Jinchuriki of the Seven Tails

Two male shinobi stumbled out of the dust behind Tsuri, both of them a little worse for wear than she was. I saw no sign of the other three Hidden Waterfall shinobi or the crowd that had been there moments ago. Good, with everyone else out of the way u would have more room to fight. Tsuri charged straight forward, while the other two flanked right and left in a pincer move. Trying to overwhelm me? Not going to work. The iron sand that had been used in my previous attack raced back to me at my command, forming a shell around me. Enveloped in darkness, I waited for Tsuri and her comrades to attempt to pierce my shell. Sure enough, three objects hit the outside of my shield, only one having an effect. It was probably Tsuri's eater blade, it was quite a strong weapon but my iron sand was too thick for it to cut through now. I made the iron sand shell send spikes out of it in the blink of an eye. From what I could tell only one spike managed to hit anything, nothing lethal either. Sitting inside of this shell and feeling around for my enemies wasn't going to be very effective, I needed to see what was going on.

"Desert Eye Jutsu," I muttered while I covered my left eye. Borrowing some of my sand that was protecting Fu's house, I soon had eyes on my three opponents. Tsuri was hammering away at my iron sand shell while the other two shinobi were weaving hands signs together. A combined Jutsu then, I wasn't going to let that happen. Tendrils of iron sand shot out from my shell, causing Tsuri to switch from attacking to defending. Her water blade was beginning to get clogged up with iron sand, something I could exploit at any time. My tendrils forced the two other shinobi to scramble away from me, their combined Jutsu abandoned. My iron sand tendrils were painstakingly slow compared to my regular sand though, I only managed to get a few shallow gashes on them. It was irrefutable that my iron sand control and speed were getting better though, my use of it had become much more natural.

"Come out of your stupid shell and fight me you coward," yelled Tsuri angrily. I smiled, Tsuri would get what she wanted but not in the way she was asking. My three sand clones lunged out from the small cloud of dust that had almost settled, two attacking Tsuri while one went after the other two ninjas. They had been hanging back throughout the battle, waiting for their moment to pounce. With the three Waterfall shinobi retreating from my iron sand tendrils, the last thing they expected was for clones to leap out from behind them. The two clones on Tsuri slashed at her with kunai while the other clone struggled to keep the other ninjas busy. I watched as my clones did their best to fight while not actually hurting their opponents, which was not easy for them. My singular clone that was fighting two ninjas at the same time crumbled as it was hit with a shuriken to the chest. This fight was pointless, I didn't want to kill them, and continuing it would only injure them further. With a flick of my wrist, the sand clones dissolved into piles of sand. I dropped my iron sand shell and looked at Tsuri with a brief expression. She didn't seem very happy at all, the crazy look on her face mixed with blood and sweat wasn't a good combination. At least Tsuri was still determined, her two companions looked terrified of me after seeing what I could do. Maybe the two ninjas were smarter than Tsuri or they were just cowards, whichever it was didn't matter to me.

"You finally going to fight me with hiding behind your stupid sand," barked Tsuri. I shook my head, she never learned.

"Can we just kill them now? I'm getting tired of that once incessant screeching," complained Shukaku.

"You and me both. Unfortunately, I can't kill one of our allies Shukaku," I said regretfully. I brought all of my iron sand back to me, leaving all of my regular sand in the protective wall around Fu's house. Tsuri was too unpredictable to take it down just yet, I didn't want Fu getting hurt after all of this.

"This fight is pointless. We are currently allies with the same goal of protecting this village. Why don't we settle this another time when it's more convenient," I said calmly. Anger still bubbled under the surface but I knew better than to let it out. Tsuri's companions looked at her with pleading looks, neither one of them wanting to face me again. Tsuri on the other hand didn't seem to be thinking about giving up at all. This girl was reminding me a lot of Azumaki, perhaps they were related? If that was the case then I had screwed myself on making a good first impression. At least they both should know I wasn't weak.

"I'm not leaving until you release Hashitsu," she said stubbornly. Who? Oh, she must be talking about the big guy I had trapped with my sand. Saying I had forgotten about him would be putting it lightly but thankfully he was still hovering in his sand coffin above me. Good thing I hadn't accidentally dropped him, that would have been embarrassing. Hashitsu actually looked more bored than upset now, though I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"Fine, you can have your friend back," I said begrudgingly. I lowered him somewhat carefully back down to the ground and released him. He glared at me before turning to Tsuri. I couldn't see his expression but Tsuri looked like she was ready to receive orders.

"We're leaving," Hashitsu said with annoyance. I guess he was smart enough to realize when to back down. Tsuri looked very conflicted at his order but nodded professionally and began to walk away. I was beginning to figure out the Azumaki look alike, she wasn't just a bull-headed brat it seemed. She followed orders even though she didn't seem to agree, fought like a demon, and was full of pride. Tsuri was a model shinobi in most regards, someone I should have made a better impression on. She would have been a useful friend or source to have in Takigakure, a wasted opportunity. I could only hope I would get another chance.

"You're crazy Gaara, I would never want to fight Tsuri in a million years," said a voice from behind me. Glancing back, I realized it was Rigawa who was standing behind me. I had kinda forgotten him in the heat of the moment it seemed. Though, I was surprised he hadn't jumped in to help the Hidden Waterfall shinobi. They were his comrades, after all, I wondered what his reasons were for remaining a spectator.

"She isn't as tough as you think she is, my iron sand was her perfect counter," I told him. Rigawa gave me a look of skepticism but I didn't care. Tsuri and her gang slowly but surely left the clearing, with me watching them closely the whole time. It was unlikely they would try and pull a trick on me but it would be wise to not let my guard down just yet. Thankfully, they soon disappeared in the distance, satisfying my concerns about them pulling a trick.

"Did you have to start a fight with them? They are just frustrated about what's been happening lately," said Rigawa. I didn't answer him for a moment, partly because I was busy recalling my sand back into my scrolls. The other reason I didn't respond right away was that I wasn't sure what to tell him. Should I be honest and say I had been too angry with them to let it slide? Or tell him it was their fault since they had started it?

"They are doing it the wrong way. Picking on an innocent girl who hasn't done anything is just cruel," I said firmly. I wasn't going to lie to Rigawa about how I felt, Tsuri and her gang had no right to attack Fu as they had. Rigawa frowned, a look of annoyance on his face. It didn't take an expert to realize he didn't agree with me.

"I hate to say this Gaara but you're out of line. You have no idea what she is capable of, why do you think she lives so far from the rest of us? Don't talk about something you know nothing about," argued Rigawa. He wouldn't dare say that if he knew what I was. Then again, I don't think he would talk to me at all if he knew I was a jinchuriki.

"I know exactly what you are talking about Rigawa. The Hidden Sand has a jinchuriki just like your village does. I've seen firsthand the damage they can do," I told him softly.

"Then why are you defending her," he said with frustration. Shaking my head, I walked towards Fu's house without responding. Rigawa followed me reluctantly, his curiously overruling his fear of Fu.

"Answer me," he shouted from behind. I stopped and turned to face him.

"Has it ever occurred to you that she doesn't want to be a jinchuriki? Or that she wasn't in control of herself sometimes? She has a Tailed Beast sealed inside of her, one of nine legendary beasts that have an unfathomable amount of chakra," I said coldly. Rigawa seemed stunned, his mouth was moving but he could get any words to come out.

"Are you saying that it's unlucky to get us sealed inside of you humans," asked Shukaku warily. Of course, he was testing me at a time like this.

"Not unlucky, just that not everyone wants to be a jinchuriki. I'm sure you Tailed Beasts don't like the arrangement either," I told him.

"Just checking," said Shukaku with a chuckle. I guess that means he was satisfied with my answer. It was still hard to tell what Shukaku's intentions were sometimes, I could only hope it would get better with time. Glancing back at Rigawa, I could tell he still didn't know what to say about my statement. At least he was giving it some thought, that was better than most.

"You can wait out here if you want," I said to him as I walked towards Fu's house. The house had a small porch that had three creaky steps, which were a little too unstable for my liking. My sand barrier around her house started right at the door and then wrapped around the rest of the house, mere inches from the outside walls. As I neared the door, I heard some kind of banging from inside the house. Panic swept through me as I wondered if someone had managed to slip past me and attack Fu. I threw the barrier down, my sand dropped to the ground in massive piles. I stepped forward to open the door but was caught off guard as the door flung itself open. The door was about to hit my right shoulder but my sand shield stopped it. Unfortunately, my sand shield didn't stop whatever came flying out of the door and into me. I fell backward, tumbling into a pile of my sand along with whoever had run into me. Groaning in pain, confusion entered my mind first and foremost. Why hadn't my sand shield stopped whoever had run into me?

"Oh, I'm so sorry," squeaked a girl's voice. Opening my eyes, I was met with two orange eyes and the worried face of a green-haired girl. It took me a moment to realize it was Fu, and another moment to realize just how close our faces were. An electric rush zipped up my spin, as if someone had just zapped me with electricity. My face flushed and Fu followed suit, both of us scrambling to get a little distance between us. An awkward silence filled the air as both of us stared at the ground for an embarrassing amount of time.

"I'm Gaara of the Desert," I finally choked out. Why was this so difficult? It felt as if a fog had descended on my brain, making me unable to speak or think. Also, what was up with my sand shield? Did someone running into me not qualify for protection? Or was it like when Kohara had hit me with her cloth when I was learning my Sand Particle Conversion Jutsu? My sand shield was a dying gift from my mother so it wasn't something I understood very well.

"I'm Fu," she mumbled in response. Just two words out of her mouth and I had no idea what to say back. I couldn't even remember the reason why I had come to talk to her.

"Stop being such a fool and do what you came here to do," growled Shukaku. For unknown reasons, Shukaku's gravelly voice managed to snap me out of my daze enough to think straight.

"I heard the crowd saying you were being targeted by the unknown attackers. My sensei and I have been hired by Lord Shibuki to defend your village, so I would like to ask you about what has been going on," I said with surprising calmness. Fu finally looked up at me with curiosity but also another emotion, one that I couldn't decipher. It was kinda weird how Fu looked about the exact same as she would in several years when she attended the chunin exams in the Hidden Sand. She wore a white shirt with sleeves, an apron skirt with tight black shorts, and a flower necklace.

"Oh, well why don't you come on in and I can tell you about it," said Fu. She gestured for me to enter, which I quickly did after collecting my sand back into my gourd. Rigawa was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed that he didn't want Fu to see him. Inside Fu's house, I found that it was all one room. In one corner there was a small kitchenette that was neat and orderly. Another corner had several chairs and a makeshift table, followed by a small bed. Overall, it was halfway clean and wasn't too unique.

"I'm sorry for the mess," said Fu with a blush. My cheeks also became quite red, which I had no explanation for.

"It's quite alright. Why don't you sit down so we can talk," I told her. Why was I being so formal? I was starting to sound like a detective or something. Fu sat down in a chair while I took off my gourd so I could sit comfortably.

"So, what can you tell me about what has been happening lately," I asked after we got settled in. The air was still thick with awkwardness since it was just the two of us.

"I'm sure you've already been told how the village was attacked and all the details of that, so I will skip to my part. The night of the attack, I was in the village to pick up food and other necessities of mine," she explained.

"Wait, why were you getting them at night? Are you not allowed to get them during the daytime," I interrupted. Fu paused, glancing at the floor instead of meeting my gaze.

"The villagers don't like me being around too much, they say I'm bad luck. I get what I need at night when almost everyone is asleep so they don't have to see me," Fu said softly. I grimaced, how could anyone live like that?

"Do you have to steal the food," I asked. Fu's head jolted up and began to shake furiously in disagreement.

"No, I would never steal! There is a kind old lady who gives me what I need, Shibuki pays her so she isn't burdened by me. Though, between you and me, she gives me the money," said Fu with a smile. My feelings of sadness and sympathy washed away at the sight of her smile. Butterflies fluttered throughout my body as I tried desperately to compose myself. How could someone who was hated by everyone have such a kind smile?

"Oh, I forgot to ask if you'd want to be my friend," Fu exclaimed. I didn't even need to think about the answer to that question.

"I can be your friend," I said with a warm smile. Fu's smile erupted into a laugh which then erupted into her pumping her first into the air.

"Yes! I knew that would work eventually," she giggled.

"That what would work," I asked with confusion.

"Asking for someone to be my friend," she responded. My smile faded a little, how sad was it that she had been surprised if said yes? Such was the life of a jinchuriki, lonely and dangerous. Looking at Fu, something suddenly popped into my head. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the orange hair clip I had found when Baki and I had entered Takigakure.

"I believe this is yours," I said as I offered it to her. I thought something had been slightly off when I saw Fu, I now realized she wasn't wearing the orange hair clip she normally wore. Fu's face shifted from curiosity to pure joy when she saw what I was holding in my hand. She snatched it from my palm and then threw herself at me in a tight hug. Shocked, I had no idea what to do. Fu had her head over my left shoulder, putting us even closer than when we had fallen.

"Thank you," she whispered into my ear. My mind went blank, my body becoming rigid with uncertainty. Confusion clouded my mind and wouldn't let me form words. Why was this hair clip so important to her that she would hug me? And Fu was just way too close to me to understand anything at the moment. After what felt like ages, she released me from her grasp and sat back in her chair. Fu looked at my expression of confusion and my flushed face. She blushed along with me and her eyes went back to staring at the floor.

"I'm sorry for the sudden reaction, this hairclip just means a lot to me. It was the last thing my mother gave to me before she passed away, it used to be hers," explained Fu. So that was why she had reacted so strangely. I could understand all too well why a gift from your now deceased parent could mean a lot. Though I had never met my mother, she protected me almost every day from harm. It was something that I couldn't touch or feel, but it meant the world to me.

"I understand why it would be so important to you. My mother has also passed on," I told her. Fu looked up and gave me a looked of sadness. We sat there for a moment in silence, both of us thinking of the past.

"I'm sorry we have gotten so off topic, please continue with your story," I finally said after a long pause. Fu nodded and cleared her throat, clearing the sadness away from her expression.

"So that night I went in to pick up my supplies, Shibuki's house was attacked. Masked ninjas flooded through the village but didn't bother with anything, their sole mission was to kill Shibuki. I ran into a group of them while trying to get away from the village," Fu said. I wasn't liking where this story was heading but I motioned for her to continue since I didn't have any questions. It had already been obvious that Shibuki was the sole target of the attack.

"I ran straight into a group of four masked attackers, all of them caught off guard by meeting anyone. I don't think they had thought there would be any resistance," Fu said with a shrug.

"What makes you say that," I said with a frown.

"They weren't acting like ninjas on an important mission, they were chatting and messing around. If I had been looking to attack them it would have been an easy takedown," she clarified. If what she was saying was true, then either these guys were amateurs or they knew exactly what to expect for resistance. Judging by how the attack played out, I was leaning toward the latter being true. The obvious answer for how they knew so much would either be a spy or a former Hidden Waterfall shinobi was in their ranks.

"What happened when you ran into them," I asked next.

"They kinda just looked at me funny and then tried to grab me. The one I ran into leaped at me but I kicked him so hard he went flying. He hit two of the other ones and knocked them down, which I took as my chance to run," said Fu with surprising enthusiasm. How was she making such a dangerous experience sound like fun?

"I ran as quick as I could out of town with those four ninjas right on my tail for most of the way. I must have lost my hair clip when one of them caught up with me and tried to grab me for the second time. She didn't hold on for too long since I cracked her nose," Fu said with an innocent shrug. I let out a small chuckle, she definitely wasn't a bad storyteller. Though, I didn't like how the four attackers had chased after Fu. Why waste time running after a random girl when they needed to complete their mission?

"I made it to the woods and was going to use them to escape from them but some guy wearing a purple rope belt came along and stopped them," finished Fu. Wearing a purple rope belt? Running the description through my head, there were only a few people I could think of that matched that description. None of them were people that I would want to fight at my current level, I could only hope Fu was mistaken.

"Can you tell me anything else about his appearance? What he was wearing or his hairstyle," I questioned. The best-case scenario was this was someone I didn't know. The worst-case scenario was it was Orochimaru, with the in-between being one of the Sound Four.

"He had white hair, pale skin, and I'm pretty sure he had two dots on his forehead," said Fu as she pointed to her own forehead. Chills went down my spine while Fu sat there clueless. Kimimaro. That's who Fu had seen stop the ninjas who had been chasing her. I had forgotten that his health was still somewhat decent at this point, though I wasn't sure what he was doing here. Was he leading up the attack on the Hidden Waterfall? That would mean that Orochimaru was either behind this or assisting whoever was behind it.

"Have you told this to anyone else," I asked her. Fu shook her head and sighed.

"I went to tell Shibuki's advisor Azumaki but Tsuri and her gang got to me before I could make it there. Apparently, some of the villagers saw me getting chased and spread the word I was the reason the village was attacked," replied Fu as she slumped in her chair. Great, that hot-headed Tsuri had prevented critical information from being shared. I'm not sure if they would have listened if Fu had told them but still.

"Why is your face all scrunched up? Do you know the pale guy," asked Fu curiously. I almost told her I did but I caught myself. Saying I knew someone that I had never seen or met in this body before would be questionable.

"No, I was just wondering if you had already told Shibuki about this man. Azumaki or him might know who he is," I lied to her. It hurt to keep poor Fu in the dark but telling the truth wouldn't help anyone. Personally, I was just glad Kimimaro hadn't seen Fu. That man was an absolute demon, pushing Gaara and Rock Lee to their limit in the anime. He also mowed down samurai with ease during the Fourth Great Ninja War. It would be foolish to take him lightly.

"Okay, is there anything else you need," asked Fu. My grim face cracked a smile at Fu's boundless enthusiasm. She reminded me of Naruto, having such unchecked happiness even when her life was shadowed in darkness. I wanted to tell her, more than anyone could possibly know.

"Spit it out already Gaara," groaned Shukaku. Never mind, I guess Shukaku understood how much I wanted to tell her.

"Fu, you're the jinchuriki of the Seven Tails, correct," I said stiffly. It was more of a statement than a question but I still needed to say it.

"I am," Fu said grimly. Her eyes once again wouldn't meet mine, staring off to my left. I had just brought up the thing that had made her life a living hell, what other response was there?

"I'm the jinchuriki of Ichibi, or Shukaku if you want to go by his real name," I said quickly. Waiting any longer meant I might change my mind about telling her, hence the rushed talking. Fu's head whipped to look straight at me, a strange look in her eyes.

"What are you saying," she asked distrustfully. Skepticism was expected, what I was saying wasn't exactly something to take lightly.

"I'm saying I know what it's like," I told her simply. There was no need to say anything further in my opinion, Fu knew exactly what I meant. Fu blinked, the reality of what I had just told her sinking in.

"I've been waiting for so long to meet you," she squealed as she bolted up out of her seat. Fu tore across the room and whipped open a drawer on her nightstand. She reached in and pulled out two things, a small box and a decrepit old book. Fu rushed back over to me and set the two objects on her makeshift table.

"What are you so excited about," I asked her. This definitely wasn't the reaction I had been expecting. What was so important about this old book and the contents of this box?

"I made these a long time ago, back when I was obsessed with meeting the rest of us. I forgot about it for a little while but now that you are here I can finally give you one," exclaimed Fu. The word confusion would be a big understatement for what I was feeling right now.

"I'm sorry but what are you talking about? Meeting the rest of us? What did you make that you want to give me," I questioned. Fu cocked her head to the side and gave me a look that made me feel like I was a complete idiot.

"A few years ago, Shibuki gave me an ancient book about the Tailed Beasts and their jinchurikis. I obsessed over it and decided I wanted to meet all the jinchurikis, since they were just like me," said Fu as she opened the book. The pages were covered in drawings of Shulaku and Matatabi, the One Tail and Two Tails respectively. One big drawing took up most of the page, while smaller drawings of them from each side were drawn below. The detail and accuracy were stunning, they looked exactly like Shukaku and Matatabi.

"What does it say below my drawing," said Shukaku distastefully. I guess he didn't like his drawing that much. I did as he asked despite that, hoping whatever was written wouldn't anger him.

"The One Tail, known as Ichibi, is the Tailed Beast of the Village Hidden in the Sand. He was captured and sealed by Reto, the First Kazekage. Reports indicate that he is hostile in every manner towards humans. He was captured near an abandoned temple, inflicting heavy casualties on the Hidden Sand ninjas," I read to him. Sounds like they were pretty spot on in my opinion. There wasn't too much detail though, quite a short description.

"Looks like you humans can tell the truth after all," snorted Shukaku.

"What does that mean," I asked him.

"What little they have written down is true, no exaggeration or lies," clarified Shukaku. No lies or exaggeration? I guess whoever wrote this must have seen the fight firsthand and decided to write it as it was. The author probably wasn't too popular with the Hidden Sand though, he made our ninjas sound like pushovers. A book like this was unheard of though, I certainly hadn't seen it when sweeping the Hidden Lead Archive or the Sand Archives back home.

"This is amazing," I stated truthfully. Fu wasn't paying me any attention though, she was too busy digging around the small box. I waited patiently with a grin on my face, she looked so determined to find whatever she was looking for.

"I got it," she yelled as she finally pulled her hand from the box. Fu thrust her closed hand out to me, grabbing my right hand with her other hand. She then proceeded to shove whatever she had grabbed from the box into my hand. Fu closed my hand while I blushed at her hands touching mine.

"Okay, now see what it is," Fu said as withdrew her hands. I did as she said and opened my right hand. On my palm sat a necklace with a pendant attached to it. The pendant was a simple metal tag, rectangular in shape, with several engravings on it. The largest one was the emblem of the Hidden Sand right in the middle. Above the emblem was the number one and below it was Ichibi. There was also a small etching that looked somewhat like Shukaku's face at the very bottom. It looked to be of pretty good quality, surprising since Fu had seemingly made it herself.

"What do you think," Fu asked impatiently. I took the necklace and quickly put it around my neck.

"I think it's great Fu, Shukaku likes it too," I told her. Fu squealed in delight before rummaging through the box again.

"Don't put words in my mouth Gaara, I think that it's stupid," complained Shukaku.

"Just be nice for once," I retorted back. Shukaku rumbled unhappily but didn't say anything else.

"Look, now both match," said Fu as she threw on her necklace. Her pendant had her village and details of her Tailed Beast as well.

"It looks perfect," I told her warmly. Fu's face flushed red and she smiled nervously.

"Thank you," said replied kindly. An idea popped into my head which made me nervous but I decided was worth a try. I outstretched my hand and balled my hand into a fist.

"Follow my lead Shukaku," I said to him seriously.

"Whatever," responded the tanuki.

"Give me a fish bump," I told her. Fu's face scrunched in confusion, making my stomach do a little flip.

"Why?"

"Because we are comrades," I said vaguely. Fu shot me another look of confusion but extended her arm, balling her hand into a fist just like mine. She then tapped her knuckles against mine gently, both of us feeling quite awkward.

The second our fists touched, I close my eyes and concentrated. I could feel Shukaku helping me along, understanding what I was trying to do. After a few more seconds, I felt what I was looking for and grabbed it. Fu gasped but I continued. This may be risky but I wanted to give it a shot. It had happened accidentally with Naruto but now I was doing it on purpose.

"Linking mindscapes is a lot riskier than you think it is Gaara," warned Shukaku.

"That's why I've got you helping me," I told him.

After nearly a full minute of holding onto the connection, I finally felt my mind and Fu's bridge together. Opening my eyes, I saw Fu standing several yards in front of me. Behind her, a vine-covered cage held Chomei the Seven Tails. Glancing behind me, I could see Shukaku standing patiently.

"What is this," said Fu uncertainly.

"This is a shared mindscape Shukaku and I made together," I explained. Right as I finished speaking, the entire world shook as Chomei slammed himself into the vine-covered cage that held him.

"Let me out," roared Chomei with immense power.

This was going to be a little more difficult than I thought it would.