Mixing of Snow and Sand

Chapter 50: Chatting

"Lady Hosaka?!" A few Jonin of the village rushed to my side as they noticed my weakened state. "Are you alright?" One of them asked.

"Can you take me to see Gaara?" I muttered, feeling light headed. Two transportation trips in such a short time from one another was taking its toll.

"Of course." One of them aided me as we made our way to Gaara's office. Kankuro was standing outside as per usual and when he saw me I thought he was about to drop dead.

"Mia!?" That was enough to cause papers to go scattering inside the office.

"Well that wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting but its nice to see you too, Kankuro." I smiled as he came to take me from the guards. He helped me into the office where Gaara was trying to clean up the stack of papers he had knocked over. "Would you like some help?" I asked softly, he looked up at me and dropped the papers all over again before pulling me in with his sand. He held me against his chest so tightly I thought I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. "T-too tight..." I muttered.

"I'm sorry." He loosened his grip but didn't let me go.

"I'm alright, Gaara. I'm sorry I made you worry so much." I heard a bark next and before either of us could stop him Okami pounced into both of us, causing us to go crashing into the ground.

Mia! He barked happily, licking my face intensely.

"Hey buddy, sorry if I made you worry." He nuzzled his way into my arms as Gaara, Kankuro and Temari who had arrived at the same time laughed.

~

After explaining everything to them, we all decided it would be best to go and get some dinner and then some much needed rest. Gaara never let me out of his sight nor very far from him as he held my hand. Okami was just as protective as he laid at the edge of the table and growled at anyone who wasn't from the village.

"My, my I never thought I'd see the day where I had two very protective bodyguards." I giggled as we all ate.

"Well they both really care about you." Temari chuckled back.

"Yes, I can see that. But there is something I need to tell you all." I muttered, looking down as I thought about the previous users of the Osore and their fates as well as Shei's creation.

"What is it?" Kankuro asked.

"When we get home, I think it would be best to explain it without so many people around." From there everyone was silent as we finished our dinner, then headed back to the house to have our little meeting. Once everyone was settled on the couches and love seats I began. "There's a lot that I learned in my time with the Akatsuki, the first thing was about the Osore, which I know you all know now that it was my families bloodline trait. But there was more to the book Lady Tsunade was studying it from." I frowned.

"The one about the previous users?" Temari asked.

"Yes, it was explaining the extent of their power, but it also told of how they died. For all of them the Osore was their demise."

"How?" Kankuro asked confused.

"The Osore when used absorbs the negative energies of that person, so that negative energy flows into the mind of the user of the Osore. For the others with it they were driven to insanity by the overflow of that darkness."

"You said the others, are you saying you're different?" Temari questioned.

"Thanks to Shei, yes. Because of Shei being able to help distinguish between the darkness I have been able to face this without any negative consequences so far. Shei and I have completed the Osore, but it hasn't been perfected yet."