Blood In The Sand

Rena snapped up, gasping, wincing at the kunai wound. Gaara and Sasuke were still battling. Temari hovered over Rena, worried, as the two watched him go on the offensive, declaring his love of wanting to crush Sasuke.

Temari, on the other hand, was beyond done with the situation. This was slaughter… the Uchiha didn't even stand a chance…! This was what she had feared. Needless death. War. It didn't matter… not when a monster like this would be exposed to the world, and for what? Just because the Hidden Leaf took their work from them?! This was a foolish pursuit! If anything, they should be rioting against their own nation!

Gaara had been attacking Sasuke the entire time she'd been out. "You're finished!" He declared, slamming one of his limbs into Sasuke, sending the boy flying to the point where even the trees couldn't stop him. He slammed through several branches until he finally hit the trunk of a tree, leaving a brazen impact mark. As Gaara leaped to a branch, his deep laugh was more gravelly than she had ever heard it. In fact… she didn't think she'd ever heard him laugh beyond when they were children. Was his mood getting worse… or better?

Gaara was her hope. Even if it wasn't right, he was her everything. Hope, kindness, will to live… all of it. She clasped her hands together, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, praying desperately that Gaara found some sort of peace.

Hope doesn't exist.

Her eyes shot open. That voice… It was definitely that monster's, the one that had fought off the masked woman. "Wha…?" She didn't know how to respond, but his voice echoed inside her head. But weren't those just… dreams?

Take a close look at the vessel you enclose your hope in.

"Is that it…?!" Gaara lurched forwards, his smile stretching across his face like he held the answer to some hilarious joke. "That was the best demonstration you could make of the value of your existence?!" Differing from his expression, his voice held rage and disappointment. "That's just pathetic, truly." Perhaps not anger, but instead… mocking? "Your hatred… it's weak! You're far too soft and forgiving! The greater the hunger for revenge, the greater the hate! And it's the power of hate that gives you the strength to kill…!"

She had never seen him like this. It felt like her heart was breaking again. She had thought the Hidden Sand had broken him, but not this badly. He seemed… so far away. Her hand raised as she reached out to him, splaying her fingers out, his face captured between her thumb and index finger.

Gaara is a monster, child. Could you, upon looking at him, truly say hope exists?

"Your hate is weaker than mine, far weaker!"

Can't you see? He's obsessed with death, hatred, and strength. There is no room for you in his blackened, charred heart. This world made him like this.

"You know what that means, don't you?!"

Can't you feel his pain, his rage? Don't you want to make the injustices done to him right? Don't you want to destroy everything?

She didn't know. She didn't know if that was what she wanted! But… "Just shut up!" Sasuke yelled in reply, clearly getting off-put by Gaara's behaviour. Saliva poured from his mouth as he laughed maniacally.

"Heh."

What…? Seeing your beloved like this… doesn't it make you want to destroy it all?!

"It means you can't win. You are weaker than I am!"

As she watched him, she realized something. Despite how disgusting the drool might be falling from his mouth, despite how scary his behaviour might be… her face flushed as she thought of him. Her heart pounded whenever she heard him speak, even louder than the fear he extracted made it. If she could see a guy act the way Gaara had and still love him the way she loved Gaara… "He's going to be the Gaara I once knew again. No use in trying to destroy everything before he comes to his senses." Beyond all of the darkness… she believed Gaara was still in there!

Temari stared at her like she was crazy, smiling at her brother's psychotic break, still believing that Gaara was anything like he had been as a child. Temari herself was in disbelief. The way that Rena looked at Gaara... It was just impossible. No… even since they were children, she had seen him differently….

…

The voice faded into nothingness, retracting into darkness, waiting for a moment when she would show emotional weakness again…

Ikari and the others dashed through the streets of Konoha, trying to stick to alleyways. Ikari's ears flicked as he heard rapid footsteps. "Duck!" He hissed, body flickering behind a large piece of wood, while Ikari decided to take the above route, hiding on top of the roof. However, the footsteps slowed down a great deal as someone turned into the alleyway.

Suno shot out from behind the wood, brandishing his kunai, while Ikari dropped from above. Their eyes widened as Suno stopped his course, jumping back- Ikari bounced off of a wall and landed behind the person. "Is this a new greeting?"

"You dealt with her that quickly?!"

"She will be no issue to us any longer." Tsukiyomi nodded. "We need to get out of Konoha and find Lady Rena."

"There's not a single wound on you..."

"A genin cannot harm me."

Ikari tried to make sense of it. Was Tsukiyomi stronger than she let on? No… he'd never really seen any of her abilities, nor did he know anything about her. She was one huge mystery… although he'd seen what Suno could do, dispatching someone Rena struggled so greatly with in mere minutes even though she'd been injured… a lucky fluke? Something told him otherwise. This was someone he had to watch out for. Still, it had been all clear. For the most part, there was nobody in their way. "It should be a clean break from here. Let's go!" The others nodded, body-flickering away.

The battle had finally exceeded any and all expectations anyone had of it. Rena watched as a cloud of dust dispersed, her eyes widened. Thoughts of the past consumed her, every pattern on the body of the monster Gaara had become a memory. All those years ago.. The thing she last saw before Gaara was gone forever…

The Shukaku.

"Well, what do you know?! I never thought you would bring this out of me!" Sand swarmed over Naruto, consuming the boy from head to toe. "This is the end for you… Sand buria-"

"Summoning Jutsu!" Large smoke cloud… large toad.

Delayed reaction.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Rena was beginning to freak out. It was a battle of the giants! No way! But it was so impressive that Gaara could control the Shukaku the way he did…

"Naruto Uzumaki…" Gaara's voice projected itself over the forest, powerful and both terrifying to anyone who heard of it, along with his extremely creepy laugh- it was enough to give anyone goosebumps. "You really are good at amusing me."

The toad withdrew a sword, after seemingly having a conversation she couldn't hear all too well. "That worthless little flunkie!" The toad yelled, looking rather random to her. He poised to strike and then began to run. A toad, running. It was so ridiculously funny to look at. "Hang on tight, Small Fry!"

Rena hadn't noticed the sand collectively swarming around her ankles, slowly creeping up the length of her legs, barely touching them as she watched the exchange between Shukaku and Naruto; Gaara's breathing, inside the Shukaku, had grown even deeper. Although his attention was consumed by his opponent, he did not forget. It drove him insane, in fact, that he did not forget.

That she was in his mind when she wasn't supposed to be. That he was thinking of ways to stop her from getting caught up in this fight. As the Shukaku's arm was ripped off, the impact of the sand dropping to the ground almost blowing everyone away, Rena stared up at it, hoping that Gaara… would win. Her hair blew around her, viciously whipping around her face, as she stood strong, covering her eyes with her arms.

"Interesting…" Gaara's voice boomed, "Interesting! Not bad, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Rena broke out into laughter. Gaara kept using people's full names to address them, but why? He really was the formal type, even when he was going completely crazy. He was also extremely polite, mostly keeping to himself. Those were two really good points about him, weren't they? Even despite his shortcomings, he still had… things that made him beautiful!

"Rena…!" Temari said, grabbing her arm, trying to pull her away. Was she going crazy, too?! "We have to go! He's going to do something bad!" However…

"Where do you think you're going?" The Shukaku's eyes snapped to Rena, it's head turning to look directly at them. Temari gasped as Rena tried to hang onto her, the storm of sand closing around her and restricting her arms and legs, causing Temari's grip to fall away. Rena floated upwards, struggling with all of her might. Was this where she died?

"Temari! Find Kankuro! Get out of here, go!" She said she wouldn't interfere, but Temari didn't have to be a casualty too. Temari reached out to her, tears pooling in her eyes. Not another one… no. Not again! She didn't want to lose Rena to the Shukaku again…! "Temari… GO!" She yelled as the Shukaku opened up and she was consumed by the sand, masked from view. Temari clenched her hands, stifling a sob as she turned and body flickered away. If she could save Rena in time… if she could…!

Gaara slid out of his sand, more than ready to fight. He wouldn't accidentally kill Rena if she were within his sand and the Shukaku would barely notice a cavern. She couldn't escape and run away if he had her imprisoned… so she would still be by his side in the end. He could do anything now, without holding back, now that what was his was safely stored away. It was time. "To thank you for entertaining me here today, I'll show you the true power of the manifestation of the sand!"

Things were getting rough for Rena as she clawed at the sand, claustrophobia setting in. She was trapped in a completely sealed spherical section of sand, unable to break the hardened walls. In the middle of the Shukaku, she could hear nothing, see nothing- it was all dark, but she could feel the walls closing in. She let out a choked sob. No, not like this- not here. The air in the sand was limited, as well- it was clear she wouldn't survive for long since Gaara didn't seem to take breathability into account.

Fuhahaha… it seems the Shukaku is inviting us to sleep. What an honor…! Let's play with the nightmare of the Jinchuriki you so cherish...

In her panic, she couldn't stop herself. She had no control over her limbs as they raised upwards, hand signs she didn't know being performed by her own hands. Her mouth began to speak, but they weren't her words. "Secret Forbidden Jutsu… Shared Living Nightmare!" This voice… was it really just her imagination?! Was it really just her going insane?!

A sudden burst of fatigue hit her as she dropped to the ground, raking her claws through the sand. No… It couldn't end like this… the last thing she wanted to see was at least Gaara… she reached out, but her eyes blurred as the Voice spoke to her once more.

You're going to share a dream with the one you deem precious to you. The difference is… to you it is deadly. Beware, Rena Hikari... Whatever damage you might receive in the dream, it will reflect itself back on your physical body!

She swore she saw a man standing over her, eyes glowing red and the smile of sadistic enjoyment painting itself in her mind…

Her body fell to sleep and the Voice waited patiently. Would she awaken..? Or would she find her tomb, as many others before her had, within the walls of sand that were a mix of Gaara's and the Shukaku's? It was worth using their abilities and power over her to stir up trouble… things were getting fun. No matter what they must sacrifice, this was worth their time.

And each time she suffered… they devoured it all, becoming stronger… and biding their time.

After all, it was the sins of the humans that had truly created them, all of the negative feelings they held. They would feed off of the suffering of their seal, whether or not the seal agreed. Their end-goal… was to take the will from their vessel…!

Rena's awareness of her situation hadn't shifted. She blinked, looking to the left, then the right. She felt soft sand in between her toes. Was she… awake? If she wasn't, then this was truly a realistic dream. As she walked forward, she almost tripped over the garb she was wearing. She recognized it… but that was impossible! She flung her arms out in front of her, small hands outstretched, her head flicking to a nearby shop window. No way…!

However, something caught her eye, causing her to turn around. A young boy, with a bright smile, carrying a bag of medicine as he hurried down the road. She followed him, only to watch him get the door shut in his face. The medicine dropped to the ground as his fists curled.

"Gaara?" She called, causing the boy to whip around. The smile that she had known was gone, the current Gaara's expressions perverting the face of the child she used to know.

"You… you've never shown up in my nightmares before." Sand swarmed around his feet and she could tell it was about to get bad. There was no other word for the sinking feeling in her chest. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?!" He screamed, launching his sand at her. As a child, his sand was much slower than as he grew. It still rushed toward her and her, not used to her childlike body, tripped rushing away from it. It hit her leg, causing a vicious, sharp wound to form. "Why did you run away from me like everyone else?!" He began to control his sand using his hands, doubling its speed and precision.

As she rushed away, ignoring the pain of the cut in her leg, he seemed to follow her, all of his hatred centred on one spot. Damn it, she couldn't shake him! But then, she remembered; this was a shared living nightmare. Who said the nightmare was his alone?! She shifted course, skidding around a corner and making a mad dash for her own nightmare.

"You can't run away from me forever!" He snapped, only slowing down to a stop as he saw a second Rena atop the building, the first pointing. He slowed down, his head swivelling between the two-

The Rena above was rushing toward something with urgency when suddenly, kunai flew out of nowhere and embedded themselves in the poor child's body. Gaara watched, wide eyes, the anger within him fading away as he saw her injured. He could feel someone come up from behind, their arms wrapping around him. Embracing him. Tears fell from his eyes as suddenly, they were no longer young children, but their current selves. "Gaara... I didn't mean to leave you. I didn't want to leave you."

The person who stood over her body had nothing more than static over his face. It was the same, as always. It was a Shinobi of the Hidden Sand, but at the same time, not. As the Shinobi took her away, Gaara reached out, tears dripping from his face.

"Alone… without you, with you… I feel so alone." Her heart panged in pain as she tightened her grasp around the suffering boy. "It doesn't matter how close you get to me. It doesn't matter how much I want you to be by my side… in the end, my pain consumes me…"

She wanted to protect him from pain and suffering. If only…! If only she hadn't been stolen away… her only desire at this point was Gaara. To be by his side. To be the one watching over him. "Gaara… no matter what, no matter how much your madness consumes you, I love you. I'll stay by your side from now on. So… please don't suffer anymore."

"You've never appeared in my nightmares before…" He stated, hesitantly, his voice soft. "I suppose that makes this a dream…"

Rena was about to reply, but everything was consumed by darkness as she shot up, gasping for breath in a dwindling dark space. She pounded at the walls, screaming. "Let me out! Gaara! Gaaaraaa..." As she was consumed by her lack of oxygen, she slid down the wall, breathing deeply on the floor. Her purple blood began to mix with the sand of the Shukaku as it seeped from her wounds…

Naruto had punched Gaara awake, finally landing a rather appalling blow. Gaara stopped Naruto from approaching any further, his sand surrounding the blonde Genin as he did his best to finish the fight.

"Sand Coffin!"

So, thou art still alive. But… it is all futile. Nobody can help you. You will die here, regardless of all of the actions you took to prevent it.

As Gaara and Naruto attempted to conclude their battle above, it was a battle of wills below. Rena had ignored the voice, but it tried again.

We can save you. Just let us try… no… allow me to grant you my strength.

The voice was slick, for sure, but it had finally dropped the royal 'we', settling on referring to itself as a single being. Her body was surrounded by a foul, black chakra, one that smelled and felt like the essence of decay. She slapped a hand over her nose and mouth, almost gagging, the room much too small for the scent to waft away on the breeze. Her nails raked through the sand once more as she held herself back from emptying the contents of her stomach. As she shoved the chakra back, trying to do her best to push it out of her system, the voice seemed discontent.

… I see. I misjudged the situation and struck too quickly. Patience is a virtue, after all…

"Why are you bothering me?!" She cried, trying to understand just what this monstrosity was.

It was wrong of me to try this in your current state of mind. My presence is not yet welcome. If you will not give in to me now… then I suppose we must take the hard route instead of the soft one.

She could feel her body move against her will once more. She fought to keep her arms down, but whatever this being was it was fighting just as hard to make her body move. She couldn't fight against it, not when it put everything it had into controlling her arms. She was weak; she still hadn't regained her chakra from her fight with Kana, not to mention her injuries. "Forbidden Art of the Hikari Clan; Mind Wipe Jutsu!"

The Voice began to selectively wipe memories of its choice, anything pertaining to it or its existence; anything that would make her suspect she wasn't alone in her body. She was not ready to accept her fate, nor him. That would change in time, when she sorely needed power… because power was something he had. It would leave memories of the battle, but she may eventually suspect the gaping holes…

As for him, he had to rest and recoup. Controlling his Host against their will was difficult and chakra-consuming; he'd have to devise another plan and wait for the perfect moment of vulnerability where he was able to strike.

As Rena came to, she could feel the sand underneath her cracking. She gasped as she felt herself falling downwards, a load of sand aimed to drop on top of her. As she made her hand signs, she body flickered away, doing her best to dodge as much sand as she could within split-second flickers that stole away what little chakra she had left.

As she soared through the air, she could catch a sight of Gaara as she flew through the trees. She had to reach him…! To save him from that chasm within, to show him that there was more to the world than just infinite suffering! Even these past days… these past days with him and everyone else were everything she had to hold on to and look to in the future!

Su… Ikari… Tsukiyomi… Suno… Temari… Kankuro… and Gaara...

All of them… there was a path where they could all coexist! That was the future she would fight for, regardless of the promise she made! She wouldn't just stand by and let Gaara suffer on his own anymore!

Man or monster… none of that mattered any longer. Within her eyes burned a fire that had long desired its own ignition, a realization born of watching the one she cherished suffer. He may be more powerful than her, but if he lacked chakra, there was no saving himself. It didn't matter who she had to kill. It didn't matter who she was against, even if it was the entire Hidden Leaf!

Her place was there… by his side!

She heard the sound as the sword disappeared into a cloud of smoke, Gaara and Naruto launching themselves at one another, fists poised to strike true. She doubted Gaara had ever thrown a punch in his life, but there he was summoning the strength to try. She watched as Naruto got a hit on him and sped herself up, pushing herself to the max limit. If he fell, he could die!

She finally reached the place Gaara fell to, but she tripped, her wounds finally catching up with her as she crashed into the ground. She could barely move, let alone crawl through the dirt, the physical exertion she imparted upon herself to get here finally blowing back on her. Her fingers twitched as she desperately reached out her arm to the boy she couldn't reach. She couldn't protect him, no matter how much she desired it. Damn it… if only she could be stronger…! If only she had the power to keep going…!

She paused, watching as Naruto Uzumaki crawled toward Gaara, using only his chin. He had nothing left, but still, he forged his path forwards… "No, stay away!" The fear in Gaara's voice pierced her heart as she flinched from the pain washing over her.

"It's almost unbearable, isn't it?" The kid stopped moving as he began to speak to Gaara. "The feeling of being all alone?" Gaara had stopped struggling, the clearing silent as he took in what Naruto was saying in confusion. "I know that feeling. I've been there, in that dark and lonely place. But now, there are… others. Other people who mean a lot to me." He resumed inching forwards, using every bit of strength he had left in his damaged body. "I care about them more than I do myself, and I won't let anyone hurt them!" His eyes were resolute, full of clarity that Gaara didn't have. "That's why I won't ever give up…! I will stop you, even if I have to kill you!"

If only… I had the strength that kid had. Rena thought, bitterly, wondering how he wasn't down already. How did he still have the strength to move, even if Gaara didn't? Did this mean... Because she couldn't move forward on her own strength, that her love wasn't enough?

"But why…?" Gaara whispered, his face pale as memories flashed through his mind. "Why would you do this for anyone but yourself?"

"Because they saved me from myself!" He responded. "They rescued me from my loneliness! They were the first to accept me for who I am. They're my friends!"

Gaara's head turned to the sky as he recalled the very first person to see beyond the Shukaku.

"Ahh!" The purple-haired child fell, face down into the dirt, struggling to stand up as she glanced back at the other children. "Oww… why'd you push me, Akkai?"

"My mom said that we aren't to play with lowborn pigs like you!" He slammed his foot into her face, his eyes holding nothing but cruelty. "And you play around with that scary freak, Gaara!"

"But I… haven't done anything wrong!" She pleaded, but Akkai had no mercy in store for the poor child.

"You're just like your mother, aren't you!? Trying to get close to the Kazekage and his kids just for the stature and position! Nothing but a damn leech!" The other kids began to chant as well.

Leech, leech, leech.

Each word cut deeper as tears began to drip from her eyes. It was all the same. Even though she had some friends, the others were judgemental and hated her for how bold she was towards the children of the Kazekage. Every child knew that it was more trouble than it was worth to actually play with them- only the main prestigious families of Suna dared to try and get close to them, but here a lowborn was, a child with no family behind them and no power politically or otherwise, trying to incur favor from the most powerful family there was!

"If you want to see me get really scary… Then keep doing what you're doing!" Akkai's head shot up, fear coursing through his veins… it was Gaara. As he backed away, he turned to his friends, who were already running.

"It...it's Gaara… run!"

The kids cleared out, leaving only Rena and Gaara. Gaara walked up to her, unsure of what to do or say to make it better. "I-I'm sorry. It's my fault… if you weren't friends with me, you could be friends with…"

Rena embraced him, her laughter filling the air. Despite the bruise on her face, she was smiling as brightly as she had yesterday and the day before. "Gaara! It's my Gaara!" She squeezed him tighter. "I thought you wouldn't come out to see me…! I've been waiting for so long!" She didn't acknowledge her pain, nor did she complain about the people who kept trampling over her daily. All Gaara could truly say… was that he admired her so much. The girl who was so brave as to put on a smile when she felt so much pain.

"Love…" He said, the clouds in the sky forming, his expression one of finality and peace. "Is that the thing that makes them so strong?"

"Naruto, that's enough." Sasuke had interrupted things and Rena desperately tried to squirm around in the dirt. Would Saasuke hurt Gaara again?! "Look, Sakura is gonna be alright. The sand crumbled away and she's free. This guy's chakra is all used up."

"That's… a relief…" Naruto went quiet, his consciousness faded, but it was clear it wasn't over as Temari and Kankuro appeared in front of Gaara, defending him… and ready to attack.

"That's enough." His voice rang out through the clearing, shocking those who thought he would urge even more of a fight. "It's over." He didn't want to fight anymore. He just wanted… to fix his past mistakes, before they were unfixable. He only hoped… there was time.

"But, Gaara," Kankuro insisted, as he turned back to see Rena a few feet from him looking pretty banged up. They really did need to pull back; they were in no condition to take on the rest of the Hidden Leaf on their own. "Alright, Gaara." Kankuro supported Gaara, picking him up, as he nodded to Temari to get Rena.

As they moved, leaving the clearing, Temari supported Rena. It was almost impossible for her to walk, she was so fatigued. Not being able to breathe for a bit didn't help that either. Still, it seemed like it wasn't over…

"Temari, Kankuro."

"Hm?" Kankuro asked, sure that Gaara would begin to chastise them for losing or blame them for being weak.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to say in response. He'd never known Gaara to apologize, ever. He thought, before settling on a final answer. "Don't worry about it.."

"Rena…?" He called out to her and she twitched, raising her head to look back at Gaara. She couldn't really speak or move in any wide motion, but he stared into her eyes… and gave her the smile of the boy she had known from childhood, soft and gentle. "I love you."

Her eyes widened, filling with tears as they streamed down her face. All she could do was sob in happiness and relief. She gave him the best smile she could muster, her expression communicating the thing she had been saying since the beginning of the Chuunin exams.

The warm summer breeze blew his hair about. He watched the leaves shift and flutter as they went by, feeling as if that single battle… and everything he'd experienced in the Hidden Sand… had slowly chipped away what he had become in an entire lifetime. That battle… it washed away the walls completely, allowing him to finally…. Take the path he truly wanted.

Things would get better in time. He had Temari and Kankuro.

And he had Rena.