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

Chapter 27

"Minoko."

He watched as the young girl looked up from her spot in the shade of the boulder in their usual training grounds. It looked like she and Gaara had just finished some morning exercises and were relaxing and talking about how to spend the rest of their day. A smile lit up her face.

"Yashamaru-sensei!" she nearly yelled as she and her friend scrambled to stand up and rush over to the jonin, "Where have you been? We haven't seen you in weeks!"

The sandy haired man smiled kindly down at the duo, "Sorry Minoko, Gaara. Kazekage-sama has had me quite busy lately."

Gaara inclined his head a bit in response to the statement while Minoko started to hop in place, "Do you have some free time now? I wanted to ask you about this one earth jutsu that I've been having some trouble with. I was waiting until I could talk to you cause I didn't want to accidently do something wrong, but Gaara said that even HE hasn't seen you lately and you live together-"

Yashamaru held his hands up as a quiet chuckle escaped him, "Slow down Minoko. I understand your enthusiasm, but I'm actually here on official business. The Kazekage wants to see you in his office for another mission."

Minoko slumped forward in disappointment, "Again?" she asked in a quiet whine, "I just got back yesterday."

The older man shrugged a bit as he glanced between the two suddenly melancholy children, "That's the life of a shinobi, unfortunately," he patted them both on the head, gently ruffling their hair, "Come on now, cheer up. Next time you finish a mission, I'll make sure to take a day off to spend with you two, ok?"

Two sets of wide, hopeful eyes stared up at him. Gaara's gravelly voice piped up, "You promise?"

"I promise," he said with a grin. The look of excitement exchanged between the two of them caused Yashamaru to chuckle, "Now, let's get going Minoko. We don't want to keep him waiting."

The young girl puffed her cheeks out in frustrated resignation for a second before she turned to Gaara. She gave him a small smile and grabbed his hands to place around her waist while her arms were flung around his neck, "You're my best friend. I love you bunches and bunches, and we'll be together forever!"

Yashamaru watched the little ritual with a veiled expression. He placed an indulgent smile on his face as he ruffled their hair one more time. Internally, his stomach twisted with the guilt of knowing that they would, in fact, not be able to be together forever.

As he did with everything else, he pushed the guilt down into the deep recesses of his mind. Duty and village first. There was no room for sentiment. Duty and village first.

…

Minoko's attention was drawn instantly to her leader as she walked into the room. She absently noticed that Yashamaru had split off from her to stand at his post by the window, leaving her in the center of the room.

The Kazekage didn't take more than a moment to start her briefing. As usual, he stood to loom over her. Minoko had a feeling that he did this on purpose to gain some kind of psychological influence over her. Even knowing that, it was working. She could feel the cold sweat start to trickle down her back uncomfortably.

"The mission I have for you is probably the most important mission that you will be given in your career."

He peered down at her, his voice taking on a dangerous undertone, "Your next target is someone that has gone unchecked in his killing over the last several months. He is highly unstable and a threat to Suna and its people."

Minoko took a deep breath to calm her churning stomach, "Who?"

"Your target," Rasa said, his eyes taking on a menacing gleam, "is Gaara."

Minoko barely had time to register the name before her mouth opened of its own accord, "No."

She widened her eyes slightly. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She didn't necessarily regret it, but it was just a knee-jerk reaction to the thought of harming the red-head. She hadn't taken the time to think out her response.

Rasa's eyes lost their gleam and sharpened on the young girl before him, "Excuse me?"

Minoko took a trembling breath to steady her nerves and voice, "No. I won't kill Gaara. He's my best friend. He hasn't done anything wrong and isn't a danger to Suna."

She looked her leader dead in the eyes with as much defiance as an almost-six-year-old child could muster. Did he really think she'd do it?

From the look of mild disbelief flickering behind the fury in his eyes… probably.

A wave of killing intent from her kage had her on her knees in an instant. All oxygen left her lungs in a whoosh and she started clawing at her throat in a pointless effort to remove whatever was choking her to get some air.

"You will do as you are told, chunin. You do not have the authority to refuse."

Minoko's eyes widened at the new voice. It couldn't be. He wouldn't.

Still struggling under the pressure, she managed to turn her head a fraction to see the man that had spoken in such a cold tone. She knew that voice. She knew that tone. She hadn't had it directed toward her since the mission where she needed to kill the bandits in that camp by Ishigakure.

Yashamaru looked back at her with dead eyes.

"W-what?" she choked out. What are you talking about? Why would you say that? Don't you know what I'm being asked to do? Who I'm being ordered to kill?

She couldn't get her tongue to move or her voice to react to her wishes. She could barely get enough air to stop herself from passing out. She felt a haze start to fall over her mind and vaguely registered the dream bubble that was overlapping her vision.

…

Gaara sat on the edge of a rooftop, tears falling down his face. It was easy to tell that he had been up there crying for a while.

His sand reacted in an instant to the kunai that had been thrown at his back. Gaara whirled around to confront his attacker, "Who-?"

A man dressed in Suna's Anbu attire stood before him, several more kunai hung in the air controlled by the masked man.

Understanding instantly, Gaara's sand lashed out in a fit of grief and rage. A spray of blood and a familiar cry of pain snapped him out of it a few seconds later. He barely stopped himself from killing the would-be assassin.

Gaara hesitantly walked over to him. The young boy reached out a trembling hand and removed the wheezing man's face cloth.

He stared in broken disbelief at the face of his uncle, Yashamaru.

…

Minoko continued to choke on her own breath, but now it was not solely because of the killing intent from her Kage. Yashamaru was going to try to kill Gaara? Why? He always seemed so nice! He loved Gaara! Didn't he?

"Y-you," she sucked in a desperate breathe, "you w-would would hur-rt him? Kill Gaar-ra?" she weezed, tears dripping from her eyes out of frustration and anger, "He LOVES you! W-we love you and you'd… you'd actually d-do it?"

Yashamaru stared back at her with dead eyes, not even blinking in response to her stuttered accusation. She looked at him in pure disbelief as grief started to take hold of her being.

"Once more, chunin. You are ordered to kill Gaara. This is non-negotiable."

She slowly turned her gaze back to the cold stare of her leader. She was shaking uncontrollably with tears still making their way down her cheeks. She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes, "N-no. I refuse."

The killing intent abruptly cut off, causing Minoko to fall to the floor in relief and exhaustion. She heard a stern voice speaking, but couldn't quite register what was being said. She suddenly had her arms yanked back behind her and felt something cool being clasped around her wrists. Her energy was instantly drained and she felt weaker than she had in months. She turned her head to the side to see that Yashamaru was behind her as he pulled her up from her prone position. Her arms strained in their sockets from the swift jerking movement.

"Those chakra cuffs will continue to drain you every waking moment for the rest of your life. They're keyed to my chakra, so only I can remove them. Should I step down from my position, my successor will come to rekey the cuffs to their signature."

Minoko looked to Rasa as he spoke, trying to figure out what exactly was happening.

"For directly disobeying an order, you would normally be killed for treason. However I'm feeling generous. You will be placed under arrest and spend the rest of your days in prison. This is your last chance, Kai Minoko. Will you refuse the assignment? Or will you choose confinement for life?"

Minoko straightened as much as she could and looked at the man in front of her in the eyes, "I will not kill Gaara. I refuse."

"Very well," Rasa looked down at the paperwork on his desk and signed off on one. He glanced at Yashamaru then down at her once more, "This will be the last time we meet. I hope you don't regret your decision later. Take her away. Sector A Level 1 Cell 10." He handed the paper over to Yashamaru and instantly went back to his paperwork like he hadn't just sentenced a five year old to life in prison.

Yashamaru pulled he to her feet and walked her to the door, hand grasping her arm firmly enough to leave a bruise. Minoko can't even look at the man she called a sensei. He didn't stand up for her. He didn't stand up for Gaara. According to her dream bubble, he was going to be sent as the assassin and he was going to accept! This wasn't the man she knew. Not the kind man that taught her justu and ruffled her hair and promised, promised, to take time off work later to spend time with them. This man with the face of her sensei was a shell with no soul. And he would be the last familiar face she saw.

…

Three days had passed since Minoko left on her mission. Gaara was waiting by that gates like usual to greet her. He couldn't wait to see her again! One of his cacti started to bloom while she was away and he could finally show her the nearly iridescent pink and yellow flower.

His sand gently circled his feet as he meditated on the pleasant thought, lulling himself into an almost dreamlike state. The guards, as usual, took to looking at him sideways from a safe distance and had sweat dripping down their necks that had nothing to do with the heat.

"Gaara!"

The redhead blinked his eyes open and turned to see his uncle. A small smile crossed his face at the sight of the man, only to notice his serious expression.

"Uncle? What's wrong?" he asked as he stood up from his spot by the wall.

"Gaara, the Kazekage needs to speak to you."

The boy frowned. That was never a good thing. That man only saw him as a failed weapon and would only meet him to gage his strengths. That wasn't how he wanted to spend his day. He'd much rather wait in the scorching sun for an unknowing amount of time on the off chance Minoko came home. He sighed and started to make his way to the tower.

The trek felt longer, his legs like weights dragging him down. He really didn't want to see that man. With a sigh, he entered the building with Yashamaru as his silent shadow and made his way to the office. He knocked and entered when he heard the voice inside beckon him in.

Gaara stood in the middle of the room and felt Yashamaru place a hand on his shoulder. Gaara looked at him in confusion. Yashamaru was always professional in the office and never touched him in sight of Rasa. His uncle had a serious face that hadn't changed once since he found Gaara. Suddenly nervous, he looked to the leader of Suna. He was sitting behind his desk with his hands folded. In front of him on a cleared part of the desk was a slightly bloodied headband.

"Gaara," the boy looked up from the headband to look at Rasa.

"Your acquaintance Kai Minoko was sent on a mission a few days ago. It was revealed earlier today that she was discovered by shinobi that were hired to protect her target."

Gaara felt a pool of dread fill his stomach. His sand jerked sporadically around him. He could feel the weight of Yashamaru's hand on his shoulder increase slightly.

"The Konoha shinobi that were hired to protect her target killed her on sight. She will not be returning to Suna. You may go now."

Gaara stood frozen for a long moment. The voice in his head was shouting. Shouting. Shouting! He couldn't hear what it was saying. He couldn't hear anything beyond the buzzing in his ears. He had to have heard wrong. It was the buzzing that made it sound like something happened. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't be dead!

He looked up to find that he was on the roof of a nearby building, not having registered the fact that he had moved. How did he get here?

He felt something wet on his face and touched his cheek. Water? No, tears. Why was he crying? She's not dead. Minoko promised to never leave him. She said she loved him bunches and bunches and that they would be together forever. Forever hadn't come yet, so she was still alive.

A hiccup escaped his mouth and he covered it with his shaking hands. He could feel water continue to leak from his eyes. She's not dead. She can't be. She was going to come home and see his flowers and hug him. She was going to go with him to the shrine and make fun of his faces when he interacted with the toddler there. She was going to be there for his birthday next year and the year after that. She said…she said…

Gaara fell to his knees as a sob forced itself from his body. She said forever. He heard her. Forever is longer than this.

Gaara screamed, eyes clenched shut, tears dropping to the rooftop as he clawed at the sand that gathered there.

She said forever.

Gaara curled in a ball and felt the grief shatter his very being.

She said forever. She had her dream bubbles and said they'd be friends forever.

The sun set ages ago, and still Gaara cried, not even noticing the temperature drop or the light growing dim. He cried as he slowly processed Minoko wasn't coming back! She was dead! His breath hitched as another sob wracked his body.

She was gone.

His sand reacted in an instant to the kunai that had been thrown at his back. Gaara whirled around to confront his attacker, "Who-?"

A man dressed in Suna's Anbu attire stood before him, several more kunai hung in the air controlled by the masked man.

She was gone, and he was alone again. Forever.

A/N: I'm back from a very long break of writer's block! I have actually finished the story, so uploads should be coming more regularly now :D As always, please review!