In Their Shadow

Chapter 32

Temari sat in place against the stone wall shivering in fear as the two leaf ninja's ran off carrying their smoked teammate. She remembered the feeling of steel pressed against her throat, realizing how closely she had been to death at that moment. Her eyes slowly shifted over to her unconscious sibling. She stood up and walked over to his downed body. Kankuro awoke as Temari kicked him in the sides with a scowl.

"You idiot! I almost died, stop playing possum!" Temari yelled.

"Ouch, what the hell! What's wrong with you!?" Kankuro screamed, shooting up and shouting into Temari's face.

"Don't yell at me you moron! You're the one who got bested by the weak link!" She screamed.

"Like you're the one to talk! What happened huh? Did you let him get away!" Kankuro asked sarcastically.

"S-Shut up! He surprised me is all asshole!" She said with a look of embarrassment on her face.

"See, you have no room to talk! You lost to the kid same as me!" Kankuro said with a smirk.

"W-Whatever, none of that would've happened if you hadn't underestimated the guy in the first place!" She said.

"I didn't..." Kankuro murmured.

"What was that?" Temari asked.

"I didn't go easy on the guy. He isn't as powerful as his teammates, but he was able to quickly think in the fight, and find a way to fight against both us at once. He isn't a genius, nor is he a prodigy, but..." Kankuro's voice trailed off.

"What are you mumbling about?" Temari asked.

"The point is that just because he's the weak link of the team, that doesn't mean we can afford to underestimate him. The guys not powerful nor is he skilled, but his utilization of the tools he has and ability to think quickly in a fight is remarkable. We can't afford to go in thinking its going to be an easy win next time." Kankuro explained.

"Y-Yeah...You're right about that..." Temari grumbled, remembering the look in his eye when he had her pinned to the stone wall with his Taichi blade.

That look in his eye, it was clear that if the Hokage's daughter hadn't shown up when she did...

Temari wouldn't be breathing right now.

She shivered at the thought, before shaking the thought from out of her head. She was about to go pick up her battle-fan, when...

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

The sounds of blood curdling screams of terror and pain filled the area, as her and Kankuro turned to the direction the noises came as fear invaded their hearts.

She and Kankuro ran to the source of the noise, only to see Gaara standing on a ponds surface, the water now dyed red as he squeezed the life out of the three poor Iwagakure ninja that had been unlucky enough to run in his direction. Each of the ninja screamed in agony until their guts poured out from their mouths, floating above the pond while trapped in a ball of sand.

Temari and Kankuro watched in horror as the bodies were torn to shreds, falling into the water in clumps of flesh and entrails. Gaara's expression looked furious, as a waterfall of blood cascaded down his face, making him look just as much of a devil on the outside that he was on the inside.

"You let them get away." Was all Gaara had to say for Kankuro and Temari to bow and beg for forgiveness.

"W-We're sorry! We promise to-!?"

"Shut up. Do you want to die?" He threatened.

Temari and Kankuro kept their lips sealed as the demented psychopath walked off from the waters surface and back onto the forest floor, blood trailing behind him with every step he took. As he walked past his siblings, they shivered in pure fear and Temari gagged as the stench of blood and guts wafted past her.