Reverberations (Kakashi x OC, Gaara x OC) -- Book 3

Chapter 7: A plan

Once they were sure the spread was contained, Keiko seemed to improve. Her breathing grew more even and her heart rate steadied. They all wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but the truth was that they didn't really know exactly what they were dealing with. Keiko became lucid after a few days and she seemed enough of herself that the healers removed the restraints, but she was still irritable.

Gaara kept regular communication with Temari and Kankurō by hawk. Kakashi had given Gaara one of the short range radios for use within the Leaf Village since they were all on high alert. For the moment everything seemed pretty quiet.

"They haven't been able to find anything I take it," Keiko asked rhetorically.

Gaara turned to look out the window.

"I feel like all my senses are on fire. Every sight, sound, smell...it's like it's amplified and it burns," she said as though just talking about it was causing her pain. "I can hear your heart rate increase and I can smell your palms sweat. You're afraid of me."

Gaara was interrupted in his thought at her last words. He turned to take her hand. "I'm afraid for you. I don't know what will happen and I hate to see you suffering."

"Maybe you should be afraid. Do you know what a greater demon can do when it's out of control?"

Gaara thought back to a few nights ago when Keiko had ripped the landscape apart outside of town. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

"It's likely I could have put a lot of damage on the Akatsuki a long time ago, but as you know, when a demon is out of control it hurts everyone else as well."

"I know, I.remember ," said Gaara solemnly. "If I didn't have Kankurō and Temari, who knows what Shukaku would have made me do." He had been rid of the one tail Sand demon's control for a couple years, but he still remembered when it would whisper to him.

"Kakashi said I shattered one of your sand barriers...did I...did I hurt you?"

"Not a scratch," he said reassuringly. "I was just surprised. It's been broken before, but...not like that."

"I'm so sorry."

"Keiko this isn't your fault. It's that meddling bastard Kabuto. You've been through so much these last couple years. We all have. Kabuto's specialty is using those moments of complacency against us. Don't worry, we're going to find him."

"I could probably smell that snake from ten miles away," she growled. They both looked at each other in sudden understanding.

" Hokage-sama ," Gaara radioed.

"Hai! Go ahead," a voice radioed back.

"I think we may have an idea."

-------

"Hmm, I see. I suppose that makes sense. Sometimes hypersensitivity is the body's way of reacting when something's been compromised," said Tsunade after Gaara explained to those present .

"I think under the circumstances this should be a recon only mission until we know what we're dealing with," Kakashi said. Gaara nodded in agreement. " So I think that we need Shikamaru's team as they are the best at strategy. We should take Sakura's team for healing in case we run into trouble, and I think in light of that we should add Yamato to my team along with Gaara and Keiko. Tsunade , would you be willing to hold down the fort while we're gone?"

"Of course."

He continued, "I realize it may be unorthodox to go on this myself, but I think that this is the best set of teams for the job."

"And you wouldn't forgive yourself if something happened to her," Tsunade said quietly to herself. Gaara who was nearest to her, closed his eyes.

"What was that?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing."