Dedicated to Red_Ray_! amazing writer, awesum chat buddy, epc fan! READ HER WORK!!
(imma skip that interviewing filler shit, it only focused on Team 7 anyways :\)
"Theres something creepy about this place....." Sakura commented, looking around all paranoid.
The side of Anko's lips pulled into a smirk. "This place is called the Forest of Death, you'll soon realize why."
Naruto poked his butt out and put his hands on his hips. "The Forest of Death, you'll soon realize why." he imitated her in a mocking tone. He must have a death wish.
"That kind of threat wont work on me one bit! I'm not scared!" he boasted confidently, jabbing a finger out at her.
I wish it was a threat. If he saw what I was seeing, he'd be halfway home by now.
There were so many ghosts! So many whispers, most came from behind the gate yet I heard some here too. A lot of the ones I heard out here were saying this one name, but that wasn't possible because he wasn't here....
"Orochimaru....Orochimaru.....Orochimaru......"
The same name the ghosts surrounding the Kazekage said. But he wasn't here........Unless he killed people here in the past?
But that wouldn't make sense! If he killed a ghost, they'd be with him! I was so confused........Just what was going on?
"Really?" Anko asked, amused. "You've got a lot of energy." Still smiling a closed eye smile, she slid a kunai out of her sleeve and flung it at him. Lucky for him she merely grazed his cheek.
Flashing behind him so fast I barely caught the movement, she was suddenly behind him. "A kid like you dies at the very beginning." She put a hand on his cheek and forced him to tilt his head towards her. "Dabbled with the red blood I like."
She's really creepy! I better keep my mouth shut around her.
Her fingers traced the cut and stained with his blood. Twirling around, another kunai came from her sleeve and she held it in front of herself protectively.
The catalyst of her action was......a tongue? A disgustingly long tongue wrapped around a different kunai came from a woman who suddenly came up behind her. One hand on straw hat and cheeky grin on face, she said "I'm returning your....kunai knife..."
How those words were understandable with her tongue stuck out like that was beyond me. I studied the stranger carefully. I didn't remember seeing her in the exam.....
She had long black hair and looked to be a Sound ninja. She also had a wide mouth and a long tongue. With narrowed amount eyes, she slightly resembled a snake.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Impossible! It can't be that, it doesn't make sense!
There were hoards of black ghosts here too. All around him, whispering one name. Orochimaru.
Could they both just have the same name? That cannot be though, the messed up ghosts around the Kazekage were around this girl too! What in the world.........who was this woman?
Anko smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you for taking the trouble." They both seemed to be studying each other, showing that Anko didn't know that woman either. "But...don't stand behind me, thirsty for blood. If you don't want a quick death....." She snatched the kunai from the lady's tongue despite the fact that some stranger got their saliva all over it. Ew.
The woman's tongue reeled back into her mouth. "Well, it's my nature to act up at the sight of blood. And my precious hair was cut, so I got excited......."
I'm surprised they aren't acquainted. They look like they can be such great friends.
"I'm sorry...." The lady said, already walking back to her team.
Temari cupped a hand in front of her mouth against my ear so no one would hear her. "I wonder who she is?"
I shrugged. I wish I knew, these ghosts aren't making any sense. The only logical reason I could think of to explain this is they're both the same person, but what business would the Kazekage have here? And why would he need to disguise himself?
Anko smirked, eyes still following the woman. "Evidently, we've got a lot of hot-blooded kids this time." She laughed. "This will be fun."
I think only her and that lady think that.
Walking in front of the gate, she continued to speak. "Well, before we start the second test, I have to pass this out to you!" Her hand momentarily disappeared inside her coat pocket before returning. In her hand was a stack of papers; I was too far away to be able to read what they said.
"It's a consent form, before you can take part in the test you have to sign this."
"Why?" Naruto inquired.
"From here on out, there will be corpses. I have to get your consent for that....or it'll be my responsibility." She smiled sheepishly and laughed as if dead bodies lying around the place was a normal thing.
My eyes darted towards Temari. She looked scared, then took a small glance at Gaara. As if his presence somehow soothed her, she smirked. Kankuro and her really seemed to rely on him; they trusted him with their life!
I also looked at Gaara. He hardly seemed to be listening, but then again I couldn't tell. Those captivating sea foam eyes of his were difficult to decipher, I could never tell with him. But, just looking at him, calmed my nerves. I felt like I could trust him too. He protected me from Sakura that one day and since then I saw him differently.
"Well, I'm going to start the explanation for the second test." Anko started.
I decided to ignore this part. Temari could explain that to me later, right now I just wanted to think.
(yups, imma that lazy!)
I found it hard to believe that he killed all those people. He did not seem to be that cruel, he was just silent. Then again, no one plans a murder out loud. (shout out to SlasheRR who has that quote on her profile!)
Yet all my life I realized ghosts don't lie. I knew the basics of them, and what I saw was what was true. Every ghost I saw near Gaara was killed by him. He killed them with his own hands.
The Kazekage, addressed as Orochimaru by the ghosts, killed and most likely experimented on all those ghosts near him. That Sound ninja I saw before had the same ghosts around him whispering the same name.
These were the basics. These were what I could tell by ghosts. Judging by how so many people avoided him in the Sand and how he was so feared, I knew Gaara was in fact a murderer. Nothing he could do or say can atone for his sins, for the murders he committed. Even though he displayed an act if kindness, albeit a small one it was considered big coming from him, it didn't mean he was a good person.
The Kazekage and that girl I just saw were connected. So was that Kabuto guy, from what I could tell. The Kazekage and that woman have to be the same person.
But why? Why did the Kazekage pose as a Sound ninja? If he wanted to observe what was going on during the Chunin Exams, then why didn't he just ask us? that was part of his assignment! And why weren't we informed?
I looked back at Gaara. Did he know? He was the one who got the details.....But when that woman appeared, there was no recognition in his eyes. He glared at the Kazekage, his father, but didn't seem interested in that woman.
If none of us knew about this, then it must be top secret. Meaning none of my business. Yet I had a bad feeling about this......things wouldn't turn out well after this, I could just tell.
When everyone started moving I payed attention again. I somehow subconsciously took a paper, one of those that Anko had. We all stood together so we didn't need to move.
"So....... Whats the rules?" I asked sheepishly, smiling a little.
Temari's brow furrowed. "Weren't you listeni-Never mind, you never do. Basically, we need to collect 3 different scrolls in 5 days."
Kankuro smirked confidently. "As long as we've got Gaara here, we don't have to break a sweat!"
Gaara looked at Naruto's team. "If we cross paths with them, I plan on taking the Uchiha."
Just as he simply mentioned fighting him, I felt his deathy aura spread a little. Temari shuddered unnoticeably and a bead of sweat formed at Kankuro's temple. Sasuke, if you value your life, don't come near our team!
"Isnt there anything else to it? I mean, this IS the second exam, it sounds too easy!" I complained.
Temari shrugged. "Well, there's some details, but nothing to worry about! I just wish this thing would start already, I'm getting so bored!"
As if the magic words, they called everyone up to stand in line. When it was our turn we handed in the consent forms - which had all of our signatures, and they handed us a scroll.
We then had to stand in front of a fence with the number 6. Gaara seemed almost excited, he was staring at the gates waiting for them to allow us in. Kankuro had a hand on the thing on his back, the smirk on his face showing his excitement.
Albeit I was told not to worry, anxiety bubbled up in me. Despite Temari's reassurance, I saw the ghosts behind those gates. I saw the lives taken there.
"What if one of us......die?" I asked hesitantly.
Gaara's eyes tore from the gates for a split second. "That would never happen."
Turning to him in surprise, I looked at him. Did I hear him correctly? It was just 4 words, yet I never thought I'd hear him reassure me.
"You're lucky you're on this team, Yurei." Kankuro informed me with a cocky grin. "As long as you're on Gaara's good side you're safe."
Thank Kami I was on his good side. At least I hope I am. I'm still standing, so I think so.
"We now start the second test of the Chunin Exams!" I heard Anko shout.
The sound of all the other gates opening were sounded and the fence before us opened wide. We leaped through and immediately broke into a fast speed, the adrenaline flowing through our veins. Now it was either sink or swim; try or die.
It was only a few minutes before screams begin to ring through the air. Dying screams, as I could tell. The birds on the tree near the are the screams came from flew away, showing that something had definitely gone down somewhere.
We stopped at a place where we could sense no presence. Rumbles and crashes were a constant sound, showing how nearly everyone were already engaged in battle. Everyone but us.
"So.......What's the battle strategy?" I asked.
"We stand here and wait." Temari said in a blasé tone. Yawning, she laid her weight on a thick tree stump behind her.
"That's it?" I questioned incredulously.
That's not much of a plan......someone can attack us with a surprise attack. Amd they all seemed to have their guard down.
"Everyone's after scrolls." Gaara explained. "They'll eventually come after us. We'll defeat them and take their scroll."
I frowned. "But if we stay like this with our guard down, one of us can get hurt!
"Oh yeah, you don't know about Gaara's abilities!" Temari stated, just remembering that.
"My sand protects me. I can't get hurt even if I wanted to. The enemy would most likely go after me first, and will not be able to injure me."
(is it OOc for him to explain that? Idk)
Even if he wanted to? I didn't like the sound of that, it sounded like he wanted to hurt himself. But this sand technique was fascinating, he was invincible! No wonder they both act so secure around Gaara!
"Just as I thought....." Gaara muttered.
"Sand Village kids trying to challenge us forthright."
My eyes snapped towards where the voice came from. In front of us where three Shinobis from the Sound. The guy who was talking wore black tinted shades that concealed his eyes. Like the other two in his team, he wore his weapons on his back and had a hat that was regularly used to shield eyes from the sun. Dressed head to toe with grey and black, he even wore grey gloves.
One was a real midget, he was probably around my waist. His weapons were on his back and were nearly half his height if not more. He bore the same attire as the other one. He wore a wide hat that shielded his eyes from my sight. "It's foolish." he said.
The man in front of them looked to be older than them. He had short spiky brown hair and a clean bandage wrapped around the worth of his forehead. A scar occupied the right side of his face, it forced his right eye swollen shut. There were even stitches on the corner of his lip, that showed the severity of whatever injury he had received. He was dressed differently than the other two, he was clad in navy blue and a black cloak yet he had the same weapons as them.
The atmosphere around us instantly changed. Tension rose and couldn't be cut by the thickest of knives. A murderous intent rolled off Gaara in waves and I realized this was his power. Arms crossed in front of chest, his dull grey eyes nearly pierced through the Sound ninjas in front of us.
"Hey, kids, you should pick your opponents.....You're all going to die." he stated with a smirk on his face. Due to the stitches in the other side if his mouth, I don't think it was actually possible for him to smile anyways.
"Thats enough from you." Gaara said calmly. "Let's do this quickly.....old chap from Hidden Rain Village." (wha-?!? Idk what's wrong with Netflix, it made Gaara say "chap". That's what they say in England! Lol pretend that didn't happen then......)
"Hey Gaara!" Kankuro called out. "Doesn't it make seems to follow them and gather information before hunting them? If they have the same type of scroll, there's no need to fight. Unnecessary battles are...."
Then I hope they have a Heaven scroll. We only have the Earth one.
"It doesn't matter." Gaara interrupted him coldly. "If their eyes meet with mine.....I'll kill them all."
He meant what he said. I could tell.
"Well, let's do this. Quickly!" Crossing his hands behind his back, he pulled out three umbrella thingies in each hand in a total of six. He then flung them effortlessly into the air and they floated up. "Die, kid!" he shouted, hands brought into a hand sign.
"Ninja Art: Senbon Rainstorm!" he exclaimed. The umbrellas began to spin vigorously and sharp needle-like things came out. Senbons!
Gaara merely blinked, not looking uninterested yet not looking excited either.
"Up down, right left, there is no dead spot in this jutsu!" he told us. "In addition, all the Senbon are controlled by my chakura, and attack on the intended prey!"
Worry worked it's way into my system. Was Gaara's Sand technique strong enough to withhold this jutsu? If he got hurt.....I didn't even want to imagine that.
The Senbon rained down, heading towards Gaara. Whether he didn't want to turn his head or he was too slow, he didn't turn around to even look at the weapons. A scream inched up in my throat, one to tell him to watch out. But, before I could even inhale to shout, they hit him.
Sand and dust flew through the air, clouding my vision of him. It floated around him in a cloud of dirt and I felt very scared. Did it hit him? I didn't even see his sand come out to protect him! He could be hurt, or worse...
The smoke cleared away and........there was Gaara. He still hadn't moved in the position he was in when we first faced him. His eyes were still impassive and his arms were still crossed in front of his chest. A hard wall of sand surrounded him, Senbon deeply plunged inside. Yet not a scratch on Gaara.
I released the breath I had unknowingly held in. He was okay and well, his sand managed to protect him.
"Is that all?'
"I-It can't be......!" the attacker exclaimed, taking a fearful step backwards. "Not even one....? No wounds.....? Ridiculous!" His hands went into the same handsign as before, and the Senbon flew at Gaara.
A wave of sand rose and took the blast, and Gaara hadn't had to move a single finger.
"Damm it!" he yelled when he realized it was fruitless.
"Senbon Rainstorm, huh.....?" His eyes narrowed and hatred drifted off of him. "Well, I'll make it rain blood."
My own blood ran cold. Was he serious? It sounded like an attack so gory, so horrible. What kind was it?
"Wall of sand?" asked our attacker.
"That's right. An absolute defense by sand!" Kankuro responded. "He manipulates sand inside a gourd and hardens it with magnified chakura."
I had noticed his large amount of chakura, it added to the power he possessed.
"It defends the circumference of Gaara's body. It's a Jutsu that only he can get away with.....Furthermore, it's somehow always automatically done without Gaara's intentions. Which means that all attacks in front of Gaara fade into nothing." he continued.
The sand around Gaara started to fall, unhardening. The Senbon in it was discarded quickly.
"That little...." the guy spat out angrily.
"You guys can't defeat out Gaara." Kankuro said, eyes scanning them without looking the least bit impressed.
"Don't underestimate me!" Boldly charging at Gaara, Gaara crouched down in response. Now finally moving, his hands slowly formed into one hand sign.
I noticed Kankuro and Temari smirk. Whatever jutsu Gaara was planning, it must be strong judging by their reactions.
"Sand Coffin!" He outstretched his palm and the sand instantly followed his hand movement.
It wrapped around the guys leg, then made it's way up his body making an X around his torso. More and more sand piled around him until only his face, which was turning purple indicating he was choking. "I can't move....."
The umbrellas that hovered in the air rained down, one narrowly missing me. His jutsu stopped.
"Th-This won't....!" he spluttered.
Gaara slowly walked up. The same hand that he used for the jutsu grabbed the handle of one of the umbrellas that fell. "I can cover your loud mouth and kill you."
He was acting so.....cold-blooded.
Pulling it out of the ground, he opened it up. "But that's too pathetic."
I didn't want to see it. While I was fully aware that he had taken plenty of lives, I didn't want to witness it. My mental image of him was my quiet teammate that had my back, that acknowledged me. I didn't want to ruin that image; I didn't want it to be soiled by blood.
Turning the opposites way, my shaking ice-cold fingers covered my eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to tune out what would happen next.
The sound of sand falling made me want to uncover my eyes and turn around but I stayed how I was. If any of them were looking at me, I didn't know. None of them said anything so I don't think they noticed yet.
"Sand Burial!" Gaara shouted.
B-Burial?
Screams. That all I heard next. The sound of sand sprinkling down also was there but the screams drowned them out. A sticky substance fell on my head and I squeaked silently, praying it wasn't what I thought it was. One of my hands rose from my eyes and reached to touch my head and felt warm liquid. Blood.
His teammates also screamed with terror, their screams deafening. They must have witnessed the gory death of that guy, good ting I didn't watch it.
"There's no pain." Gaara said. "I knocked him even harder than was necessary."
The same voice of the guy who Gaara killed was cursing now but I knew no one heard it. That was his ghost screaming, he was dead. Now I knew why none of the ghosts of Gaara's victims showed how they were killed. They were killed so suddenly they were dead before any damage was inflicted on their body.
"The bloody tears of a corpse merge with vast sinking sand and provide more power to the demon of war." Gaara talked in monotone.
Demon of war? Him, a demon? Why was that not hard to believe?
"Th-The scroll." One of the guys comrades stuttered. I heard a few footsteps and a voice was nearer, meaning he came closer. "We'll give it to you!"
"Please! Let us go!" The other pleaded desperately.
I heard something fall to the floor. Turning around to see what it is, I realized it was an umbrella. Now that my eyes were uncovered and I was in front of the scene, I saw the two other guys covered in sand. "No-o-o!" one shouted, struggling.
Frozen with surprise, I forgot to turn around. I forgot to look away.
The sand swallowed them in, engulfing them fully. Their screams were now muffled.
Gaara's palms, which were open, suddenly closed and.....the sand closed in on them.
Blood rained and sand fell. I couldn't close my eyes, I was unable to even blink, as the gory scene unfolded.
Kankuro just started walking to the scroll. Picking it up, he grinned. "Luckily, it's a Heaven Scroll." He turned to Gaara. "Okay! Let's go to the tower."
"Shut up." Gaara commanded, not even looking at him.
"It's still....not enough for me!" His eyes darted to lol at some shrubs where I sensed chakura. He planned on killing the people there........he wanted more blood spill.
"S-STOP!" I cried out.
They all turned to look at me. Temari was shocked, Kamkuro was mildly surprised, and Gaara looked uminterested.
My whole body was quivering. My hands were once again covering my eyes, shaking. My whole body was ice-cold, chills running up and down my spine. He killed them all.....and wanted more. He could've spared at least one of them, they were no longer a threat and they surrendered their scroll.
But he killed them. In cold blood. That was probably his first encounter with them and he murdered them without a second thought.
I still felt the blood on me. Their blood. Their ghosts were screaming, cursing at Gaara.
"P-Please.......Just stop." I begged. There was silence. None of them said anything and I couldn't see if they planned to.
"Yurei....." Temari said with pity in her voice.
My eyes, which were squeezed tight, opened a crack. I saw her hand hesitantly raised at me and she took a step closer. Gaara outstretched an arm in front of her to stop her. He then took a single step closer to me, his eyes still showing no emotion.
I immediately cowered back in fear and covered my eyes again, praying he wouldn't come near me.
"She's right, Gaara. Let's just stop now." Kankuro asked, and I instantly felt gratitude towards him.
"Are you guys scared?" Gaara taunted.
I said nothing. I was scared, petrified actually. "Gaara! It's certainly no problem for you, but it's too dangerous for us!" Kankuro said, coming closer to him. "One set of scrolls is good. More than this is......"
Gaara raised a hand, his face stoic as ever. "Weak people don't give directions to me."
The way his hand was.......that was the hand sign for the sand coffin! Was he actually considering using it in his own brother?
"That's enough!" Kankuro barked, taking hold of the strap of Gaara's gourd and yanking it up. "How about if you sometimes listen to what your big brother has to say!"
"I've never thought of you as my siblings." he said to Temari and Kankuro. "And you're hardly a part of this team." he told me coldly. "If any of you get in my way.....I'll kill you."
He was! He was willing to kill his own kin and teammates! He didn't care one bit! I can't believe I once thought I actually liked him, he's a monster!
A demon.
Gaara slapped Kankuro's hand off the strap. Making the same dangerous hand sign, he gave Kankuro a look, just daring him to come try and stop him.
"G-Gaara, cut it out! Please." Temari asked nervously, hands in front if her. "Don't say something so cold. As a favor to your sister......Okay?" She clasped her hands together in a pleading way.
Gaara's hand was now in front of Kankuro. Showing no emotion, he then jutted it out at the bushes where the team that hid there stood. Sand collected at his palm, showing his jutsu was going to active.
My plea for him to stop was stuck in my throat, I didn't know what to say anymore. He'd kill me if I did say anything, I didn't know what to do.
"Gaara!" me and Temari finally shouted simultaneously.
His hand closed in a fist and I flinched. But nothing happened, his sand didn't move.
He looked to his open fist, which held the cord of his gourd. (rhymes!) "Fine." He stuck it in, sealing his sand, and I breathed a sigh of relief. He then started to walk forward. Kankuro glared hatefully at his back and Temari looked just as relieved as I felt.
We then followed him back. He was clearly the leader of this team, the dictator. It was either do as he says or die.
And there was no choice but to choose the first option.
***
;-; that was sad to write, Gaara isn't a demon! Feedback?