Suna the Neko (Gaara)

2

I woke up and looked around the room to see it was empty of Gaara. My heart dropped, and I panicked. My ears twitched when I heard talking out side the door. I sat up and listened.

"H-here's The clothes you asked for, G-Gaara." I jump up at Temari's voice. I gave a silent sigh of relief and ran over to the door and pressed an ear against it to listen closer. "Is there anything else you m-might want?" She asked. There was no sound on Gaara's end and she began to walk away. "Alright then, see you in a half hour." Her voice faded down the hall, I smiled from joy and started to open the door, I had to see sister Temari; it has literally been years since I last saw her- in person of course. My hand reached for the knob but as soon as I twisted it the door swung open, hitting me in the nose. I jumped back, clutching the assaulted part of my face, tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Oh, you're awake." I looked up at Gaara, his voice and expression unreadable. "I got you some better clothes, as if the rags you're wearing could actually pass for clothes." He threw the neatly folded clothes on the floor in front of me. My eyes lit up, forgetting about my nose and grabbing the clothes. If I could squeal with glee I would. I did recognize them, Temari grew out of them from last year but they were new to me, a blue-violet quarter sleeved dress that went to my knees, fishnet tights, black shorts, and black shoes.

I quickly stripped and put on my new clothes, changing out of a small orange shirt that barely covered me and ragged brown shorts. The new clothes were a little snug but I could deal with it. I looked to Gaara to get his opinion, I was surprised to see his face a deep shade of red. I was about to go over to him but I felt some irritation at the bottom of my spine, and when I took a step, I fell over. 'My tail!' I pulled at the back of the dress but it was no use, I tried tearing it. "Would you stop moving?" Gaara asked, irritated. I stopped moving, laying on my stomach. There was a snipping sound and my tail sprang free from it's confinement. I breathed a sigh of relief. I got up and was about to hug him to thank him, but he took a step back. "Don't touch me." his voice was expressionless, matching his face perfectly. I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest as I saw other kids do when their parents denied them of something. Gaara didn't give in, though.

"Come on, we have to go." He said sternly. I tilted my head in question. "You're coming with me and my siblings to participate in the Chunin exams." He explained. My eyes grew large, He really wanted me to go to the exams with him? I had to hug him! I launched myself at him wrapping my arms around his frame, holding him close. He was tense at first then his arm came up to rest on my head before he pushed me away roughly, I stumbled backwards, almost falling to the ground but my sand caught me. My eyes started to tear up. "I told you not to touch me." He said, his voice husky. I wiped a tear away that had escaped. "Now come on." He grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him. I stumbled behind him trying to copy his speed; but it was no use, he was practically dragging me.

When we were outside he let me go and slowed down his pace. I saw Temari and Kankuro in the distance. My ears perked up at their presence, I bit my lip in anticipation.

Suddenly Gaara stopped, I stopped behind him and he turned around. "Don't pay them any attention, don't show them what you can do with sand, don't even look at them if you can help it." His voice was stern, his eyes hollow. "You are mine, I own you." He looked down at me, probably expecting me to run for the hills, my tail tucked between my legs, but I stood my ground.

With my eyes and a smirk I told him he was stuck with me. He turned and we started walk again. When we reached them all eyes were on me. Their team leader, Baki seemed especially interested in me, I narrowed my eyes at him. He was working with the Kazekage, he was on his side.

"Who's the brat-cat, Gaara?" I looked up at Kankuro and smiled to myself when I saw his headgear.

{Le Flashback}

I was playing with blocks with one year old Kankuro and he seemed very interested in a block that depicted the face of a yellow cat. He pointed at the block then pointed at me. "Kitty!" He yelled, my eyes widened. There was a laugh from the doorway, we both looked over to see momma Karura. She came over.

"Yes, that's right Kankuro, Suna is a kitty." She pat me on the head and sat on the floor with a heavy sigh, her belly was full of another baby. Kankuro climbed into her lap.

"I wanna be a kitty too!" He said excitedly.

"How about it, Suna, do you want to help make Kankuro a kitty like you?" She asked me, smiling, I nodded and grinned back at her.

She asked me to go get some fabric and when I came back she stitched it into a cap and made it so cat ears protruded at the top.

"It's a little big, but you'll grow into it, right?" She asked him.

"Right!"

He never took that cap off, we would play 'Kitty' together all day long.

{Flashback Ends}

"None of your business." Gaara retorted coldly.

Temari scoffed. "What's your name Neko?" She asked me directly. Gaara opened his mouth to answer but then must've realized he didn't know my name either. I was about to move some sand with my new gift, but then I remembered what Gaara said. I picked up some sand at our feet and showed it to them.

"Dirt?" Kankuro guessed. "Dust? Grains?!" I shook my head at each.

"Sand?" Temari tried. I did a motion with my hands like 'Keep going.' She thought for awhile, I pointed back at the village.

"Suna?" Gaara asked. I turned to him and nodded vigorously, happy that he won my little guessing game.

Temari rolled her eyes. "Simple, but nice name, I guess." I felt myself blush a little. "Why can't you speak?" She tilted her head.

I was about to point at my collar but Gaara cut me off. "That's enough questions, don't we have to get going?" He asked, emotionless, as per usual.

"There's still the problem that neko in human form are not exactly regulated in Konaha or around in the Chunin Exams for that matter without the proper papers." Baki cleared his throat. The three sand siblings looked at him. "We as foreigners to the hidden Leaf can't walk into the village unless she uses her other form." He dumbed it down for them and now they all turned to me.

I sighed, it hurt so much to change my form, but if it's what I had to do to go along with them then I'd do it, I'd chop off my own tail if it meant I could be with Gaara forever. I took a step away from them and took a deep breath. I did the hand signs and started to transform. My clothes constricted to my body as my bones minimized. For normal transformations all you had to do was hand signs and there'd be a poof and you'd transform; but not for this jutsu. Kankuro flinched as he heard my bones breaking then setting to new places. Temari's eyes widened when fur began growing out of my face. Gaara stayed emotionless, and I could have sworn I saw Baki smile a little. 'Evil' I thought to myself.

I finished and they all looked down at me, not seeing the brown haired green eyed girl with freckles, but a small, shaggy brown cat. I saw them differently too, more clearer, even. I saw them through my cat eyes and they saw me in my cat form. After I transformed, Gaara created his sand gourd and we were off. I couldn't keep up with them on foot so I hopped up on Gaara's gourd and rested there, he didn't seem to mind that much, paying me no attention and keeping his head straight forward.