𝙰𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚍𝚎r. (𝙶𝚊𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝚡 𝚘𝚌)

The Death of the Beloved ( Chapter 39 )

The crisp air in the dark night sent chills down Leila's back, and sleeping with venomous snakes all around her wasn't helping Leila get any sleep. She turned on her side, facing the cold stare of Kabutome, sleeping with his eyes open so he could keep a close watch over Leila. A cold sweat sweated her brow at her fate with him, how cruel was her destiny that she had to be controlled by a man she had never met before only a few weeks ago.

She turned on her back, looking up at the dense trees above her, rerunning her late battle with her sister through her mind. As much as Leila wanted to deny Ura's statement, she knew deep down her older sister was very accurate. Leila was still a child at mind and heart, and the magic and power that she had now was nothing compared to the long, hard training Ura went through just to get to where she was now. Then there was fighting Ura all over again, as much as she wanted to despise Ura...it just didn't happen.

The last time Leila fought Ura, Leila almost won, but held back because when she looked at her reflection in Ura's blood...she saw Ura staring back at her. They were blood sisters, a bond that can never be broken by any type of weapon, magic, or jutsu. For so long, she didn't have anyone, Leila was all alone, but when she had found out that Ura was her sister, Leila had hope. Yes, it hurt her when Ura ran off, saying she didn't want them in her life, Leila was in Ura's life now. But, in the way Leila didn't want it to be, deep down, she didn't really want to be Ura's enemy. In fact, she was a little happy for her sister when she had heard that Ura and the Kazekage had a physical relationship.

"Get some rest, child, we have a busy day tomorrow," Kabutome saught the eyes of Leila's wandering.

Leila was startled by Kabutome's voice, but steadied her heart beat and turned her back to hime, he was one of the least people she wanted to remember existed at the moment. The cold, hard wood was not a good place to sleep, but by now, Leila was more than used to it. Kabutome had won, he had her entire animosity all over him, and she hated him even more because Leila couldn't leave or kill him. She was stuck for good, and there was no way out.

Tears swelled her vision, such a dark pit of emotion overflew her her body as she cringed from sickness. She cried out for help within her mind, all Leila wanted now was to be free, free from the grasp of the man that was keeping her captive from the world. As she closed her tan eyes, the vision of her being in her child body again, seeing Ura with open arms... It was a long, lost dream, but Leila imagined that thought everytime she had that feeling of emptiness, that one day that she can be with her family again.

***Gaara***



Midnight seemed like an endless party, everyone was over talking and drinking light sake. The Kazekage had to keep a close watch on Ura with her sake, but he also kept an even closer eye on the one she was talking with, Sasuke. As he was half-listening to Naruto going on about something, the scent of heavy cologne wafted near him, Kankurou was standing next to him, also listening to Naruto's lecture. Gaara could hardly breathe from the heavy scent near him, so he slowly began to linger away, but Kankurou seemed to be following him.

"Gaara, I just want to say i'm sorry, I know you're still mad at me but-" Kankurou murmured to Gaara so he wouldn't make a scene.

"I don't want to hear this right now, Kankurou," Gaara growled subtly to his elder brother, "Sleeping with my wife-to-be is more than just a maulicious attack against your blood brother, but it is treason against your Kazekage. If anything, I could have you castraded at any point and time."

Kankurou was temporarily speechless, then he gave Gaara a firm look, "I never meant to come between you and Ura like that."

"Then how did you mean it then? Exactly how did you want screw my fiance'? Or did you plan on trying to bear a child out of her?" Gaara began to get aggresively defensive.

"None of those, Gaara, and you know that. For Kami's sake, i'm your brother, I only wish the happiness for both you and Ura," Kankurou then looked up and caught a friendly smile from Ura, a calming sense swept through him, "You have to believe that I know you and Ura are suited for each other."

Gaara glared at Kankurou with frozen gratitude, "Then I must be blind to what you say when your actions scream what you really know you want."

Kankurou wanted to feel anger, he wanted to feel animosity to his brother's words, but all he felt was remorse. All he wanted was forgiveness, so he could move on from the incident so he could find his own love one day, "Gaara...I do not love have intimate feelings for Ura, she is my sister by friendship. It will be awhile before you actually forgive me, but until then, you must see that I want to find a woman for myself to love and to hold."

The Kazekage didn't say a word, though he was unwilling to want to hear more of what his brother had to say, there was something that lured him to yurn to hear more. Gaara stood still, then also turned to see Ura, continuing her conversation with Sasuke. Then he turned to face his brother, a solemn look in his icy blue eyes, "You're limited to what I believe in you."

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Ura were in a far corner, discussing a certain topic about their futures. Ura leaned her back against the cool wall as she looked up at Sasuke, then he asked, "Are you planning on giving up on your life as a kunoichi to become the wife?"

"No, I think i'll continue being a ninja for a few more years, then i'll start the family producing," Ura smiled, getting a bit too light headed from the sake, "But what about you, the famous Uchiha, have you found the woman that will restore your clan to it's once full glory?"

"That operation is still in the making, I still have to find the woman," Sasuke sighed as he slugged down his third shot of sake.

"Oh I see...well may you find the perfect woman, Sasuke," Ura poured them both another shot of sake, "Tell me, what type of traits do you desire for this woman to have?"

By now, Sasuke was as hammered that he began to loosen up, "She must have dark hair and at least have the same qualities as I have."

"Like what? Insequire and somewhat clingy?" Ura teased as her face turned a little red from a slight giggle.

"Insequire would be one, but clingy? Clingy is not one of my traits," Sasuke also turned a little red, but remained to hold a cold stature.

"You're a clinger, Sasuke Uchiha, you always have to be there unexpectedly," Ura slid her index finger down his chest in a playful manner.

Before Ura could laugh about something else, she felt her shot of sake disappear, then a hand clasp over her wrist, "We're going to our hotel room, now."

Gaara was fussed up with jealousy to the point where he was barely at the point of raging on about something as he dragged Ura out of the main shrine that Naruto, and his shinobi, were staying in. Ura staggered, angry at Gaara's action, she pulled away violently, "Why the hell did you do that!? I was talking with Sasuke and you rudely barged in to take me to bed! I'm going back."

"No you're not," Gaara took hold of her wrist again, "I'm tired of watching you mingle with him like he was still your little toy, i'm your fiance' now, and I expect to be treated with some dignity of recieving that title that you fail to live up to."

Ura, who was just bubbled off of the sake, managed to be sober enough to why Gaara was acting so enviously. But, in her frustration, Ura still pulled away and walked back to the main shrine, "Sasuke was never my toy."

"Fine, i'm going to bed," Gaara turned his back to her and continued his way to their hotel room.

Ura stopped and turned, Gaara was not giving a hesitation to give any inclination that he was going to wait for her. Just like before, when she told him she would not stop him from leaving, he made sure that she knew he was not going to stop her. It was her choice, she could aggrivate him and just leave, or she could let him win this battle and go to bed as well. Ura turned away from the main shrine and followed Gaara up ahead, who had realized Ura was coming as well, had stopped. When she approached his side, she softly grasped his hand. Gaara entwined his fingers with her own as they continued down the path together.

As the continued their path, the priestesses shrine up ahead seemed to shake a little. Gaara and Ura stopped walking, something seemed out-of-place..until they both felt the familier violent chakra of the two rested people. Ura instantly summed her umbrellas, her soul all going numb, preparing for the up-coming battle, "I will go ahead..."

Gaara took a step forward, signalling her to hault, "The others must sense them as well, you will fight along side of Temari."

"No," Ura then leaped ahead, "I won't fight along side anyone this time."

Though Gaara was just about to go after her, he saw it was useless and just followed her to make sure she wouldn't get herself killed. As they approached the entrance of the village, they both saw the four priestesses creating a stronger barrior while Kabutome and Leila were doing everything they could to tear it down. When Ura's eyes met Leila's, her blood ran cold at the memories of their last battle, how there was no mercy between either sister. Gaara opened his gourd as everyone arrived, Naruto standing by his side, "When did they get here?"

"As soon as they were rested and prepared to kill," Gaara answered solemnly, "Keep an eye on both of them, I don't want Ura to be alone fighting Leila."

Then, Kabutome added another force of power, sending two of the four priestesses back unconscious from using too much power. That gave Kabutome and Leila the opprotunity to easily send another wave of chakra and animals at the barrior, causing the entire thing to go down. The eldest priestess stood before them, shocked and unable to do a thing, she was the first to fall victim of her death. Kabutome took off her head and sucked out her spiritual abilities. Before Leila could kill the youngest that was still standing, Ura appeared in front of the young priestess and opened an umbrella towards Leila, instantly twirling it to send thousands of hari at Leila. Leila didn't have enough time to leap away, so she took the hit directly.

Kabutome was also haulted from his killing by both Gaara and Naruto going after him with everything they had. Plus, the other shinobi were also joining to kill Kabutome, leaving Ura with her battle with Leila. The youngest priestess coward behind Ura, "Please...don't let them kill my other sisters or me...."

Ura didn't take her eyes off the rising Leila as she said, "Quickly, take your sisters back to a hiding place, and stay there. We're fighting for your lives, and we will not lose."

The priestess obeyed Ura's orders as Ura began to make the hand signs of hari, air, twister. Ura held the last sign as the wind began to pick up around her, the wind picked up her hari and umbrellas. Leila stood up, blood seeping out of her body, she glanced over at Kabutome who was also bleeding just as badly as she was. As she waited for Ura's attack, Leila summoned locuses, then a swarm approached swiftly from behind her. The wind began to spin in a funnel, hari filling it up to where it became a deadly wind, the umbrellas twirled outside of it, sending a wave of hari at Leila. Leila sent the locuses in front of her, taking the hit for her. Ura saw how Leila was blocking her attack, then used more chakra to make the hari go through the locuses. As soon as Leila's blocking failed, Ura ran at her top speed and went behind Leila, grasping her wrists apart to keep her body ready.

"What are you doing!?" Leila tried to squirm away.

"I'm going to win, and kill you, my beloved sister," Ura murmured in Leila's ear.

The hari easily tore through the locuses, heading straight for Leila. Then...Leila summoned one of the locuses to her, the bug flew more swiftly than the hari and quickly entered through Leila's body. Just before the hari were able to pierce her skin, bug like wings spread out through her back, knocking Ura off of her so Leila could escape from death again. Ura crossed her arms in front of her, bracing herself for the painful sting of her hari. But...she didn't feel it, she looked up to see Lee had taken the blow for her!

"No! Lee!" Ura caught him has he fell from the hari.

The jutsu ended, Lee opened one of his eyes to Ura, "Can't have you get killed when you're getting married to Gaara, now can we?"

"Lee...you stupid idiot!" Ura began to quickly pull out the hari out of his body, "You stupid, stupid, stupid fool!"

Lee passed out from the bloodloss, Ura put the rest of her hari in her bag, and when she stood up to find Leila, a hard kick sent her flying to the ground. Ura landed on her face when her body met the cold ground, but that wasn't enough, a huge swarm of locuses landed on top of her and began to slowly devour her skin. As fast as she could, Ura got up and brushed off the bugs that were feasting on her. Leila levitated in the air, a smirk on her face, "I guess i'll have to do more to kill you."

*Fighting from a distance is not going to work...I have to get up close and personal,* Ura thought as she pulled out her other umbrella, stabbing a hari at the top.

In one fast leap, Ura was up in Leila's face, but before she could stuff the hari into Leila's gut, Leila instantly fell to the ground. Confused, Ura landed as well, then turned to see Naruto had made put a heavy blow onto Kabutome. Ura understood, whatever major pain Kabutome was put under, so was Leila. The woman twitched and groaned in agony, Ura didn't know whether to kill her off or just leave her there. Leila had tried killing her several times, but Ura kept seeing the little child that she had took away from Baki when he was going to make her continue being a slave.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING???!!! KILL HER WHILE YOU CAN!" Temari, from above, screamed down at Ura.

"U..Ura..."

Ura pulled out her hari, then stood above Leila, preparing to kill her little sister. Leila managed to look up at Ura with painful eyes, "Ura....do it....get rid of me so I can be free again....."

The Sand Kunoichi looked up, Gaara was covering Kabutome in sand, the final blow was about to come. Ura didn't know what to do, then she yelled to Gaara, "HOLD HIM STILL, DON'T KILL HIM YET!!! SAKURA, COME HERE!!!"

Gaara held Kabutome in the air with his sand, Sakura then ran over, "What? Are you wounded?"

"No, I need you to help me to break the connection between Leila and Kabutome. If we can cut the connection, then Leila will no longer be a threat to us," Ura made the handsign of the sword.

Sakura nodded, then began to lightly chant, placing her hands onto Leila's body as Ura held her handsign onto Leila's stomach. The two kunoichis began to lightly glow blue and brown, their chakra entwining itself around the deal Leila had signed in blind. After a few seconds, Ura and Sakura used a majority of their chakra just to sever the pact, but it wasn't enough.

"We don't...have enough chakra..." Sakura growled as she pushed harder to try and cut the deal, "If we keep this up, we're going to die."

"Then i'll join in," Temari also made the handsign of the sword, then placed the handsign onto Leila.

Temari added her chakra, but then Ura noticed two other sets of chakra joining in, Lee had barely awakened and joined from afar, and Sasuke. Ura was running dangerously low on her chakra, but pushed harder, leading the way to end her sister's agony. Then...it broke, the connection was destroyed, the locus wings on Leila disintigrated into dust. Though Leila's adult form remained there, Ura could see a major difference in her sister's eyes as they began to open. Leila looked around slowly, "Did..why am I still alive?"

"You're free..." Ura murmured softly to her sister, "Kabutome doesn't have a thing over you now."

Sakura left to tend to Lee's wounds as everyone gave Leila some breathing space. Ura helped her sister up, but Leila's eyes widened when she looked over at Kabutome, he had gotten free and was pounding into Naruto as Gaara tried to get Kabutome back into his sand. When Kabutome was through with Naruto, he turned and was ready to pounce onto the Kazekage. Ura went pale when she imagined Gaara's death, dropping her sister, Ura quickly ran through the other shinobi to her fiance'. Kabutome was already in the air, pulling out a sword-like cobra with venom dripping from it's mouth. Ura sped up, she didn't want Gaara to get killed, but she didn't want the citizens of Suna to lose their beloved Kazekage.

"URA!!" Kankurou sent his puppet to stop her, but then manuvered it to save Gaara for her.

In a split second, before Kabutome moved a muscle to kill Gaara, Kuruari entrapped Gaara as Ura faced Kabutome head on. As the puppet moved away from the danger, Kabutome sent his cobra straight through Ura, leaving her a fist-sized hole through her lower belly. Blood oozed out of her as he pulled the cobra out of her, "Such a foolish woman aren't you?"

Then, he made a jutsu of blood, the one he had put on Sasuke that time he encounted the leaf Jonin. Tiny holes all over Ura began to open, squirting out blood as Ura shrieked in agony. Kabutome punched her in the face, sending her flying, but then leaped above her, kicking her in the chest. Ura smashed into the ground, a cloud of dust hovered over. Her gaze became heavily disoriented, she could feel the life pour out of her with her blood. The last few things she could hear were the pop of something being free, then the roar of sand going straight for Kabutome, but Kabutome managed to escape alone, again. Just before she was about to close her eyes, to allow death to take her softly, she could see Gaara over her, frantically trying to think of something to save her, but it was too late...

"Ura, Ura, Ura wake up, don't do this," Gaara was at a loss of what to do, but demanding for her to wake seemed reasonable.

Sakura rushed over, and began to close the flesh wound by replacing the skin with a jutsu. She checked Ura's pulse, her eyes were wide, filled with tears, "N..no...."

"What? Is she alive or not!?" Gaara grabbed Sakura's wrist roughly, "Tell me, damnit!"

"Gaara...i'm so sorry," Sakura wrenched away from Gaara's grip.

Naruto, and everyone that was able to walk, encircled Gaara as he peered down at Ura's body, eyes wide with fear. The Hokage covered his mouth as he tried to choke back the tears, he could see Hinata dead all over again as he watched Gaara go through the same pain as he did. Temari was shocked, her sister of friendship was not with them anymore, tears streamed down her face as she cried on Kankurou's shoulder, who was also crying hard. Lee, who managed to come over, was at a loss, "What's wrong with Ura? Is she going to be ok?"

Sakura knew how much Lee cherished his friendship with Ura, they could've passed as brother and sister. She whispered what happened in his ear, Lee smashed his fist into the ground as his agonizing tears crept down his face. Leila layed on the ground where Ura had dropped her, tears of saddness softly hit the ground at the sight of seeing Ura being killed so mercilessly. Ura didn't even stand a chance against Kabutome, and he killed her like a piece of paper.

"Ura...can't be dead, she can't be now," Gaara took his fiance''s cold hand, "She can't be...she is...dead...."