Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Together With You: A Gaara Story ❯ Things Fall Apart ( Chapter 26 )

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine...How I wish I had a Gaara of my own though...

 

Recap:

Kakashi stepped forward. "Ruling people out already, Tsunade? That is not like you...it could be a grave mistake," he said darkly. But he was right. "What evidence do you have that it is not one of us? What evidence suggests that one of us is not the apprentice?" he asked logically. Tsunade's eyes widened a little. "It might be anyone of us. Or...it might be anyone in the village. It is not certain. I am not suggesting to suspect your allies...but you also can't trust them fully anymore until we find out who this apprentice is," he reasoned again.

 

 

Chapter 26: Things Fall Apart

 

Shiruki smiled at Konohamaru. "Well then...I'm glad you're not scared of him," she teased. Konohamaru gave her a signature grin and Shiruki smiled back at him with a hug. They shared a few laughs and then Shiruki got quiet.

 

Konohamaru looked up at her and felt a pang in his chest at the sadness in her eyes. Her face held nothing but depression and eternal sadness. Like nothing could bring her out of this unconsolable mood. It hurt him to look at her like this. She meant a lot to him. She meant as much, if not more, as Naruto. She was, after all, his idol. He was her friend. Someone, the only one, that was there for her while the other villagers shunned her. Even though she had a life and friends now, she still did not abandon him. How could she? He was her first friend in Leaf Village. Even Naruto hesitated to meet her and become close. He was sort of intimidated, if that was the word. Konohamaru poked Shiruki's ribs, earning a squeak and squirm from her. She looked down at him and Konohamaru smiled with a sort of cocky grin, just like Naruto. The kid really was a mini-Naruto. She smiled. "You won the game, Shiruki...what do you want to do?" he asked, never losing his innocent, yet mischievous smile.

 

Shiruki acted to think for a long time as if contemplating soemthing. She grinned and looked at him, getting up. She offered a hand to help him up also and he accepted. She smiled at him and sighed. "Well...seeing as how I can't think of anything else...how about you let me treat you to Ramen?" she smiled. Konohamaru's eyes widened. He nodded happily, just as she expected him to. She smiled and took his hand, running off towards his, and Naruto's, favorite Ramen stand in Konoha: Ichiraku.

 

 

Meanwhile...

Tsunade grew impatient with all these rumors of a traitorous shinobi among them. She tapped her finger on her crossed arm and sighed. "Kakashi..I do not wish to believe that we have a spy among the Leaf Village. It is despicable and down right insulting!" she snarled.

 

Everyone's eyes were downcast. Gaara stared at Tsunade. His gaze wandered over to Sasuke to see him rather passive, just like when Shiruki died. He paid no mind to it, seeing as how Sasuke never showed any emotion. He pushed himself off the wall and looked around. "Either way..." he started quietly, earning everyone's undivided attention. "Leaf Village needs to get it together. What Uchiha said was true. We cannot afford to trust, nor distrust anyone. It is best that we just keep our guards up and go on normally until the apprentice slips up," he said before leaving the office silently. Everyone in Tsunade's office agreed and exchanged accusatory glares at one another before following Gaara's example and leaving.

 

Tsunade and her assistant stood there speechless. Tsunade looked rather frustrated. She tapped her finger and sighed heavily. "Konoha is falling apart...I think that is what the apprentice wanted," she sighed desperately before going back to her paperwork.

 

 

With Gaara...

Gaara walked through the streets of Konoha looking at nothing in particular. He kept his glance downcast, so as to not draw attention to himself by looking at others and giving them the wrong idea. He was in deep thought. The young Kazekage continued onward, destination unknown. Somehow, he ended up by Shiruki's house. He looked at it before entering. He looked around a little, unphased by how neat and undisturbed it was. He smirked a little before going over to the refridgerator and opening it a little. He peered inside and got out a water bottle. Nothing of great importance. He opened it and started to drink it, still lost in thought. 'The apprentice is indeed smart enough to not give away his direct location...' he thought with a sneer. He put the bottle down and watched it ripple at the disturbance. 'It is unclear who he is...but both accusations make sense. This is bothersome,' he sighed. 'Uchiha assumes Shikamaru is the apprentice...Shikamaru insists Sasuke is...Kakashi...' he sighed and dug his hands in his hair in frustration, resting his head on the counter top. A thought came to Gaara. His eyes widened a little as he looked at the water again. 'Shikamaru, though being ignorant, was right...This apprentice surely is powerful...sly...feared...and yearns for more power.' Gaara's facical expression read that he was deep in thought, and somewhat pissed. He replayed Sasuke's words in his head.

 

"Clearly you all have missed the point...power hungry...making it a 'he,' having access to Sound Village and all of Orochimaru's techniques...knowing and going after Shiruki, Gaara, and Naruto...they have to be someone that knows them. If not, then how else would they know of all three of them?"

 

Gaara thought of the possibility of who it could possibly be of the Leaf Village. 'Hyuuga...' Gaara shook his head. 'Lee?' Gaara stopped that thought. 'As if..baka can't even defeat me in a match,' he sighed rather arrogantly. Gaara stopped thinking of possibilities to remember what else the Uchiha had said.

 

"And not to mention, haven't you noticed that he strikes at the most opportune of times? Kidnapping Naruto...extracting Nikkaku...sending someone again to attack and retrieve Shiruki while everyone was injured? This guy knows us. Either that, or he has some pretty good spies to watch us at all times."

 

Gaara's eyes widened. He stood up. The Uchiha knew! He knew who it was! Then..."Why would he not bring it up at the meeting?" Gaara questioned. He sat back down and stared emotionlessly at the glass. His thoughts were interrupted by arms surrounding his shoulders and a breath on his neck. He stiffened a little and looked to see who it was.

 

"Hey..." Shiruki whispered. She laid a gentle kiss on his cheek and smiled. "Are you alright?" she asked, allowing him to turn around to face her. Gaara nodded reluctantly. He couldn't tell her what he was thinking, partly because he didn't believe it himself. And it was rather difficult to explain to people that which you do not know. Shiruki sat in his lap and Gaara wrapped his arms around her waist. "How long have you been home?" she asked quietly, knowing Gaara didn't like loud noises.

 

Gaara shrugged. He honestly didn't know how long he had just sat and thought. He looked at the clock and he blinked in disbelief. He was thinking for almost two hours. It was still light outside. He looked at Shiruki and saw her lean her head on his shoulder lovingly. He rested his head on hers and closed his eyes momentarily. Her shifting caused him to open his eyes. "Where did you and Konohamaru go?" he asked, trying to start a conversation to find out how her day was.

 

Shiruki smiled and sighed. She got up and stretched. "Well...we went to the lake...and then...it turned out to be a waterfall that we both almost fell over..." she giggled. She looked at Gaara and saw worry. She laughed again. "It's fine. I caught him before we both went over." She smiled for reassurance and saw Gaara nod. "Anyways...after that...we went to Ichiraku for Ramen," she smiled. She held Gaara's hands in hers and smiled down at him before he pulled her between his legs and resting his forehead on her chest. Shiruki smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Are you sure you're alright?" she whispered. Gaara just nodded.

 

 

Meanwhile...

A shadowed figure raced through all of sleeping Konoha, keeping to the roof tops, to avoid all sights of anyone still outside. Once the figure saw the gates of Konoha, he realized it would be tricky to sneak past the guards that were left for traffic control. He grinned. A challenge. This particular individual loved a challenge. He coated a needle with sleeping potion and threw them at the guards. This would give him about two hours, roughly, to complete his task, and retreat back into Konoha before they awoke, with them none the wiser. Seeing as the both of them simply passed out, head on the desk, appearing that they were sleeping, the figure dashed forward, earning no one's looks. No one was around to spot him. He always knew when the most opportune of times were. He raced through the gates and raced forward, still trying to be as quick and as alert as possible. He saw a lone figure ahead and grinned. He skidded to a halt. The figure just looked at him, eyes blazing red, taller than him, yet still the same build. "You are late," the cloaked figure stated simply. The cloaked figure stepped out from under the tree and the shadows and into the moonlight. The moon illuminated the figure, showing long brunette hair, milky white eyes, and an arrogant attitude. His voice was that of silk. He glared at the figure and the figure merely grinned at him.

 

"Who's the leader here?" the figure questioned sarcastically. The brunette smirked and nodded. "They are closer than we thought. We have to increase pace on the operations. I can no longer stall them. I fear that they will know, especially with the Kazekage's intelligence." The figure stared at the ground in thought. "I underestimated him..." he snarled to himself quietly.

 

The brunette grinned. "Understood. Shall I alert the others?" he asked in that same silk covered voice. The figure nodded. "What course of action shall we take then?" he pushed further.

 

The figure looked at him and sighed. He crossed his arms and glared at the moon. "We have already succeeded in the village going into a panic, just as planned." The figure paused to flip his hair from his face. He sighed again. "We need Shukkaku and Nikkaku at least...we can deal without Kyuubi. For now..." He paused again. "We must have Nikkaku at all costs. It is more powerful than Shukkaku." The brunette nodded. "Go tell them...that on the night where the moon turns crimson, come here. They will know what I mean." The brunette nodded and started to walk off. "Oh! And!" The brunette stopped. He peered over his shoulder and stared at the figure a bit. "Don't forget...to tell them...that Shiruki...and Gaara...will be subjected to severe pain. If they are not...they lose their lives," the figure said with obvious malice. The brunette grinned evilly and nodded before disappearing into the night. The figure stood there silently, plotting and conspiring. He brought his hand to his chin in thought and grinned. "Oh the fun we will have, little neko and tenuki..." he mused sadistically. He chuckled softly and sighed in anticipation. With nothing else to do, he started to head back to his village of Konoha. Indeed this man was a traitor. And yet...no one was even aware of what he was planning. How pathetic. He made it to Konoha's gates and noticed the guards were still out cold. He smirked and kept walking with ease right past them.

 

 

Meanwhile...

Shiruki and Gaara lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Gaara was starting to worry her. He could tell by how clingy she was being, not that he minded, but there was nothing really to worry about. It was thoughts he couldn't bare to tell her. Afterall, he had a pretty good idea who it was. And even then, what if he was wrong? It could be someone else. Mind as well keep it quiet until he knew for sure if it was who he had in mind. He sighed again for the third time without even realizing it. Shiruki shot up and strattled him seriously. She glared down at him, partially with worry. "Damn it, Gaara! Tell me what's wrong!" she demanded, grabbing his shoulders desperately. Gaara looked up at her with shock. She had never spoken that way to him before. It was really bothering her.

 

How could he tell her, though? How could he tell her who he suspected? One of two things would happen. One, Shiruki would confront Sasuke and ask him herself. Or two, she'd lose all trust in Gaara whatsoever. Neither sounded rather comforting. He looked up into her sad icy blue eyes and saw that she was resisting the urge to cry. He sighed again and averted his glance. He closed his eyes. He would not tell her. Shiruki, seeing this, felt her breath hitch. Why? They shared everything with each other. Why not now? She stared down at him and Gaara felt wetness on his collarbone through his shirt. He looked at her and his eyes widened a little. He turned to face her and sat up on his elbows. Shiruki brought her hands up to her face and tried to wipe away the neverending tears. Gaara felt horrible. He brought his hand up to touch her cheek to try to comfort her, but Shiruki smacked him away. He retracted his hand back to his chest and just stared. Shiruki glared at him and Gaara, for once, felt a pang in his chest. That glared did a number of things. It set off anger. It set of depression. It even made him want to hold her and tell her everything. But he could not. He stared in apology and Shiruki saw the sadness in his eyes. She kept her glare in place, not allowing herself to give in. Gaara took her in his arms against her will and she fought to show that she did not wish to be held. "Shiruki!" Gaara said thunderously. His once quiet voice, now resonating in Shiruki's ears. She flinched at the tone. She had never heard such a sound before. So threatening. So commanding. She stopped and froze. Gaara's hold on her tightened and he sighed lightly. "I can't tell you..." he whispered softly. "It's not that I don't want to share anything with you...it's just that...I can't." He pulled away to look at her and she looked defiant. He hoped she understood. He tried once again to touch her cheek and this time, she let him. He wiped away her tears silently. He tried to look into her eyes, but when he did, he saw no forgiveness or love. He just saw resentment. The look he was accustomed to. But then...as he looked deeper, he noticed that that look was to cover up the hurt in her eyes. He gave her a sympathetic look and Shiruki lost it.

 

"Gaara...please...why can't you tell me?! What is stopping you!? Any other thing you tell me! Why not now!? Why so different!?" she asked, grabbing his shoulders in her hands again. Gaara's eyes flashed dangerously. Shiruki gasped and backed away a little. She lowered her head after breaking contact with him. "I'm...sorry..." she sniffled. "I...I just don't understand...why can't you tell me?" she said in a small voice Gaara did not recognize.

 

He realized what he had done and instantly felt another pang. He took her in his arms again and held her tightly, as if she'd leave him and never be heard from again. He buried his face in her collarbone and held her, refraining from crying in front of her. He didn't understand this emotion. Was it fear? Or was it sadness? Or was it both? It was the same as when Shiruki left him for the second time. He felt her arms wrap around him softly, holding him and consoling him at the same time. "I...it's something I can't say. Something I'm not sure of yet," he tried to say without the hurt. He succeeded, but with much difficulty.

 

Shiruki petted his hair lovingly and placed a kiss on the top of his head. She lolled her head back in thought and kept her arms around him. "What's happening to us, Gaara?" she whispered. "It's like...everything is falling apart...and there's nothing we can do to stop it," she whispered with evident pain in her voice. His eyes became dialated and he looked up at Shiruki. Was she trying to say that she didn't want him anymore? Was he that awful of a person? Had he hurt her that much? Gaara felt overwhelming sadness overcome him. Shiruki looked at him and her eyes widened. She shook her head. "No! Oh, Kame, Gaara! No! I wasn't talking about us splitting up!" she tried despereately to clarify. "I swear!" she said as a lone tear fell from her eyes. She realized how it sounded though. She would have taken it the same way. She smiled lovingly at him. "I love you too much to lose you," she whispered. She framed his face in both her hands and pulled him to her. She kissed his lips delicately, telling him that she was indeed telling the truth. Her love poured into that one kiss, Gaara felt safer. He kissed back and held her softly in his arms.

 

Something was indeed happening. But...was it all the because of the apprentice? What was this guy planning? Whatever it was, Gaara was sure that it was working much to their dismay. He didn't like being a pawn in someone's twisted little game. He swore, right then and there, that he would kill whoever this apprentice was. He would pay for making them question their relationship. He would pay for causing harm to Shiruki. He would pay for making everything go into a panic. Something was nagging at him though. It was something Kakashi said.

 

"What evidence do you have that it is not one of us?"

 

Gaara didn't like what he was suggesting. By that one statement, he was suggesting that someone in that room was the apprentice. That someone close to them was the apprentice. That someone, no matter how much he wanted to admit it, was toying with them. They were no doubt being messed with for the apprentice's enjoyment. This only made Gaara wish to strangle him even stronger. He was no one's fool. Nor was Shiruki. Mess with him, fine. Mess with his family...you crossed the line.

 

 

TBC...

 

 

A/N: Well...things are getting rather complicated. It's bad enough that Kakashi, Shika, and Sasuke all look guilty...but now..Shiruki and Gaara start to question their relationship. Stay tuned for the next chapter. R&R