Elemental (Gaara Love Story) (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: The Nightmare

The light breeze danced with the brown strands of the young girl's hair. She glances wearily in both directions unaware of the presence approaching behind her. "Today is quiet," says the man as he takes his final steps to the spot beside her. The girl doesn't look in the direction of the man, there is no need to, that voice she would recognize anywhere. "I know father, it's so," her small voice starts, "boring." She sighs, finally locking her amethyst eyes on her father's broad figure. The man sighs as well, though his comes from relaxation rather than boredom. "You may be too young to understand this now Mariko, but days like this you must treasure. Peace isn't something you come by often, take it from me," he turns his head in her direction, eyes closed with an over exaggerated grin. Mariko giggles and returns a smile, then studies the scenery in front of her. They stand together on the roof of the Mizukage's building towering above the rest of the village Hidden in the Mist. Just as its name states, a heavy mist surrounds the village so that you can only see twenty yards in front of you. "Father?" she asks after a short montage of silence. He lets a sound escape from his throat, indicating that she had his attention. "Do you think I will ever be as great a ninja as you?" she finishes her question eagerly awaiting his response. "Be Mizukage you mean?" he turns to her expecting a head gesture rather than a response. Like expected, she nodded at him and he continued, "Well it all depends. You may very well be a much more powerful kunoichi then I am a shinobi, but being Mizukage requires more than that. It's more than just being the most powerful ninja in the village." Mariko stares at her father wanting him to continue, but she knows he won't, what needed to be said was said, nothing more to it.

"Lord Mizukage," interrupts one of the ANBU ninja whom just teleported on the roof, "There seems to be an issue in the center of the village. A dark cloud is forming above it. No other ANBU ninja are able to decipher what it is."

"Very well," he responds and walks away from his peaceful spot, Mariko timidly following in his footsteps. She follows her father towards the center of the village. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest because she knew that if the ANBU could not handle the problem, it had to be pretty serious. Her father however, kept calm and remained emotionless. Once they reached the center of the village, which happened to be fairly close to the Mizukage's building, Mariko noticed a large crowd of villagers surrounding the area. Some she recognized to be ninja because of their headbands, and some were just curious passerbyers. Chills ran down her spine when she noticed the look of fear in everyone's face, seeing as though she was considerably shorter than the crowd, she could not see the dark cloud the ANBU were talking about. Clinging to the robes her father wore, she walked with him towards where she presumed the strange cloud to be. Suddenly, her father stops walking causing her to run into him. "Father, what's happening?" she asks trembling in fear. Her father looks back at her in reassurance with an obviously forced smile. "There is nothing to worry about Mariko my dear, do me a favor and get your mother for me," he responds. Mariko nods her head quickly, detaching herself from her father and begins to ease her way through the crowd.

Mariko knew her mother would be at home today, so she made her way to the Erementaru Clan's Compound immediately. As she entered the area she was immediately met with the faces of her family. All were calm and content with no knowledge of the terrible things fated to happen that day. Her father, the Mizukage, also happened to be the leader of the Erementaru clan and like every other member, possessed the clan's kekkai genkai. He, however, was unsurprisingly more gifted than even the elders of the clan. The little girl barges into her home yelling for her mother in a frantic hurry. "Mother! Mother! Father needs you in the center of the village! There is a scary cloud and he needs your hel-."

"Mariko darling, calm yourself. What has happened?" her beautiful mother interrupts her rant and immerges from the kitchen. Mariko is surprised she had not seen her elder sister, Kaji, on her way here but her thoughts were too clouded to worry about her now. "Mother, the ANBU found a dark cloud and asked father to help, but then he asked me to get you once we got to the cloud," she repeats arrogantly and slightly less in a rant.

"Did you see this cloud, Mariko darling?" she inquires putting on her ninja sandals.

"Uh, no mother, there were so many people I couldn't see but I still know it was very scary!" she answers her mother still shaking from encountering so many distressed faces while with her father. Her mother's expression changed and looked deep in thought while she made her way to the door. "Darling," she begins as she opens the door, "Have you seen your sister?" she finishes asking still very deep in thought.

"No I haven't mother, is she alright?" Mariko asks her mother. She, however, doesn't answer her question but instead grabs her daughter's arm and drags her out of the compound with her. "Mother, is everything alright?" Mariko asks confused by her sudden change in action. Her mother turns to look at her still walking but now with a pained expression evident on her face. "Mariko, I need you to hide and I don't want you to come out until me or your father comes and gets you," Mariko's mother orders her daughter.

"Wha- But why?" she asks, but by then it is too late. Her mother had taken off to help her father. The little girl did what her mother told her to regardless of how scared she was. Little did she know that this was the last time would ever see her mother, and she would never again see her father, or any other Erementaru ever again.