Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Together With You: A Gaara Story ❯ Evil has an Apprentice ( Chapter 20 )

Disclaimer: Naruto and Naruto characters are not mine. Shiruki is mine through and through

 

Recap:

Naruto's head shot up at this question. He rushed to Shiruki's side and looked at Gaara as if seeking permission. Gaara's vision lowered to Shiruki's body and Naruto saw a slight smile, one he had never seen before, grace Gaara's lips. Of course, this was hidden from Sasuke. He'd never hear the end of it. Naruto had to do a double-take to make sure even he had seen it. Once he got a silent ok from Gaara, he pressed his cheek against her. Tears fell as he lifted his head to look at the two, confirming Sasuke's question. “Sasuke...she's alive,” he breathed in sad relief. Gaara smiled and nodded. Sasuke smiled sincerely. This was the one time all three boys could share a heart warming smile in each other's presence. Gaara had hoped it to be the last too. The only one he allowed to see him smile was Yashamaru, and Shiruki. This was truly a miracle. One the Kazekage would not take lightly.

 

 

Chapter 20: Evil has an Apprentice

 

Naruto looked at Shiruki and laid next to her quietly. She was alive. What a blessing. It had truly been a miracle. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, cuddled next to Shiruki, hoping she'd be awake by tomorrow morning when he got up. Or at least showed signs of waking.

 

Sasuke and Gaara sat up in silence. Sasuke noticed Gaara stroking her forehead, drawing something while sitting with his head on his arm. His arm rested on his knees that were pulled tightly to his chest. Sasuke saw Naruto cuddle closer to Shiruki comfortably for warmth in his sleep. Sasuke couldn't help but grin at the innocence. His face suddenly turned serious as an unpleasant thought crossed through his mind, screaming at him to bring it up to Gaara. So he did. “Do you think the Akatsuki are behind this?” he asked seriously. Gaara stopped tracing and looked at him with a glare that urged him to continue. “I mean, think about it. They Akatsuki were after Naruto for Kyuubi...and you for Shukkaku...so it makes sense,” Sasuke reasoned.

 

The Uchiha had a point. Gaara shook his head. “Akatsuki aren't behind this,” he said simply. “They were working for their own-“ Gaara stopped mid sentence, sensing something rather annoying to add to his already foul mood. As if things couldn't get any worse. He looked at Sasuke with a glare from hell, causing Sasuke to look at him curiously. “Sound Village,” he growled. He shot up and went outside the tent angrily, trying to get a good idea of where the nuisance was.

 

“Gaara, wh-“

 

Gaara cut off Sasuke sharply. “Stay with Shiruki and Naruto,” he snapped. When he heard Sasuke gripe, he quickly turned to the raven-haired shinobi with an evil glare that would have killed. “We can't afford to leave them alone. Now, get in there!” he snarled. He growled as he grabbed his gourd and darted off into the forest, following the sounds. He came to a clearing and glared around him for the Sound ninja. His sand darted up to his right and Gaara growled. How pathetic. His patience was slipping. It was all he could do not to just release Shukkaku to take care of the stupid ninja and take out his frustrations on them. Sand darted to his left and Gaara smirked. It was useless.

 

“Shukkaku protects you well, Gaara of the Sand,” a female voice said from the shadows. A figure emerged. A woman with violet eyes, long red hair, donning Sound Village garments stood there glaring at him. She stood at about 5'9 and appeared to be about nineteen years of age. Her body build was slender and her skin was pale.

 

“What do you want?” Gaara snapped coldly. He had neither the time, nor the patience to deal with her. No doubt she would push him to his limits tonight. Any other time, no matter how much he despised the village hidden in the sound, any other night besides this one, he could deal with them rationally. But tonight was suicide.

 

The woman laughed. “Quite the snappy one, eh, Kazekage?” she challenged, earning a glare from Gaara. She laughed lightly and stared at him. “My, my...seems Lord Kazekage is angry with Sound Village for killing his bitch,” she teased. Gaara's expression hardened as she called Shiruki that derogatory name. This woman was indeed pissing him off. At any moment now, he would snap and she would die. But first, he had to get information. She noticed a fierce, defensive look in his eyes and grinned. “Seems I struck a nerve,” she mused. “To answer your question, Lord Orochimaru wishes to possess Shiruki's Neko demon.”

 

Gaara seemed to be getting impatient again with this infuriating woman. She was worse than Tsunade. Much worse. At least with Tsunade, he could keep his calm demeanor. With this woman, however, he could not wait to kill her. It also didn't help that she was from Sound Village. “Tell me something I don't know,” he growled. “What does Orochimaru want with her demon? Why does he want it so badly?” he glared.

 

The woman snickered. “Like I'd tell you,” she countered. “Misha answers only to Orochimaru!” she growled defiantly as she flung shuriken at him.

 

Wrong move. That was all he needed to reach past his limit. He was trying to calm himself so he could find out more but this had done it. Gaara had had enough of this insolent woman. He growled as the sand shot up to form a sand clone, catching them, and flinging them back at her just as when he faced Sasuke at the Chuunin exams. The clone fired them right back at the woman and shrank back into Gaara's gourd. The sand shot back out of the gourd for his control. He uncrossed his arms and held it out towards the woman. The sand flew at Misha and she quickly dodged and tried to escape it. Gaara signalled the direction of the sand and he knew how futile her efforts were to try and evade it. Soon enough, the sand would catch up. It always did. After a brief chase, just as Gaara predicted, the sand caught her, encircling her body. She whimpered a little at the grating pain. This woman deserved Gaara's worst method of death. “Desert Coffin,” he growled as he closed his fist slowly, earning an ear-shattering scream from Misha. Her blood shot out of the sand and rained over the environment, spilling on trees, sand, dirt, and Gaara's body. He growled again as he stomped back to the others. How good it felt to kill that insolent woman. She deserved worse but he knew Shiruki would never forgive him. No one called his lover and the mother of his future child a “bitch.” He would not stand for it.

 

 

Meanwhile...

Sasuke sat impatiently with a sleeping Naruto and unsconscious Shiruki, awaiting the grumpy Gaara's return. What was wrong with him anyways? Shiruki was alive, yet he was in a fouler mood than normal. This truly bugged Sasuke. Gaara was pissing him off with his pissy mood swings. It was obvious too. Sasuke sat, in tune with his surroundings, thanks to his Sharingan, and tapped his fingers imaptiently. You'd think he and Gaara were lovers, not Shiruki and Gaara with all his fidgetting and impatience. He heard quiet footsteps and shot up to a defensive position. He slumped when he noticed the grumpiness of the steps nearing. He rolled his eyes, deactivated his Sharingan, and slumped back down with annoyance. It was only Gaara. He didn't need his Sharingan to be able to tell that. The footsteps were enough. As if on cue, Gaara stepped through the tent threshold with blood splattered on his neck and chest. “What the hell happened?” Sasuke demanded, trying to keep it down for the sleeping Naruto. He didn't want to have to deal with his whining and a moody Gaara. That'd be torture and, not to mention, the ultimate test of his already short nerves.

 

Gaara glared at him. As if he needed to explain himself to this bastard. He took his seat next to Shiruki in silence. He grabbed the same fabric he used earlier to clean Shiruki of her blood and wiped it off of himself with disgust. “Sound ninja,” he growled out reluctantly. “Orochimaru's work...even in death, he still orders them. How pathetic,” he scoffed.

 

Sasuke's eyes widened. “Orochimaru? But...” he was silent for a minute. It all came together now. The only logical explanation would be... “An apprentice.” Gaara nodded. Sasuke wasn't as dumb as he took him for. He could be smart when he wasn't being a total ass. “What do they want? Is it still Kyuubi? Or Shukkaku? Or is it...” he asked, looking at Shiruki.

 

Gaara nodded solemnly. It was not Kyuubi anymore. “They want Shukkaku and Nikkaku...my demon...and Shiruki's,” he growled. Sasuke straightened. “She didn't say what they want them for, but you can count that it is not good. The odds are not in our favor. Especially if Shiruki does not wake up soo-“ he stopped and quickly looked at Shiruki. Why hadn't it clicked earlier?! She was asleep! Without the seal! He quickly performed the Demon Sealing jutsu and instantly regretted it. He was exhausted. He could hardly bring up his chakra, let alone concentrate. Sasuke watched intently, seeing Gaara having issues. He noticed that Shiruki's demonic chakra was subsiding, if only a little, but it was not enough. Gaara's form slumped a little and he kept his finger touching the nearly completed seal. “Damn it...my chakra's exhausted...” he growled, trying harder to put forth just enough chakra to complete the seal. It was useless.

 

Sasuke's eyes widened. He recognized this jutsu. “If she...if that seal breaks, we're in trouble.” Sasuke mad egestures for one of Tsunade's jutsu: Chakra Transfer. Of course, she had perfected it in secrecy, but Sasuke used his Sharingan to copy it just as Kakashi had taught him. He touched Gaara and some of his chakra entered his body.

 

Gaara looked at Sasuke with confusion. He soon gathered that Sasuke was helping. He nodded and turned back to Shiruki, finishing the jutsu. He saw it was done so he let go. The sudden energy and loss of, made him rather unstable. He almost fell on Shiruki but he quickly caught himself. He placed his hands on either side of her shoulders. He was exhausted, physically and mentally. He sat up weakly and sighed. This was going to be a long night...

 

“Are you going to be alright by yourself?” Sasuke asked, stretching. He was tired, he ached, and he was drained too. Again...another stupid question. Since when did Gaara ever need someone to look after him? This arrogant, ignorant Konoha shinobi was worse that Tsunade! And Tsunade was bad.

 

Gaara almost scoffed at the question. Now was no time to argue. It would only result in him either killing Sasuke, or releasing Shukkaku. Neither was acceptable at the time. “Go to sleep,” Gaara said, watching his love sleep quietly. Sasuke nodded and went back to his tent with a quiet “good night” directed to Gaara. With Sasuke gone, he could now sit alone and have time to think. Who was this apprentice of Orochimaru's? How did they come to study under Orochimaru? And what's worse...did they know the person? All these questions did not present welcomed answers. Gaara sighed heavily before tracing the forehead mark he placed on Shiruki. A tiny grin surfaced on his delicate face as he did so. Touching her in some sort of way always comforted him. She twitched a little and Gaara stopped. Movement! He was joyous she could move. That meant she could hear and respond. Question was...when would she fully awaken? When would she grace everyone with her heart warming smile that everyone loved so much? It would be no good if she was to stay like this...in this state forever. That single thought crushed Gaara. He took her hand in his and kissed it softly. “Please wake up...please wake up soon,” he whispered. He saw Shiruki's mouth twitch into a small smile and then disappear as soon as he had seen it. He grinned at her and kissed her forehead before retreating back to his position by her side, watching her and Naruto sleep.

 

 

The next day...

Gaara sat, tracing Shiruki's forehead mark absent-mindedly. Naruto slowly awakened and looked at Shiruki. His blue eyes were happy, yet sad. “Still hasn't woken up yet, huh?” he asked, rubbing the sleep from his cerulean blue eyes. Gaara shook his head and moved the hair from her face gently. Naruto sighed as he got up. He saw the mark on Shiruki's neck. “Is that...” Gaara nodded. “Demon Sealing jutsu. What happens if she is still unconscious when it runs out?” he asked, suddenly alarmed.

 

Gaara slowly looked at him. He didn't know. It would definitely mean trouble. That much was for sure. “That's why we must get Tsunade quickly,” he said somewhat urgenty, but his voice was still the same emotionless coldness that Naruto remembered.

 

“But we're on our way to Suna-“

 

“We make a detour,” Gaara grinned. He knew a way. That much was obvious. However, Naruto and Sasuke did not. It was a path that only Shiruki and Gaara knew about. They took it when they were kids. And they found out where it led to. Konoha.

 

 

TBC

 

 

A/N: alright...story's movin right along. Thank you so much to all my readers!!! It means alot! And by the way...i will try to get more lemons in the near future...right now is kind of.....hectic though.....but do me a favor. If you wish to see Naru/Sas action, just email me yes or no.

Gaarasluver13@yahoo.com

I'm lookin to hear from you. It's you decision. Thanks again ^^ and R&R please