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After that crushing void, Gaara finally collapsed to the ground. His body trembled from overexertion of all of his chakra. But he had done it; he had won.

And it wasn't just against anyone; it was against an enemy whose strength had struck him with awe, against a formidable foe who managed to injure him in ways he had never known.

Now, as silence fell over the battlefield, he could finally rest.

Once Kankuro managed to get himself up, he rushed over in concern.

"Gaara!" he exclaimed, falling to his knees beside his brother. "Are you alright?"

Gaara nodded weakly, forcing himself to stand as he paired with Kankuro for support.

"I'm fine," he replied, though he felt depleted. "Where's Temari?"

Kankuro glanced in the direction of his sister and hurriedly gestured for his brother to follow.

"She's still breathing," Kankuro assured, kneeling beside her as he lifted her head slightly. "We've got to get her to safety."

Gaara closed his eyes, thankful that he wasn't late.

After checking to ensure she was alright, Kankuro and Gaara worked together to help her to her feet. They looked just like a family, struggling to stay strong despite the battle that almost got them killed.

"Did we get Kaito?" Kankuro asked, shifting the conversation.

"I sent him deep… so far down that I can't sense him anymore," Gaara confirmed. "We defeated him."

Relief filled Kankuro's features, but he could only hold it at bay for so long. "That was the toughest fight I'd ever been in. I didn't think someone like that existed."

Gaara nodded, but before he could further acknowledge the victory, Kankuro stopped suddenly, and his face went pale.

"Kankuro?" Gaara questioned, noting the ashen tone of his brother's complexion.

"I… I'm fine," Kankuro managed, but Gaara could clearly see the grimace crawling upon his face.

Then, without any warning, Kankuro began choking violently, sputtering, and coughing up blood. His hands clutched at his throat as he started panicking.

"Kankuro!" Gaara yelled in worry.

His older brother was turning purple, and his breath became ragged and strained as the choking escalated dramatically.

"I… can't breathe," he managed, struggling to keep his composure, but all too soon, he collapsed and thudded against the sand.

"No! Kankuro! Stay with me!"

In that moment, Gaara knew—no, he understood. The result of Arthur's last attack on Kankuro had been laced with poison. It was that sword. Whatever Arthur had cut him with, its effects were finally taking a deep toll on his older brother.

What was Gaara to do? Who could he turn to?

He dropped to one knee beside him with his medical bag at the ready. Many shinobi had been trained in situations like this, so Gaara moved quickly.

He administered medicine and tended to Kankuro's wounds. But as he reached out to touch his brother's poisoned skin, a pain shot through his own hand.

His eyes shot to the poison spreading on Kankuro's skin. This was no ordinary poison—it was a potent venom, the kind that could burn through metal like acid!

Gaara carefully extracted a few drops from Kankuro's wound and held it up to his own nose, his eyes narrowing in revulsion. The smell was acrid, biting, and far too potent for any ordinary medicine to counteract.

Then, Gaara's own fatigue settled in. He also collapsed to the floor from having used too much of both his chakra and Tailed Beast chakra. If he even dares to tap into any more, the One-Tail will unleash and finish off his siblings.

He wouldn't let that happen. In this vast desert world, he would rather die than let his siblings suffer by the hands of the beast—that is what it meant to be a true Kage, so he was taught.

…

A white light shrouded Kankuro's vision. He moaned softly, compelling him to awaken. When he finally cracked his eyes open, he didn't quite know where he was at first.

He turned to his side, catching sight of his brother Gaara and sister Temari, both resting in beds alongside him inside what looked like a medical infirmary.

"You're finally awake," Temari said with a smile as she turned her head to him.

Kankuro could only offer a pained smile in return. He croaked with a dry throat, "What happened?"

"The Sand shinobi arrived just in time," she explained. "They took care of the situation before we almost died."

Gaara looked over and said, "It was good they showed up when they did."

Kankuro allowed himself to settle back into the pillows, attempting to process this new information. All he could remember was that he was in a fight, struggled harder than he'd ever done before, then felt the most intense pain he had ever felt before.

"What about Kaito?!" he said, jolting back up.

It was clear that he had forgotten those last few moments.

"He's dead, remember?" Gaara stated flatly. "The Sand Village made an announcement that I defeated him once and for all. So we're safe now."

Gaara's declaration took a second to sink in before Kankuro slowly leaned back against the bed once more. He felt an onslaught of reprieve.

"That's a relief," he quietly said. "That must have been the toughest fight I'd ever been in."

"You said that last time," Gaara smiled.

"I did?!"

"I'm just glad we all made it out," Temari added.

Just as Kankuro was remembering the taste of poison, a nurse walked in, interrupting the fog of his thoughts. She wore a crisp uniform, and her face shone with concern as she approached his bedside with a chart in her hand.

"Good to see you awake, Kankuro," she said, examining him closely. "You had injuries we've never seen before. You're fortunate to be able to move."

"Thank you," Kankuro replied as he pushed himself up slightly. Each movement was a tad difficult, but he was determined not to show signs of weakness.

When the nurse continued, her voice took on a serious tone. "The poison you suffered took hours to extract. Had you arrived any later in that state, you would have definitely died."

"I owe you a lot, then," he said, nodding. "Thank you… for helping save me."

The nurse gave a small smile before checking his vitals and making quick notes. With a gentle touch, she commented, "Just rest, and your body will recover in no time. We'll keep an eye on you."

Temari watched her closely, then turned to her brother. "Orochimaru's going to pay for what he did."

After Kankuro felt assured, he leaned back and allowed himself a moment of vulnerability. "We'll get him back, but first, I need to rest a little longer."

The nurse took her leave and allowed the trio to converse.

"Why do you think Orochimaru wanted your Tailed Beast?" Temari wondered.

"I'm not sure," Gaara answered, looking down in thought.

But as his sister studied him, she could see the fracture in his façade—a fear that he could have lost not just his Tailed Beast but his siblings.

"You did well, Gaara," she spoke, wanting to reassure him. "We survived, didn't we?"

Gaara clenched his fists tightly as he finally met her gaze and confessed, "I know, but that Sound shinobi… he was powerful. Too powerful… I have to get stronger if I ever want to protect our village."

Kankuro tried his best not to panic at his brother's words. So he encouraged, "You're here, though. You fought through it. You've got us, and we have you."

At that, Gaara smiled with hope.

"We're a family," Temari reaffirmed.

Though Arthur had faced him fiercely and their battle had tested them in ways he never imagined, Gaara was not entirely alone. They shared that moment, respecting the trials they had faced and those yet to come.

These were the Sand Siblings who journeyed together with memories in a sandbox of a painful past that was being mended.

…

At the Leaf Village.

All eyes were glued to the scrolls and newspapers being passed around. The bolded headlines screamed, "Sand's Crimson Sandstorm Devours Sound's Serpent: Gaara Triumphs!"

The details spoke of an epic battle that transpired some days ago in the Wind Country. The formidable shinobi, Gaara, had faced off against Kaito from the Sound ninja.

Kaito was said to be under Orochimaru's direct command, having caused a lot of turmoil within some of the villagers here. Ultimately, Gaara prevailed in the fight and buried Kaito so far under the ground that he had died.

While this put everyone in a celebratory mood, many knew Orochimaru as the dastardly kind. To think the Sannin would now be setting his eyes on Tailed Beasts.

Elsewhere, in the windowless confines of the Anbu headquarters, Yūgao Uzuki was reading the papers alongside her teammates. The news, so triumphant to others, made her feel cold inside.

Kaito was dead—her enemy, the man who had taken away her beloved Hayate Gekkō, was no more. She read through the papers, and when she was finished, she set them down and left the room.

Her fellow Anbu members watched her go without saying a word. They knew. They knew the burden that she carried and the vow she had made the day Hayate was declared dead.

The moment Yūgao stepped out into the deserted corridor, her fist slammed against the stone wall. The impact hurt, but she barely registered it. She had trained relentlessly, all to avenge Hayate. Now, it was over. The task was completed by another, by Gaara of the Sand.

It wasn't her hand that delivered justice, but justice had been served. At least she could be assured that there were those out there that sought to uphold that peace.

The man who had taken Hayate from her was dead. That was enough.

Just as she calmed herself to take it all in, she heard her name from behind. It was a fellow Anbu operative, Towa.

She straightened before fully composing herself. "I'm fine… Just… a little overwhelmed."

Towa accepted her words, unsure of what to say himself.

"Thank you for checking on me, Towa, but I promise, I'm fine."

This prompted Towa to turn and leave. Yūgao looked at her bruised fist, then began to walk towards a small, secluded courtyard, where she could be alone with her thoughts.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the Yamanaka clan compound, almost everyone was ecstatic. The news of Kaito's death was jubilee. And why wouldn't they be happy? Kaito had murdered Inoichi, their clan head.

As if Ino's death hadn't shaken everyone up, her late father's death had nearly caused the clan to disband. Now hope was renewed thanks to the death of the man who took their beloved leader from them.

It was a celebration and a moment of triumph over the darkness that had plagued their clan.

Standing in the midst of the commotion was the widow of Inoichi, his wife.

No one ever knew Inoichi's wife's name since she wasn't as important as her daughter or husband. She presented a composed nature, having been written to be a member of the "Allied Mothers Force" that safeguarded the children and community from external threats.

Her physical description included light brown eyes, lacking pupils, and brown hair styled in a bun, adorned with a crimson ribbon. Wisps of hair framed her face, partially obscuring her ears, and she had a pale complexion with subtle lines visible around her mouth.

It was stated that during the Fourth Shinobi World War, she, along with the other mothers, repelled an attack on the village by Sumo Wrestlers.

Her name was Inoya Yamanaka.

Leadership of the clan had fallen upon her shoulders. She had acted as interim head, bearing the burden of leadership while grieving. Now, as the death of Kaito, the man who had orchestrated the death of her husband, reached her ears, she felt hopeful again.

Her heart still ached for her husband, the man she had loved and lost. But a measure of closure, a sense of justice, had finally arrived. Perhaps with her husband's death avenged, there was a chance to rebuild and to find a measure of peace.

Across the compound, the news finally reached the ears of Alice. She was sitting in a quiet corner of the library, surrounded by stacks of books and scrolls.

The news of Kaito's death—she had been unable to let it go: how could this happen? The news had to be fabricated or something.

Everyone in this world except for her believed that Kaito was working for the Sound Village. But the truth was that Kaito was really Arthur. He was a player, and if a player died, a massive grid appeared in the sky to signify their demise.

But the grid hadn't appeared. And if there was no grid, then Arthur was alive.