Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Together With You: A Gaara Story ❯ Naruto's Capture and a Loved One's Untimely Demise ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine....

 

Recap:

Shiruki recognized it immediately, as well as did Gaara. “I thought you learned by now, Kasuke. Don't mess with what is mine!” she snarled. How she wished she could rip this guy's vocal chords from his throat and shove them somewhere else. But first things first. She had to get leads as to where Naruto was. She couldn't just rush into this blindly. She had to be precise. Hopefully, Naruto could hold on for a bit longer...

 

 

Chapter 18: Naruto's Capture and a Loved One's Untimely Demise

 

Kasuke stepped from the shadows, an arrogant grin on his face. “But, Shiruki...this shinobi is meaningless to us. It is you we desire,” he grinned. “And besides...when last we met, was it not you that said you have no family?” Shiruki growled lowly. “Just as I thought. So, why is this boy so important to you now?” he smirked. She was too easy. Shiruki growled yet again and glared at them. She was shaking from how much pent up anger she stored for this one shinobi. How she longed to sink her claws into his throat. He would surely pay for what he put her and her family through.

 

Gaara saw Shiruki shaking badly and resisted the urge to rush blindly into battle. He watched for a few moments longer until a snicker erupted from Shiruki's form. His vision snapped to her. “Kasuke...you are pathetic. Thinking you know everything about me when you know so little.” She raised her head to glare at him and he raised an eyebrow. “Before you accuse me of saying such things, which I no doubtedly did say, then maybe you should take a look around and stop judging me.” Kasuke's face went blank. Shiruki's snicker resonated deep within her throat, making it sound like a growl. “Naruto and Sasuke...they have been family all along. I just refused to see it,” she growled as she charged at him. Poison needles rained from the air once more as she closed in on him. They darted in front of her like a rainstorm she was rushing into. She skidded to a halt and leapt backwards. She ripped a needle from her arm and Gaara and Sasuke both were at her side in a matter of seconds. This wasn't good. She was struck with Sound Village's special poison needles. This poison, according to their sources and previous dealings, was fast acting. It was only a matter of time until Shiruki lost her strength. This was not good at all. As they stood there, more poison needles shot from the air. Gaara's sand rose up swiftly to block the three and Shiruki didn't even flinch. She was all too used to it.

 

Kasuke grinned and kept his arms crossed over his chest. He clearly had the upper hand. If what Shiruki said was true, then she would have no problems giving into this next proposition. A simple trade. Nothing more. He grinned, knowing he had won. The odds were indeed in his and Takuya's favor. “If you don't surrender now, the boy will die. As we speak, Takuya is setting everything up to extract the nine-tailed fox from his pathetic body. It is up to you. You refuse, he dies. You accept, you die,” he grinned.

 

Gaara glared fire at Kasuke. He had the audacity to exchange a life for a life? And to make things worse, the Kazekage's lover? This guy was asking for it. Gaara was already teetering on the edge of sanity as it was. Not to mention, his patience was slipping with each blink of an eye. Sasuke glared at Kasuke also. He knew things were not going to end well. He could feel it deep in the pit of his stomach. Someone was going to die. And it wasn't favorable who it was going to be. All he knew was that someone close to him would cease to live tonight. Shiruki stood there clenching and unclenching her fists in anger. To say she was extremely livid would be an understatement. She didn't like either of those options. Naruto lives, she dies. Naruto dies, she lives. `What should I do? If I don't go, Naruto will surely die. But if I do...' she thought looking at Gaara and Sasuke. She returned her glare to the ground. `If I do...Gaara will be alone yet again. Maybe...if I can stall for a bit, Gaara and Sasuke can find a way to save Naruto. I just hope they catch on. This could get messy...Oh, please, Gaara...don't be upset with me,' she thought as single tear fell from her eye. She stopped clenching and unclenching her fists and the tears ceased. An idea. “Let me see Naruto,” she ordered. If they wanted her, they would have to guarantee Naruto's safety. If not, she'd kill them. But she could not act as long as Naruto was in danger.

 

Kasuke grinned. “Fine. The other two shall stay put. If they follow, Naruto dies. Understood?” he ordered back. He knew what she was thinking. Stall long enough for Gaara and Sasuke to find a way around their plan and save both Naruto and Shiruki from extraction, all the while, killing both Kasuke and Takuya. Clever. But not clever enough. It was simple shinobi tactics. He knew them all too well.

 

Sasuke was about to protest but Gaara put his arm up to stop him. Shiruki looked back at them, pain and anger in her eyes. This was killing her. Leaving Gaara...Suna...Sasuke...Temari and Kankuro...and possibly losing the child growing inside of her. It was eating her apart. She tried to force a smile, but they both knew it was a failed attempt. Instead of false happiness, all that was shown was pain and regret. `Please, Gaara, Sasuke...please hurry...my life as well as Naruto's depends on you,' she thought, pouring her thought into her expression. Hopefully, they got the hint. She followed Kasuke and saw Naruto struggling against Takuya's hold. It was a trap. They weren't planning on stealing Kyuubi from Naruto...they weren't even setting things up! “You lia-“ Shiruki started to growl, then suddenly fell to the ground unconscious.

 

 

Meanwhile...

“We can't let her die!” Sasuke growled. He had been pacing for over twenty minutes. The only thing he was succeeding at was dwindling Gaara's much needed patience down to nothing. Sasuke paced faster as Gaara stood in silence, appearing calm. This guy had nerves of steel, it would appear to Sasuke. On the inside, however, was a different story.

 

Gaara's patience was slipping farther and farther away from existence as the Leaf Village shinobi rambled on and on about saving Shiruki. If anything, Gaara should be the edgy one. Not Sasuke. This was his lover, the carrier of his child! But he had to remain calm for fear that he would end up killing more than Kasuke and Takuya. He might end up killing Naruto, Sasuke, or possibly even Shiruki. This was indeed a suicide mission. Time slipped away faster. It had now been hours since Shiruki left with Kasuke. Neither Naruto nor Shiruki had come back. This could not be good. And he had yet to formulate a plan. And Sasuke's rambling was not helping his concentration any. He couldn't take it anymore. “You think I don't know that?!” Gaara snapped impatiently. “I am tired of hearing you ramble on about saving her! I know this! We need to think of a plan. We cannot rush in there blindly. They might kill her and Naruto!” he growled.

 

Sasuke stopped while Gaara snapped at him. As soon as he was done, he resumed pacing with a scowl. This was annoying. “Well-“

 

A scream was heard from the building that Kasuke had led Shiruki into. It sounded like Kasuke. Before Sasuke could react, Gaara darted past him. Sasuke followed and saw a dead Kasuke and Takuya. Naruto was slumped in the corner, struggling to get to his feet. His chakra was gone. He had apparently used it.

 

What was so confusing to Gaara was...how did he miss the enormously high amounts of chakra being thrown around by the four? This was unsettling. This was a huge mistake. It worried him beyond all else. If he would have merely sensed even a little, he would have rushed right in. But he sensed nothing. His sights drifted around the room as Sasuke ran to Naruto to help him to his feet. He was badly injured. Gaara's voice was heard amidst all the chaos. “Shiruki?” he whispered desperately.

 

As Sasuke turned, he saw Gaara holding a lifeless Shiruki. His eyes widened in disbelief. How could this be? Was he so upset that he didn't feel the chakra burst? Shiruki had so much chakra. And once she was done with the normal chakra, she still had the neko demon's. So why had he not sensed it? Things just got worse and worse by the minutes. He quickly helped Naruto over to the two and knelt down, Naruto at his side looking on, panting breathlessly. “Is she...” Sasuke couldn't finish the sentence. The thought scared him beyond anything that he had ever experienced. Gaara's hold on Shiruki tightened around her as he shook his head, refusing to believe that she was dead. She had to be alive. She just had to be. As if on cue, Shiruki's eyes fluttered open weakly. “Sh-Shiruki!” Sasuke and Naruto sighed in relief.

 

Gaara's eyes shot open instantly to travel to Shiruki's face. What a relief. She was alive. “Shiruki...” he whispered. She smiled weakly at him before coughing violently, her hand over her mouth. Gaara felt nothing but sadness replace relief. Sadness and despair washed over the young Kazekage. She was alive. But not by much. It was only a matter of time. Once her coughing subsided, Gaara pulled her hand away from her mouth, revealing blood. “What...no,” he whispered.

 

Sasuke's eyes widened, as did Naruto's. They stared in disbelief. Kasuke and Takuya...had won. “Shiruki,” they whispered in unison.

 

Shiruki looked at Naruto and Sasuke with an honest smile. “Naru...to...Sasu...ke...” she whispered. Sasuke and Naruto leaned closer. She was struggling to breathe. She was struggling even more to speak. “You guys...were family all along,” she smiled. Tears fell from all their faces, except Shiruki's, whose wore a smile. “I love you guys...” she breathed. Naruto and Sasuke both held her hand on theirs, her hand resting in between both of their hands. She smiled again. She then turned her sights to Gaara, who was resisting the strongest urge to cry. “Gaara...” she whispered sweetly.

 

That did it. Tears fell from his eyes shamelessly. His one shot at happiness was not laying in his arms, dying. Leaving him once more. Shiruki's hand weakly raised to his face after Naruto and Sasuke released it to hug each other sadly. Gaara grabbed her hand gently and held it on his cheek. “You said...you said...” he said through tears. “You said you wouldn't leave me again,” he whispered, a pained expression worn on his delicate features.

 

Shiruki smiled and shook her head. “I'm...now leaving you...I promised. I'm just...resting. I'll be awake soon,” she smiled. They all knew she was lying. She was saying the words they all wished so desperately to believe. Why couldn't it be true? How they wished it could be true. Tears fell on her cheeks. “Gaara...don't cry,” she whispered pleadingly. Tears rushed from her own eyes as she saw him crying. Her only love was crying over her yet again. It was sadness, mixed with fear that caused Shiruki to finally release her hidden tears. He stared at her with the same expression as when she left him ten years ago with Hiruka. “Gaara...do me a favor...” she said before another violent coughing fit attacked her savagely.

 

“Anything,” he said somewhat desperately.

 

“Make me a promise,” she said, removing her choker. “Don't go back to how you were...when I left,” she said, placing the choker in his hand. Gaara nodded and looked down at his dying lover. “I'm sorry...looks like...” she breathed painfully. She rested a hand on her stomach. Gaara's vision drifted to her stomach also. A longing look replaced his overwhelming sadness. “Looks like...I let you down...” she breathed painfully.

 

Gaara shook his head and rested his hand on hers. “Don't say that...you didn't...” he assured her. It was true. She could never let him down. He'd never be disappointed in her no matter what she did. “You're only sleeping, right?” he said childishly. He knew it was a lie. But as long as he could believe that, he would be alright. Denial was the best medicine for heartbreak.

 

Shiruki's tears fell more rapidly. “Gaara...I love you so much!” she cried as she hugged him close. Her breathing became shallower. It was coming time for her to leave him again.

 

“I love you, Shiruki,” he whispered as he held her closer and kissed her lips with such passion. He poured all his undying love into that one last kiss.

 

When he pulled away, Shiruki's face held a tender smile. Her eyes drifted shut. “Good...” she breathed quietly. Gaara felt her skin grow colder. He choked back his tears to look at her innocent face. “I'll...be back...soon,” she breathed. Her breathing slowed and eventually...ceased.

 

At the moment, Gaara's grief hit him full on. Tears burst past his eyes. He hugged Shiruki's lifeless body close to his as he sobbed into her. He heard Naruto and Sasuke bawling also, mostly Naruto. It was indeed a sad time for both Konoha and Suna. A loss for Konoha...an even greater loss for Suna. As they sat there, the cared nothing for their reputations or social standings. Pride was nothing to them at the moment. They let their tears fall freely. This would indeed crush Suna and the Kazekage. Gaara's heart, right when it started to pump love and positive, neglected emotions through his body...was ripped out yet again by inconvenience of sadness. Was this all he was destined for? Grief? Death? Sadness? Pain?

 

Whatever the case...Gaara would never recover for the better. This had wounded him beyond all repair. It was just as Yashamaru told him long ago. Physical wounds can be healed with simple medicine. Wounds of the heart...their only remedy is love. And Gaara's love...was just ripped away and taken from him so brutally. The Village Hidden in the Sound would surely pay for this. A massive war between Sand and Sound...

 

Was about to begin.

 

 

TBC

 

 

 

 

A/N: T^T so sad....if you don't feel even the slightest bit of remorse after reading this chapter, you are either heartless, or are my twin. Yeah....i don't cry so easily. Didn't cry writing this either ^_^ Anyways...next chapter should be out soon. And sorry for the delay of chapter posting...my internet was down >.> Stupid internet incompetent morons....sheesh....anyways...R&R and keep reading! ^^ it gets better....^_^;