She's My Cousin

Leaving Behind A Broken Home

I stare at the rings, studying them closely. I knew Mama had them, I just never knew where she put them or why she stopped wearing them. I looked on the inside the engagement ring to see an engraving that said, I PROMISE, and inside the wedding ring was I LOVE YOU, along with the Hatake and Uzumaki clan symbols. I smiled and put the chain around my neck before I zipped my bag shut and shrugged it onto my shoulders.

I walked through the kitchen and out the back door into the backyard. The grass tickled my knees as I through it to the large, Purple Willow that stood in the center of the yard. I pushed past the curtain of leaves, feeling my Mothers chakra as I did, to see a large stone that was used as a head stone that bore my Mothers name.

                                                       Anju Hatake

I stared at her name for hours, the time going by to quickly, and before I knew it, the sun was begging to set, meaning it was time for me to visit Gaara.

"I'll come and visit, okay?" I said as I rise to my feet and place my hand underneath the heart carved onto the tree. I held up two fingers and the Red Tiger Seal spread out underneath my hand. Before I pull my hand away, I look up at the heart and at the initials inside of it.

                                                          K.H.+A.U.

I smiled and pulled my hand away to see a seal similar to the Reaper Death Seal, only red and on its side, as well as the kanji for Tiger in the center. I made the Tiger as I thought of Gaaras necklace.

'Teleport.'

I watched as the setting change from the dark bark of the Willow to a ten year old, staring out of his window at the setting sun with his arms crossed in front of him. "You packed?" he asked in his usual emotionless voice. "Yes, sir," I said as I walk over to his bed and sit down, laying his pillow on my lap. "Quit that. I'm not my father," he looked at me from the corner of his eye, "and I'm nothing like Kankuro."

"Okay," I whispered. I forgot he doesn't like it when I call him Lord or Sir. He walked over and stared down at the bed. I could hear sand moving across the floor towards the door, but I was focused on Gaara, who looked as if he touched the bed, Shukaku would take over. I reached my hand out and placed it on his arm, making him look up at me. "He won't take over. You know he's never escaped when I'm around," I assured him quietly.

"Promise?" he asked in a slightly worried voice. I nodded once, "I promise." I grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed, making him lay down and rest his head on the pillow on my lap. I ran my fingers through his hair, calming him as I searched for his crown. When I found it, I closed my eyes and, using chakra, enter his mind.

I opened my eyes to see large amounts of sand and a glaring Shukaku. "You're not putting me to sleep," he growled. "We'll see about that." I formed the Tiger as I thought of Shukakus forehead. "Teleport." 

"Where'd you go you no good slave-girl." He moved his head left and right, trying to see something he can't while I sent chakra into his body, claiming him as I slowed his heart rate. "Shh, Gaara's trying to sleep," I whispered. I saw his eyes slowly close as he fell over onto his side. "You son of a... bitch," He said slowly as he fell asleep. "Good Racoondog." I rubbed his head before closing my eyes.

When I opened them, I was back in Gaaras room. I continued to run my fingers through Gaaras hair as I began to put him to sleep as well. 'I'll get to meet my cousin in a few days.' I looked over to the window to see the moon shining brightly. It was only here that you could see the moon and stars the best. 

"I'm gonna miss living in this house, no matter how screwed up this family is."

Gaara's P.O.V.

 ~~~~~*Dream*~~~~~

I was in the leaf village, fighting a boy with coal black hair that looked blue in the light. I was winning the fight until and boy with spikey blonde hair showed up, along with a girl with sakura pink hair. The girl brought back memories of Yashamaru, so I used Shukakus sand and trapped her to a tree.

At one point Ginko showed up, trying to stop both mine and the blonds attacks. Shukaku got angry and used his spear to try and kill her, but I couldn't. She was just stuck to a tree like the other girl, which made the blonde mad.

Now I was losing. 

I let Shukaku take over, but the damn blonde and the giant toad woke me up, and Shukakus sand began to crumble and fall to the ground. A sudden wind blew us onto tree branches, where we sat up and stared glaring at each other.

"That's it, I can't go any further, I've used up all my chakra. And from the look of it, so have you. You and I are a lot alike, more than you know. We shouldn't be doing this."

But we both stood, no matter how much it hurt, and when the giant sword disappeared in a puff of smoke, we jumped from the trees, pulling our fists back. But he was the one to land the punch. 

We fell and hit the ground, barely able to move, but that didn't stop him. Somewhere nearby I heard someone else fall and hit the ground, but I didn't pay attention to it.

"No, stay away!"

"It's almost unbearable isn't it. The feeling of being all alone. I know that feeling, I've been there, in that dark and lonely place. But now there are others, other people that mean a lot to me. I care more about them more than I do myself, and I wont let anyone hurt them." His pupils changed to slits then as he continued. "That's why I wont ever give up, until I stop you, even if I have to kill you. No matter how much it'll hurt Gin, it's better than all the pain you put her through."

"But why? Why would you do this for anyone but yourself?"

~~~~~**~~~~~

"Gaara, it's time to get up." I opened my eyes to see the morning sun shining in though my bedroom window. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I heard Ginko stand and stretch as she yawned. I look at her from the corner of my eyes and saw the bags under her eyes, signaling that she had stayed up all night, like she always does when she helps me sleep.

'Do I really hurt her?' I thought as I heard Shukaku starting to wake up. 'Damn slave, giving me all these damn futuristic dreams every time she puts me to sleep.'

'You too?'

'Yeah, and the worst part is she doesn't even know she's doing it.'  I through my legs over the side of the bed and removed the sand from the door. "I'll visit you tonight?" I heard her ask. I stared at the floor, not wanting to look at her because I don't want her to see any emotion that might be in my eyes. "No. Visit when you make it to the Leaf and find your cousin."

"O-okay... I-I'll see you then," she whispered, shock evident in her voice. A few moments later, she disappeared.

'Guess your dream really got to you if you don't want to see her for a while.'

'Shut up.'