Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Actions Speak Louder ❯ When the Lights Fade ( Chapter 52 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: kuchiku 
there's a time skip, so read closely!
PLEASE REVIEW ON WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ONE!!! i dont own naruto or any of their characters
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.04.2007 | Updated On: 05.10.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.5K | Visits: 382 | Status: Completed
there's a time skip, so read closely!
PLEASE REVIEW ON WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ONE!!! i dont own naruto or any of their characters
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.04.2007 | Updated On: 05.10.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.5K | Visits: 382 | Status: Completed
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"MAMA-SAN!!!"
Ura pulled herself upward, knocking her head against Gaara's to see if her son was hurt or not. The parents looked towards the door way, but all Gaara could see was a wave of sand approaching him at a fast pace. Gaara's own sand prevented any harm on him, but Ura got out of the bed and held Osamu as tears ran down his eyes, "Osamu! What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
"I woke up...and you weren't-weren't there! I-I-I tried to find Daddy-Uchiha, b-b-but he wasn't there either... T-then I saw you and that man, a-and I thought he was going to hurt you," Osamu sobbed as his tears dripped onto Ura's shoulder.
Gaara dusted himself off and used the sand to get back in his gourd, then went over to his wife and son, "I'll put him back to bed..."
"Yes, it's probably better that he gets a full grasp that you are the father," Ura handed Osamu to Gaara, "Osamu, this is your real father, I want you to obey him like you are a goodboy for me."
Osamu looked up at Gaara as the Kazekage walked stiffly back to the child's room, quizzically analyzing the man the held him. Gaara noticed the watchful eyes of Osamu scan his features, how sharp they were compared to the more round-like facial structure Osamu had. When Gaara entered Osamu's dark room, he layed his son down on the bed and tucked him in with the satin sheets, "You're in my village now, this is our home, and Uchiha, Lee, and Naruto are not here."
"Mama-san told me not to talk to strangers," Osamu looked shly away from Gaara, "She said strangers don't deserve to know me."
Gaara didn't expect for Ura to say that to her son, but was curious to what else she had said while he was not there to help raise his son, "What else did Mama-san say?"
Osamu, now feeling comfortable enough to talk to his new father openly, "That i'm gonna grow up to be the next Kazacage!"
"Kazekage, that's what I am, that means you're going to have to fight hard to get this spot," Gaara commented as he looked out the window, "Did Mama-san tell you that?"
"Yep, Mama-san says i'm gonna be the strongest if I train just as hard as I train as she does," Osamu layed his head on the pillow, "Father-san...why does Mama-san drink that spicey water?"
Gaara averted his gaze back to Osamu, was he talking about sake? Ura was still drinking sake? In front of Osamu? Now the Kazekage had to discuss something with her...again. He didn't mind that Osamu called Sasuke 'Daddy-Uchiha', but now drinking in front of Osamu crossed the lines. When he was about to say goodnight, Osamu then mumbled, "Daddy-Lee said it was because whenever Mama-san is in pain, she drinks that spicey water to feel better. Is it special medicine for grown-ups?"
"No, spicey water is not a medicine, and you are to never try that, understand? Now go to sleep, your training with me starts tomorrow after you eat," Gaara got up from the bed and headed for the door, "Good night."
Ura waited at the doorway for Gaara, when he approached her, the narrow-ness in his eyes told her that her son told a few secrets. Gaara lightly held his wife's wrists as he shut the door, locking it so they could not be disturbed, "Since when did you see it was fit to drink sake in front of Osamu?"
"I didn't get hammered, Gaara, my collar bone felt like it was going to consume my skin, so I drank a little sake to get my mind off of it," Ura explained as she took a few steps away from Gaara.
Gaara reached out and tightened his grip on her upper arm, with his free arm he ripped off the bandages and revealed the huge cat eye-like black marking in the middle of her chest. Ura pulled away from Gaara forcefully, releasing herself from his grip. The Kazekage didn't take his eyes off from the marking, never had he seen anything that sent a chill down his spin. As his eyes peered at the pupil of the cat eye, it was as if he was seeing Kabutome all over again. His memory went back to that last battle, when Kabutome had sunk his fingers into Ura's collar bone...was this Kabutome's doing? Was the beast still alive within Ura? The worry rose inside of Gaara, was his family in danger because of this? Why didn't he see this before?
"I'll have Tsunade come to take that mark off," Gaara stated.
"It's nothing, i've survived for four years with this, i'm sure there's some medicine here that I can take to ease the pain," Ura shrugged, "There's no need to jump to conclusions, not when I just came back."
"I don't want that mark to endanger you or my son," Gaara snapped, "I will not end up like my father by sacrificing my family because of ignorance!"
Ura's soul stirred as he mentioned his father as a comparison to who her husband was, she touched his cheek lovingly and gave him a concerned look, "Gaara...you will never end up like your father, you're a much better person who has learned from the past. You could never make the choices he had made before."
Gaara's eyes softened when Ura pressed her forehead against his own, her eyes told him how worried she was as well....
***Hours Later***
"Are you ready for your big day?" Ura sat a plate of eggs in front of Osamu as he drank some of his milk.
"Yep! When will we have a party?" Osamu looked up at his mother, "Are there going to be many people there?"
"Of course, sand-man, there will be so many kids here for you to play with and some of your family will be here too," Ura prepared his lunch with a sandwich and a cantine filled with some herbal tea to make him strong, "But when you come home, Father-san is going to help you control the sand."
"Really?? Mama-san, when will I become Kazekage?" Osamu asked as he finished his breakfast, "Will it be after Father-san?"
"I don't know, if you want to be the next Kazekage, you're going to have to train harder than anyone else," Ura commented as Osamu walked to the doorway, "And that means there will be little time to goof around."
"I know, but I want to be just like you when I grow up, I want to be the best shinobi in Sand!" Osamu exaggerated as Ura handed him his lunch.
Ura and her son stepped out into the heat, but she could tell her son was not yet quite used to the desert air yet. She watched him scurry off with the other group of children, but she eyed the other kids wearily of their reaction. A few were happy to have him, but the other few were a bit frightened by his appearence. Once her child was out of sight, Ura decided to take a walk through the sandy village, since it was still the morning hours before the sun became a fatal weapon of nature.
'Her son is a monster, just like her husband.'
'I bet she's just one of those kunoichis that marry a Kage just to be more well-known throughout the other countries.'
'I heard she had a rendezvous with the Hokage in Konoha, who knows how many men in Konoha have entered her bed!'
'That's probably how she became a trusted kunoichi, entering too many bedrooms and too many bars gave her lee-way to heading that much upward'
So many rumors about Ura were spreading like a disease, some about her, some about her son, and some about her husband. Why was everyone bagging on her like that? What did she do to make the common person turn against her? Eyes were upon her as she made her way through the waking village, how different it felt to not be admired before she married Gaara. When she was just a regular Jonin, most of the people congradulated her on her missions, but now..it looked like no one even wanted to know her.
Getting enough of air, Ura went back to the Kazekage's mansion to find her husband in his office, finishing up some mission scrolls being sent out to the Jonins. Gaara looked up at her in a glance, then went back to his work, "Did Osamu get to the school safely?"
"Yes, it looks like will be mr. popular with all the little girls," Ura smiled, "Just like you were."
"Don't joke about that matter," Gaara finished rolling up the last scroll and stood up, "Besides, there are more important matters that we both need to attend to today. You must get that scar looked at by Tsunade so she could take that cursed thing off."
"Gaara...I told you i'm fine, I don't need it taken off," Ura shrugged, "Don't you have that meeting with the elders today?"
The Kazekage rolled his eyes in a disorderly fashion, "I wouldn't have forgotten that..."
"I'll go for you, the Kazekage needs a little rest," Ura smiled at her husband.
As Gaara watched his wife leave in a chipper manner, he then began to ponder about that scar, where it had come from. Gaara sat back down in his office chair, he was a father now, a provider of safety and well-being, plus..a doting husband that would do anything to keep his wife and child safe. But most importantly...he had found the one person who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Truthfully, when Gaara took Ura as his lover, he had thought it would only be for a few years then it would come to an end. Now he saw the real love they could share outside the bedroom, concieving an heir to the bloodline, and hoped that his son would become the next Kazekage like he was able to.
Ten years passed and Osamu was the top of the Chunin, waiting for his recommendation to become a full Jonin. Gaara was able to keep his rein as Kazekage on peaceful matters, to where most of the other countries were not a threat to his domain. But Ura...she had basically become a 2nd Kazekage, Ura was the one who went to the meetings, she was the one who gave the grand speeches to the people, and she was the one who went through the paperwork of the village's missions. It was if Ura had taken Gaara's place as the Kazekage, but even worse...Ura had isolated herself from the rest of the world. Osamu, to Gaara's dismay, had clung to his mother's side many of times. Even Leila, his own blood aunt, has barely even seen the child outside his mother's eye sight.
To Gaara's own small worries, his son was almost obsessed with his mother like Gaara was when he was a Genin. The Kazekage was walking with his wife in the early morning of dawn, before the sun began to rise, just to have a simple conversation with her. Ura, to Gaara's eyes, was ageless and still had the youthfullness in her sand eyes, though he did not enjoy the fact she still wore her Genin uniform, now without the bandages.
"Lee will becoming this weekend, this time are you going to actually see him?" Gaara had remembered the last visit Lee had made, Ura was so busy with mission paper-work that she didn't get any time to see her old friend.
"Yes, I miss him," Ura sighed as she looked upward, "I also miss the days before as a Genin, badly."
"I don't," Gaara contorted gruffly.
Ura smiled at him, "That's only because you didn't like anyone."
Gaara looked into Ura's eyes, then turned his head back to the slowly rising sun as it peeked over the horizen shyly. The married couple stopped walking to look at the marvelous wonder, Ura took hold of Gaara's arm and rested her head against his shoulder. Being married four 14 years allowed them to see how much they've been through to get to that point, and they knew their love would never fade away like the sand around them. No, their love was like the power wind that carried across the country, raging with such might and never ended. Gaara didn't want that moment to end, where he felt the warm breath of Ura hit his clothing and her body aganst his arm.
Their marriage was based off of the power of both, Gaara's controlling manner and Ura's security, both complimenting each other differently. As strange as it seemed that the once-monster and the strongest Kunoichi in Sand merged to form a beautiful love. When the sunrise ended, Gaara and Ura made their way back to their home, where more work had to be done. Osamu waited patiently for his mother's return by sitting on the front steps, when he caught sight of his mother, Osamu stood up and waved to her, "Mother-san!"
"I didn't expect you to be up so early, don't you have to go teach the Academy students?" Ura asked her son.
Osamu was built like Gaara, and he was able to fit into Gaara's old red outfit back when he was a Chunin. Though the gourd, that Gaara had to make for Osamu, was not as perfectly built like Gaara's, it was stable enough to carry on Osamu's back. Both Ura and Gaara were a bit shocked to see that Osamu looked just like Gaara when he was 14, except more smiley and less frowny. Gaara looked unmoved by his son's ignorance to see his father beside his mother, but commented, "You need to be more attentive to your work."
"I know, Father-san, but I just want to have more missions so I can prove that I do work really hard so I can become the next Kazekage," Osamu smiled at his father.
Ura had sent her son off to go teach the students so she could get some work done so Gaara didn't have to do it, but Gaara decided he would also help out with the paper work so Ura didn't get stuck with another meeting. Throughout the day, Gaara noticed how Ura's eyes drooped, but she kept rubbing that mark on her chest. Being pursuaded not to bring Tsunade to take off the mark, Gaara had ignored the signs that his wife was silently, and unconsciously, giving him constantly, almost daily.
Noon came with nothing to surprise the Kazekage as Ura was making them lunch, a little sashimi. The rest of the day came without any shocking things going around, just another normal day for both the married couple. Gaara was very content with this lifestyle with no surprises, where everything was the same day-in and day-out, as long as he had Ura by his side. When evening came, Ura and Gaara got into their bed for the night, to be ready to start another day of the same routines. Gaara kissed his wife's lips gently and held her in his arms as they both departed to sleep...
Ura stirred in her deep sleep after a few hours of just getting to bed, nightmares of the day they all fought Kabutome wracked her dreams. The moment when Kabutome bit into her collar bone made her wake with a start, Gaara slept peacefully on his side, not realizing his wife's disturbance. Ura could see herself get up, but...she wasn't controlling her body!
*I've awaken....it is time...*
'Time for what?!' Ura asked that familiar dark, evil voice.
*The time when I, Kabutome, wreak revenge upon you by killing what you hold dear...* Kabutome's voice snickered.
Ura then realized her body was right next to Gaara's sleeping body, not able to see how much danger he was in. Kabutome controled her body to grab a hari by Gaara's bedside and holding it ever so gently against Gaara's throat. Since Gaara was sleeping, and his chakra was so used to having Ura around to mingle with her own chakra force, his soul didn't realize that Kabutome was about to kill Gaara. Ura tried to force Kabutome to stop before Gaara was killed, the Kazekage woke and grabbed her wrist, flinging her below him. Kabutome made Ura kick Gaara off, but the Kazekage noticed the mark on her chest glow a crimson red, it came to him that Ura was being manipulated by someone.
"Heh....she's in my control...now..." the forced words came out of Ura's mouth, her eyes glowing the same crimson color as the mark.
"I'm not blind, Kabutome," Gaara strapped on his gourd.
When Kabutome used Ura's body to pull out the same kunai, aiming it at Gaara's heart, Ura then found the strength to stop Kabutome by regaining the use of her body. Ura fell to her knees, gasping for a breath as her eyes, and mark, when back to normal. Gaara realized that his wife was back to normal and went to her, "I will-"
"Get away from me!" Ura got up and shoved him aside, running out of the room.
Gaara went after her, to stop her from doing anything reckless. They had ran outside, Ura had ran so far as the Entrance Tower, but before she could actually leave, Gaara stopped her with the sand. Ura turned around, tears streaming down her face, "Don't stop me, Gaara...if I stay...I-I don't know if I would hurt you or Osamu..."
"I can have someone take that mark off of you, don't be irrational," Gaara stated, making sure the grip on her ankles from the sand was nice and tight so she couldn't escape.
Ura shut her eyes tightly, tears flowing more rapidly outward as the pain of seeing Gaara in that vulnerable situation reoccured in her mind. She never wanted to see that image again, when, though forced, she was about to witness her own husband's murder. Gaara saw her frustration, though they were only about twenty feet apart from each other, "We need to go home."
"No...Gaara, if that mark is taken off, it will be no use. Kabutome had focused his own soul into my soul chamber. Even if that mark is gone..he won't be, and that means i'm unable to promise any safety to you and to Osamu," Ura looked at Gaara with tear-filled eyes, "It's too late...I should've listened to you before and gotten it removed before Kabutome had the chance to take this much control over me."
To Gaara's horror, that would only mean one thing...the persecution of his love. Though they could try and find a way to keep Kabutome at bay, there wasn't a Jonin or any shinobi in the village alive that was able to do that. There wasn't any other way to save Ura from this dreadful fate, Gaara didn't want to believe that death was the only way her soul could be saved. Her heavy breathing ceased, but soft tears rolled down her cheek in sorrow, "I love you...and Osamu....very much. And i'm sorry this had to happen to us like this, I never wanted to end like this, I wanted to die of old age with you. So...I want you to do the Sand Coffin on me, a quick, painless death for me."
"No..." Gaara refused to listen as his eyes widened from his own rising panic.
Tears filled his eyes, it's been so long since he had cried, his eyes burned with the salty liquid pouring down his face. Without Ura, he was nothing, only a man without a purpose for living. Ura had given him a reason to live, so that each day they could become closer and closer to each other without fear of getting hurt. Now...he had to end his wife's life so that his son could be safe and so would the village. He released his wife from the sand around her ankles, Ura walked over to Gaara and caressed his cheeks with her hands, "Gaara, do that for me, so then I can keep all of you safe from Kabutome. I saved Leila from Kabutome's control, and I was able to save you from him as well, giving up my life for you and everyone. To live in fear of his wrath is nonsense, by taking me away from this world, you will be able to live to see Osamu grow up with strength, to know his mother died for all of you. Please...give me the satisfaction of a painless death, and my soul will rest with ease to know my love, my son, and my friends and family are safe from Kabutome forever. Just give me that gift, and I promise i'll enter the next world with peace."
Gaara, who was stunned by her murmer, took her hands, "Then what of me? Why leave me here alone without you?"
Ura gave him a saddened smile and said, "You've found your place in the world, your the best Kazekage i've lived to see. Now your purpose is to help your son get to have that pleasure of living up to you, not to me. I worked for you, I lived for you, and I will die for you, that was my purpose for living, and that is my second Nindo. My first Nindo, to show everyone i'm different than what they think of me, was completed when I became the best Kunoichi in Sand. Now my second Nindo is going to be complete after you put me in the Sand Coffin. I know you better than yourself, Gaara, and if you raise your son to be like you...he will go far in life, becoming the next Kazekage that the Sand will love to have."
The Kazekage embraced her through sorrow, it will be the last time he'll ever embrace that woman, that kunoichi, that soul ever again. Tears streamed off of their faces, Gaara's tears staining her shoulder, he had found love...and had to destroy it, but with her whim. When the time came, Gaara and Ura released each other, memories of how Ura was always watchful of Gaara, and how their lives dwindled until they became one echoed through their minds in unison. Ura took a few steps back from Gaara, to allow her blood to splash away from him so Gaara wouldn't be bathed in her blood. Through agony, Gaara made the handsign, the sand slowly gobbling up Ura's legs and heading upward. Tears leaked through Ura's eyes as she calmly endured her fate with pride, though she broke out into a heavy cry when she was engulfed in the sand. Before the sand fully engulfed Ura, Gaara had saw the light fade from Ura's eyes, how beautiful they were before when they were full of life and pleasure. With his free hand, Gaara clung to his dying heart as he finished the jutsu.
There was no scream, there was no sound, only tears and blood mixing together to form a puddle. Gaara fell to his knees, gasping for air as he cried harder and harder into the sand. The sand revealed Ura's dead body, Gaara crawled to her and looked at her, a smile upon her lips though her eyes were cascaded over with a pale white, but not fully hiding her sandy eyes. Gaara cried on her shattered body, how he wished he was more forceful to have that damned mark removed.
Ura pulled herself upward, knocking her head against Gaara's to see if her son was hurt or not. The parents looked towards the door way, but all Gaara could see was a wave of sand approaching him at a fast pace. Gaara's own sand prevented any harm on him, but Ura got out of the bed and held Osamu as tears ran down his eyes, "Osamu! What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
"I woke up...and you weren't-weren't there! I-I-I tried to find Daddy-Uchiha, b-b-but he wasn't there either... T-then I saw you and that man, a-and I thought he was going to hurt you," Osamu sobbed as his tears dripped onto Ura's shoulder.
Gaara dusted himself off and used the sand to get back in his gourd, then went over to his wife and son, "I'll put him back to bed..."
"Yes, it's probably better that he gets a full grasp that you are the father," Ura handed Osamu to Gaara, "Osamu, this is your real father, I want you to obey him like you are a goodboy for me."
Osamu looked up at Gaara as the Kazekage walked stiffly back to the child's room, quizzically analyzing the man the held him. Gaara noticed the watchful eyes of Osamu scan his features, how sharp they were compared to the more round-like facial structure Osamu had. When Gaara entered Osamu's dark room, he layed his son down on the bed and tucked him in with the satin sheets, "You're in my village now, this is our home, and Uchiha, Lee, and Naruto are not here."
"Mama-san told me not to talk to strangers," Osamu looked shly away from Gaara, "She said strangers don't deserve to know me."
Gaara didn't expect for Ura to say that to her son, but was curious to what else she had said while he was not there to help raise his son, "What else did Mama-san say?"
Osamu, now feeling comfortable enough to talk to his new father openly, "That i'm gonna grow up to be the next Kazacage!"
"Kazekage, that's what I am, that means you're going to have to fight hard to get this spot," Gaara commented as he looked out the window, "Did Mama-san tell you that?"
"Yep, Mama-san says i'm gonna be the strongest if I train just as hard as I train as she does," Osamu layed his head on the pillow, "Father-san...why does Mama-san drink that spicey water?"
Gaara averted his gaze back to Osamu, was he talking about sake? Ura was still drinking sake? In front of Osamu? Now the Kazekage had to discuss something with her...again. He didn't mind that Osamu called Sasuke 'Daddy-Uchiha', but now drinking in front of Osamu crossed the lines. When he was about to say goodnight, Osamu then mumbled, "Daddy-Lee said it was because whenever Mama-san is in pain, she drinks that spicey water to feel better. Is it special medicine for grown-ups?"
"No, spicey water is not a medicine, and you are to never try that, understand? Now go to sleep, your training with me starts tomorrow after you eat," Gaara got up from the bed and headed for the door, "Good night."
Ura waited at the doorway for Gaara, when he approached her, the narrow-ness in his eyes told her that her son told a few secrets. Gaara lightly held his wife's wrists as he shut the door, locking it so they could not be disturbed, "Since when did you see it was fit to drink sake in front of Osamu?"
"I didn't get hammered, Gaara, my collar bone felt like it was going to consume my skin, so I drank a little sake to get my mind off of it," Ura explained as she took a few steps away from Gaara.
Gaara reached out and tightened his grip on her upper arm, with his free arm he ripped off the bandages and revealed the huge cat eye-like black marking in the middle of her chest. Ura pulled away from Gaara forcefully, releasing herself from his grip. The Kazekage didn't take his eyes off from the marking, never had he seen anything that sent a chill down his spin. As his eyes peered at the pupil of the cat eye, it was as if he was seeing Kabutome all over again. His memory went back to that last battle, when Kabutome had sunk his fingers into Ura's collar bone...was this Kabutome's doing? Was the beast still alive within Ura? The worry rose inside of Gaara, was his family in danger because of this? Why didn't he see this before?
"I'll have Tsunade come to take that mark off," Gaara stated.
"It's nothing, i've survived for four years with this, i'm sure there's some medicine here that I can take to ease the pain," Ura shrugged, "There's no need to jump to conclusions, not when I just came back."
"I don't want that mark to endanger you or my son," Gaara snapped, "I will not end up like my father by sacrificing my family because of ignorance!"
Ura's soul stirred as he mentioned his father as a comparison to who her husband was, she touched his cheek lovingly and gave him a concerned look, "Gaara...you will never end up like your father, you're a much better person who has learned from the past. You could never make the choices he had made before."
Gaara's eyes softened when Ura pressed her forehead against his own, her eyes told him how worried she was as well....
***Hours Later***
"Are you ready for your big day?" Ura sat a plate of eggs in front of Osamu as he drank some of his milk.
"Yep! When will we have a party?" Osamu looked up at his mother, "Are there going to be many people there?"
"Of course, sand-man, there will be so many kids here for you to play with and some of your family will be here too," Ura prepared his lunch with a sandwich and a cantine filled with some herbal tea to make him strong, "But when you come home, Father-san is going to help you control the sand."
"Really?? Mama-san, when will I become Kazekage?" Osamu asked as he finished his breakfast, "Will it be after Father-san?"
"I don't know, if you want to be the next Kazekage, you're going to have to train harder than anyone else," Ura commented as Osamu walked to the doorway, "And that means there will be little time to goof around."
"I know, but I want to be just like you when I grow up, I want to be the best shinobi in Sand!" Osamu exaggerated as Ura handed him his lunch.
Ura and her son stepped out into the heat, but she could tell her son was not yet quite used to the desert air yet. She watched him scurry off with the other group of children, but she eyed the other kids wearily of their reaction. A few were happy to have him, but the other few were a bit frightened by his appearence. Once her child was out of sight, Ura decided to take a walk through the sandy village, since it was still the morning hours before the sun became a fatal weapon of nature.
'Her son is a monster, just like her husband.'
'I bet she's just one of those kunoichis that marry a Kage just to be more well-known throughout the other countries.'
'I heard she had a rendezvous with the Hokage in Konoha, who knows how many men in Konoha have entered her bed!'
'That's probably how she became a trusted kunoichi, entering too many bedrooms and too many bars gave her lee-way to heading that much upward'
So many rumors about Ura were spreading like a disease, some about her, some about her son, and some about her husband. Why was everyone bagging on her like that? What did she do to make the common person turn against her? Eyes were upon her as she made her way through the waking village, how different it felt to not be admired before she married Gaara. When she was just a regular Jonin, most of the people congradulated her on her missions, but now..it looked like no one even wanted to know her.
Getting enough of air, Ura went back to the Kazekage's mansion to find her husband in his office, finishing up some mission scrolls being sent out to the Jonins. Gaara looked up at her in a glance, then went back to his work, "Did Osamu get to the school safely?"
"Yes, it looks like will be mr. popular with all the little girls," Ura smiled, "Just like you were."
"Don't joke about that matter," Gaara finished rolling up the last scroll and stood up, "Besides, there are more important matters that we both need to attend to today. You must get that scar looked at by Tsunade so she could take that cursed thing off."
"Gaara...I told you i'm fine, I don't need it taken off," Ura shrugged, "Don't you have that meeting with the elders today?"
The Kazekage rolled his eyes in a disorderly fashion, "I wouldn't have forgotten that..."
"I'll go for you, the Kazekage needs a little rest," Ura smiled at her husband.
As Gaara watched his wife leave in a chipper manner, he then began to ponder about that scar, where it had come from. Gaara sat back down in his office chair, he was a father now, a provider of safety and well-being, plus..a doting husband that would do anything to keep his wife and child safe. But most importantly...he had found the one person who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Truthfully, when Gaara took Ura as his lover, he had thought it would only be for a few years then it would come to an end. Now he saw the real love they could share outside the bedroom, concieving an heir to the bloodline, and hoped that his son would become the next Kazekage like he was able to.
Ten years passed and Osamu was the top of the Chunin, waiting for his recommendation to become a full Jonin. Gaara was able to keep his rein as Kazekage on peaceful matters, to where most of the other countries were not a threat to his domain. But Ura...she had basically become a 2nd Kazekage, Ura was the one who went to the meetings, she was the one who gave the grand speeches to the people, and she was the one who went through the paperwork of the village's missions. It was if Ura had taken Gaara's place as the Kazekage, but even worse...Ura had isolated herself from the rest of the world. Osamu, to Gaara's dismay, had clung to his mother's side many of times. Even Leila, his own blood aunt, has barely even seen the child outside his mother's eye sight.
To Gaara's own small worries, his son was almost obsessed with his mother like Gaara was when he was a Genin. The Kazekage was walking with his wife in the early morning of dawn, before the sun began to rise, just to have a simple conversation with her. Ura, to Gaara's eyes, was ageless and still had the youthfullness in her sand eyes, though he did not enjoy the fact she still wore her Genin uniform, now without the bandages.
"Lee will becoming this weekend, this time are you going to actually see him?" Gaara had remembered the last visit Lee had made, Ura was so busy with mission paper-work that she didn't get any time to see her old friend.
"Yes, I miss him," Ura sighed as she looked upward, "I also miss the days before as a Genin, badly."
"I don't," Gaara contorted gruffly.
Ura smiled at him, "That's only because you didn't like anyone."
Gaara looked into Ura's eyes, then turned his head back to the slowly rising sun as it peeked over the horizen shyly. The married couple stopped walking to look at the marvelous wonder, Ura took hold of Gaara's arm and rested her head against his shoulder. Being married four 14 years allowed them to see how much they've been through to get to that point, and they knew their love would never fade away like the sand around them. No, their love was like the power wind that carried across the country, raging with such might and never ended. Gaara didn't want that moment to end, where he felt the warm breath of Ura hit his clothing and her body aganst his arm.
Their marriage was based off of the power of both, Gaara's controlling manner and Ura's security, both complimenting each other differently. As strange as it seemed that the once-monster and the strongest Kunoichi in Sand merged to form a beautiful love. When the sunrise ended, Gaara and Ura made their way back to their home, where more work had to be done. Osamu waited patiently for his mother's return by sitting on the front steps, when he caught sight of his mother, Osamu stood up and waved to her, "Mother-san!"
"I didn't expect you to be up so early, don't you have to go teach the Academy students?" Ura asked her son.
Osamu was built like Gaara, and he was able to fit into Gaara's old red outfit back when he was a Chunin. Though the gourd, that Gaara had to make for Osamu, was not as perfectly built like Gaara's, it was stable enough to carry on Osamu's back. Both Ura and Gaara were a bit shocked to see that Osamu looked just like Gaara when he was 14, except more smiley and less frowny. Gaara looked unmoved by his son's ignorance to see his father beside his mother, but commented, "You need to be more attentive to your work."
"I know, Father-san, but I just want to have more missions so I can prove that I do work really hard so I can become the next Kazekage," Osamu smiled at his father.
Ura had sent her son off to go teach the students so she could get some work done so Gaara didn't have to do it, but Gaara decided he would also help out with the paper work so Ura didn't get stuck with another meeting. Throughout the day, Gaara noticed how Ura's eyes drooped, but she kept rubbing that mark on her chest. Being pursuaded not to bring Tsunade to take off the mark, Gaara had ignored the signs that his wife was silently, and unconsciously, giving him constantly, almost daily.
Noon came with nothing to surprise the Kazekage as Ura was making them lunch, a little sashimi. The rest of the day came without any shocking things going around, just another normal day for both the married couple. Gaara was very content with this lifestyle with no surprises, where everything was the same day-in and day-out, as long as he had Ura by his side. When evening came, Ura and Gaara got into their bed for the night, to be ready to start another day of the same routines. Gaara kissed his wife's lips gently and held her in his arms as they both departed to sleep...
Ura stirred in her deep sleep after a few hours of just getting to bed, nightmares of the day they all fought Kabutome wracked her dreams. The moment when Kabutome bit into her collar bone made her wake with a start, Gaara slept peacefully on his side, not realizing his wife's disturbance. Ura could see herself get up, but...she wasn't controlling her body!
*I've awaken....it is time...*
'Time for what?!' Ura asked that familiar dark, evil voice.
*The time when I, Kabutome, wreak revenge upon you by killing what you hold dear...* Kabutome's voice snickered.
Ura then realized her body was right next to Gaara's sleeping body, not able to see how much danger he was in. Kabutome controled her body to grab a hari by Gaara's bedside and holding it ever so gently against Gaara's throat. Since Gaara was sleeping, and his chakra was so used to having Ura around to mingle with her own chakra force, his soul didn't realize that Kabutome was about to kill Gaara. Ura tried to force Kabutome to stop before Gaara was killed, the Kazekage woke and grabbed her wrist, flinging her below him. Kabutome made Ura kick Gaara off, but the Kazekage noticed the mark on her chest glow a crimson red, it came to him that Ura was being manipulated by someone.
"Heh....she's in my control...now..." the forced words came out of Ura's mouth, her eyes glowing the same crimson color as the mark.
"I'm not blind, Kabutome," Gaara strapped on his gourd.
When Kabutome used Ura's body to pull out the same kunai, aiming it at Gaara's heart, Ura then found the strength to stop Kabutome by regaining the use of her body. Ura fell to her knees, gasping for a breath as her eyes, and mark, when back to normal. Gaara realized that his wife was back to normal and went to her, "I will-"
"Get away from me!" Ura got up and shoved him aside, running out of the room.
Gaara went after her, to stop her from doing anything reckless. They had ran outside, Ura had ran so far as the Entrance Tower, but before she could actually leave, Gaara stopped her with the sand. Ura turned around, tears streaming down her face, "Don't stop me, Gaara...if I stay...I-I don't know if I would hurt you or Osamu..."
"I can have someone take that mark off of you, don't be irrational," Gaara stated, making sure the grip on her ankles from the sand was nice and tight so she couldn't escape.
Ura shut her eyes tightly, tears flowing more rapidly outward as the pain of seeing Gaara in that vulnerable situation reoccured in her mind. She never wanted to see that image again, when, though forced, she was about to witness her own husband's murder. Gaara saw her frustration, though they were only about twenty feet apart from each other, "We need to go home."
"No...Gaara, if that mark is taken off, it will be no use. Kabutome had focused his own soul into my soul chamber. Even if that mark is gone..he won't be, and that means i'm unable to promise any safety to you and to Osamu," Ura looked at Gaara with tear-filled eyes, "It's too late...I should've listened to you before and gotten it removed before Kabutome had the chance to take this much control over me."
To Gaara's horror, that would only mean one thing...the persecution of his love. Though they could try and find a way to keep Kabutome at bay, there wasn't a Jonin or any shinobi in the village alive that was able to do that. There wasn't any other way to save Ura from this dreadful fate, Gaara didn't want to believe that death was the only way her soul could be saved. Her heavy breathing ceased, but soft tears rolled down her cheek in sorrow, "I love you...and Osamu....very much. And i'm sorry this had to happen to us like this, I never wanted to end like this, I wanted to die of old age with you. So...I want you to do the Sand Coffin on me, a quick, painless death for me."
"No..." Gaara refused to listen as his eyes widened from his own rising panic.
Tears filled his eyes, it's been so long since he had cried, his eyes burned with the salty liquid pouring down his face. Without Ura, he was nothing, only a man without a purpose for living. Ura had given him a reason to live, so that each day they could become closer and closer to each other without fear of getting hurt. Now...he had to end his wife's life so that his son could be safe and so would the village. He released his wife from the sand around her ankles, Ura walked over to Gaara and caressed his cheeks with her hands, "Gaara, do that for me, so then I can keep all of you safe from Kabutome. I saved Leila from Kabutome's control, and I was able to save you from him as well, giving up my life for you and everyone. To live in fear of his wrath is nonsense, by taking me away from this world, you will be able to live to see Osamu grow up with strength, to know his mother died for all of you. Please...give me the satisfaction of a painless death, and my soul will rest with ease to know my love, my son, and my friends and family are safe from Kabutome forever. Just give me that gift, and I promise i'll enter the next world with peace."
Gaara, who was stunned by her murmer, took her hands, "Then what of me? Why leave me here alone without you?"
Ura gave him a saddened smile and said, "You've found your place in the world, your the best Kazekage i've lived to see. Now your purpose is to help your son get to have that pleasure of living up to you, not to me. I worked for you, I lived for you, and I will die for you, that was my purpose for living, and that is my second Nindo. My first Nindo, to show everyone i'm different than what they think of me, was completed when I became the best Kunoichi in Sand. Now my second Nindo is going to be complete after you put me in the Sand Coffin. I know you better than yourself, Gaara, and if you raise your son to be like you...he will go far in life, becoming the next Kazekage that the Sand will love to have."
The Kazekage embraced her through sorrow, it will be the last time he'll ever embrace that woman, that kunoichi, that soul ever again. Tears streamed off of their faces, Gaara's tears staining her shoulder, he had found love...and had to destroy it, but with her whim. When the time came, Gaara and Ura released each other, memories of how Ura was always watchful of Gaara, and how their lives dwindled until they became one echoed through their minds in unison. Ura took a few steps back from Gaara, to allow her blood to splash away from him so Gaara wouldn't be bathed in her blood. Through agony, Gaara made the handsign, the sand slowly gobbling up Ura's legs and heading upward. Tears leaked through Ura's eyes as she calmly endured her fate with pride, though she broke out into a heavy cry when she was engulfed in the sand. Before the sand fully engulfed Ura, Gaara had saw the light fade from Ura's eyes, how beautiful they were before when they were full of life and pleasure. With his free hand, Gaara clung to his dying heart as he finished the jutsu.
There was no scream, there was no sound, only tears and blood mixing together to form a puddle. Gaara fell to his knees, gasping for air as he cried harder and harder into the sand. The sand revealed Ura's dead body, Gaara crawled to her and looked at her, a smile upon her lips though her eyes were cascaded over with a pale white, but not fully hiding her sandy eyes. Gaara cried on her shattered body, how he wished he was more forceful to have that damned mark removed.
Ura's love for Gaara shall never be erased from her soul when she passed onto the spirit realm. The love Gaara and Ura shared was far too great and massive for either or them to ever forget. Ura was Gaara's first and only love, just he was her own first and only love. Through many trials to prove their existence, they ended as one. In Gaara's mind, Ura died as a brave Kunoichi, sacrificing her own life to save her beloved Kazekage. Now, her fighting spirit could roam in Heaven with her parents, watching over her family forever. One day, Gaara will join her in that bountiful place, and will rejoice in happiness with his one, true love.
It was the next day when they had a week long funeral for the death of Ura, Gaara explained what happened to the people. Kankurou, Temari, Shikamaru, Osamu, and everyone in Konoha had come together to mourn the loss. There were no sand storms, a solemn peace lingered through the village as everyone payed tribute to Ura's funeral. A shrine was built in her name, and every day Gaara would head over to the shrine to see his beautiful wife's body remain in the casket, holding a desert flower. Osamu was explained to several times by Gaara what his mother wanted, and how she had to die. It was hard for the Chunin to hear of his mother's death, but Temari finally was able to make Osamu realize what had happened over 14 years ago. Kankurou and Leila, along with their children, had come to pay tribute as well, Leila came just as often as Gaara did, feeling as if she never was able to repay her debt to her older sister.
In front of the shrine was a sign on the door way that said:
"Here lies Ura of the Sand, wife of the Fifth Kazekage, mother to Osamu of the Sand. The best of the best Kunoichi, no one to surpass her rank of the highest Kunoichi. Lived and died for her husband, child, and everyone. Pay tribute to the savor of Sand."
Gaara lingered over Ura's body, he had put a jutsu over it to keep it from decaying so her soul will remain the way it is. Osamu was off in a mission, so he was not able to accompany his father, seeing how they were much closer over the year without Ura spiritually there. Temari and Kankurou walked in to see Gaara touching Ura's soft cheek, both his siblings felt guilty for Gaara losing his love so young. The Kazekage was now 30, his prime years as the Kazekage as well.
It was the next day when they had a week long funeral for the death of Ura, Gaara explained what happened to the people. Kankurou, Temari, Shikamaru, Osamu, and everyone in Konoha had come together to mourn the loss. There were no sand storms, a solemn peace lingered through the village as everyone payed tribute to Ura's funeral. A shrine was built in her name, and every day Gaara would head over to the shrine to see his beautiful wife's body remain in the casket, holding a desert flower. Osamu was explained to several times by Gaara what his mother wanted, and how she had to die. It was hard for the Chunin to hear of his mother's death, but Temari finally was able to make Osamu realize what had happened over 14 years ago. Kankurou and Leila, along with their children, had come to pay tribute as well, Leila came just as often as Gaara did, feeling as if she never was able to repay her debt to her older sister.
In front of the shrine was a sign on the door way that said:
"Here lies Ura of the Sand, wife of the Fifth Kazekage, mother to Osamu of the Sand. The best of the best Kunoichi, no one to surpass her rank of the highest Kunoichi. Lived and died for her husband, child, and everyone. Pay tribute to the savor of Sand."
Gaara lingered over Ura's body, he had put a jutsu over it to keep it from decaying so her soul will remain the way it is. Osamu was off in a mission, so he was not able to accompany his father, seeing how they were much closer over the year without Ura spiritually there. Temari and Kankurou walked in to see Gaara touching Ura's soft cheek, both his siblings felt guilty for Gaara losing his love so young. The Kazekage was now 30, his prime years as the Kazekage as well.
“Kankurou..Temari… for killing my wife, disallowing my son to have a loving mother, am I becoming Father?” Gaara didn't face his siblings through his fear of becoming the late Kazekage.
Both Kankurou and Temari looked at each other, they understood what had happened to Ura, and they understood the pain and lonliness Gaara is suffering without his beloved Ura. With a hopeful smile, Temari answered, “Of course not, you don't remind us of him at all. What you did, Gaara, was helping Ura save us all from Kabutome's wrath. So…we think more highly of you now, and Ura would never want you to think that you had become him. You're too great of a person, and a father to Osamu to be even associated with him.”
Silence took over the room, and a small smile was seen on Gaara's lips as he gazed at Ura's pale face, the same color as it was when she was alive. How he missed her dearly, how everyone would sorely miss the brave and proud Ura in their lives. Gaara remembered how much blood she had shed to be seen in his eyes, so many unnecessary battles Ura had to fight in just to be loved by him. A while back, Naruto had told him of how Hinata was murdered, and the Hokage had said that Ura died a more peaceful death than his belated wife. Gaara knew that Naruto was very much right, Hinata died unexpectedly like Ura did, but… Ura pleaded with Gaara to kill her so that no harm would come to their village, or especially their family. Though the Kazekage mourned that he did kill her in the end, but many people, counselors, priests, and sages explained to him what he had to do was begged by Ura to save them all. It did Gaara little comfort, but…in his heart, he could feel that Ura was happy with him in spirit.
"So, uh… Hey, bro, you want to go catch some lunch with us?" Kankurou suggested, he didn't want his little brother in this funk for long.
The Kazekage didn't move his hand from Ura's face, "When she died...she had confessed that she wanted to die with me at old age. She had said that my new purpose was to have Osamu be the next Kazekage...if anything happens to me, I want that to happen after my death."
Temari nodded, along with Kankurou, "That will be done, but you're not dead yet, Ura would want you to go live your life. You don't have to take on a mate, but you can be with us, we're your siblings and we want you to be happy, Gaara. Seeing you like this just pains us, and we don't want to see you like this."
Gaara could care less about what they felt for him, but...then again, Ura would have wanted him to go out and be with them. Her memory was still fresh in his mind, and it will always be that way... Gaara removed his hand from her face, then faced his siblings, "Where do you want to go for lunch?"
Kankurou and Temari's face lightened up from their brother's willingness to go, Gaara went to them. Then, Kankurou hugged his brother tightly, Temari then joined in...all of them missed their dearest friend, and lover for one. She had touched all of their hearts, and they were very proud to have known her most personal life. Each day, they silently promised to live like Ura would have wanted them to leave...with peace.
"So, uh… Hey, bro, you want to go catch some lunch with us?" Kankurou suggested, he didn't want his little brother in this funk for long.
The Kazekage didn't move his hand from Ura's face, "When she died...she had confessed that she wanted to die with me at old age. She had said that my new purpose was to have Osamu be the next Kazekage...if anything happens to me, I want that to happen after my death."
Temari nodded, along with Kankurou, "That will be done, but you're not dead yet, Ura would want you to go live your life. You don't have to take on a mate, but you can be with us, we're your siblings and we want you to be happy, Gaara. Seeing you like this just pains us, and we don't want to see you like this."
Gaara could care less about what they felt for him, but...then again, Ura would have wanted him to go out and be with them. Her memory was still fresh in his mind, and it will always be that way... Gaara removed his hand from her face, then faced his siblings, "Where do you want to go for lunch?"
Kankurou and Temari's face lightened up from their brother's willingness to go, Gaara went to them. Then, Kankurou hugged his brother tightly, Temari then joined in...all of them missed their dearest friend, and lover for one. She had touched all of their hearts, and they were very proud to have known her most personal life. Each day, they silently promised to live like Ura would have wanted them to leave...with peace.
The End