Hot 'N' Dangerous

Chapter 38: Gaara's Messed Up Childhood

"Um, hi, excuse me," I called softly to one of the nurse's sitting behind the reception desk.

"Yes, how can I help you?" one of them asked politely.

"Could you direct me to Rock Lee's room please? I would like to visit him," I replied.

"Oh, of course, walk straight and turn left. It should be the fourth door to your right," she said kindly and returned to the files she had been looking at.

"Thank you," I smiled and followed her directions.

I sensed that someone was already in the room with Lee and decided to knock before I went in. There was no answer, so I cracked the door open a few inches.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" I cried and threw myself between Gaara and Lee's unconscious form lying on the hospital.

Gaara's face was cold, "It's none of your business, now move aside," he snarled.

"I heard that you were the one who put Lee in this state. I have accepted that as a competitive urge and forgiven you but why kill him now? What do you want from him? How is killing him beneficial to you?" I asked, shielding Lee from Gaara.

Sand began to wrap around my legs and, slowly, the rest of my body, "Move aside now, or I'll kill you," he growled, his hand on his head and gripping his hair as if he had a headache.

"I won't just stand by and let him get killed. Tell me your goals!" I demanded, "I thought you were a decent guy!" I said angrily.

The sand began to tighten around my body, constricting me, "I never wanted to kill you," he said quietly.

"Ugh," I choked as the sand began to squeeze my throat, almost sealing it shut.

Immobilized, I could only wait for death but the same determined expression was stuck on my face. A tear collected at the corner of my eye as the pain of having no air to breathe consumed me. Black spots dotted my vision as my blood flow was cut off. He lifted his hand to perform his killing jutsu but he couldn't close his hand. All of a sudden, there was a glint of metal and the sand fell to the ground around me.

"Ow!" Shikamaru wailed as Naruto punched Gaara in the face.

Liz was by my side and supporting me as I sucked oxygen hungrily from the air.

"What are you doing here, you bastard!" Naruto spat.

"Hey, Naruto, while I'm using the Shadow Copy Jutsu I move the same as him," Shikamaru grunted as he rubbed his cheek.

"Sorry, Shikamaru," Naruto apologized.

Gaara's face looked cracked and a piece of what looked like caked on sand fell to the ground.

What is that?, I thought, horrified.

"Sand armour," Liz said softly, reading my mind.

"What are you up to?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowed.

Gaara was unresponsive but the sand lifted from the ground to float back into the big gourd he carried around on his back.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! What were you trying to do to Thick Brows and Elvira?!" Naruto screamed again.

"I was trying to kill them," he said bluntly.

"What?" Naruto had a puzzled look on his face, surprised that Gaara would be so straight forward.

"Why is there a need to do that? You won the fight against Lee. Do you have some personal grudge against him?" Shikamaru interrogated him.

Liz gave him a shining stare that showed just how proud of him she was.