Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Three ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: well, here you have it people...chapter 3! once again, thank you for all the reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. of course, it's starting to get a bit complicated now, but hopefully you'll still like it. oh and I gave all you Gaara lovers a lil dose of the sand-nin in this chapter, so read on!

Disclaimer: like I've said before...don't own Naruto

Translations:

konbanwa: good evening

aniki/onii-chan: big brother

okaa-san: mother

Shukaku: the badger demon within Gaara

taijutsu: hand to hand combat

ninjutsu: powerful jutsu (i.e. summoning)

Ero-Senin: it's what Naruto calls Jiraiya, ero means pervert and senin means hermit

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Three

by: Lostlily

Chapter 3

-Hidden Sand Village-

Gaara sat at the foot of his bed, staring down at the ground. He'd been in his room for while now, thankful for the privacy and silence it provided. He'd been getting irritated with Temari, Kankuro, and even Baki-sensei. They had been questioning him about where he had been for the last week and a half. They had stopped when he gave them all a dirty look, but he knew that they would start up again soon, that's why he was sitting here in his room. He just needed time to himself so that he could think. Soon enough, his thoughts strayed to the night he disappeared.

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~A week and a half earlier~

"Konbanwa, Gaara. I'm glad we finally get to meet."

Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly, his body was tense, ready to summon his destructive sand, "Who are you?"

The cloaked figure reached up and pushed her hood back, revealing long, raven hair; a pale, oval face with cat-like blue-violet eyes, and a small smile upon soft lips. The young kunoichi looked to be about the same age as the sand-nin, but that didn't make him relax his guard. If anything, he tensed up even more when he spotted the forehead protector tied around her neck. She was a cloud shinobi.

The girl gave a slight bow and said, "My name is Yuri and I have been very eager to meet you."

"Have you come here to assassinate me?"

"Iie, I have come because I wanted to meet someone who was like me."

Gaara frowned with confusion at her words. 'Like her? What did she mean?' Then he found himself looking into her eyes again. 'Those eyes...they're like his eyes...they are like mine...' A sharp pain started to come from the kanji on his forehead. He grasped his head as he asked himself, 'Why?' He asked her, "Wh-Who are you?"

Yuri studied him a moment, still giving that small smile, then said, "Come with me and I will explain everything." With that simple statement, she turned and walked off.

He watched the girl's retreating back for minute, then Gaara put on his gourd and followed the girl. They walked together in silence until they reached the next village which was close to the hidden shinobi village. The village was small and everyone was peacefully resting in their little huts. Yuri led him to a hut far away from the others and silently entered it. Gaara stopped for a moment at the doorway, then he entered.

The place was empty except for a small fire pit near the back, a neat stack of futons and blankets, a small table, water pitcher, and some cups. Yuri lit a fire in the pit, then knelt at the table and gestured for Gaara to do the same. Quietly he sat, facing her, then took his gourd off and set it next him. The young cloud-nin calmly rested her hands on her lap as she began to speak.

"Like I have said before, my name is Yuri. As you can see, I am a shinobi from the Hidden Cloud Village. Actually, I am a genin like you," She paused for bit, then continued, "And like you, there is something within me that sets me far apart from others. That is why we are the same, you and I." She looked down at the table top, a sad note in her voice, "I know what it feels like to watch others and know that I can never be like them...that I'll always see the hate and fear in their eyes." The young girl looked him in the eye, "I know what it's like to be alone."

'She's...like me,' was the only thought that went through Gaara's mind. Yuri paused again, then continued.

"I heard tales about a genin from the Hidden Sand Village that was greatly feared by others. I found out his name was Gaara of the Sand...you. The rumors floating around the Thunder country was that you've killed many people who've crossed your path. In fact, I almost didn't believe it when I heard that the Sand and Sound failed to overtake the Leaf Village during the final Chuunin exam last year. With you fighting for the Sand, how could they lose?" She looked at him thoughtfully, "But there was a genin that you never thought you would find there, ne?"

Gaara uttered the name softly, "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hai. I've learned that he shares the same secret as we do. The same pain."

"Iie, he's different. He beat me because he was stronger and he has something that I don't have."

Yuri frowned with confusion, "He does?"

"He has...precious people that he fights for and because he fights for them...he's stronger," The red-haired boy slowly said. Yuri said a bit hesitantly, "He has...important people? I...I don't understand..."

"There's nothing to understand, Yuri, Naruto is just confused," A deep voice said from the doorway. Gaara turned in that direction, wondering if this was a trap.

Yuri said with surprise, "Akuma-anki! I didn't know you were going to be here tonight."

The man, who was wearing a face mask that concealed the lower half of his face and who Yuri called "brother", stepped into the small hut. His dark hair hung rakishly over his Cloud forehead protector as his magenta eyes focused on Gaara. Like Yuri, he also wore a black cloak, which covered the loose black shirt and black pants he wore underneath. He casually leaned against the wall, crossing his arms as he studied the young sand genin before him, "So, this is the great Gaara of the Desert, ne?" Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Yuri noticed the look in Gaara's eyes, so she said quickly to avoid confrontation, "H-hai, this is him. Ano...Gaara, this is Akuma. Akuma-aniki isn't my real brother, but he saved me from those who were being cruel to me. He also helped me find out that there were others like me." She smiled warmly, "He helped me find you."

The boy glared at the man for another minute, then finally said, "What do you want with me?"

Akuma quietly said, "How would you like to be able to control that demon within you? To not have to fear him taking you over at any moment."

"Is that possible?" Gaara asked, tensely, totally disbelieving what the cloud-nin just said.

"Hai, there's a way to control the youkai's powers and to use them as your own. There's a forbidden scroll in possession of a certain organization that makes such a thing possible, but the only problem is that this organization is made up of extremely skilled and deadly shinobi. The only ones who have any chance against such shinobi are you, Yuri, and...Naruto."

Gaara looked down, deep in thought, 'A chance to control the youkai within me? To not have to fear losing myself...' He never slept for fear that Shukaku would completely take over and Gaara himself would be lost forever. Now he was presented with an opportunity to rid himself of his fear. He glanced up to see Yuri gazing at him anxiously, then he looked at Akuma, uttering one word, "Alright."

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-Present-

Gaara stood and walked to the window, watching the people interact below. The following week after that night he met Yuri and Akuma was spent on finding the headquarters of the organization Akuma spoke of. They found some promising information and after that, Gaara found himself and Yuri keeping watch over a certain blond shinobi who happen to be in the same village as them. They all agreed that Gaara would return to the Hidden Sand Village so that he wouldn't be considered as a missing-nin and Yuri would follow the Leaf ninja to welcome him into their fold.

Upon returning, he immediately went to the Kazekage to tell him he was taking a temporary leave of his shinobi duties. His 'request' was quickly acknowledged since the old fool, like everyone else in the village, feared him. He went home only to be confronted by his siblings and soon after, Baki-sensei started questioning him. Things between him and his siblings seemed to have changed a bit this past year. Yet deep inside, he knew they still feared that the thing inside of him would let loose and destroy them all. For that reason, he was determined to gain control over Shukaku.

He turned away from the window and started to pack. He was heading for the Hidden Leaf Village tonight and now he won't have to worry about being counted as a missing-nin. He tied his gourd onto his back, then picked up his bag. Just as he was about to leave, he paused by the table where two picture frames stood. One was a picture of his mother and the other was a picture of him with his siblings. It was something Temari forced her brothers to take with her. It showed Gaara standing in the middle with his arms crossed, Kankuro on the right with a frown, and Temari on the left, with a small smirk. He stared at the pictures for a long while, then he picked one up and slipped it into his bag, then he left.

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-Hidden Leaf Village-

Yuri sat atop the monument of the Fourth Hokage, staring down at the bustling village below. She closed her eyes and lifted her face up towards the sun, enjoying its warmth. The sun didn't shine so clearly in the Hidden Cloud Village, so it was rare for her to feel the sun like this. She opened her eyes and looked down at the village again, lost in thought, 'Gaara should be here by tomorrow and Akuma-aniki said he'll meet up with us as soon as he locates the headquarters of that organization. Hopefully, Naruto will be with us by that time.' She let out a soft sigh, then gets to her feet. As nimble as a cat, she leapt from rock to rock until she reached the base of the Hokage monuments.

She began to stroll through the hidden village. Glancing here and there, she noticed how new most of the buildings look. 'Hmm, they probably had a lot of rebuilding to do after the attack last year.' She paused as she spotted some small kids playing. A short distance away stood a little girl watching sadly. Yuri suddenly remembered another girl from the past with the same look of sadness in her eyes.

A six-year-old Yuri stood off to the side watching the other kids play ninja games. Gathering all her courage, she slowly approached the laughing group. The kids grew quiet when they notice her nearing them. Fiddling with the hem of her shirt nervously, she asked timidly, "Can I play with you guys?" They stare at her for a while, then they start to whisper amongst themselves.

Finally, a girl steps in front of the group and said, "Iie. My Okaa-san told me not to go near you." A boy speaks up as well, "Hai, my Onii-chan says you're a monster!" The others nod with agreement, then they turn their backs on her and run off to continue playing their games.

Little Yuri watches the group of children go away, their words echoing in her mind. Then she fell to her knees and coverd her face with her hands as she began to sob brokenly. Rain began to fall as the sky above wept along with the little girl.

"Rika!" A small green-haired girl called out, bringing Yuri back from her memories. She watched as the green-haired girl rans up to the little girl that was standing alone and took her hand, making her smile.

Yuri's face grew blank as the two little girls joined the other kinds in their play. 'That's right. They're not like me. They don't know what it's like to be rejected and alone.' Turning away from the sight of the happily playing children, she continued her walk through the peaceful village, not noticing how the sky suddenly began to darken with clouds.

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Naruto tiredly walked through the streets of Konoha, heading for the ramen bar. He wasn't really hungry, but he unconsciously went towards it out of habit. He had just finished a grueling training session with his team. Kakashi was making them improve upon their taijutsu. Personally, Naruto would rather learn some new ninjutsu from the Ero-Senin, but Jiraiya had left a couple of months ago to work on his next Icha Icha Paradise book.

But training wasn't on his mind right now. The moment Kakashi dismissed them for the day, Naruto left with an absentminded wave goodbye, his thoughts already on the day before and girl he had met. He took a glance at the sky, maybe hoping for some answers to just fall in his lap. He frowned as he noticed the clouds covering the sun, 'That's weird...the sky was so clear a minute ago.' He shook his head and continued his journey to the ramen bar.

Once reaching his favorite place, his ducked under the curtain and took a seat at one of the stools. The old man behind the counter looked at the young teenager, "Ah, Naruto, which kind of ramen will you be having today?" Naruto blinked, then said, "Eh? I think I'll just have a cup of tea today." The old man frownd as he set a cup of green tea on the counter, then looked closely at the young shinobi, "Are you ok?" The boy just gave short nod as he stared down into his tea, lost in thought again.

'You and I are the same...What did she mean by those words? Who this person that was supposed to be coming? Is this what Kyuubi meant by they?' Naruto's mind swirled with questions, yet no answers came. He had to talk to that girl again. Only she could give him the answers he was looking for. Just as he came to that conclusion, he felt a hand settle on his shoulder...

A/N: heh, sorry for ending it right here, but I'm feeling super tired right now. so yeah, I decided to reveal Yuri's past little by little...kind of like putting the pieces of a puzzle together and well, I like puzzles. I'm going to hit the hay for now and when I'm all nice and recharged, I'll start working on the next chapter. plz review! ja ne!