he stopped and looked in their cell. "Well, I don't really want to look too hard, but there's a couple brunettes in here. It'll work." Minoko's heart leapt into her throat as she was quickly shoved behind Muni. She heard keys jangling and looked around Muni's leg to see Mako opening the cell door and brandishing a kunai while the shinobi walked into the cell. He made a straight shot to Shisha and grabbed her arm and dragged her up from her spot of the ground, "Let's go."

"No!" Minoko shouted as she tried to get around Muni. The large man grabbed her around the waist as she tried to kick and scream to get to the woman that acted like a calming presence. Like a mother. "No you can't take her! Please!"

"Minoko, its ok sweetheart. Stay there. I love you, don't forget that, ok. I love-" The shinobi knocked her out and heaved her onto his shoulder while Minoko was still flailing in Muni's grip, tears streaming down her face as protests left her lips. No one listened to her pleas. No one did anything.

"Shisha!"

She didn't even register the cell closing again. All she could see was the disappearing back of the shinobi and her guardian hanging off his shoulder. "Shisha!"

Mako sat back down. Through her tears she could hear him mutter, "At least it broke up some of the monotony I guess. Could do without the screeching though."

Muni physically turned her around and pulled her into a nearly crushing hug. Minoko clutched his shirt and cried. She was gone. Shisha was gone. She wasn't coming back and no one did anything to stop it. She was angry. Angry and sad and she just wanted to…to…

Her small fists released Muni's shirt and she started hitting him. He let her punch his chest repeatedly, not even making a sound in protest as the hits probably made bruises where they landed. After several minutes she gave up hitting him and slumped to the ground in a pile of exhausted tears. She was so sick of crying. She was so sick of things and people being taken away constantly. Wasn't she already punished enough? Weren't they all already punished enough? Why was this happening?

She barely registered Koumi gathering her into her arms and humming gently.

"You're ok Minoko. You'll be ok. We're here. We're still here."

She didn't even get to tell Shisha she loved her too.

…

Gaara looked at Kana and Yuri from a distance. The miko and the young girl were always so happy when he looked in on them. Always smiling together. Always working to make sure the temple grounds were clean and ready for visitors.

He hadn't approached them since Minoko died. He didn't feel like he could handle seeing their happy smiles directed toward him when he didn't have his friend at his side. Or even worse. If they stopped smiling because of him. There were rumors about him now. More than before. After his uncle tried to assassinate him, Mother had taken over briefly before being subdued by the Kazekage's gold dust. A few buildings were damaged and several people were hurt. No one died other than Yashamaru, but still, rumors spread that he was unstable.

The assassination attempts didn't stop. In fact, they seemed to increase in frequency. He didn't want to kill. He didn't, no matter how much Mother screamed at him to do so. He tried to just knock out the attackers, but sometimes he hit them too hard or they were too persistent and forced his hand. He buried them. He gave them a coffin of sand and buried them in its crushing embrace like Mother wanted. And rumors spread.

The only person that treated him like a person was Taru. The man practically adopted him after Minoko died. Gaara would show up almost daily and they would share a meal or two. They would drink tea together and read in the living room. Their days were mostly filled with silence, but they both took comfort in the presence of another person being nearby. Taru even hugged Gaara when he left. He still wasn't used to that.

A giggle in the distance drew his attention back to the mother daughter pair. Their orange hair glinted in the sun and their smiles were nearly contagious. He almost felt like he could smile again while watching them. He took an unconscious step forward out of his hiding place in the shade of another building.

Yuri turned toward him and he froze when it was obvious that she saw him. She smiled. She smiled at him and it warmed a part of his heart that he didn't know could feel again. It scared him.

He saw Kana look to see what caught her daughter's attention. She smiled too. As she raised her hand to call out a greeting, Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand. They smiled at him. At him. He couldn't handle that. Not now. Not when he didn't know how to react to the warmth that spread in his soul. Even Mother was silent. And he didn't know what that meant.

A/N: Minoko just can't catch a break. Please let me know what you think!