Wonderland

Gaara

Arisu needed to be swift and clever. It didn't matter how dangerous Gaara was as he was still the son of the Kazekage.

If she killed Gaara then Suna would jump at an excuse for war and that wouldn't benefit Konoha at all.

The only thing she could do is kill him during the exams. It would be fair....sort of.

But how to get close? And while making an appearance as Kage?

Arisu didn't know how to do it but she understood the concept of her plan. She could stabilize the seal of Shukaku.

It was easier than making dual appearances.

So here she was standing right in front of Gaara. Undisguised and unarmed. Her kunai lay scattered around the ground as sand surrounded her target.

Gaara never really had issues with killing someone. It was simply the problem that Arisu was somehow way faster than his sand!

"You." Gaara said as he recalled Arisu from before.

Arisu stared at Gaara steadily.

"Have you come to kill me?" Gaara asked.

"No," she confessed, "I've come to calm the monster that lurks inside of you."

"You mean mother?" Gaara inquired suspiciously.

"No, I'm talking about the One Tail." She assured while wondering what kid associates the word 'Monster' with 'Mother'.

Gaara narrowed his eyes as sand suddenly lunged for Arisu.

"I've come to quiet the voices that plague your mind and keep you awake." Arisu called as she avoided sand, "wouldn't you enjoy living without the fear of being possessed by a giant raccoon?"

"Why should I trust you?!" Spat Gaara, "you'll simply betray me."

Arisu shook her head, "Then I'll prove it."

Picking up a kunai Arisu began carving a seal into her skin. The scarring would be permanent but she didn't care. It was all for Konoha.

"This is a blood seal." She informed the wary insomniac, "if I break my promise of my intentions for this night (only) I will die."

She wouldn't hunt his life tonight but that didn't mean his life wasn't going to be stolen by her.

Gaara gave her a thoughtful glare.

Why would someone make so much of an effort for him? It was strange but it was even stranger that she was genuine.

Sand arose around Gaara as he said the simply word...

"Fine."

If he could rid himself of the curse of Shukaku even at the sacrifice of Suna's plan against Konoha he'd do it gladly.

Suna never cared for him.

But as Arisu stepped forward towards Gaara sand lunged and impaled her.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Gaara's eyes widened as well. He didn't mean for that to happen. It was Shukaku! The tailed beast didn't want to be sealed.

Arisu spat out some blood with a chuckle, "Missed me."

And she turned into smoke.

The real Arisu ran to Gaara and placed a seal on him. It worked smoothly...minus the fact she was grazed by the sand on her arm as she applied the seal and...well...the slight hesitance before it.

And suddenly the sand went limp.

And Gaara couldn't hear any voices in his head.

It was calm...nice.

Arisu on the other hand lay on the cold ground bleeding.

While Gaara had his seal strengthened without pain or discomfort Arisu hadn't.

She didn't know what made her want to protect Gaara from the tremendous pain of having a Tailed Beast seal strengthened. She didn't know why she last minute transferred the pain onto herself.

The seal would be fine, the pain caused by the seal was the result of Shukaku fighting back. Arisu took the pain of Shukaku fighting back for Gaara.

It hurt a lot.

Gaara approached Arisu slowly.

She wasn't unconscious, just lying on the ground.

"Are...you alright...?" She managed to ask.

Gaara fought back a retort that pointed out she looked worse. He said nothing as pieces of the puzzle began to click. He wasn't stupid.

"You...did you take the pain for me?" He asked in disbelief.

Arisu was about to answer when a figure jumped in between the two.

"Get away from her!" Sasuke growled.

"Sasuke...you really are stupid..." Arisu groaned, "He didn't...do... anything..."

She fainted.

Arisu was strong, stronger than most, but that however didn't make her invincible.

She wasn't a god.

Arisu had weaknesses, ones she preferred not sharing.

"What did you do?" Sasuke growled accusingly.

Gaara felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Guilt.

Someone helped him and they got hurt.

Gaara wanted to make it up. This girl had even defended him from her teammate.

Sasuke clicked his tongue and picked Arisu up gently. He glared at Gaara once more whilst declaring, "I'm going to meet you in the Chunin exams! You better be ready!"

And he ran away carrying Arisu like a bride.

Sasuke didn't know where she lived so he settled for bringing her to his place.

He gingerly set her down on his bed as he sighed.

This girl was so troublesome.

Sasuke was basically in limbo waiting for her to wake up and snap at him for bringing her home.

A light blush dusted his cheeks as he realized the possible misunderstanding Arisu might have.

"S...Sasuke..." Arisu said in her sleep.

Curious, he leaned in closer to hear better.

"You're.....an idiot."

He anime fell carefully so as not to wake her up.

And left her on his bed to go and sleep on the couch.

He wasn't a pervert.