The only reason I have a description here is because I don't feel that I really explain what she looks like in the story so at least this will give you some information to go off of but in all honesty, you can skip it if you don't like these kinds of things.
Main Character Description:
Name: Aura
Age: 17
Height: 5'1"
Eye color: Green
Hair color: Medium Brown
Blood Type: B
Body Type: Slender type (non-athletic)
Birthday: February 9th
Appearance: Layered hair, bottom layer is just past the shoulders, side bangs. Clothes vary, especially throughout the story, but normally wears a tank top with a longer shirt over it and Capri type pants in the summer with sandals.
Setting: This takes place 2 or 3 years after the Shinobi War Arc and starts in Suna.
Notes: Thank you for clicking on my story! Okay, first of all I really wanted to make a story about Gaara and I really wanted to make one that seemed somewhat realistic. (Although how realistic you can get with a fictional story is questionable I'm sure.) On that note I really wanted to make a situation that seemed like it might actually happen and find a way to keep the story interesting so that the whole thing isn't just a love story but something a little more. I am also a little sorry about this first chapter since I tried to make it interesting while giving you something to go off of so you know what is going on as I continue through the story. I would also like to comment on names and honorifics and things like that, because of the translation from Japanese to English and due to it being a manga and an anime there are some differences in events, names and titles. One example being "Gaara of the Sand" and "Gaara of the Desert," so I would like to say, if I switch between them or leave out certain events or have some different information about something, it's all because of these differences in where the information came from, although I tried to cover them all. Anyway, please enjoy!
Also, please thank nicetsukichi at deviantART for making the beautiful cover art for this story! Her art was well worth the cost and she even made a sketch that is amazing. All credit to the fantastic art goes to nicetsukichi, original character design credit goes to me of course.
~*~*~*~
Chapter 1: A New Reality
~*~*~*~
I gasped and jolted up as I watched a bright fog-like light dissipate around me. I looked in all directions to find I was sitting in a sand street at night with many stone-type buildings around me. What was this place? Where was I? Some kind of old town? There was nobody around and it seemed quiet except for the wind.
Just as soon as I heard a sound I was surrounded. I tensed as fear made my heart beat faster. These people didn't look friendly. They where all wearing strange clothes and had weapons drawn. Why were they all looking at me? What had I done? I stared at them wide eyed, wondering what was going to happen.
Before I knew it, I was being restrained by two people. Being restrained from doing what, I don't know, but I knew the way they held on to me was painful.
"How did you get into the village? What are you after?" A person questioned me sternly.
It felt like he was talking a bit too fast for me. I couldn't even choke out an answer before he asked again, in which case I panicked and yelled back at him.
"I don't know! I don't even know where I am!" I had figured out a long time ago that when I get confused, frustrated and scared I get really angry as a form of a defense. At least, I think that is the case. Either way, I had a hard time processing information.
He didn't look moved by what I said, "Bring her to interrogation."
I couldn't understand why they thought I was a threat. The thought of interrogations made my eyes well with tears. I felt overwhelmed with fear. I started to shake when they looked like they were about to move out, but I suddenly felt dizzy. I assumed it was from the fact that I had so many different unpleasant emotions running through my head. Although, this was the feeling of an adrenaline rush coming on. I kept thinking that I didn't want to be harmed and I didn't know where I was. I felt the panic rush through me and I took deeper erratic breaths. I couldn't stop staring straight ahead, but I couldn't focus on what I was seeing and my ears started to ring horribly.
That's when it happened. I have had adrenaline rushes before and I have to say that they are really strange. It seemed like time had slowed down; every movement and sound was strangely slow. The sickening sound of flesh being pierced and the splatter of blood sounded in my ears muffled by the ringing as I watched the droplets and small streams of red float gently through the air. I wondered what just happened when time began to move normally again. Yells and sounds of sharp attacks came from all around as more blood had been spilt. The people holding me yelled and moved away. I looked around, frantic and scared. Everything was so fast I couldn't see what was attacking. People fell to the ground and one person lunged at me. I braced myself and automatically crossed my arms above my head for protection.
I felt something wet splash on me then nothing. I opened my eyes only to see the person that was going to attack me had their neck sliced open, spitting out blood. I stared at his confused and pained eyes before he fell forward. I backed away so he wouldn't fall on me. I felt the tears well up and stream down my face as I covered my mouth with my hands, staring at the scene around me. Everyone was dead. I felt a sick twisting in my stomach and fell to my knees, throwing up onto the sand. I stared down at the ground into my own vomit feeling even sicker, but noticed the blood running down my arm.
I looked to see where it had come from frantically, but I wasn't wounded. It was the liquid that had splashed on me earlier. Realizing it was someone else's blood I screamed and cried. I backed away into a corner of a building nearby as my eyes scanned the area, but I couldn't concentrate on what I was seeing with my head feeling so dizzy. My vision was starting to get black spots so I closed my eyes and brought my knees up to my chest and hid my face. Crying because I was scared and confused. I just wanted it to all go away, I wanted everything to go away and disappear. How did I even get here? I don't even remember.
I sobbed and noticed that I heard other sounds so I looked up in a panic. I saw more people arrive. They all had strange clothes on as well. I pressed my back against the wall behind me and felt the fear rise up in me, stronger than before.
The people swiftly looked around and someone commented, "What happened?"
A person with one of their eyes covered commented, "That girl and . . . that chakra."
Everyone was staring at me. I gasped as I noticed I was being looked at strangely. Was it fear I saw in their eyes? Of me?
Someone shifted and was about to attack me but someone said, "Stop."
I looked at the person who stopped him; he seemed to be kind of young. He had dark coloring around his eyes and reddish hair. Although he was young, he seemed to be their leader considering his position among them.
The others looked confused, but this leader they had just kept staring at me and I couldn't help but stare back. He took a step forward and a loud noise erupted. I screamed and dug my head in my knees again. This time I didn't hear anyone getting hurt. I looked up to see a wall of sand that was being hit with invisible attacks. I watched in wonder as sand moved around on its own to defend against attacks I couldn't see. Who was this person?
The attacks soon calmed and so did I, then it was just him standing there. Where had those attacks come from in the first place? He walked forward again. A few people moved as if to stop him but then pulled back, as if deciding against it. He stopped right in front of me and I stared up at him wondering what he was going to do.
He then leaned forward, extending his hand to me and said, "You don't have to be afraid, no one is going to hurt you."
I looked at his eyes and then his hand. He seemed sincere enough, but could I really trust him?
I moved my hand cautiously toward his, which actually made the other people tense. I then gingerly took his hand as he helped me up. I actually felt a bit better knowing that at least this person was being nice to me. Once I was standing, he let go.
"I'm sorry, but under the circumstances you are going to be under close surveillance. I can promise that you won't be harmed," he said to me before turning to his subordinates.
"Escort her to a holding room, until we find out what happened here. There will be no hostility toward her," he stated before walking past them and examining the area.
Two people had come over to me and I felt a little uneasy, but they only asked me to follow them. I walked away from the scene still in a daze from what happened. It all happened so suddenly that it felt like a very bad dream. I didn't even understand what was going on around me. After all of that excitement I finally felt safe and relaxed, but as soon as I relaxed, my limbs felt heavy and my vision was spotted. I then fell to the ground and into the darkness.
~*~*~*~
A man spoke softly and urgently to the reddish-haired boy, "Kazekage-sama, do you think it is wise to just let that girl be put in a holding room? Wouldn't a more guarded room be better? Look what has happened here, not to mention her chakra levels."
"She was scared," he said before turning his gaze toward the man, "When I had approached her she didn't make any aggressive movements and her chakra levels didn't change. If there is anything behind the attacks it is most likely an outside force."
"Even if it wasn't her it is still questionable as to how she got into the middle of the village without detection."
"Kazekage-sama!" a man yelled who was examining the bodies.
The boy swiftly went over to see what was wrong.
"These wounds were caused by multiple small deep pierces in the body. It looks like it was caused by a wind element weapon."
The young Kazekage looked down at the mutilated form of the sand ninja. With no other intruders detected in the area and no chakra expended from the girl, how could a wind element attack be used?
This was going to be a perplexing investigation for Sunakagure.
~*~*~*~
I opened my eyes sleepily, thinking that my room smelled kind of different then I remembered. I shot up on a plain bed in a room with one bared window. I got up and rushed to the door to find it locked, I panicked and banged the door with my fist, calling out. For some reason, I didn't like being stuck in small places. Maybe it was a form of claustrophobia but knowing I didn't have an exit always unnerved me in some way.
A woman came and opened the door, looking at me as if I was crazy, "What is it?"
I felt a little embarrassed at how I just acted, trying to find a justification for what I did, "I have to go to the bathroom."
She looked a little annoyed but told me to follow her. I found that I was in a very hot and dry place, although inside the building was a bit more cool than outside. Whenever I passed a window I could feel the heat from the sun. All the walls were made of some stone and most of the windows were round. I also found that someone had changed my clothes; I was wearing a plain dark brown, almost red, outfit with a white scarf thing around my neck. These kinds of clothes seemed weird and I didn't know what to think of someone I didn't know dressing me, but I suppose it is better than my blood stained ones from last night. At the thought of last night I could only remember vague parts of it, since it still all seemed like a hazy dream.
The bathrooms themselves weren't to my liking either, they seemed so dirty but so did most things. It must have been the thin layer of sand that covered the ground. I finished and after washing my hands I exited the bathroom only to find a man was talking to the woman that lead me here. He had some kind of cloth thing over his head that hung down around the sides and his short brown hair showed a little in the front. His face had a scar right below his left eye and two red makeup markings on each cheek. His expression was tough and he also wore a strange vest thing, but so did many of the people I saw. It must have been some kind of uniform.
He then turned to me when I approached, "Good, you're awake. Please follow me."
I was doing a lot of following lately it seemed, but I didn't like the looks of where he brought me. The room we entered was like a science lab. I started to get that panicked feeling like they were going to experiment on me and started picturing gruesome images in my head. He then turned me over to a person working there.
He smiled and seemed friendly so I forced a smile back.
"It's alright, we are going to do some simple tests okay? So no need to worry," he assured me.
Apparently the nervousness was written all over my face.
"Okay," I answered softly.
This man seemed very pleasant. He wasn't wearing anything on his head which showed his straight, short, strawberry blonde hair. His clothes were more like a lab coat and his expression were very warm. Being around this person made me feel at ease.
The tests were a little different than I was used to. Some of them involved metal sticks that touched my forehead and other points on my body, holding a piece of paper, and eye tests. I admit they weren't difficult but I really did hate needles. When he took my blood I nearly fainted.
"Alright, we're all done," he smiled at me.
He seemed like a very nice guy; he was calm and level with me all through the tests, so I sincerely smiled back at him but didn't know what to say.
"Wait here for a minute," he told me before getting up and taking the papers of data he had with him to another room.
I sat there looking around, everything seemed quite odd. There were even charts to show a system I wasn't sure of. Chakra system? Was this some kind of natural healers or something?
I heard two people walking toward my room talking. I just caught the last part of their conversations, "-the test results should be done by this afternoon."
The doctor, or at least I assumed he was a doctor, that did the tests with me and some the person who led me here originally, came in.
"Alright, if you follow my friend here, he is going to take you to do the mind test," the doctor said calmly.
The man I had to follow didn't seem to have such a nice expression as the doctor. As I followed him to a room with some strange mechanical devices, I felt a little concerned as to what the test was like.
"Would you please sit here," he motioned toward a chair with some devices and large wires coming out from it.
I must have looked reluctant because he reassured me that it wouldn't hurt. I sat down on the large chair as he started hooking some things on me.
"Ummm . . . are you sure it wouldn't hurt?" I questioned as I started to sweat from nervousness.
"We haven't done this on many conscious subjects, but as long as you don't resist it shouldn't hurt," he said without looking at me but at the things he was hooking up.
This only made me freak out more, what was this thing really suppose to do?
"Okay," he said once he was done, "Just relax."
I took in a couple deep breaths.
"Just close your eyes and think of something calm, maybe something in your past," he said while watching me.
I closed my eyes and tried to think of something that calmed me. I began to think of the time when I went on a family vacation. I was very young so I don't even remember where it was, but it was on the way to our destination. We had stopped in this field-like place at an ice cream shop. The sun was shinning bright and as far as the eye could see was rolling dark green grass with some dark green bushy trees in between each large field. I was eating a light blue ice cream and enjoying the warm breeze. It seemed like such a perfect moment with my family.
I felt a hand on my head and my mind went fuzzy. It seemed like images and words of things in my past started running through my mind at rapid speeds. Although it wasn't like I was looking through them myself, but someone else was. I felt myself falling asleep or actually loosing consciousness and before I knew it I was out.
~*~*~*~
The man shuffled through images from the girl's past but he flinched in surprise as he realized that this girl had not lived in a world they did. Her schooling, her daily life, the technology, everything was different.
He stared down at the unconscious girl's serene sleeping face wondering where and when she had come from. Who was this girl and how did she get here? He saw the images of what happened the night their ninja comrades where killed. It was true that she had no idea even of what was going on, but what was strange is that there was a gap between when she arrived in Suna and her previous day. He then tried to dig into this blank spot but suddenly a bright light shone. He was hurled out of her consciousness and backward onto the floor with a gash on his hand.
Other people that were around working on the machines turned to look at the scene in shock and a couple people went over to help him up.
"Are you alright Takan?" he felt a fatigue in his head from trying to access that part of her mind, but got up and brushed it off.
"It's fine," he responded to the person and looked at the cut on his hand.
Normally an attack in the mind wouldn't have much effect in the physical world but . . . what was she?
~*~*~*~
I awoke back in my room, but again, I didn't know how I got there. The test wasn't so bad I guess since I didn't remember anything that happened; it was just like falling asleep.
"Finally, you're awake," I jumped when I heard a voice from nowhere.
When I looked around nervously I noticed that there was someone sitting on the window sill in front of the bars. He had a hood with ear-like parts that poked up and red markings on his face. The rest of his outfit was black with something red tied around his waist.
He gave a sort of sigh and he got up, walking toward me, "I thought I'd have to wake you up myself."
He stopped and scanned me, then smirked, "Pft, Hard to believe someone that looks so ordinary could be an alien."
"Alien?" I questioned suspiciously.
"Never mind, I have to bring you to the Kazekage," he dismissed my question with a wave and a smile I can only describe as cocky and annoying as he walked toward the door and opened it.
"You coming or not, alien?" he asked as if he was bored already.
For some reason all I could do was scowl at him. I couldn't say exactly what it was, but I had to say that his attitude or way of speaking just didn't seem to rub me the right way. I then followed this strange person I don't know, but unlike those other times, I wasn't so okay with following this strange person.
After walking up a bunch of steps we arrived at a normal looking door where the person I was following opened it. I was amazed at seeing a large office and round windows behind a desk where the boy with reddish hair was sitting. Before in the dark, I couldn't see him as well as I could now. I thought the lighting was making his eyes look dark but there were actually dark markings around his eyes. The doctor and other man from before were in the office talking to him but they stopped as soon as I entered the room.
I froze as everyone turned their attention toward me. I felt immediately awkward and adverted my eyes from anyone's gaze.
"Don't be shy, come over here," the doctor said as he smiled at me.
I smiled nervously back and walked over to the front of the desk.
It's then that the other person turned his attention toward the boy behind the desk, "This is the girl, the one that we believe is from another world."
My breath stopped and my heart skipped a beat as something fluttered away in my stomach. I looked more closely at the boy in front of me and saw the character for love on this forehead. The blood seemed like it was draining out of me as I looked into familiar sky blue-green eyes. I didn't notice it before, but I knew this place and these people. This was the world of Naruto, the village of Sunagakure and this was Gaara. This was Gaara of the Desert.
"When looking into her memories I noticed that there were inconsistencies with the reality we know, the maps of the world, the technology and even more disturbing is the fact that there were records of our world there," the man said to Gaara.
Gaara . . . how could this be Gaara? Unlike the manga and shows I saw of him and this place, everything was real. Every independently moving strand of his hair, the complexion of his skin, the gentle rise and fall of breathing, every small flick of movement when he blinked. Everything was real, the feel of the dry air, the sandy floor, even the smell of different people. I was experiencing it all with every sense. This was all too detailed to be considered fake.
"Although it is uncertain whether she is responsible for the deaths of last night, it is still questionable how she got here in the first place. When searching through her mind I was blocked from accessing anything about her arrival in Sunakagure," he went on but I was slowly fading out.
How could this be real? I started to hyperventilate. Was I dead? Was this all a weird dream? How can a fictional story exist? Did my world really exist before? Do I even exist now? The room felt like it was closing in on me.
"Are you alright?" the doctor seemed to notice my inner turmoil as he placed a hand on my back.
It seemed like the air was thin and I couldn't breath, but as the doctor started to rub my back a bit it soothed me and I lost the feeling like I was going to implode in on myself. I noticed everyone was staring at me again in silence probably wondering what was going on.
Forcing a smile, I spoke quietly, "Another world?"
I couldn't help feeling like I had been too quiet for too long, so raised my voice, "How could I be from another world? Where I come from this is all fiction. This doesn't exist, none of it does."
I looked around at everyone, they all seemed surprised that I could say so much. I then looked away from their eyes.
"But if that is so, and none of this exists, do I really exist? Am I existing now? I don't know what to think and I don't know where to go or what to do. All that I've done since I got here was get passed around but no one has even asked me what was going on. I understand that you might not trust me but," I looked at Gaara who seemed to be watching me with that same unchanging gaze he had, "if I truly am from another world like you say, then I mean no harm. All I want is to go home if at all possible. Maybe I could even help if I can at all. I don't wish to intrude or become a problem."
I felt a little uneasy by what I said. I hoped I wasn't too out of line but then I heard Gaara ask, "What is your name?"
I smiled a little, knowing I didn't offend anyone, "Aura."
"Nice to meet you," the doctor turned to greet me suddenly, "My name is Laku."
"Nice to meet you too," I shook his hand as we greeted each other warmly.
I really liked this doctor, he was one of the friendliest people I met since I got here.
Then I looked over at the other man who looked back with an unchanging suspicious expression and simply said, "Takan."
I smiled at him then looked back at the person who led me here.
He just crossed his arms and gave that same cocky smile as before, "Kankuro."
I then looked back to Gaara who said in the same cool level voice, "Gaara."
I gave him a gentle smile, "Nice to meet you, Gaara."
I must have been looking at him strangely or said his name in a weird way because Kankuro commented barely audible under his breath, "Looks like there will be another one after Gaara."
I flinched when I heard that. What did he mean by that? I just met Gaara, how could he say I would be after him. I could tell that Kankuro was really going to get on my nerves.
Gaara then spoke to me as if he didn't hear his brother's comment, "If you really understand that we can't trust you then you would know that we can't let you roam free. Even if you mean no harm, the fact that you know too much about this place makes it dangerous for you to leave. Even with the ninja alliance, if you were to get into the wrong hands it would compromise the safety of this village."
I felt a little distressed, but knowing I wasn't going to be killed or anything was enough relief for me at this point, "Alright, I understand."
"Kankuro," he said looking over at his brother.
"Yeah," he responded then looked at me, "Come on Aura."
He walked toward the door and stopped as I was stuck staring at Gaara for a while. He seemed to mesmerize me and I was reluctant to leave. I thought this might be a little awkward if it went on to long so I broke my gaze on him and turned to leave, following Kankuro out.
~*~*~*~
"You seem to have forgotten to mention her chakra levels when explaining reasons why we couldn't let her leave Kazekage-sama," Laku said after the two had left.
"From what I've seen in her mind, she is unaware she even has chakra," Takan responded although it wasn't directed at him.
"But it is odd isn't it," Laku still was addressing Gaara, "Although her own chakra is normal she absorbs and emanates large amounts of natural energy. Without even knowing it she is capable of producing nearly an endless amount of chakra. Usually natural energy is difficult to control in a normal human body, but this girl may really be an entity from another world. Even more so, her chakra has a high level wind element. If she knew how to use her chakra she could be capable of unimaginable wind power."
Gaara stared at him, unchanging.
"Are you suggesting we use her as a weapon?" Takan glared at Laku.
He simply brushed it off and waved a hand, "Oh no no, I'm suggesting we teach her how to utilize her unique chakra considering it is dangerous when left alone."
"What are you saying?" Takan said defensively.
"You know exactly what I am saying," Laku responded with a level expression, still refusing to look at Takan but rather at Gaara who's expression changed to more of a glare.
Laku continued knowing everyone was on the same page, "All of the ninjas that were killed had injuries made from highly advanced wind element attacks. She was the only one there and coincidentally has highly advanced amounts of wind element chakra. So it is likely that, whether intentional or unintentional, she is the one who killed our comrades."
Gaara and Takan both looked upset that Laku put that accusation out there.
"So what do you suggest Laku? Who would be the one to train someone like that if she has such a high level of wind chakra? If what you say is true then it would be dangerous to even bring out the element, let alone control it," Takan criticized.
"Well," Laku smirked, "Being a master of wind element myself I would-"
"I will look after training her," Gaara interrupted calmly.
Both Laku and Takan looked at him with surprise.
"But Kazekage-sama, training her would be a risk we of the village wouldn't want to put on our Kazekage," Takan spoke with concern.
"My sand will protect me. I rather not have the risk of anyone else in the village meeting the same fate as the those last night," Gaara said calmly to Takan.
They both looked as if they apposed but both nodded and responded together, "Yes Kazekage-sama."
"You're both dismissed," Gaara said as they both disappeared.
Gaara got up from his desk and noticed a sound from behind him. He turned to see a sandstorm brewing outside. Wisps of sand hurled horizontally across the window, over buildings and through the streets. He seemed to be contemplating something while watching the sand dance furious in the wind.
"Kazekage-sama," someone came in the room interrupting the silence as well as his thoughts.
Without turning his head he looked to the side at whoever entered. He would have to complete his thoughts some other time.
~*~*~*~
Notes: Thanks for reading! Also I'd like to clear up that before Aura came in to the office they were discussing quite a bit of things about her and other events although I left them out. I felt it would make the chapter too long and it was a little more than unnecessary. So just to tell you that there was a lot going on without Aura's awareness of it although I covered a few parts that were important. I also would like to say that Aura and Gaara kind of rhyme and I did not try to do that, but I thought it was kind of funny so I left it that way. I could explain a lot that happened in this chapter, cause I have a reason that I thought out for everyone's actions and I packed a lot into this chapter so hopefully the reason behind the actions are clear. Especially Gaara's actions, he is looking out for the people of his village so his actions are primarily driven by that. I'm looking forward to writing Gaara and Aura together more so people can find out more about the main character's personality and there will actually be deeper interactions. See you next chapter!