Another Uzumaki?!: Naruto's Sister?

Chapter 18 - Jokes Gone Wrong

It was an ephemeral sensation.

As Gaara stood in an unending space of emptiness, he remained silent, unmoving, and dazed. He couldn't feel anything: his body, his surroundings. Nothing.

He looked at a hand—his hand; and through the spaces of his fingers, he could see a figure.

It was him.

But, if that was him, then who was he?

Slowly, Gaara was pulled away by an unknown, invisible force. He drifted farther from his body and was at the brink of forgetting who he was, until he heard a voice.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Naruto and a face that he had not long seen.

"Akira?" he muttered with a glazed expression. "If you're here... It means I died."

Akira smiled endearingly. "I'm not dead, silly. So are you."

As if on cue, sounds of cheering and whistling filled Gaara's ears. He turned around and his eyes widened upon recognizing the fellow Suna shinobis that had gathered around him in a small meadow.

Gaara felt a light squeeze on his shoulder and, in an instant, the numbness from his mind and body faded away.

"They've all come for you," said Naruto. "Geez, you made us worry 'ttebayo!" 

Amidst the cheerful celebration, Chiyo remained still and was seemingly asleep in Sakura's arms. Ebisu, his younger brother, approached her and the pinkhead.

"Did she use that technique to save the Kazekage?" he asked.

"Yes," responded Sakura with stifled cries.

Said stifled cries was due to the guilt of having to lie to such a kind-looking old man.

It was Chiyo's idea, alright. Since the reinforcements from Suna only arrived after the resurrection technique had been done, they were not aware of the Uzumaki siblings' involvement. It was a given they would think that Chiyo died!

And what else did she like to do during her free time? Play dead.

Chiyo had only intended to fool her brother. However, things went out of hand when Kankuro overheard the conversation and confirmed her 'death' to everyone.

Gaara's gaze fell down, while Naruto turned to his sister in panic. "I thought we helped her?!"

Akira had a clear idea of what was going on. She watched Chiyo and her painfully obvious twitching eyebrows with disbelief. She was too old for this childish shit!

The moment Ebisu knelt beside Chiyo and held her hand, the old woman burst out laughing. "Just kidding. I was playing dead!"

Needless to say, nobody laughed at her joke.

Amidst Kakashi's explanation of what happened, Chiyo suddenly coughed and fainted. Everyone thought it was an act, until blood was seen in her right hand. It was only then did Sakura remember that she was poisoned in their fight with Sasori.

"I don't have any antidotes left," explained Sakura in a haste. "The poison has probably spread throughout her body. I need to perform the cleansing procedure!"

Akira nodded and immediately had the three of them teleported to Suna.

***

Few days later, those who were left in the meadow returned to Suna. Sakura immediately proceeded to check up on Gaara who came with Naruto and the Sand siblings. Akira, who was previously resting in another room, joined them.