We Are One [Gaara III]

Chapter 20

Everything felt cold. The air. The skin. The fabric covering the body. Even the small puffs of breath escaping barely parted lips. But she wasn't shivering. Where had all the warmth gone?

Everything ached. Having a desire to move, yet struggled to find a reason to. Even shifting to get comfortable wasn't an option forced to lie on an unknown surface.

It felt like everything was slipping away.

Warmth suddenly appeared wrapping around a hand. It was comforting, keeping her grounded. She refused to let go.

"Don't force it," a voice softly broke through the silence. "It will come naturally."

There was no concept of time in this state unsure how long the silence continued on and ever so slowly the eyelids became less heavy. The temperature had yet to change but other senses were beginning to slowly come back. Taste. The mouth was so dry it was difficult to swallow. Sound. There was someone else still in the room. Smell. The scent of chemicals from cleaning products was strong. Sight. They hadn't even realized their eyes opened as the darkness began to slowly fade away. But it was blurry, unable to focus. Minutes felt like hours as shapes became more defined. Everything, though, was in black and white. Colorless, which mirrored what they felt.

A head came into view, relief flooding their face. "Azmaria."

Her throat constricted when she tried to speak and a ladle was pressed to the chapped lips as cool water soothed the muscles.

"Just take it easy."

The strands of hair were beginning to color, the shocking auburn-red a comforting, and familiar sight. She didn't try to speak as hues fell into place, sight returning to normal. Emotion filled the ex-Soldier at the sight of his blue-green eyes.

"Gaara?" Azmaria's voice croaked. It sounded unnatural.

"Shh," he whispered, hand stroking her hair. "It's alright."

"Where am I?"

"The hospital, one of the back rooms."

Azmaria's eyes studied the young man realizing he was not wearing his uniform, nor Kage robes. The lounge clothing was something he would only wear around the household when after hours or having a day off.

"What happened?"

His smile was strained, but the stress seemed to have gone from his expression. "We won."

The enemy waiting at the camp in the desert didn't expect to see the Tailed Beast to come charging over the sand dunes after their retreating forces. Nor the backup that came with the creature as Tsunade and the ninjas tore into the camp. Scattering, the Sound knew it was all lost, not even caring about the ninja they had forced to serve under them. In the chaos there was no order or time to think properly.

They didn't hesitate. Hours after the battle the Hokage lead the assault on Iwagakure. Choi and Kwon, along with the Rock Ninjas that had remained behind after the Sound's defeat, joined them and when the people saw their fellow villagers among their rankings their fear appeared to vanish and revolted against their dictators. It took two weeks to rid the Kage Village of enemy ninja and even after that the woman stayed behind to help rebuild their broken lives. Meanwhile, the Raikage combed the desert for Sound Ninja who attempted escape, killing them on the spot. They could not afford to have another rebellion grow from this.

During that time the rebuilding of Suna began to take shape. Shifting through the rubble the dead were retrieved and properly tended to. There was no room in the morgues and with the heat of the desert the bodies had to be buried quickly so the stench didn't become revolting. Still, a few days later the smell of burning flesh and blood lingered in some parts. Little could be done with the resources and the Kazekage sent messengers to the Leaf to send for aid. To relay that the war was over.

A small platoon appeared at the gates at the beginning of the week with food and water, medical supplies, and equipment to shovel away the destroyed sections of buildings and clear the streets. It was a relief to see friendly faces. Still, the loss was great, feeling the full weight of those that had been lost in the various battles. There had been no time to mourn and now it hit them full force.

Azmaria listened as Gaara relayed the events that had transpired from the battle and though the news should have made her ecstatic, the young woman felt empty inside. And he could tell.

"Tamahome... he told us what happened," the Kazekage stated after a period of silence. "How the Sound Ninja were hiding inside the boulders with hostages and what happened on the steps... Why Naruto and you snapped. I cannot begin to tell you how lucky you both are to be alive. Shikamaru had to drag back his unconscious body for medical attention."

She had turned away from him some time ago, staring at the foot of the bed, expression hollow.

"Azmaria, I'm so sorry."

"They all deserved what happened." Hands clenching into fists they gripped at the bed sheet in desperation. "He's dead..." her voice cracked. "He's– He–" She was struggling to breathe from the sobs that threatened to escape. "I was right in front of him! He wasn't supposed to die! Sanchi never dies! Or is ever in a situation where that might happen! We have! Countless times! Why wasn't it me? He didn't deserve this–!"

Gaara pulled the hysterical young woman into his arms, her face pressed into his chest. She cried even louder, though it was muffled due to the fabric. The ex-Soldier's hands gripped at the back of his shirt so hard he could feel the nails indenting the skin. But it didn't matter as Azmaria clung tighter to him, his own grip tightening in response.

"None of this was your fault. Sanchi died protecting someone important to us, and he would do so again in a heartbeat. I understand that right now it won't make up for the fact that he's gone, but know he died as a ninja with honor for his actions."

The young woman's cries didn't lessen any more, but Gaara stayed by her side. The loss of her teammate had hit him as well, but knew he could never understand the grief that ran through her. Sanchi had been his friend too over the years. If it hadn't been for Azmaria they would have never bonded in such a way. Still, she trained, traveled, and conversed with him on levels he never could. Much like her other teammate, Tamhome. But the pain he knew all too well with the death of his uncle, and seeing her handle the massacre of her clan. Gaara never wished to see her in that kind of pain again.

The scene was breaking his heart as they held each other tighter.