Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Together With You: A Gaara Story ❯ The Path to Konoha: Gaara's Contemplation ( Chapter 21 )

Disclaimer: Annoying little thing....I do not own Naruto or its characters....for the millionth time >.>

 

Recap:

“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.

 

 

Chapter 21: The Path to Konoha: Gaara's Contemplation

 

Naruto and Sasuke, along with an anxious and equally stressed Gaara, made their way to a clearing. It stretched for miles. Not a soul around. The path was still untrodden. Gaara grinned. At least no one found the spot. That was good. It meant there was no danger lurking ahead or behind. Once they disappered into this path, their scents were covered by the fresh smell of the flowers and trees. Perfect hiding and get away. Gaara stopped at the mouth of the trail to look back at Sasuke and Naruto. “We must make it past this trail before sunset. Is that understood?” he said sternly. If they did not make it before the sun set, Nikkaku would start to devour Shiruki's personality, just as Shukkaku threatened to do. Or worse...Nikkaku might be set free. Each were equally unfavorable. That only made matters more pressing. Naruto and Sasuke nodded and Gaara looked down the path. “We cannot afford to rest, nor stop for the night. Is that understood?” he asked, looking back at them once more. Naruto looked weary. If it came to it, Sasuke would have to carry him. Reluctantly with much hesitation, Naruto nodded. Sasuke sighed and nodded as well. He knew what would happen. Naruto would get tired, Sasuke would have to carry him just as always just to get through the blasted path. Gaara nodded, seeing they understood. “Alright. Let's get going,” he said solemnly, darting off through the path. In order to make it through this path, they had to run most of the way. If they did not, they risked death and injury. Neither were favorable yet again.

 

Naruto kept up rather nicely as did Sasuke. As they ran and darted under tree branches, stray bushes, and many other things, Naruto's pace did not slow. “Hey, Gaara...how long is this path?” he asked out of curiosity. It had urked him not to know. But he felt that if he did know, he would be tempted to whine.

 

Gaara glanced back at Naruto with a glare and then increased his pace, knowing Naruto would not like it very much. “The furthest Shiruki and I have traveled into this path was four miles. It was much longer though. As long as we keep up this pace, we should make the four mile mark in less than two hours. But then there is the question of how long the entire path is,” he said lowly. This was not any good news to him either. It couldn't have been too much longer than four miles, due to the fact that by the time they reached the four mile mark, they could see a clearing. He distinctly remembered a clearing out of the foresty path. That must have been the exit. If not...things were more impossible than to their liking.

 

For once, Naruto didn't complain. He simply nodded and kept up his fast pace. “Four miles, eh?” he said more to himself. `I can do that...I have to. I won't let Sasuke carry me. I don't want to be a burden. Besides...the pervy sage made me run more than that during my training!' he thought to him self stubbornly.

 

As Gaara traveled faster, his thoughts fueled his anger, which in turn fueled his speed. `Orochimaru...has an apprentice? How can that be? How can he have an apprentice when no one was seen with him besides that glasses wearing medical ninja?' he thought harshly. That “glasses wearing medical ninja” was more than just a lackey. Orochimaru depended on him all too much. The depending on Kabuto started more or less when Sarutobi used the forbidden jutsu to disable his hands. That jutsu cripple Orochimaru far past any repairable standard. He could no long use his jutsu. That was the ultimate punishment the previous Hokage inflicted on him. Knowing full well he could not be as strong as he once could. Disabling his jutsu left Orochimaru defenseless. So, then, why and how could Orochimaru have an apprentice? In order to have an apprentice, the master must show them things. They apprentice cannot go off of mere words to perform things. Unless...Orochimaru had been training this apprentice long before his battle with Sarutobi. Gaara's stomach turned at that mere thought. How could no one have detected he was up to something? It didn't make sense. But suddenly, everything came together.

 

That was why Orochimaru was not heard from in so long. That is why the Leaf Village was living peacefully without the looming fear of Orochimaru's attacks. And that is when Orochimaru trained his apprentice. When he was at his strongest. It all suddenly made sense now. Orochimaru had gone into hiding to train the apprentice. Long tedious years of training the apprentice paid off. With Orochimaru's death, now was a perfect opportunity. But one question still nagged at Gaara's conscience. Who was the apprentice?

 

Contemplating these things had left Gaara utterly deaf to Sasuke and Naruto's words. It turns out, Naruto was griping again. Gaara snapped from his thoughts just in time to see Sasuke next to him, keeping pace with Naruto on his back. He knew it. Naruto had never been one for traveling. Just how long had he been in thought? How far had they come? He looked to the sky. Judging by the position of the sun, it had been an hour and a half. Perfect time. His thoughts had distracted him long enough to tune out his surroundings and think rationally about things. “What are you thinking?” Sasuke asked, still facing forwards towards their destination.

 

Gaara looked at him and kept up his speed. He preferred not to share his thoughts with the Uchiha but he could be of some assistance, considering he knew more of Orochimaru than he did himself. He glared onward and finally spoke. “Orochimaru had to have begun the apprentice's training sometime before he fought Sarutobi of Leaf Village. It would have been impossible to continue training after the battle, due to the simple fact that Orochimaru's jutsu was rendered useless. It would make sense. That is why Orochimaru was missing for that brief period and Konoha was at peace.” He stopped for a moment, orgainizing his thoughts. “Orochimaru and that medical ninja that is always with him-“

 

“Kabuto,” Sasuke corrected.

 

Gaara glared at him and nodded before continuing. This Uchiha imbecile really struck Gaara's nerves quite often for comfort. He was more annoying than he was useful. But nonetheless, he was useful. He sighed before continuing. “While Orochimaru and Kabuto were training this apprentice, it had to have been long before Sarutobi and Orochimaru's fight. It would have been useless to try to teach someone with mere words. He would have to have Kabuto know all those jutsu. And that is not possible, even for his rank and experience. Kabuto is a mere medical ninja. Nothing more. He is there to aid Orochimaru. Not the other way around. And besides...it would be too messy for the fool,” Gaara reasoned.

 

Sasuke nodded. He was right. Kabuto would not stoop so low to learn forbidden jutsu to teach the novice apprentice. So his way of thinking was correct. This all took place when Konoha was free from the threat of Orochimaru. Sasuke sighed with Naruto taking in all this information as well. “So, what do you plan on doing, now that you know Orochimaru has an apprentice? And how do you plan on finding out who it is?” challenged Sasuke.

 

Gaara was quiet. He did not know. All that mattered at the moment was getting Shiruki to Tsunade. He sighed quietly at the question. He too was at a loss. He knew this information, but what could he do with it? How did this help him any? It only placed the time in which Orochimaru trained the apprentice. They still had no leads on who it was, or where they were. This was truly aggrivating. Gaara growled. The questions would not stop running through his head. Who was it? Why did they all of a sudden take up an interest to attack now? Why were they not after Naruto or Sasuke anymore? Why did they turn their interest to Gaara and Shiruki? All these questions were left unanswered. Sasuke must have seen the questions running through his head because he sighed also. He was lost as Gaara was. Naruto was not helping with his silence. In order to work out a problem, you had to talk it over. Talk out loud. None were doing either one of those options. Instead, they let the questions fester inside their minds, nagging at them to be answered. Too many questions...not enough answers. “The best we could do at the moment is to concentrate on Shiruki and Nikkaku. After she wakes up, we'll ask her about Takuya and Kasuke. That bothersome woman that I killed earlier offered no information,” he growled. She was rather insolent. It annoyed him that someone could be that ignorant.

 

Sasuke nodded. “I guess you're right. How much further anyways?” he asked, truly curious. He was getting sort of tired himself. They had been traveling for a while now. How much longer until they saw the exit to this four mile long path?

 

Gaara rolled his eyes. Why were Leaf ninja so impatient and so annoying? It pissed Gaara off. But they were teammates and they were Shiruki's, soon to be his too, family. So he would let them be. “A little further. About another couple of minutes. Quit whining,” he growled. He sped up his pace, darting far in front of Sasuke and Naruto. He saw the opening to the end of the trail and burst through it, his senses on high alert. He looked around for a minute and noticed they were on the outskirts of Konoha. All they had to do was walk around the village all and they would be at the entrance, facing traffic control. Sasuke and Naruto stopped beside him and recognized where they were. Gaara started off again and sighed. He was getting tired again. He and the others made it to the entrance to Konoha and darted past, the traffic control taking note of their entrance.

 

Sasuke ran faster and looked behind to see Gaara following. They only had a limited time to make it before sun down. Sasuke led them to Tsunade's quarters quickly. They ran up the stairs and almost crashed into Shikamaru and Kiba on the way. When they saw Gaara holding Shriuki, they followed with concern. They too had gotten close with her. They were all a big family. All of them cared for her in some way or another. Too bad that Shikamaru and Kiba only saw the wrong side of her before she met up with Gaara again. If they saw that side, the one when she was with Gaara, then things would be different. But nonetheless, they followed. Afterall...she was their comrade.

 

Gaara and the others burst into Tsunade's office and Tsunade shot up out of her sleep. A paper fell from her forehead and she looked at the interruption. Gaara stepped forward and glared at her. “Help her. We did the seal, but she's unconscious. If she wakes up before the seal runs out...” he said. He didn't need to finish. Afterall, she had taught it to them.

 

Tsunade sighed. She took Shiruki from his arms and laid her on the desk, having it already being cleared. She pulled her shirt down and saw the mark on her neck. She saw the circle around the demon symbol start to fade and she observed Shiruki's vital organs. She was fine. She was alive. This would make things easier. She looked up from observing the unconscious girl and glared at all of them. “Get her to the infirmary! Now!” she ordered.

 

Gaara lifted Shiruki and darted to the infirmary swiftly. Within seconds, he was there, followed by a weakened and exhaused Sasuke with Naruto still on his back, and Kiba with Akamaru and Shikamaru. Last to enter was Tsunade and Sakura. Afterall, Sakura was Tsunade's apprentice and she had saved Kankuro when he went head to head with Sasori of the Red Sand. “Step back. All of you. Sakura, help me out here,” Tsunade said as she put her hair up and rolled up her sleeves. Sakura nodded and stood at attention awaiting orders. “Check her vital signs and make sure her heart beat is steady.” Sakura did as she was told and Tsunade, in the meantime, turned to Gaara. “How could this happen?!” she asked hysterically. “Explain what happened!”

 

Gaara did not like being ordered around. He returned the answer with the same furosity. “She was attacked and captured saving Uzumaki! Two Sound ninja were after our inner demons! They managed to extract part of it, but the main reason she is alive now is because Nikkaku is returning to her!” Gaara growled back just as evilly.

 

Tsunade's eyes widened at this. “Sound you say?” she questioned. How could this be? Orochimaru was dead. So how could Sound have anything to do with it? This was perplexing to her just as it had been to Gaara and the others before they started to piece things together.

 

“Tsunade-sama. She's fine. Her heart is weak but...she should be alright. We're ready for the operation,” Sakura said, turning to Tsuande.

 

Tsunade nodded. She turned back to Gaara. “You, Kazekage, hold her down. This is a delicate operation. Even the slightest twitch and she could die.”

 

 

TBC

 

 

A/N: next chapter down!!! ^^ I love writing this story! And thank you so much for all the support! It means a great deal to me. Anyways....time to start the other chapter ^^ R&R! And keep reading!