Sins of the Brother

recap: She was livid by the time she was finally alone. Which is why she sought out her favorite resting place. To her surprise it was already occupied.

Her heart began beating faster when she saw that it was Gaara. She couldn't explain what it was that drew her to him. As she sat next to him, asking why he had come to her favorite place, she realized that maybe it was the promise of violence lurking directly beneath the surface with Gaara. It was controlled though, there would be no rampages from this one unless he allowed it. He would never let himself do anything that he hadn't fully decided on. She could see that clearly when he grabbed her arm gently to keep her next to him. It made her blush, the idea that he wanted her company. She was so used to people casting her aside. Her parents, so called friends...her brother, but Gaara wanted her...it made her happy. But then he asked about him, Natsuri. She was ashamed that he had seen how she let the other ninja treat her, and couldn't bring herself to look at him. This warrior wouldn't understand, he would...he was holding her chin in his hand. He was looking into her eyes, gently asking why she didn't fight. She could only smile as she took his hand and trailed her fingers over his palm. His hands were so strong.
"Have these hands ever fought for anyone else?"
She saw his confusion, and knew that he wouldn't understand yet. She still didn't know how what happened next occurred. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She hadn't planned on it, had simply acted on impulse. It had been worth it though. She was more than satisfied by the shock on his face as she stood to leave.
"That's what I use my power for Gaara. I fight for others...not myself."
She could sense that he was still confused as she walked away. She looked down as she went back inside the tower and grinned...her hands were trembling.

The next couple of days were uneventful. Only one other team had shown up so far. These ninja were from the Sound village, and from the moment they walked in, Naori knew that something was wrong. Everything in her seemed to rebel against their presence. She couldn't figure out why at first, after all Gaara was quieter and more frightening than they were, and she liked him. No, she couldn't figure out what it was...until she met their sensei. She saw him watching her from across the room, and knew. That fake skin he was wearing couldn't hide the sheer evil that surrounded him...Orochimaru. She knew that he was there to watch her. He was always watching her, trying to hurt her. All because she had refused him. Now he kept her friend prisoner in an effort to control her, to punish her. After she saw him, she couldn't stop thinking about him and what he was there to do. Her only consolation, strangely enough, was Gaara. Every day after that first time they'd sat together, when she went to the tower roof, he would be there. It was as if he sensed that she wanted him around. She also knew that he could tell something was wrong with her. He didn't ask questions, but just kept her company while she waged an internal war. When she was near him, she was calmer, more at ease. In the few days since they'd met they had almost become inseparable, not that any would mention it if they had noticed. Gaara's glare kept all away, even his own teammates.
'It's as if he doesn't want anyone intruding on our time together.'

Naori had no idea how close to Gaara's true thoughts she was. He couldn't explain why he had gone back to the spot on the tower where he'd seen her. When she walked out and regarded him with wide, surprised eyes, he'd grinned internally. He liked being around her, she was very...interesting. On the second day of waiting for the other teams, he could tell that something had changed. She seemed warier, more on edge. It was almost as if she was being watched, and knew it. It wouldn't have taken someone with a lot less intellect than Gaara very long to figure out the cause of Naori's change: the arrival of the sound ninjas. He had noticed the team leader watching Naori, with a look that almost screamed possession. How could that be? Why did the man cause a shudder to run down even Gaara's spine? He hated him on sight. When the sun set on the day of the ninjas' arrival, he left Temari and Kankurou sleeping, and decided to "investigate" the leader of the sound ninjas. When he found the man, his eyes narrowed as he was filled with a deadly rage. Standing there with the bastard that tried to intimidate and possess Naori, was Natsuri. Gaara couldn't believe that a member of her own team was fraternizing, conspiring, with the one who wanted to hurt Naori. He didn't know why the thought of the ninja wanting to hurt Naori infuriated him. He barely knew the girl, and yet...he wanted her. It was strange, he had never really been attracted to anyone before. He'd been with women of course, but he'd never particularly liked any of them. That's what drew Gaara up short as he was heading towards their spot. He liked her. His heart was beating rapidly as he walked out to see her already there, waiting for him. He made no sound, yet she must have sensed him because she turned and smiled at him. Her smile made his breath catch. That was it, part of what drew him to her was the fact that she was completely open with him, always accepting of him. Right now though, her smile was sad. She was trying to appear as if nothing was wrong. He frowned, did she not want to share her trouble with him? Did she not think he would help? He marched over to her, adjusting his gourd and looking down at her with a scowl.

"Tell me what is wrong with you."
He knew that the demand probably wasn't the best way to find out what was wrong, but he just couldn't take that defeated look in her eyes. Said eyes were now wide with surprise, and her mouth had dropped open. He felt his nostrils flare as he watched her mouth. She nervously licked her lips under the intensity of his gaze, and he broke. He dropped to his knees in front of her and grabbed the back of her neck. She gasped, and he used that opening to do what he'd wanted to do since the bitch had tracked him in the forest. He kissed her. His tongue delved between her already open lips so that he could taste her. He almost groaned as his eyes slid shut at her sweet taste. His hand moved from her neck into her hair, while he used the other to pull her into his lap. He wanted to howl in satisfaction as she made a whimpering noise and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as best she could with his gourd in the way. Her hands came up to fist in his hair and keep him close. He could feel himself growing hard at the contact, and knew that she could feel it too because of their position. He released a hiss through his now clenched teeth as her hips pushed down hard into his own.
"Gaara," she whispered as she rested her forehead against his.
He was panting, he could feel her trembling in his arms, and he smiled. He'd never felt anything that intense in his life, and it had just been a kiss.
'One hell of a kiss,' his mind supplied.
He heard someone approaching their location, and knew that he had to put her away from him. It was hard though, her hips were still rhythmically pushing down gently into his aching groin. He grit his teeth and disentangled her arms from around his shoulders, and set her on the ground next to him. She was still breathing heavily as she looked at him in confusion.
"Gaara, why..."
"Someone is coming." He told her gruffly, annoyed at being interrupted.
She stiffened and closed her eyes. He could tell that she was waiting, sensing the presence of the intruder. Her eyes shot open as a smirk appeared on her lips. She jumped to her feet and looked down at Gaara.
"I know who it is. The bastard probably tracked my chakra."
She reached out her hand to pull Gaara to his feet, and turned towards the entrace that led into the tower. He could only watch as she ran, and lept into the arms of the one that had just exited the tower.
"Kakashi-senpai!" she exclaimed as she returned the shinobi's embrace.
Gaara's eyes narrowed as he watched them. It looked like she more than "knew" him. Before he could do more than growl softly to himself, Naori turned to him and took his hand.
"Gaara this is Hatake Kakashi. He helped train me a long time ago, before his current team."
To Gaara, that didn't seem to explain the intimate relationship the two obviously shared. She was much too physical with her "senpai." As if sensing his doubt, she continued;
"I also consider him to be a brother to me."
Gaara felt his eyes widen in surprise at that. He had heard of the Copy nin of course, but he'd never heard of the man having a sister. He studied the jounin, mentally comparing the features he could see to Naori's. They didn't look alike at all. Hatake was fair, with his pale silver hair. Naori was his opposite, dark and beautiful with her pitch black hair and eyes. He watched Naori's face as she smiled gently at Kakashi before turning to him.
"I said that I consider him to be a brother, we're not biologically related of course. He just always protected me...when no one else would."
Gaara felt his anger drain away at the old pain that quickly faded out of her eyes. He could ignore the intimacy they shared since the man had been there for Naori. He couldn't explain why he felt so inordianantly possessive and protective of the woman in front of him. He smiled as he watched her. She just appealed to him on so many levels. He wanted her, he wanted her to want him...he looked up to see Hatake watching him. Gaara's eyes narrowed as he silently demanded to know what the shinobi wanted. He took Gaara away from Naori, as if to point out something in the distance.
"She belongs to me. She always has, no other has ever protected her. No one else has ever gained her trust. You won't be the first, sand ninja." Kakashi told him with uncharacteristic malice.
He walked away from Gaara, leaving him to slowly process what had been said. Gaara was so livid at what had been said that he completely missed the mischievious smirk that had spread across the jounin's face.

'How dare he! How dare he try to take what is mine!' Gaara's mind snarled as he watched Kakashi leave.
He was so filled with rage and jealousy that his mind didn't even comprehend the fact that he thought of Naori as his. All that he could process at the moment was the basic need to prove to the elder ninja that regardless of their past, Naori now belonged with Gaara. He strode over to where she was waiting for him, and pushed her up against the wall with his body. He fisted a hand in her thick, dark hair while he used the other to haul her leg up to his waist. She gasped as he pressed his rapidly hardening member against her, and brought her face close to his own.
"Mine," he growled before kissing her.
This kiss was different from the first. His lips were brutal, feral. All he cared about at that moment was branding Naori as his. The beast inside, his Shukaku, was roaring with satisfaction. The demon wanted Naori as well. His teeth latched onto the curve of her shoulder, pinning her in place with both his teeth and the hands gripping her hips. For once Gaara and Shukaku were of the same mind. They both wanted to take Naori right there against the wall, he realized as his hips gave an involuntary thrust against her.
"Gaara," she moaned out, her nails digging into his biceps.
He grinned, and he let her see it. It was the first time he could remember letting anyone see him smile for a reason other than malice. He saw her surprise, and a blush spread across her face. The grin didn't leave his face as his hand slid from her hip to her belly, and down to cup her intimately. Her gasp, and the way she arched into his touch, made him throb mercilessly. He growled gently at her, nipping her bottom lip.
"Do you feel how vulnerable you are? How close you are to being taken?" he pressed his fingers into her, pushing inside of her slightly through the material of her pants.
"To being mine," he whispered hotly into her ear.
Her eyes snapped open and connected with his own. She was panting, just like he was, and he could feel her getting wetter at his words. She smiled as her hand darted down his torso, and slid into his pants. Her fingers wrapped around him, causing his cock to twitch as a hiss escaped.
"Please Gaara," she groaned as she stroked him slowly but firmly.
"Yes, make me yours, right now."
He bared his teeth as he realized what she was saying. He wasn't going to deny her though. The only coherent thought he could process as he freed himself from his pants and she pushed her own down her hips, was a regret that he couldn't make their first time better than a frenzied rutting against a wall. As he lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist, and she impaled herself on his turgid length, he lost the ability to think altogether. She was so wet and tight that he wanted to scream in pleasure. As he forced her against the wall and thrust into her over and over again, he drank in her cries of pleasure with relish. What he failed to notice though, were his own cries of ecstacy. The wet sounds of his length slamming into her slick center were driving him to the edge, as well as her feminine grunts. He growled out her name as he felt his orgasm coming up fast, and the way that her body was clenching around him let him know that Naori was close to coming as well. He grunted as he thrust into her harder and faster than before, until she came hard, screaming his name.
"Gaara!"
"Naori!" he yelled out, coming at the same moment.
He slumped against her, his face resting in the crook of her neck as he panted, trying to calm his heart down to its normal rhythm. He couldn't move, didn't even want to move. He wanted to stay exactly where he was, still inside of Naori, her heart racing as she gently threaded her fingers through his hair. However, Hatake's arrival meant more than the fact that he had gained a rival. It meant that all the teams that would be participating in the chuunin exams had also arrived. He felt Naori sigh, as if she too knew that they had to part. Her legs released his hips, and he almost protested as his length slid out of her body. He made sure all of his body was once again confined within his clothing as he watched her bend to pull up her own pants. He saw her flinch, and his body clenched when he saw that it was out of pain.
"Naori?" he asked softly, before turning her so that he could see her back. He felt sick when he lifted the back of her shirt to see scrapes and bruises from him slamming her into the wall.
'I did that to her. I hurt her and I didn't even mean to. I..."
His thoughts were interrupted by soft lips that pressed gently against his. He looked into Naori's eyes.
"I loved it Gaara. You didn't hurt me."
She grinned.
"Besides, you have some scratches yourself," she told him smugly.
He snorted, but kissed her smiling mouth. He was glad that he hadn't hurt her. He knelt down and gently slid her pants up her thighs and over her hips. He felt her hand on his face and looked up into her eyes. She was smiling at him, and his heart pounded. No one had ever looked at him like that. Like he was special, important. She made him feel wanted, and that was something he would never forget. He surprised her, and himself, by taking her hand in his as they walked back into the tower...both unaware of the two sets of eyes that watched them.

Kakashi grinned as he watched the sand genin walk away hand in hand with the only family he had left. He had known that Gaara would react to his words, to his own obvious need to mark Naori as his.
'Be happy Naori. That is all I ask.'

Meanwhile, the man that the other set of voyeuristic eyes belonged to was livid. He paced angrily in front of his apprentice.
"How dare that sand trash touch Naori. That bitch is mine!" he growled, clenching his fists as he glared at Natsuri.
"What was he doing with her? Why did you allow him to get so close to her?" he demanded
Natsuri pleaded with the "man" before him, fear in his eyes as he explained.
"I thought that he disliked, even hated, her. She had been tracking him in the forest before we arrived, and he seemed furious. I never thought he was actually interested in the whore."
Naatsuri found himself suspended in the air, the hand around his throat cutting off his air supply.
"Onegai Orochimaru-sama."
"You are not to speak of her like that. The bitch is merely...misguided." Orochimaru snarled, dropping Natsuri to the ground.
"Sumimasen Orochimaru-sama. I just thought that she would have lost interest in the Kazekage's son with the arrival of Hatake Kakashi."
Orochimaru froze. Kakashi had arrived? That meant that the boy had made it out of the forest. Wouldn't Naori be surprised when she found out? Wouldn't she like to know that he held the life of another that she cared about in his very hands.

Natsuri left Orochimaru to return to his "team." She was already there, back from fornicating with the sand whelp. He coudln't resist taunting her with his new information. He grinned at her maliciously.
"I know that you saw Kakashi, Naori."
"So?" she demanded
"Well, obviously that means that he is here, Uchiha."
Her eyes widened. So...she hadn't known that the boy was on Hatake's team. Interesting.
"So what if Sasuke is here?" she responded, her voice shaking slightly to his satisfaction.
"Have you not heard?" he asked in mock surprise, "The boy bares a curse mark. His curse mark."
He watched as Naori paled, and smirked.
"What? Did you think that you were the only reason for his presence?"
For the second time, Natsuri found himself deprived of oxygen as he looked up into furious feminine eyes.
"You, and that monster will stay away from Uchiha Sasuke. Am I in anyway unclear?" she snarled
He was barely able to nod his affirmation under the pressure of her hold. As soon as he did though, she was gone. He glanced at their teammate, Matsuo, who had done nothing to stop Naori.
"What?" he demanded hoarsely.
Matsuo sneered in disgust.
"Serves you right, you traitor."
Natsuri could only watched as Matsuo walked away.
'Traitor?'

Naori ran to where the exam was being held within the tower. She saw all of the ninjas who had arrived for the exam. She saw Gaara with the two he had revealed to be his older brother and sister. She saw Kakashi with his back to her yet standing out with his pale hair, and she saw him-Sasuke. It had been so long since she had seen him...years, yet he looked exactly the same. She smiled as she watched him with his team, a young girl and a loud boy. She laughed as she read the arrogance in his expression. He was so easy to read. Her eyes slipped past Sasuke, and narrowed as they came to rest on the figure of Orochimaru. He was studying Sasuke, as if he was waiting for something to happen. He met her gaze and smirked as he walked away. She wasn't going to let him get away with hurting someone that she cared for. She followed him, tracking his chakra to the forest surrounding the tower. He was waiting for her. He smiled,
"Naori, I knew you would come to me sooner or later."
She scowled and spat at his feet.
"Never. I want you to tell me what the hell you want with Sasuke. Now!"
His smile only widened
"That is between me and the boy my dear."
"You stay away from him," she growled
His laughter infuriated her, but his next words terrified her.
"If I stay away from him, how will I entertain myself? Ah yes, there is of course, the beautiful Tsuna."
"You bastard."
He tapped his chin, as if in deep thought.
"Hmm, I may be persuaded to release her if you were to do something for me."
She paled, not wanting to even listen to the man, but unable to destroy him without knowing where Tsuna was.
"What? What do you want?"
He grinned, showing the true evil of his nature.
"I want you to kill Sabaku no Gaara."
She shook her head immediately.
"No, he has nothing to do with this." She paused, and seemed to realize something, "except for adding to your jealousy. I will not hurt him."
He bared his teeth, almost snarling at her defiance.
"It is either him Naori, or Hatake."
She glared at Orochimaru, and reached for her kunai
"Or neither. I will have no need of a bargain if you are dead."
He merely grinned as she attacked him, as if he had been expecting her to. She instantly regretted her decidion to attack, because in reality she couldn't kill him. Without him, she would never find Tsuna, she'd never be able to repay her debt. She couldn't even focus because of the emotions and hesitation running through her. She was once again proving her brother right, she was weak, and couldn't even kill the bastard before her, or use her more effective "weapons"...because she needed him. He was faster than she remembered though, and she had trouble focusing enough to keep up. She managed to slash at him several times, before he decided to become more serious. The first blow was a blade to her side, the second through her shoulder. Wounded, she slowed and couldn't escape as he appeared behind her.
'Kakashi,' her mind called out as he gripped her arms. He yanked her head to one side, baring her neck as he whispered into her ear.
"You want to know what I want with the young Sasuke? Fine, I will show you."
He buried his teeth in the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Naori couldn't help the yell that was ripped from her throat as a poison of sorts invaded her body through his bite. She raised her kunai and drove it through the side of the man behind her, and into what she prayed was his heart. He released her with a howl of pain as he ran away. The last thought through Naori's mind as she fell was a cry out to him.
'Gaara'

Kakashi sprinted back towards the tower with Naori in his arms. He had heard her call, and knew she was in danger. When he had seen her body, bloody and beaten, unconscious on the forest floor, he had felt his heart freeze. He wouldn't be able to survive Naori's death. She was all that he had left. As he brought her into the tower, and told Hayate to announce that Naori would be unable to participate in the exam, he only registered one thought:
'Gaara is not going to be able to handle this.'

He knew something was wrong. First, he had thought that he had felt Naori watching him, even though he didn't see her. Then, that damn Sound ninja had disappeared. The strangest thing was almost an hour later when he felt a burning pain erupt in his shoulder, and he could have sworn that he'd heard Naori call out for him. He couldn't settle himself as he waited for the first match to be announced. He hoped he was first, he needed to fight to relieve some of the tension steadily building within him.
'Finally.'
His mind snapped as he saw the official from Konoha walk out to the middle of the small arena.
"Before we begin, I have an announcement. Uchiha Naori of Kirigakure has been withdrawn from participating in the exam as a result of injury."
Two yells were heard in the silence. One out of rage and fear, the other of surprise and discovery. Gaara vaulted from the catwalk where he waited to the floor, and sprinted to the entrance of the medical wing.
'Naori,' his mind called out, frenzied, only distantly processing that her last name had been Uchiha, and that she had to be related to the boy from Konoha. He froze in place when he saw her. The blood drained from his face, and hs chest constricted painfully as he took in the sight of her in Hatake's arms, blood steadily dripping down her arm from a wound in her neck. Shukaku was howling with rage, furious that someone had attacked something that belonged to him. He eyes lifted to meet those of the terrified shinobi.
"What happened?"
"She was attacked by Orochimaru. He didn't want to kill her though." he explained as Gaara followed him closely to the room her needed.
"What? It sure looks like he tried."
Kakashi motioned Gaara to enter the warded room before handing Naori to the younger ninja. Immediately, Gaara's shirt was soaked with her blood. Trying to ignore the look of near panic on the boy's face, Kakashi turned away to lock and ward the door.
"Set her down here," he indicated, pointing to the middle of a set of circles.
Gaara complied, although he didn't relinquish his hold on Naori. Kakashi's eyes softened as he watched the young outcast huddle over Naori, as if his will alone would save her. He sighed as he walked over and placed his hand gently on Gaara's shoulder.
"We must work quickly," he told him as Gaara looked up at him with haunted eyes.
Gaara nodded and cleared his throat.
"W-what do I do?"
Kakashi knelt next to him and lifted Naori by her shoulders.
"Help me remove her shirt. We'll need to stop her bleeding."
Kakashi handed him a knife, and motioned for Gaara to cut off Naori's shirt to spare her the pain of removing it. Once she was left in only her breast bindings, Gaara wanted to howl at the extent of her injuries. Her entire right side was covered in blood from a wound to her side and shoulder. And on her neck...his eyes widened as Shukaku roared in rage. The bastard had dared to mark what belonged to him. He could clearly see the imprint of Orochimaru's teeth in the juncture of Naori's neck and shoulder, a place reserved for a demon to mark his mate. Where his mark should be.
Kakashi could see that Gaara was losing what little control he had left. What had set him off though? Granted he had looked a little ill when he'd first seen the wounds, but he still...Kakashi leaned in closer to study the wound on her neck and gasped, falling back. It couldn't be...not Naori. He wanted to deny it, but the truth was right in front of him. On Naori's neck was the curse mark of Orochimaru. The same mark that damned her brother, Sasuke.

'Sister,' Sasuke thought to himself, amazed yet too shocked to move. She was still alive, even after...that's right. Naori had left the village, visiting a friend from another village when their older brother had destroyed the entire clan. He had always assumed that Itachi had found her, because he hadn't seen her in the years since the attack. Now she was here, in the very same building.
'...due to injury.'
His sister was hurt. He needed to go to her. He didn't see Kakashi anywhere, and knew that he was with Naori. That didn't surprise him, he remembered they had been close even years ago. What had him thinking though, as he sprinted towards the medical wing, was the cry of rage and the look of intense panic on the face of the ninja from Suna. Gaara, that was his name. The older boy had ran the moment they had been informed of Naori's injury. He tracked Gaara and Kakashi to a door at the far end of the medical wing. However, the door was warded, and there was no way for Sasuke to break it.
"Kakashi-sensei? Let me in. I need to see Naori."

Kakashi glanced towards the door at the sound of Sasuke's voice. He'd known the boy would come, but he couldn't let him see his sister. Not yet, not like this. A growl coming from his left had him looking back to Gaara. Naori's injuries and Sasuke's unknown voice were rousing the protective instincts of the beast that dwelled withn.
"I'm afraid I can't do that yet Sasuke."
He heard the anger in his student's voice as he demanded,
"Why the hell not?"
Kakashi kept his eyes on Gaara, who had become more agitated at Sasuke's raised voice.
"Gaara, I must seal the wounds. I will need you to hold her."
The boy complied, gently yet firmly holding down Naori's shoulders. Quickly, before he could hesitate, Kakashi used his chakra to seal the wounds on her side and shoulder closed. Or, he would have if Gaara's sand hadn't blocked his touch.
"Gaara," he said, carefully addressing the volatile ninja, "I will not harm her. You know that. I need you to remove your barrier so that I can heal her."
"Kakashi-sensei?!"
"Quiet Sasuke!" he ordered, watching Gaara reach towards his own shoulder.
"I cannot...control it." he answered as he drew the strap of his gourd over his head and set it aside. Then, he pulled Naori up against his chest, and looked at Kakashi.
"Do it now."
Kakashi nodded and closed his eyes. He concentrated his chakra so that it was white hot, like a heated blade. He sent his chakra into Naori's wounds, effectively "cauterizing" them. Gaara held her to him tightly as Naori's body bucked violently and she cried out against the pain. Kakashi's hands were trembling with the effort of using so much chakra and from hurting the one person that he actually loved. Gaara's ashen face proved that the younger man was not faring much better. He took a deep breath and removed his village headband, uncovering the Sharingan in his left eye.
"We have one more task to perform," he told the boy, pricking his own finger with his kunai.

Gaara looked up at the shinobi with wide, frightened eyes. What else had to be done? Gaara didn't think he could take hurting Naori any more than they already had. His hands were trembling where they were gripping Naori's body. He could see that Kakashi was trembling as well, and had gasped as the man cut his finger.
"What...what else must we do? She hurts, we're hurting her even more."
"I know, but we must take care of that," he said, pointing to the mark on her neck.
Gaara wiped the blood away to see an odd mark appearing on Naori's shoulder. His eyes widened, that couldn't be a...
"A curse mark?" he whispered, afraid.
Kakashi nodded as he began to paint symbols in the cirlces on the floor with his own blood.
"We must seal it, so that it doesn't consume her."
For the first time, Gaara pleaded with the demon inside him for help. He asked for the strength to save the woman in his arms.
~Please...help me protect her~
He felt the beast fill him with strength as he watched Kakashi paint symbols on Naori's body, surrounding the new, dark mark.
~We will protect our mate~ he heard Shukaku whisper to him.
Gaara tool a deep breath, and nodded his readiness to Kakashi. He watched in almost a daze as the man went through the complex ninjutsu gestures. He knew that Kakashi was about to use some explosive chakra by the way the hair on his arms and back of his neck raised. He braced Naori, and himself, as Kakashi covered the curse mark with his hand. Naori's body went completely rigid as he eyes shot open and she howled with pain. He felt tears stream down his face as he clutched her struggling body to himself.
"Naori, please koi, fight. Do not let him beat you."
He pleaded with her to fight the curse, to let Kakashi help her. He whispered foolish things to her, but he was afraid. He didn't want to lose her, she was the only one that didn't fear him. The only one that cared for him, truly cared. He trusted her, he needed her.
'Please, please, please...' he repeated over and over in his mind as Kakashi finished the sealing.
He was tucked into her, holding her in his lap and her head against his shoulder. He was afraid to loosen his grip in even the most minimal of ways out of fear that she would slip away from him. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Naori's relaxed into a state of unconsciousness. Kakashi took a deep breath, and sighed out of relief.
"We should be safe now." he told Gaara as he turned to admit Sasuke.
The boy looked scared as hs gaze shot from Gaara to Kakashi to Naori.
"What happened? Who did this to my sister?"
Gaara snapped his eyes up to study the boy in front of him. Yes. There it was. Sasuke, he was the male version of Naori. Brother or not, Gaara wasn't going to relinquish Naori to him, and used his sand to create a barrier.
"Gaara," he heard Kakashi call, "you don't have to leave her. Sasuke just wants to check on his sister. He's not going to take her."
Gaara realized he was telling the truth as he read the honesty in Kakashi, and the pure concern in Sasuke. He withdrew his shield and allowed the boy to come closer. Sasuke knelt down in front of him, and placed a hand on Naori's forehead.
"Oh nee-san," he whispered with sad eyes.
Gaara watched though, as the sorrow turned to fury.
"That bastard! He marked her."
He turned to Kakashi.
"Where is he? I'm going to kill him!"
Kakashi shook his head, but Gaara could read the anger in the older ninja as well.
"I don't know. She managed to injure him though. His blood was all over the place."
Sasuke nodded in satisfaction as he turned back to his sister.
"He'll be back though. We can't let him find her."
His eyes widened
"I know! We'll tell everyone that she died. That way, the sound ninjas will report that back to Orochimaru."
Kakashi nodded, he would go along with Sasuke's plan.
"She'll just have to transform and mask her chakra for the rest of the exam."
Gaara nodded, it sounded like a good idea. That way she would be safe from Orochimaru and his followers. He closed his eyes, and leaned down to rub his cheek agaisnt the top of her head. He felt so strange, as if he was watching from outside of himself. Just two days ago, he had still been a monster feared by everyone. He had hated everyone, except her. It had been automatic, as soon as he had seen her in the Forest of Death it was if he already knew her. She was the only one that didn't fear him on sight. She knedw who, what, he was. She had tracked him because of his chakra, which bore obvious signs of Shukaku's presence. And she still wanted to be near him, she still wanted him to touch her. Why? Why didn't she hate him? Why didn't she fear him? He clutched her to him, not understanding why this beautiful creature found pleasure in his presence. He was still lost in thought as he felt fingers gently twist into his hair. He opened his eyes to meet the tired, black orbs of Naori. Her gentle smile made his heart thump hard, and he just stared at her, unable to do anything.
"Because you are so very special Gaara. I want to be around you all the time, even if I do annoy you with all my talking."
His eyes widened at her words. How had she known what he was thinking? Kakashi came over to rest a hand on Gaara's shoulder, and the sand genin looked up.
"You spoke aloud Gaara. She is right though. You are special, not a monster. Look at Naruto, he has the spirit of the Kyuubi inside of him. He has been rejected and shunned by the people of our village since his birth. The only difference between the two of you is how you portray yourselves."
Gaara watched the elder ninja with surprised eyes. Was it possible that this man did not fear him either? That he was able to interact with others without gaining mistrust and hatred? His eyes shifted to Sasuke, who was still kneeling in front of Naori. The boy nodded, as if to answer his silent question. He straightened, and squared his shoulders. They were right. If he could only portray himself as someone that did not need to be feared but respected and trusted, he would be able to form relationships with those around him. He would be able to be a true brother to Temari and Kankurou. He looked down into the eyes of the woman who had started his transformation, and smiled.

A/N: Ok so here's the second chapter. I know that Gaara definitely seems a little OOC, but it plays into the story. Please review :)