"Gaara."

[[Hello all. Another update. A big one.

Thank you to all of my reviewers! You all definitely make me want to write more. As to Sneakyfox, thanks for going into detail about what you enjoyed and what you thought was a little...off -lols- I appreciate it although...you may be a little disappointed in the latest updates, not sure though. Thanks again everyone!!



Enjoy!]]













As the weeks passed and eventually a month, the red head grew weaker, his chakra paths getting smaller and still, the percentage of success was stuck at thirty five. Kyuubi didn't come up with any better ideas so they were stuck. Utterly stuck.



Naruto still slept in the bedroom and Gaara still 'meditated' in the living room. He never slept. He forced it back. He didn't stop sparring or training with Naruto either. Every day they were out somewhere and unless he passed out, there was no stopping until he could no longer move. Gaara's bones became even more visible in the passing time and he looked rather sickly. It didn't phase him any. The teens never spoke of the night that passed between them and another never happened.



Tsunade was paranoid because it seemed her bad luck was taking it's time to pick what was going to go bad after her winning bid. It seemed that her shinobi tried with all of their power to stay away from her as well. No one wanted her bad luck to fall on them but she knew, she knew that it would have something to do with Gaara or Naruto, or hell, even both of them. It was the only major problem they were dealing with at the moment and the only thing that could possibly go wrong.



That was until Azuma died.



Two Akatsuki had been in the fire country and one of them had taken his life. Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji had tried to save him but had watched them leave. Shikamaru was the one to tell Kurenai the news and he watched her fall to her knees, hands moving to her belly as she cried.



It was the day after that Shikamaru avenged Azuma's death and Akatsuki were down another two members. The funeral was devastating. No one spoke after Tsunade said her piece. Naruto, along with the other Rookie Nine, stood in the front of the gathered shinobi and townspeople and he was the last to walk over and place a red carnation on the casket. Shikamaru and Kurenai were the last two to leave the service and for three days afterwards, no one saw or heard anything from them.



Everyone later found out that Kurenai was pregnant and due to being so distraught, almost lost the baby. She was removed from her missions and a new leader was assigned to her team. An air of loss surrounded the shinobi of Konoha and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The details of how Azuma died were only known to the Rookie Nine and all jounin level or higher shinobi. It was considered a secret how he died and the general public -which consisted of everyone who didn't know how he really died- was told he died in the line of duty.





"Welcome to the fifteenth Gossipers meeting everyone." Tsunade sat down and nodded to Shizune who started the announcements and when she was finished, the gathered shinobi had a moment of silence, preying for their fallen comrade.



"There are no bets today everyone. We have business to get down to." Everyone nodded and moved closer to the table as Tsunade explained that she had gotten the percentage of success up four percent and now it was at thirty nine. She went on to explain about Kurenai's health, how the baby was doing.



"Hokage-sama?" Kakashi leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment.



"Hai?"



"Have you calculated the percentage with having help performing the transfer? I mean, surly Sakura-san and Shizune-san could help you preform-"



"Yes. I have looked at this from every angle Kakashi, it is at thirty nine percent and I fear it won't go any higher."



"What about using Naruto's chakra? Some of it runs through Gaara's body as it is. Chiyo-baa needed help performing her technique and Naruto, being as he is, naturally volunteered. What is there was a way to use his chakra, and not someone else’s?" The blond leaned back in her chair, clasping her chin as she thought about it. The other shinobi around the table were bouncing idea's around and she waved her hand for silence.



"What if it's Naruto's chakra that's causing such a fast deterioration?" Her eyes narrowed in her thoughts. She spoke out loud to Shizune and whoever else understood medical jutsu at the table.



"What if, because Naruto still has his bijuu, the chakra the old bat took from him is what is doing this? Maybe the chakra is now so different that his body isn't used to it?" Men and women started speculating but she shook her head. "No, no chance of that." Sighing, she rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.



"Hokage-sama?" Tsunade looked over her shoulder to a pink haired kunoichi who walked over to the table. All talk ceased before she came close enough to hear what was happening.



"Hm?" Sakura handed her a piece of paper. Tsunade took a moment to look over her students appearance. She was slouched, the dark circles under her eyes were worse -and almost looked like Gaara's-, she was rubbing a shoulder and her head was nodding slowly as if she might fall asleep standing up. All in all, she looked awful. "Go get some sleep Sakura." The kunoichi looked up and smiled.



"I'm fine tchi-tcho." She nodded towards the paper, the smile never leaving her face. Tsunade looked down and was on her feet in seconds. The blonds eyes were bulging and everyone at the table thought she might finally keel over.



"What is it Tsunade-sama?" Shizune looked over and a confused expression fell over her face.



"How did you come up with this? Wait- don't answer that, it's all here." Tsunade turned her head to Sakura who’s expression fell to just being concerned. "How long have you been working on this?"



"Since I realized you won the bet." Sakura chuckled and turned around. "You know tchi-tcho, you talk an awful lot in your sleep when you've crashed at your desk." Tsunade blushed a deep shade of red as Sakura left the bar.



"What is it Hokage-sama?" Tsunade looked back to the table, a grin so evil, it looked like something horrible might come out of her face.



"It seems I underestimated the brat. Our chances have risen to fifty percent even." There was a silence that overcame everyone at the table as all eyes turned to the door.





"Gaara?" Naruto was sitting in front of the red head, trying to be polite and let him come around on his own but he'd gotten a summons from Tsunade and they had to go. "Gaaaaara?" Naruto touched the red head's shoulder gently and green eyes blinked rapidly.



"Nani?"



"We have to go."



"Where?"



"Baa-chan summoned us. Apparently she has some news." Gaara nodded and Naruto helped him to stand, and then over to the door to put on his sandals. When they left, Gaara would do everything on his own but until then, he reluctantly let the blond help him.



The teens took to the roofs of the buildings as they made their way to the Hokage's office. No one looked at them thankfully. Gaara had a bad habit of glaring and scaring anyone who looked at him. he knew what he looked like but he didn't care. Other's seemed to though. When they arrived, the door was open to them and they walked in silently, watching as Tsunade scrambled between books, her pen moving like lightning.



"Sit." They did. Her pen stopped and she stood, her eyes momentarily searching Gaara over. "The percentage has reached fifty. You can thank one pink haired kunoichi." Naruto's eyes bugged out of his head. "I am not going to try for a higher percentage because if I did, then it would undoubtedly be blown right back in my face and we wouldn't have the chances we have now for success. So, if you would please, we are heading over to the hospital. I will not wait when I have a percentage this high." Gaara just nodded and stood, Naruto following behind him.



"But there are still chances he could die?"



"It's fifty-fifty Naruto."



"It's not good enough." His eyes found the floor as he went over what could possibly happen.



"It's is good enough!" Her hand came down on the table and he looked up to see anger on her face. "We have been working like dogs to try and get a percentage this high damn it! It is high enough!" She stood and left the room, Gaara following behind her. Something pulled at the pit of Naruto's stomach as he just followed behind, silently. Something was bound to go wrong. It was only fifty-fifty.



Anything that was fifty-fifty always had something go wrong. Pushing the thoughts away, Naruto walked into the hospital and took a seat inside of the room. Tsunade had told him when they first came up with the idea that he would be asked to stay in the room in case they needed help. What help could he give them? He didn't know but she did and he had stopped asking questions when she's kicked him -literally- out of her office.



"We're going to put you to sleep. It will be painless that way." Gaara looked at her and then nodded once. He was laying flat on his back, his shirt removed. Neji was in the room, his byakugan activated and standing off to the side. Shizune, Sakura and Tsunade were all around Gaara, their hands glowing green as they held them over his chest, head and stomach. The red head's eyes fell closed and Naruto watched closely as his face softened in sleep.



Tsunade nodded to the other two women and their hands flared with chakra. Shizune, using her hands, started writing symbols along Gaara's stomach and when she finished, Sakura did the same at his head and then Tsunade at his chest. Naruto couldn't see them but knew they were there. He could feel them.



"Connection made." Neji's voice was soft, his eyes scanning Gaara from head to foot. Tsunade nodded and they must have started the next step. Neji moved forward and placed his hand over Tsunade's at Gaara's heart and forced his chakra into her hand. They'd stopped Gaara's heart.



In a flash, their hands started to move. Naruto's eyes couldn't follow but whatever they were doing had to be done in less than a minute because they couldn't keep Gaara's heart stopped for long.



"Hokage-sama!" Sakura's eyes were wide, and Shizune shouted. Tsunade's hands moved quicker and Neji's eyes flowed over Gaara's form.



"It's not working!" His heart had started back up and his organs were failing. Then, something happened and green eyes flew open and Gaara screamed. He screamed out in pain and Naruto was there in an instant.



"What's wrong?! What's happening?" Worry flooded his face.



"He's arresting!" Tsunade reached over and sent off an alarm. Nurses came rushing. "Get me the cart! NOW!" There was a bustle and some nurses left while others moved to help in any way they could. Sakura was issuing orders quickly and some women nodded and men followed them out.



"What's wrong?" Naruto's voice was frantic as he watched the women work and Neji's eyes squint in concentration.



"Get him out of here Neji!" The Hyuuga nodded and Naruto suddenly found himself outside of the room. The door was shut and he went to it banging and begging to be let back in. Neji had just appeared inside the room again and he growled. He heard Tsunade cry out, "He's crashing! We're losing him!" Naruto's heart sank as he fell to his knees outside of the door. Nurses entered and left and he couldn't move out of their way. Someone pushed him with their leg and he found himself out of the walk-way. Hands moving to his head, Naruto's eyes widened, tears shimmering.



"Gaara..." His voice was nothing but a whisper. The sounds of the hospital disappeared and he was left rocking, back and forth. Gaara's name fell from his left over and over again. Then he heard it. Something was making a loud sound. He stood and looked into the window to see Tsunade on top of Gaara, pressing her hands over his head and heart, forcing chakra into his body. Naruto's gaze flicked over to a monitor. It was a heart monitor. It was flat lined. Naruto's body froze, his knees locked in place. Blue eyes looked over the lifeless form in the bed and something within him clicked.



Naruto felt something flowing through his body. He knew it was Kyuubi. His body doubled over, a growl escaping his lips. Blue eyes turned to red, his whisker marks became more defined. Neji came bursting out of the room and looked down at Naruto.



"N-naruto!" The blond looked up, pure menace in his eyes. Without a word, he turned and in a blink, left the hospital.



Trees. They were around him but he didn't care. Naruto was running, flying from branch to branch with speeds to rival the Green Beast of Konoha. His body wasn't his anymore. He was just a shadow somewhere inside of his body as Kyuubi ran away from the hospital, away from the people. It was still his body, of course, but he wasn't in control of it. He didn't care. He felt like his whole being was being torn apart by hands he couldn't see.



Stop it. You're making my head hurt. Naruto frowned as he looked up from where he was sitting. He noticed he was in Kyuubi's cage. The fox was sitting next to him, looking down. This...pain. Whatever it is, stop it.



I can't. Naruto brought his knees to his chest, his hands holding his head. I don't know what to do. I feel like...I feel like I'm losing something but I don't know what. I can't say I love him but there's something there. I care. Should I care? The fox looked down at the teen in his cage.



Kyuubi was running Naruto's body. Naruto couldn't do it himself, he would have crashed. It was a dream come true. Almost. The pain that flooded through the blond also flooded through him and he couldn't concentrate. Sighing to himself, the fox looked down once again. he moved and laid down behind Naruto, his tails coming up to push the blond down against his larger body and wrap around him. Sleep. I will make it better. He didn't know why he was doing it but there had to be some reason. he damned the Yondiame and said a silent prayer he was burning in hell.



Naruto's body stopped on top of a head and red eyes looked around. With Naruto sleeping safely inside, Kyuubi had free reign of the teens body but, he couldn't do what he truly wished. For some reason he couldn't even fathom, he couldn't completely take over. Shaking his head, Kyuubi looked to the sky inside of Naruto’s body. The stars were beautiful. Had that much time really passed? Shaking his head, Naruto looked down to the water.



It was then that he felt them.



Five of them. Their chakra was cloaked so tight he couldn't feel anything but he knew who they were. ANBU. With a devilish smile bearing a mouth full of sharp teeth, Kyuubi stood, one hand inside of his pocket and looked at the trees. He's promised not to kill, get Naruto killed or kicked out of the village. He didn't promise he wouldn't have a little fun. He hoped the ANBU were up for a couple of games.



"ANBU-san." Kyuubi lowered his head in an arrogant bow without moving his body an ANBU Capitan stepped foreword.



"Uzumaki Naruto, under order of the Hokage we are to take you back to the village."



"Who said I was the brat?" Still, with one hand in his pocket, Kyuubi took a stance, he free hand behind him, one leg bent and the other also behind him. It almost looked like a Yoga pose but it wasn't even close. "Come ANBU-san, let us play a game. If you win, you and your dogs can take the brat back to the village, but if I win then you owe me ne?"



"We do not play games Uzumaki-san." Kyuubi let out a growl and without moving, wind came up to slash at the ANBU's mask. A nice cut appeared in the clay.



"If you call me by that name again, I will break my oath to your Hokage and kill all five of you." Four bodies shimmered into view and he got a good look at them all. A lion, a geisha, a spider, a swallow, a horse and finally the Capitan. A wolf.



"You cannot hurt us." The ANBU in the geisha mask stepped foreword. She was the only female. The other's stepped away from her as she pressed her fingers together and pulled them apart, revealing silver wire. He could almost see the smile behind her mask. "You will come with us Uzumaki-" she never got to finish.



Kyuubi's fist was planted solidly in her gut and he landed a kick to the side of her head that sent her flying off the First's statue. A loud splash followed soon after her body disappeared. Standing straight, Kyuubi looked at the edge for a moment, a small frown appearing on his face. "Damn. I thought I might have broken something. I guess she's tougher than she looked." His head turned slowly to look back at the four remaining ANBU. His head was tilted slightly and that evil smile appeared on his lips. "We can still play my game ANBU-san." The Capitan's answer was still no. Shaking his head, Kyuubi took up his stance and batted his eyelashes. "Come and get me then."





"WHAT?! What do you mean 'he got away'?" Tsunade was standing, leaned over her desk and glaring at the five ANBU members standing in her office.



"Exactly as we said Hokage-sama." She growled and they all flinched. Her hand came down, sending her desk splitting into a million and one pieces.



"Where is he now?"



"In the hospital."



"What did you do?"



"Nothing." The hadn't been able to touch him. He moved like the very wind itself and that was Swallow's specialty, the wind. Okay, so they had managed to score two or three hits but it was relatively impossible to catch him again. They all got the feeling he let them catch him off guard. It annoyed them further. Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose.



"Is he back to normal?"



"Yes. The fox is no longer running his body."



"Good." She looked at them all and shook her head. "Five ANBU. I don't believe it." She laughed out loud for a moment and waved her hand, dismissing them. Grabbing her jacket, she headed to the hospital. She knew where he would be.





Sure enough, when Tsunade stepped into the room, Naruto was passed out, forehead against the mattress. One hand was gently holding onto Gaara's who still hadn't woken up. He was comatose. His heart was under control, so were his internal organs but he wouldn't wake up. Aparently Naruto had thought him dead. She was suddenly glad that the fox had promised not to kill anyone...but it didn't make sense. They hadn't taken his help so why... It hit her then. The fox knew. Her eyes narrowing, she walked over and a well placed slap woke the blond up.



"Move." He stood and looked at her. He looked horrid. His eyes were red and puffy, obviously from crying, he had a bruise on his left cheek and a bandage on his right arm. His lip was puffed out but it was looking better from the description Wolf had given her. His face...there was no emotion on it. His face was empty. His body was tense and he just walked away from the bed.

"Do you know what you did last night?"



"No. Yes. Kind of."



"Well, you have made enemies of five ANBU if that gives you any ideas." Naruto burst out laughing.



"Please! You have got to be kidding me! I thought he was joking!" He doubled over laughing but it wasn't a funny laugh, it was a hysterical one. When he sobered, he wiped his nose. "Are they alright?"



"Aside from hurt pride, a few broken bones and scratches, yes."



"At least he didn't kill them." Rubbing his temple, Naruto looked to the bed and then to the window.



"That's what I want to know Naruto. Why? We didn't take his help so why did he leave them alive?" Naruto looked at her, his eyes -if it was possible- even deader than when she first looked at them.



"Because we have to use his help now."



"He knew didn't he?" Naruto just shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me?"



"I didn't know until this morning."



"Wait...what?"



"Just what I said. I didn't know until this morning."



"So he didn't tell you?"



"Nope."



"What is he hoping to gain?"



"A form of freedom."



"I know that Naruto but there is something else." Shaking her head, Tsunade walked the two steps closer to the bed to check on Gaara's progress. The same as it had been only a couple hours earlier. Sighing, she flopped down in the chair Naruto had vacated and looked over the sleeping form. She could se his skeleton almost as if it was on the outside. She had never seen anyone look this way unless they were dead. But by some luck, he was still breathing and other than being comatose, was alive.



Naruto walked to her side and looked at Gaara once again. He couldn't believe it. How had he known? Because a fifty-fifty anything came with a price. Gaara's had been being brought closer to death. Grabbing his jacket, Naruto headed for the door. "If anything changes, you know where to find me." Tsunade nodded and watched him leave. He blamed her and she knew it but he didn't outright say it. She blamed herself. Temari was on her way and she was sure the sand shinobi would blame her as well for not waiting for the percentage to get higher but...shaking her head, she leaned foreword and moved a lock of red hair out of Gaara's face.



"Don't you die on me damn it. If you do than I will be behind one and I won't let that old bat win." Shaking her head, Tsunade stood and left the room, making sure to post guards outside of the door.





Where was he? It was so dark he couldn't even see his hand in front of his voice. He tripped over something and landed on his knee. Tears came to his eyes and he brought the injured appendage to his chest and looked at it. He could see something. Red. It was blood. Turning his head, he saw something. Forgetting the pain in his knee, he stood and followed it. Something stopped him. Looking behind him, he saw a hand on his shoulder. Following that hand he saw a red head. He was tall and had a funny tattoo on his forehead.



Frowning, he turned around and watched as the red head, dressed in black and maroon shook his head no and pulled him back. He tried to stop him but couldn't. The red head was too strong. "Where are we going?" The red head looked back and smiled. Tilting his head, he followed behind him and saw something. It was a broken urn. frowning, he walked over and touched it. It was purple. The red head sat down and he sat in the red head's lap. Green eyes looked down at him and the red head leaned down touching their foreheads together.



He felt something. He smiled. The red head...it was him. He was the red head only, the red head was much older. It was the same red hair, the same green eyes and the same tattoo as his. "Me." The older him nodded and they seemed to meld. He was scared but the older him shook his head. It would be alright. He nodded and smiled as he became one with his older self. There he sat, staring out over dunes of sand watching the wind whip around and create the moving ocean of earth. His home.





A week passed and Naruto practically lived at the hospital. Tsunade was the only one who checked on Gaara and for that he was thankful. She knew about his secret so he didn't have to pretend to be full of any emotions. Sure he was feeling sad, depressed and angry but he didn't let it show. His face was blank, his body tense at all times. The guards just sent him glares that said they would hurt him. He shrugged it off. They were the same ANBU who Kyuubi attacked. They'd tried to stop him more than once but Tsunade had told them he was to be let in when he came. They had no choice but to listen to her. Her word was law. Almost.



Temari had come to Konoha and kicked him out the last couple of days but he sat outside the room, waiting. Gaara never changed. He just lay there...sleeping. He had the urge to go in and shake the red head awake but he knew it would solve nothing. Finally, when Temari left to go back to her hotel for the night he stopped her. His hand was on her arm and he looked to the floor.



"What is it Uzumaki?" Her voice was barely there. Her eyes were puffy and she looked like she'd hardly slept. In essence, she looked rougher than Sakura, Tsunade and himself put together. He supposed it was to be expected. Gaara was her youngest brother after all.



"I-" he paused and looked up to meet her eyes. She saw something then, sorrow. "I'm sorry Temari." He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her. She couldn't help it. She latched on and sobbed. She would have collapsed but Naruto kept her standing.



"Why?! Why did this have to happen? I finally have a little brother...a family! And now look!" Naruto carefully sat down on the floor and Temari let him pull her into his lap to hold her and rock with her. She didn't know why she let him or why he was even doing it but she didn't care. She'd had no one to hold her while she cried, screamed and begged whoever was watching over her to bring her brother back and now...there was comfort. "He was doing so well and then it went to bad."



Naruto just let her talk and cry. He'd never done this before but he'd had Iruka do it enough for him to know when someone needed comfort. Temari just whispered, asking what she had done to deserve this. What had Gaara done to deserve to waist away into nothing. Naruto had no words to say to her. To give her an answer. He just sat there, gently rocking as the woman cried. As far as he knew, Temari never showed her emotions but here she was, crying and letting someone comfort her. Someone she really didn't even care for. What happened to Gaara had devastated her. The great Subaku no Temari was brought down and there was nothing he could do to make the fall easier.



When she'd recovered herself, Naruto had helped her back to her hotel, tucked her under the blankets of her bed and headed back to the hospital. He wasn't himself he rationalized on his walk back. Yes, he would help anyone in need but...taking her back to her hotel and tucking her in like a child? No...not himself. Attacking ANBU, of all shinobi? No, that hadn't even been him that had done it. Frowning, Naruto jumped to Gaara's room window and slipped inside, making sure to close the window to keep the cold air from entering. The blond walked over to the side of the bed and sighed.



"You have officially turned your sister into a girl. She cried. Has been crying by the looks of it. The hotel managers said she has gone through ten boxes of tissues and she can be heard at night on the roof, staring out over the sky talking to herself." Shaking his head, Naruto stepped closer and pressed the back of his hand against Gaara's forehead. "What are you doing in there ne?"



Hm. Still out of it I see.



"What do you want?" He wasn't talking to anyone in the room but his eyes glazed over and he saw the fox in his cage.



Well, I think it might be time to bring him back don't you?



"But Baa-chan-" he was cut off by a growl. "What do I have to do?" He caught a smile and shivered. The fox said to leave it to him. Sighing, Naruto walked over to the door and when he felt his body slouch and his conscious recede so he was staring through a fog, he watched as Kyuubi took over and sealed the door. He walked over and sealed the window as well and went around looking for something to write with. Settling for a pen he found on Gaara's chart, he wrote a bunch of symbols and fused them with chakra. Naruto just watched, through his haze.



Kyuubi walked over to the bed and shed his jacket and shirt. Pulling the covers back from Gaara's sleeping form, Kyuubi let s grin fall over his face. Even though he could see the red head's skeleton, he could see why Naruto dreamed about that one night so much. Shaking his head, Kyuubi put a hand over Gaara's head, ignoring the pounding from the door. He placed his other hand over Gaara's heart and relaxed his body. With a burst of chakra, Gaara's eyes snapped opened and he inhaled a huge breath of air but no sound came out when he released it. he felt like screaming but no sound came out.



The fox moved his hands and pulled Gaara out of the bed, sitting in the chair and pulling the red head into his lap. Gaara was awake but it wouldn't last for long if he didn't hurry. Kyuubi smiled what could have been a gentle smile and tilted the red head's mouth to his before he pushed the hospital gown aside and started working Gaara's body. He could hear the red head gasping for breath, pale hands searching for something to hold onto as his lust woke. A low growl from his throat and Kyuubi claimed Gaara's lips again, forcing chakra into th red head's now achingly hard cock and watched as Gaara's back bowed, come spurting out and in that moment, the fox sent a large burst of chakra into Gaara's body. Now, they were joined mind, body and soul.



Pain. That was all Gaara could feel. So much pain he thought death would be better. He was sitting by the urn, breathing heavy, a hand to his stomach. He heard something and looked up. Fear found it's way down his spine involuntarily. There stood the fox in all his glory. Nine tails swished behind him and he grinned down to Gaara.



"Hello." Gaara couldn't speak. The fox continued. "It seems it would be time for you to wake up." One of the foxes tails seemed to turn into flame and the rest followed. Gaara watched as something formed and fell to the ground. He squinted and noticed it was a small, baby fox. "This is my part of the deal, chakra to sustain your life, defend your village.... whatever. Their part of the deal, well, I get to run free one night a month for the rest of the brat's unnaturally long life. But I ask something from you." Gaara just stared, awestruck.



The fox started speaking and Gaara just ended up nodding. Then he was gone. Green eyes moved down to the baby fox. It whimpered and Gaara watched as it stood up and looked around. When it's red gaze landed on him, it's hackles rose and it growled. Gaara frowned as he watched the fox jump at him and attack. He barely made it out of the way as the fox attacked again, running him away from the urn. The red head watched as the baby fox somehow turned the urn into a small den and went inside. So confused, Gaara turned around to find himself in the maze of his mind.



Following an utterly new route, Gaara had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had the feeling he'd just made a deal with the very devil himself. It wasn't until he'd reached the end of the maze when he'd realized why.



He had a bijuu again.



Gaara stood there, at the end of the maze and found himself laughing hysterically. He had had Shukaku removed and Kyuubi said he felt sorry for him...and now, it may not have been anything worth the Akatskui's attention but, he had a bijuu. The fox mentioned it was the only way for him to survive.



He was possessed again. The thought made something in his stomach hurt as he exited the maze and came to full consciousness. Naruto was on the floor, passed out and blood covered his face. ANBU were standing over him, making sure he wasn't getting up and looked back over across the room. Gaara's eyes darted over to where they stared and he noticed Tsunade staring straight at him, pure shock covering her features. Sakura was behind her, straining to see what was going on.



Tsunade ran over to his side, checked his stats and set him back on the bed, covering him. She leaned in close to him and stared deep into his eyes. "What the hell happened?" Gaara tried to speak and coughed. The blond handed him a cup of water with a bendy straw and he took a sip. When he was sure he could talk, he looked at her and whispered something. She couldn't hear him so she bent her ear to listen. "What?"



"B-bijuu..." Tsunade's eyes almost bulged out of her head as she turned slowly to look at Gaara.



"What does that mean?" She stood and looked to Naruto who was still passed out and bloody. Waving her hand she issued orders in rapid succession and another bed was brought into Gaara's room, Naruto cleaned up and set on it. Green eyes dropped heavily but before he fell into slumber, he heard someone say something.



"Welcome back Gaara."