Izumi's POV
"Naruto, have you calmed down yet?" Kakashi Sensei asked the blond who only panted in response.
I gave him a sour face as two people landed behind us, "Ah, there you are!" I greeted Sakura and Granny Chiyo," You had me worried for a bit there..."
"Yeah, we finally caught up." Sakura agreed as she walked towards the three of us, "What happened?" She asked suddenly causing me to look down at my arms. They were covered in burns probably a combination of injuries from Deidara's attacks and Naruto's chakra cloak.
"I guess I got a bit reckless?" I shrugged. The traces of chakra from the seven-tails along with my wings had faded not long before she had arrived, "Don't worry too much, I'll mend."
"You found this place quite well..." Kakashi Sensei noted at the two's arrival.
"We saw where the enemy was flying before." Sakura responded quickly taking her attention from my injuries for a moment.
"You are still... Having trouble here it seems..." Lady Chiyo muttered softly.
"Sakura..." Naruto smiled weakly, "The two of you did it..."
"Yes... More importantly..." Lady Chiyo looked unbelievably weak herself, "What of Gaara?" I could see my blond comrade twitch slightly as his clones held up the Kazekage's limp body, "Alright..."
"Well done, Neji." Team Guy appeared suddenly giving all of us a shock as they ambushed Deidara.
"Everyone, watch out!!!" Kakashi Sensei called out urgently, "That person's a long-distance type who attacks with explosions!"
Team Guy came to a halt as the Akatsuki member spat out the kunai that had been in his mouth only to gulp down a large mass of his own clay before his body started to bulge out like an over-filled balloon, "Take a look at my ultimate work of art..." he raved as a crazed expression stretched across his face, "Art is a bang!"
"Everyone, hurry, get away from here!!!" Neji yelled after analyzing the technique
Sakura's POV
We came to a vacant and field and set Gaara to the ground. I tried my best to heal him, but it was no use. The red-haired boy had already been gone for quite some time. With my hands to the boy's chest and my eyes closed I shook my head sorrowfully. There was nothing I could do. Everyone wore somber expressions as I wearily rose to my feet. Even after all the fighting and work we put in... Gaara was dead.
Naruto shook before tears started to stream down his face as Izumi gave him an empathetic look as her own eyes grew moist, "...Why was Gaara... Always Gaara...?" he slurred through his sadness, "To die like this...! He's the Kazekage... He didn't just become Kazekage..."
"Relax... Naruto Uzumaki..." Lady Chiyo urged gently.
"Shut up!!!" Naruto shouted earning a slight wince from Izumi, but she kept silent. Now wasn't the time. And, Lady Chiyo took on a shocked silence as the blond continued, "If you shinobi of the sand hadn't put a monster in Gaara, then nothing like this would've happened!!! Did any of you even try to ask Gaara how he felt?!? What is this jinchuriki anyway?!? You just arrogantly made up that word to call them!!!" No one dared to interrupt him even as the tears inhibited his words for a moment, "I couldn't save Sasuke... And I couldn't save Gaara... For three years I trained desperately... But nothings changed since three years ago, has it...?"
Without warning Lady Chiyo was on the ground next to Gaara her hands glowing intensely as she worked, "Lady Chiyo, that jutsu!!" The woman ignored me as she continued at her task.
"What're you trying to do now?"
"She's bringing Gaara back to life." I told my blond comrade seriously.
"Bring him... Back to life?" He seemed awestruck at my remark as he stared at Gaara's gentle face, "... Can you really do something like that?"
"This jutsu is only one that Lady Chiyo knows..."
"Guh..." the old woman groaned as she tried to force out a little more, "Damn...! Not enough chakra!" she hissed.
"My chakra... Try using it...!" Naruto put in suddenly, "Can you do that?"
The woman thought a moment before turning her eyes up to him, "Place your hands on top of mine.
Naruto immediately did as she asked looking fully determined as he lent her a hand in the technique.
"Sakura." Izumi approached me after studying the jutsu carefully, "This technique it requires...?" I looked at her surprised for a moment before giving her a small nod, "Alright, I understand..."
Izumi put her hands alongside the other two's, "Izumi... Are you sure?" Naruto asked as the light coming from the jutsu got even brighter, "You seemed pretty exhausted earlier, and your injuries..."
"Of course, I'm sure, Idiot!" Izumi smirked as she shared a look with his for a brief moment, "You don't think I can let you do all the work, can you? Besides, it is still my mission to protect you. Let's stretch the meaning of that shall we? Both you I would be more than heartbroken if we could never talk to this boy again, right?"
Naruto fell silent briefly as he gaped at her, "You're right." He agreed with a nod and went back to his own actions.
Lady Chiyo smirked at her two young companions, "In this world of shinobi, made by many foolish old people, I'm glad to see that people like you have appeared..." Naruto and Izumi simply stared at her unable to say a word, "My past... Everything I've done has been nothing but one mistake after another..." the woman seemed so wise as she smiled in what was perhaps her happiest moment, "Still, in my very last moments, it looks like I'll be able to set things right. The sand and the leaf... The future starting now, will surely be different from the time I lived..."
???'s POV
It took a long time before I could finally see the revived Gaara again. I had come alongside the Kazekage's older siblings, Temari and Kankurou. The relief I felt when I saw that face of his was beyond words.
"Hey, you put us through a lot...?" A blond boy was smiling at Gaara looking almost as relieved as I felt.
Kankurou nodded in agreement as Gaara took in the scene before him, "For sure." His brother put in, "You're the little brother I always have to worry about, eh?"
"Hey, don't go getting all complacent!" Temari let out a bit of a chuckle at the two of her brothers, "Gaara's still the Kazekage, so don't be so cheeky!"
"Kenta?" Gaara finally managed as he noticed my stare.
"What?" I smiled seeing the pitiful expression on my face, "We should save the best for last, right?" Gaara was now smiling too as I got a bit closer placing my hand to his cheek, "I'm so glad you're alright..." I whispered just loud enough so that my target could hear me, "I really do wish you could rely on me a bit more... What do you think I'm here for?" I let my face settle back to its usual expressionlessness before I raised my face once more, "We should really give him some space, right?" How are you doing?" Gaara let out a groan as he tried to find his feet, "Don't, Idiot!" I cried allowing through more emotion than I'd intended to as I squeezed his shoulder in my worry, "You really shouldn't be in such a hurry... There's no way that you're back to full strength yet." I backed off a bit reminiscing with everyone else, "So, Lady Chiyo's...?" I asked Temari who was giving the village elder a wary look as her brother stood over her, "She's gone then?"
"Yeah." Temari agreed softly, "Seems she gave her life so that Gaara could carry on?"
Suddenly there was a bit of applause as Gaara rose to his feet unaided, "Everyone..." The kazekage spoke somberly, "Say a prayer for Chiyo."
. . .
It had been about a week's time since the leaf shinobi had arrived in the hidden sand and now it was time for them to Leave. They were stopping at Lady Chiyo's grave one last time before their departure. Izumi, the one with blue hair, approached me as Gaara and Naruto made their goodbyes.
"So, you're Gaara's assistant, then?" She asked to which I gave her a quick nod. Izumi was a lot quieter than the others, but most of what she did say had a lot of meaning to it, "It's good to see that he has someone like you around..."
"Hmm, and you're Lady Hokage's niece, correct?" She too gave a nod as she slipped her hands into her pockets, "But, what do you me someone like me?"
"Someone who gets so soft on him... Err... I mean... someone he's close to other than his siblings and Naruto. He needs someone like that around. Besides, this small talk I do have more to say. I don't exactly know my purpose just yet, but something tells me that you're going to be very important in the future... I don't know..." she muttered giving me a quick look up and down, "Maybe you have some sort technique up your sleeve... I'm sure you're not Gaara's assistant for no reason."
"Hmm, perhaps." I flinched a bit when I noticed a sudden change in the girl, "You're eyes...?
Meet Kenta! I obviously need to add more OCS to this story, right? There's definitely going to be more to come, but that's a conversation for another day. I might make a short book featuring Kenta at some point. Mostly because Gaara and Kenta are definitely very close and this needs to be shared with the world. Also the Kenta in my mind is an adorable human who needs the world to know that he's not all dark and brooding (That's kind of theme with me, but not the point...!). Anyway, Izumi and crazy eye things again. Wee, can't wait to expand on that, but until next time!!!
-- Amy