Shinobi Isekai!

Mother Dearest

Deep breaths.

In.

Out.

In.

They're trying to kill us!

Out.

They're going to hurt us! We need to hurt them first!

In.

Out.

Mother's anger churned beneath his skin, and Gaara clenched his teeth so hard they hurt. No! He couldn't lose control. Not here, not now. Not yet.

Cool chakra seeped into his edges of his awareness. Worry, fear, and anger whirled around his mental periphery.

Tch. That little chit. What does she think she's doing? Oh, she's mad at me? Interesting. Mother's voice crooned. Gaara, if you don't hurry, your new friend is gonna die.

What?

Gaara opened his eyes, but saw nothing. His sand had encased him in a protective dome. He could hear muffled voices from outside, one of them clearly the Leaf kunoichi with the gentle chakra. She was...weird. She was very short, like him, and reserved, only speaking when spoken to and then in a quiet voice which barely grated his nerves. She had surprised both him and mother by reaching out with her chakra, the soothing sensation of running water dulling the edge of their anger. Well, Gaara's anger. Mother didn't like her very much, but so long as she didn't push—and she never did—she was content to ignore the polite invasion. Gaara had done the same, at first, but had quickly become curious. Why was she doing this? Was she doing it to the others? Was she really that sad, or was that just how other people's chakra felt compared to his? Would she stop if he tried it?

The answer was no, she wouldn't, though he had only just tried reciprocating when they were attacked.

With a shaking hand, he willed the sand to part. Light trickled into the dome, and slowly the kunoichi's narrow back came into view. She was standing between him and another person, hands raised up defensively.

"—even think about hurting him." Her voice was clear and firm, with a weight to it he hadn't heard before.

Her opponent scoffed, and Gaara's blood boiled as he recognized the voice. "Stay down, brat," the Sand Anbu said. "That monster needs to be taken out."

Had his father sent forces after him? Were the Chunin Exams just a ruse meant to lower his guard?

"The only monster I see is the grown man attacking a pair of children."

Gaara watched as she widened her stance, the light of the sun glinting off of something in her hands—weapons, most likely. He couldn't see her face, but her words alone were probably enough to twist the Anbu's expression like that.

"Shut it, leaf scum! You don't know what you're talking about!" He pulled a kunai from his hip pouch, twirling it with a menacing chuckle. "I gave you a chance to run, kid, so don't blame me for this."

He's going to kill her. Kill him first! We need his blood!

Gaara clutched at his head, struggling to keep his eyes on the conflict in front of him. The kunoichi held her ground until the last possible moment, twirling out from under the larger man's speedy charge. She hooked a foot around his ankle as she went, disrupting his balance and sending him falling.

Right into Gaara's sand.

The man's eyes widened comically as the golden dome swarmed around him, encasing him within itself.