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Love's Misconstruities	By : Idleflame Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1431 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Love�s Misconstruities

Chapter 11

�� The next few weeks had
gone by uneventfully.� While the rest of
the chuunin candidates practiced relentlessly, the Sand-nin were
practically bored.� Temari spent most of
her time with Shikamaru when he was free and Kankurou tinkered with his puppets
and held unofficial after-school training programs for some of the Academy
students.� Out of the three, Gaara was
the one who trained the most, which was odd to his siblings since he was the undisputed
most powerful member of their group.

�� Gaara, where are you
going?� Kankurou had groggily asked half way through the month as he caught the
boy trying to leave their room at sun rise.

�� To
train.�

�� Again?� Why?�
These guys don�t stand a chance against you.� Everyone knows you�re stronger than the rest
of the candidates.�

�� The red-head had
frowned at him then, saying, �A strong shinobi is such because he does not underestimate
his opponents.�� This was a lesson that
he had learned personally long ago from fighting Naruto.� He�d left then, leaving his brother to
contemplate his words.� Later that day,
Kankurou had asked Temari and Shikamaru to help him with his own training.� It would manage to pay off.� Shikamaru forced him to work on his foresight
and Temari�s brutal assaults made him brush up on his defense and long-ranged
attacks.� ��

�� When the day of the
matches finally came, Kankurou�s opponent from the Mist, Amatsubu, had proven
to be stronger than he had originally thought, possessing an extensive array of
water jutsu for a genin. �Luckily, Kankurou
had been able to use his newly polished abilities to poison him and bide his
time by keeping him at a distance until it took its course.� Having not wanted to use a lethal poison, the
alternatives that he�d devised took longer to take effect.� But Kankurou was patient and eventually the
examiner had declared Kankurou the winner after his opponent had collapsed.

�� Meanwhile, Temari�s
overconfidence was her undoing.� Despite
Kankurou�s warnings about the canine and his genin master, she�d figured them
for pushovers since they were short to mid-ranged opponents.� She�d planned on slicing them up from a
distance with her wind jutsu but they didn�t give her the chance. �Had her goal been to kill them she would have
fared far better, but as it was, she had no intention of using any of her fatal
summons or jutsu.� She was outnumbered
and their speed and strength had overpowered her, forcing her into defeat.� Still, she had put up a good fight, and the
boy and his dog were not without their share of injuries as well.

�� Gaara watched Hinata�s
battle intently.� It was a close match,
but with the use of her original jutsu, she was able to render Shino�s bugs
ineffective and force him into close-combat.�
From there, he stood no chance.�
Once she�d disrupted the flow of his chakra, he lost control of his
kikaichuu altogether.� He�d fought to the
very end and so did his teammate.� She
had earned her victory and Gaara was proud.�
But he didn�t have time to congratulate her.� His battles were next.

�� His first fight was
against the Mist kunoichi, Hitoame.� If
there was one word to describe her, it would be dark�long flowing black hair, thick
and solid navy face-paint around her eyes and mouth, and a black and navy
outfit that looked like a wetsuit with fishnet on the lower sleeves and
legs.� She was definitely trying to look
intimidating, yet it wasn�t her appearance that made Gaara wary.�

�� After he�d been
defeated by Naruto, he swore never to underestimate an opponent again.� That, and she, even more than her companions,
had a wildness that dwelt in her eyes�one that he knew well.� She had killed before, he could see, and she
enjoyed it.� When he had first looked
into those ice-blue eyes as her Mist team confronted him after their matches
had been announced, he knew that he had been targeted as her next victim.

�� Begin!� the examiner
shouted, quieting the crowd who sat on the edges of their seats waiting to be
impressed.

�� Gaara stood with his
arms crossed, waiting to see just what she had to offer.� She seemed to have the same idea in
mind.� The two were having what seemed to
be a staring contest, and the audience was beginning to grow restless.

�� What are you waiting
for?� Hitoame finally asked, a feral grin stretching across her lips.� Gaara gave no response.� �Hmph.� Just as I thought.� You�re afraid.� Ha!�
The infamous Sabaku no Gaara is afraid of me!� she taunted. �Still,
Gaara just stared, arms adamantly across his chest.� �Good.�
You should be.�

�� Why is that?� the boy
calmly asked.� �You�re obviously weaker
than me.� It took your team the entire
five days to clear the Forest
of Death.� Mine completed it in 83 minutes,� he baited.

�� That�s because you�re
unimaginative,� she retorted, laughter dancing on her words.

�� What do you mean?� Gaara
asked with a frown, though all along he�d had a nagging suspicion of what had
delayed them.� After the matches had been
decided he�d gone to inquire about the fate of the other Suna team and was
shocked and angered by the news he�d received.

�� We had the scroll we
needed before the first day was over.� I
just couldn�t wait a month to see some action,� she began, grinning.

�� What are you saying?�
he pushed, trying to make her clarify...and he knew that she would.� In her eyes, Gaara could see that she had
been dying to gloat about this the entire month.

�� Short and stupid, I
see,� she chuckled, causing Gaara�s eyes to narrow.� �I would think it was obvious.� There�s a reason so few teams passed.� And that reason was us: the strongest genin
team of the Mist!�� Gaara merely glared
at her.� �I hope you put up more of a
fight than the other Sand-nin did.� You
know, they begged for mercy at the end.�
How pathetic you Sand shinobi are.�
A symptom of a weak country,� she insulted as she closed the distance between
them.� Gaara stood his ground as she
walked beside him, stopping to whisper just loud enough for him to hear,
�Someday, after I�ve seized control over the Mist, we will go to war against
your pitiful village, and I will personally see to it that every last one of
you weaklings is dead!��

�� So, it was them.�
�The other team was one of the strongest
genin cells in Suna, yet one of the members had died and the other two had been
found unconscious.� They were both still
in comas despite the medical attention they�d received.� Tsunade herself had examined them upon
Gaara�s request and had explained to him that they�d been deprived of oxygen
for so long that they�d suffered brain damage.�
If they ever did wake up, they may never be the same again.� Their lives as shinobi were most likely over
and Gaara, feeling guilty for not taking the time to check on them as Kankurou
had suggested, had sworn to avenge them.

�� If that happens, you
will fail,� Gaara rebuked.� �The desire
to protect brings forth more strength than the desire to destroy.� I�ll teach you that,� he firmly stated as he
called forth the sand from his gourd.

�� Ha ha ha�� I think it�s you who will learn a
lesson from me!� You�re mine, Sabaku
no Gaara!!� Hitoame declared as she jumped away and performed a series of hand
seals.� Her movements were quick and
refined, but Gaara made no attempt to stop her.�
A thick fog permeated the battlefield and the temperature began to drop.�

�� To condense the
moisture in the air to this degree�� It�s
as I thought.� She is no mere genin�� She may even possess a blood-line limit.��

�� Getting a little
chilly for you, desert-dweller?� she called, her voice echoing from all
around.� �You should�ve brought a jacket,
�cause I�m not done yet!�

�� Gaara stood confidently
in place, waiting as frost began to collect on his clothes.

�� She�s trying to
distract me.� She acts as though this is
my first time experiencing the cold.�
While the desert can be unbearably hot during the day, at night it can
drop to near-freezing.� What a fool.�

�� The kunoichi took his
apparent overconfidence as an opportunity, and by the time Gaara appeared to
realize what was going on, a large volume of water had surrounded him.� He jumped, but with the extra weight from his
sand and the ice slowing his movements, he knew he wouldn�t fare well.� After a tense few minutes of the chase, his
sand proving no match against her weapon of choice and merely turning into
piles of useless mud-like clumps all over the arena, the water had caught him
and encased his entire body in a liquid prison.

�� The fog quickly
dissipated and the audience gasped at what they saw.�

�� Ha!� Behold, the end of Sabaku no Gaara!� she
declared, holding the water prison jutsu with one hand and using the other to
form seals, creating several sharp icicles from the moisture in the air.� �Die!� she screamed as the weapons pierced
the binding liquid, stabbing the boy�s struggling figure.� �Ha ha ha��
Examiner!� It�s over!� she
breathed, sweat glistening on her brow.�

�� Says who?� whispered
a voice from behind her.�

Her eyes went wide and she slowly turned her head to glance at the
figure inside her prison.� Where there
had been the figure of Gaara, there now existed only a
mass of sand.� She quickly dropped the
jutsu and jumped away.�� A sand clone?!�

�� Gaara sneered and
raised his hand.� The remainder of the
sand in his gourd rushed at her with great speed.� Hitoame dodged and managed to pull off one
last jutsu which hurled balls of water at the boy, but they were easily
blocked, though it cost Gaara more of his precious weapon.� Despite her attempts, her speed steadily gave
out as her body succumbed to the fatigue of using so many powerful jutsu with
just a child�s level of chakra.� The sand
grabbed her by the ankle and hurled her into the air only to swiftly bring her
back, slamming her rigid body into the dirt.

�� Ahhh!!!�� The stadium was filled with her cries.� The sand crept around her legs and Gaara
raised a hand.

�� Sabaku Kyuu!� he
called, tightening the sand around the lower half of her body.

�� Ahh!� No, wait-!�

�� You should be proud. �Because of your previous jutsu, most of the
sand in my gourd is too wet to use.� I
only have enough to do this much damage.�
Looks like you may survive after all.�

�� No, stop!� Examiner, I for-�

�� Sabaku Sousou!� he
screamed, closing his hand into a tight fist.

�� AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!�

�� The examiner jumped
between them, giving Gaara a threatening glare.

�� My lesson is complete,�
he finished, recalling the bloody sand from his victim.� It was after a moment of hesitation that the
examiner finally spoke up, though his voice was less than enthusiastic.

�� Winner: Sabaku no
Gaara��

�� Graahhh!!� the young
girl screamed in anguish as the medical-nin ran out to attend her.� �How?!� How are you so strong?!� she managed to yell
through clinched teeth.

�� I wasn�t able to save
the other Sand-nin.� The least I could do
was avenge them.� I refuse to let you
harm my people for the sake of your bloodlust.�
As I said - true power comes from the will to protect.�

�� Your people�� Ha ha��
Fuck you�� I�ll kill you, just
like I�ll kill all those who�ve wronged me in the Mist!�

�� You�ve managed to
make enemies even in your own village?� he inquired, yet his voice held more of
a curious lilt to it instead of a mocking one, as he too had once been a hunted
outcast in his homeland.

�� As the medics reached
her and began their work, a tremor of pain shot up her body and she winced,
clinching her fists in the dirt.� Still,
she was too angry to ignore the boy before her.�
�Shut up!� she shouted over one of the medic�s shoulders. ��You don�t know what it�s like being born into
the Mist with a bloodline limit!� I was
shunned by the entire village and had to fight to survive my whole life!� No one would acknowledge me�not until I
became their tool and proved useful to them.�
But someday I will grow powerful enough to kill those who�ve made my
life a living hell�� Do you think you
could wrap your tiny little mind around how that must feel?!�

�� Gaara stared into the
girl�s rage-filled eyes for a moment before finally answering.� �Yes, I know exactly how that feels.�

�� Bull shit!� No one could understand my pain!� Ugh!� she shouted, another tremor racking her
body as the dirt below her showed a small pool of crimson.� Two medics lay down a stretcher as the others
were busily trying to wrap her legs and stop the bleeding.

�� I thought so, too,�
Gaara continued.� �But you may be
surprised.� I hope you can realize that
someday�like I did.� If you can learn to
forgive those who have wronged you and show them that you are worth more than
just the abilities that are inside you, then you will begin to understand where
true power comes from.�� Gaara stared at
her a moment longer, watching as she grimaced.�
He turned away once they put her on the stretcher.� �If you are able to stand again, I suggest
that you heed my words�because if you don�t and someday are able to lead the
Mist into a war against us, it will be I that you face�as Sunagakure�s
Kazekage�and then I will finish what I�ve started here.�

�� If Hitoame wanted to
say anything further, she hadn�t the chance.�
It was then that she finally passed out from the pain.� While they removed her, Gaara made his way
back up to the waiting area and took the opportunity to speak with his injured
sister who had insisted on watching the rest of the matches instead of going with
the medics to have her injuries treated.

�� You want my weapons
pouch?� she repeated, surprised.

�� Most of my sand is
useless.� You certainly don�t need it
right now.�

�� Alright,� Temari
conceded, still a bit confused by the strange request.� She undid the straps and handed it over.� ��Gaara,
if you could have�would you have killed that girl?�
she carefully asked.

�� Gaara, knowing that no
one in the stands could have heard much of their conversation, stared at his
sister a moment before turning to leave.�
With his back facing her, he attached her pouch to his leg and replied,
�We made a promise not to kill.� I plan
to honor that�for now.�

�� Though he didn�t see it, Temari�s bruised face
broke out in a smile as he left.� It
wasn�t long ago when her little brother�s mental state had been cause enough to
never trust his word.� He had been too
impulsive, too unstable.� He would say
one thing when it suited him, then do the opposite on
a whim.� He was at the mercy of the demon
inside him.� But now things were
different and Temari counted her blessings as Gaara left her to prepare for his
next match.� Though he was still
dangerous, he was also becoming more reliable and predictable every time she
looked at him.

�� Gaara�s next opponent
was Tsuyu, also of the Mist.� Once they
both stood before each other on the dirt of the arena, Gaara could easily sense
his fear, despite the boy�s attempt to hide it.�
He had been the shinobi who he�d thrown after the battles had first been
announced, Gaara recalled.

�� Begin!�

�� She was the most
powerful of your group, wasn�t she?� Gaara asked, catching his opponent off-guard.

�� W-what?� the smaller boy
stuttered.

�� You�re afraid.� I can smell it.� You should be.� Your fate will be no different.�

�� Sh-shut
up!� Y-Y-You�re nothing without
your precious sand, and that�s all used up!�
You�re not even wearing your damned gourd, so don�t think you have the
upper hand!� Trying to psych me out won�t
work!� he finished, jumping back and beginning to perform a series of
hand-seals, although not nearly as quickly as Hitoame had which only supported
Gaara�s previous statement.

�� Gaara took out several
shuriken and threw them at Tsuyu who easily dodged, though it disrupted his
jutsu.

�� You�re pathetic!� he
called, resuming his comprehensive series of hand-seals.

�� Gaara shot him an evil
grin and rushed forward, throwing yet another onslaught of shuriken his way.

�� Too slow!� he called,
jumping back even further.� �You�re never
gonna learn!� he shouted when Gaara repeated the attack once more.

�� Again, Tsuyu flipped
backwards, this time in front of the tree line.�
He looked up to see the shuriken ready to pass him by on his right, only
to have another mass still heading toward him from within their shadow on his
left.

�� Shit, he faked me
out!� But�it doesn�t matter.� I can easily dodge this,� he thought,
stepping between the two sets just in time to avoid being hit.� It was then that he realized Gaara�s true
intention.� The two shuriken groups
passed him, but as they did, the thin and nearly invisible wire attached to
them caught him in the middle and wrapped around the tree behind him, binding
him to it.� Gaara knew it wouldn�t last
long, howeveer, and threw another set of shuriken and kunai his way as he
charged from the middle of the arena.� �Shit!�
the boy yelled, struggling to work himself free.� He managed it at the last possible moment but
still took a hit to his right arm.� He
winced but had no time to tend to his wound.�
Gaara was on him, not giving him any opportunity to perform hand
seals.� Tsuyu was forced to take out
kunai of his own and defend himself.

�� Although both were
normally mid to long-range combatants, Gaara clearly had the advantage in this
short-ranged fight much to everyone�s surprise.�
So far, Tsuyu had managed a hit to Gaara�s forearm, but that was all
that the red-head had allowed.

�� How�?� How are you this fast?� Your profile said that you were slow!� Have you just been faking it all along?!�
Tsuyu asked as he struggled to keep up against Gaara�s taijutsu.

�� I have been carrying
sand with me my whole life.� Because of
that, I was forced to become stronger and faster just to move normally.� Without its burden, you are no match for me!�
he explained, landing a critical stab to Tsuyu�s left arm, paralyzing it.� While the boy was distracted for that mere
second, Gaara slid behind him into a crouching position and slashed the backs
of both his legs.� Tsuyu fell to his
knees with a yelp, no longer able to stand.

�� Forfeit,� Gaara ordered
the boy as he stood behind him.

�� I can�ugh�still
fight�!� he claimed, raising his trembling right arm and trying to perform a
hand seal.� Gaara kicked him in the back,
forcing him face-first into the dirt.�
This didn�t discourage the boy as he still slowly and awkwardly
attempted his jutsu once again.� Gaara
walked around to his right side and pinned his trembling hand to the arena
floor with a kunai.

�� Gahh!!� he screamed,
closing his eyes tight and clenching his jaw.

�� Forfeit.� Now.� Or do you want to end up like your teammate?��

�� The young genin was
furious as he contemplated his situation, his breath falling in heavy gasps in
the powdery soil below.

�� Fuck you!� he cried
in a strained voice.� �Why don�t you just
kill me?� I�ve never heard of you sparing
anyone!�� He paused for a moment, coughing.� He turned his head a bit away from the dirt
and stared straight up at the boy kneeling next to him.� �Why now?�
Why spare me?!�

�� Your eyes.�

�� W-what?�

�� You don�t enjoy
killing.�

�� What�what are you-�

�� I can see it in your
eyes.� You�re not like the other
two.�� The Mist-nin was silent, his eyes growing
wider.� �Fight for what you believe
in, not the threats of your teammates.�
I�m giving you a chance to change.�
�But, if you don�t want it�� Gaara said, putting a kunai against the
tender flesh his neck.� Tsuyu didn�t
react at all.� His body language said it
for him as he lay prostrate on the ground.

�� I�� I forfeit,� he whispered with a grimace, just
loud enough for the examiner nearby to hear.

�� Winner: Gaara!�

�� Gaara put the kunai
away and the two stared each other in the eye until the medical team finally
removed him.� He then returned to the
waiting area, passing his brother in the corridor.� He waited until the taller boy had passed him
before speaking up.� �Kankurou,� he
called over his shoulder, causing the taller boy to stop and glance back in
kind.� �Don�t underestimate him.�

�� Heh!� Temari said the same thing.� Don�t worry about me. �I�ll be fine.�
Can�t say the same about dog-boy, though.�

�� Gaara had faith in his
brother, of course, but Kiba had already bested Temari.� He only hoped that his brother had benefited
from his practicing with their sister and Shikamaru more than Temari herself
had.� It was true that Kankurou�s first
battle had been difficult, but Kiba was far more experienced than his previous
opponent.� They knew each other�s
fighting styles better.� Plus, the odds
were more even this time, being three versus two, and Kiba and Akamaru had an
advantage in speed over Kankurou and his puppets.� Still, despite Gaara�s interest in his
brother�s fight, he found himself quite distracted as he realized that his next
opponent would be Hinata.� Sure, he�d
known there would be the strong possibility that they would fight, but now it
was real.� In a matter of moments he
would finally face her.� How would she
come at him first?� How would he
respond?� How many times had he played
out the possibilities of this battle over the past month?� Though he�d developed plans for each person
he may end up fighting, he had yet to agree on an exact strategy for this next
one.�

�This will be my toughest battle yet,� he thought, his heart
beginning to race.� It wasn�t that he
doubted his abilities, nor over-estimated hers.�
�I promised never to harm her.�
If she comes at me with everything she has, it will be difficult to
merely bind her and cause no injury.� But
with her abilities, my sand is nearly useless when it comes to that,� he
thought, recalling how she�d nullified his Sabaku Kyuu.� �Her taijutsu is far superior to mine, despite
how much I�ve practiced.�� He idly
wished he knew genjutsu, but its complexities were still beyond him.

�� It wasn�t until many
moments later that he was finally torn from his thoughts as the crowd began
cheering loudly.� Gaara glanced down to
the area in time to see the examiner declaring Kankurou the winner of the match.� He had managed to knock Akamaru unconscious
from the look of things, maybe poisoning him.�
He had Kiba trapped in Kuroari, with Kurasu in pieces in the air getting
ready to perform Karakuri Engeki, Kuro Higi Ippatsu.� Kankurou could have killed the other boy but
had stopped just short.� He let Kiba out after
his victory had been announced and as he exited it was clear that he was
pissed.� Still, he directed his anger
mostly toward the medical team, yelling for them to help Akamaru.� He was only calmed down once they�d told him
that his dog would be fine.

�� After several minutes
more, the two brothers passed again on the stairs.

�� See!� You had nothing to worry about,� Kankurou
bragged, though it was obvious from his posture that he�d come away a bit injured
himself.� If he�d learned anything from
the battle it was that he needed to improve on his puppet�s speed.� He�d also do some research on tactics to
strengthen his defense when he returned home, he planned.

�� Don�t get too cocky,�
Gaara warned, not stopping as he passed him.�
�I may be your next opponent.�

�� Kankurou�s grin
quickly faded as he turned to face his brother�s back.� �You�re wearing your gourd again,� he
commented.� The red-head paid him no
mind, however. �His thoughts were
elsewhere now as he continued his way back to the arena.�

�� Hinata had waited for
the very last second to come down.� Once
she did, it was obvious to Gaara that the confidence she�d had during her first
battle was nowhere to be found.� She
stood across from him refusing to meet his concerned gaze and tapping her index
fingers together, a nervous habit he�d hoped she�d be rid of by now.

�� Next we have Hyuuga
Hinata of Konoha versus Gaara of Suna.�
The winner will go on to the final match.� �Begin!�

�� Hinata winced at the
examiner�s words, but other than that, her posture did not change.

�� What is she
doing?� Is she really afraid of me?� But why?� I swore I�d never hurt her.� Why doesn�t she believe me?� I�ve never done anything to indicate that I
would harm her since that first day of training.� �Perhaps�maybe�� Could I have frightened her by what I did to
the Mist-nin? �Or�no.� No, she was afraid before today.� Ever since she saw Shukaku
leaking out.� I must show her that
I�m not to be feared.� I have to show her
with this battle!�

�� I-� he began.�

�� Hinata jumped at the
sound of his voice.� �I forfeit!� she
squeaked, cutting him off.

�� At this, the audience
quickly erupted.� It wasn�t every day
they got the chance to see a member of the Hyuuga, the strongest clan in
Konoha, fight against one of the strongest, perhaps even *the* strongest,
shinobi in Suna.� Their disappointment
and anger was tangible as their shouting, cursing, and booing ensued.� But none of that mattered to the two
combatants on the field.� Their only
concerns were for each other.

�� Gomen,
Gaara-san�� You were going to forfeit,
weren�t you.� In your weakened state
you�d be no match for me.� I don�t want
to embarrass you�� You may stand a chance
against Kankurou-san, but we both know that I would win this round,� the
young girl thought, avoiding the shocked gaze from the angry boy before her.

�� Winner by
forfeit�Gaara�� the examiner half-heartedly announced to the noisy crowd.�

�� *She wouldn�t even give you a
chance, would she?� Heh
heh heh�*

�� I don�t need your
opinion.�

�� *Betrayed in the end after all.*

�� Silence.�

�� *I told you!� That girl is afraid of us!� No one will ever love you but me.� I�m the one that protects you; shields
you.� Yet you still refuse to repay my
kindness!� And we even had the perfect
opportunity earlier!*

�� Shut up!� I will hear no more
from you.�

�� *Arg�* Shukaku
groaned as Gaara pushed him once again into the depths of his mind.� *Fine, but just you see.� Your brother will probably forfeit, too!� He knows you better than anyone�and fears
you.� The only reason he acts nice is to
keep you passive.� You�ll see.� You�ll see�*

�� Our final battle:
Gaara versus Kankurou, both of Suna.�

�� Angry murmurs gave way
to cheers from above as Gaara glared at his brother.� At first Kankurou was taken aback by the
gaze, not sure what to make of it.

�� What�s the matter,
Kankurou?� Too scared to fight me?� After all, you know what I am truly capable
of.�

�� What the hell is this all about?� Kankurou wondered, his eyes
wide.� He thought for a moment then tried
to shake off the bad vibes he was getting from his brother.� �He
must just be pissed about what happened. �I shouldn�t take it personally,� he
thought, returning Gaara�s gaze and adding a smug grin.�

�� Don�t think I�m gonna
forfeit, too.� You�re right that I know
what you�re capable of...both strengths and weaknesses.� I won�t be going easy on you, little brother.�

�� At this declaration,
Gaara felt the tension in his chest ease.�
His eyes lost their anger and his brow unfurrowed, bringing peace to his
features, though it wouldn�t stay that way.�
There was a battle to be fought and both boys planned on coming out on
top.

�� Come at me with
everything you have.� Don�t you dare
underestimate me,� Gaara replied, grinning internally at his demon.

�� Begin!�

�� Kankurou jumped back
and wasted no time sending both Kurasu and Kuroari after his opponent.� He began by having Kurasu shoot poison
needles at his brother, but the attacks were met with a small wall of
sand.�

�� Gaara stood his
ground, arms crossed over his chest as he frowned.� Kankurou grinned and sent both puppets at him
from either side.� Gaara then broke his
gourd down to sand and used it to supplement his defense as he took out two
kunai and focused on Kurasu, letting his sand defend against Kuroari.

�� So, he doesn�t
have enough even with the sand from his gourd to complete his absolute
defense�� He certainly doesn�t have
enough to attack me at the same time, then.�
I just have to keep him busy so he doesn�t get the chance!� I have the advantage in this fight.� But, this is Gaara.� I have to be careful.� I�ll use that attack��

�� Kankurou pulled Kurasu
back a bit then had the puppet shoot a poison gas explosive at him.� To Kankurou�s surprise, Gaara made no attempt
to dodge it, nor escape the toxic cloud.

�� Not a smart move,
Gaara!� This is a new poison that I
created just for today.� It isn�t deadly,
but it will paralyze its target within minutes!�
It�s different than the one I used in the Forest of Death;
the one you�ve been inoculated against.�

�� The gas slowly cleared
revealing the red-head who was obviously not impressed.� �I figured as much.� That was why I took samples from your puppets
while you slept last night and asked Sakura-san to make an antidote.�

�� Wh-what?!�
Kankurou shouted, both impressed and angered.�
�Sakura, huh?� The apprentice of Tsunade, the medical-nin of
the Legendary Sannin!� Damnit, I
should�ve known to expect something like this�� he thought, fighting to
replace his look of shock with confidence once again.� �Heh�it doesn�t matter.� You�re still going down!� he weakly taunted,
quickening his puppet�s pace and speeding up the assault.�

�� After several minutes
of the attack, Gaara managed a successful momentary escape from the puppets and
charged at the puppeteer himself.� But
with both Kurasu and Kuroari on his tail, he hadn�t much time.� He jumped high into the air and threw what
shuriken he had left at his brother in timed intervals, but Kankurou was able
to expertly flip away and dodge them all.�
It hadn�t even interrupted his control over the puppets.

�� As Gaara landed, he
was pounced upon once again.� With his
kunai and sand, he dodged and defended against the two a while longer but
eventually started to show fatigue as they danced around the arena.� He was outnumbered and knew he couldn�t keep
this up for much longer.�

�� Gaara tried several
more attempts to outrun the puppets but, though he was much faster without his
gourd, it wasn�t fast enough. �Kankurou
was always right on him and refused to let him escape.� The older boy was able to successfully rid
Gaara of one of his kunai and wasted no time taking advantage of the
opportunity, moving Kuroari in front of Kurasu, creating a temporary visual
barrier.

�� The red-head did a
back-flip while reaching into his borrowed pouch for another weapon, but the
moment�s distraction left him vulnerable.�
He did not seem to notice as Kurasu broke apart a hand and five fingers
transformed into razor sharp needles headed straight toward him.�

�� Had he a full gourd of
sand he�d have had plenty of defense, but as it was
the sand only blocked three of the projectiles.�
In a last-ditch effort, Gaara managed to turn slightly, but was still
grazed by the last two on his cheek.�
Kankurou was already feeling like he�d made at least some progress
before he realized that it drew no blood.

�� So, you decided to
use your armor of sand this match,� he commented, referring to how he had apparently
not during his fight with Tsuyu since he had received the injury on his arm
which drew blood.� �I should be
honored.� Still, I would have thought
that you�d be using all your available sand to defend in your first absolute
defense and not resort to your second.�
You didn�t used to be so cautious.�

�� As Kankurou found time
to chat, Gaara was further taking advantage of him.� The red-head jumped away and his brother
couldn�t believe his eyes as Kurasu exploded into pieces.

�� What?!�� A singed segment of an arm landed at his feet
and as he briefly inspected it, he noticed a small bit of paper wrapped around
the wooden limb.� �Exploding tags?!� When-�� It was then that he realized his
mistake.� Had this been anyone else, he
would�ve kept the battle in closer range and made sure he had a better line of
sight.� But this was Gaara, and Kankurou
knew him all too well.� He�d seen that
his brother had been trying to create distance between them but had allowed it
since he knew how dangerous Gaara could be at times.� Besides, Kankurou had overconfidently figured
that with the training he�d done with his sister and Shikamaru during the past week
that he was better acclimated to long-distance battles, but now he was staring
at solid evidence of its clear disadvantage.

�� Shit.� Gaara kept retreating further and further
away and even pushed me back with that shuriken attack.� He�s been positioning himself between me and
Kurasu this whole time to block my vision of him.� I should�ve figured he was up to something!� He must�ve been loading him up with explosive
tags all along!� �I underestimated him
after all.� But this fight can still be
mine.� I just have to change my tactics a
bit.� He knew exactly where to place
those tags to destroy any weaponry I might have used if Kurasu was in
pieces.� It�s completely useless
now.� Crap!� That�s Gaara for you.� But I�ll make him pay for this!�� He recalled Kuroari back to him and leapt
into the tree line where he inspected his surviving puppet for tags before
putting his new plan into motion.

�� Gaara tried to remain
as stoic as possible as he patiently stood there with his arms folded, but he
was betrayed by his body which forced heavy breaths from his lungs as he fought
to catch his breath.� It seemed he was
approaching his limit, but Gaara was still determined.� He used the opportunity to penetrate the dirt
with his small remainder of sand in an attempt to use his sand creation jutsu.

�� Like I�d give you
time for that!� Kankurou yelled as Kuroari jumped from the shadows and charged
his right side.

�� Gaara was forced to
stop his efforts and flip to his left, assuming a fighting stance.� Kuroari was desperately trying to grab him
with its sawing arms, but this fight was still easier than before since there
was one less opponent to worry about. �He
was out of explosive tags and had very few weapons left in Temari�s pouch, but
it didn�t seem to worry him.� Gaara had
planned further ahead than anyone had yet realized.� Still, it came as a surprise when Kankurou
jumped from the tree line behind him and closed the distance between them,
sandwiching Gaara in the middle of he and his remaining puppet.� Gaara paid him little mind, though, assuming
that he�d most likely stay an adequate distance away as he always did.� His brother wouldn�t want to chance injury.� He was just being cautious of a possible
attack on Kuroari like Gaara had managed earlier and didn�t want to let his puppet
out of sight.� Still, he didn�t rule out
the possibility that his brother may try to launch an attack himself so stayed
on guard as he defended against Kuroari.�

As Gaara managed a slash across the puppet�s mid-section, only then did
he realize Kankurou�s plan, and it was something he hadn�t taken into account.� Kuroari was encased in a small white cloud of
smoke as Kankurou�s figure was revealed, a fresh bleeding wound on his chest.� Gaara�s surprise was palpable.

�I�ve landed multiple hits on him and only now did he
detransform.� When did he get so good at
holding a henge?� It was never one of his
strong points.� Looks like you didn�t
disappoint me after all, brother.� But
now it�s time to end this,� Gaara thought, a small grin growing on his lips
as he turned behind him to find the true Kuroari there, opening up its chest
cavity and preparing to grab and pull him inside.

�� Kankurou was stunned
when sand burst from beneath his brother and created a vast wall that propelled
outward, sending both he and his puppet flying to the ground.� �What?�
How?!� Where did all that sand
come from?� There�s no way he had enough
time to create that much earlier.� Then,
when-�

�� As if reading his
mind, Gaara answered.� �Throughout
all of my battles.� �Have you ever
known me to spend so much time chatting or prolonging a fight?�

�� What?� But�I didn�t see you using your sand-creation
jutsu until this match!�� Gaara turned
his attention to his brother�s left.�
Kankurou followed his gaze and eyed the dirt next to him.� He was stunned at what he saw.� He broadened his gaze and only then was he able
to make sense of things.� Throughout the
entirety of the arena there were tiny pairs of sand-filled holes scattered
about.� If Gaara hadn�t pointed it out to
him, he would never have noticed.

�� Before these matches,
I cut small holes in the bottom of my sandals.�
By using my armor of sand and concentrating the majority of it toward my
feet while halving its thickness on the rest of my body, I can use it to
penetrate the dirt.� The amount of sand I
can create using this technique isn�t much, but with all the time I acquired by
stalling, I have amassed more than is necessary.�

�� But you weren�t even using
your armor of sand during the second battle.�
Your forearm was bleeding!�� He
was met with a condescending frown from his brother.� �You�you allowed yourself to get hit, didn�t
you.� To make it seem like you were more
defenseless than you really were.�� Gaara
did not correct him so he knew he was right on target.� �But, why?� Why go through all the trouble?� If you had all that sand, why didn�t you use it-�

�� Until
now?� Gaara finished.� �You may
have thought ahead for each match, but I thought ahead for the whole
tournament.�

�� You mean you�ve been
struggling on purpose?!� You made it look
like you were having a hard time, but all along-�

�� I was preparing for
these last two battles,� he finished.� �I
knew that losing sand during my matches with the Mist-nin was unavoidable so I
decided to turn a weakness into a strength and bide my time.� Now you are in no position to oppose me.�

�� Kankurou gulped as
Gaara bent down, slamming his hands onto the ground.� Sand began to seep up from beneath the dirt
and Kankurou was being sucked under.� He
tried to send Kuroari to his aid, but Gaara reached up with a hand and snared
the puppet with sand, quickly encasing it before it could separate.

�� It�s over,� the
younger boy calmly stated.

�� Alright,
alright!� You win!� I forfeit!�

�� Gaara stopped short of
burying him alive, leaving just his head sticking out.

�� Winner of this year�s
second Chuunin Exam matches: Gaara of Sunagakure!� the examiner called from the
top of the trees where he�d taken cover.

�� The audience cheered
the young boy on, shouting countless praises at him.� Even Baki and the few Suna councilmen who
were observing in place of Kazekage were giving him a standing ovation.� Yet, it brought him little joy.

�� They only applaud
the way I fought.� They still only see me
as a weapon.� Their opinion means nothing
to me.�� No, the only person whose
opinion mattered to him right now stood high above, her white eyes wide.� When their gaze met, she promptly looked
away.

�� I�I underestimated
him.� He wasn�t planning on
forfeiting!� I shouldn�t have,
either.� He probably hates me now.� �No, I doubt that.� I�m sure I don�t mean enough for him to even
hate me��

�� She fears me.� She won�t even look as me!� Fine��
Then I�ll make sure that she never has to look at me again!� he
resolved, dispersing himself from the field.

�� Hey!� Hey!!�
Gaara!� Come back and get me out
of here!� Gaara!!�
Kankurou shouted in vain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations/Term Definitions...in no
particular order:

- Kurasu:� Kankurou�s first puppet, it is the offensive
one which does the attacking.

- Kuroari:� �Black Ant,� it is Kankurou�s second puppet
which is used to capture the opponent inside its barrel-shaped center.

- Karakuri Engeki, Kuro Higi Ippatsu:�
�Puppet Performance: Black Secret Technique,� Kankurou uses this technique
after capturing his opponent inside Kuroari�s torso then separates both Kurasu
and Kuroari�s limbs and, extending razor-sharp blades from them, he pierces the
barrel, thus stabbing his opponent to death.�
- 11
- 12
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Love's Misconstruities