Chapter Text
Nothing would be the same. The siblings knew this when Gaara spoke the words, "I'm sorry," for what seemed like the first time. None of the siblings including the young red head knew when Gaara last said those words, and yet the new memory hung at the back of the siblings minds as all three headed back to Suna. At the back of their minds also hung the fear of what their father would do to Gaara, and perhaps even the older siblings for failing on their mission, or even how the people of Suna would react to what amounted to a horribly construed plot by the forth Kazekage.
Thus all three wished to slip into the village unnoticed, but with only one entrance to Suna the reentering of Suna wouldn't go completely unnoticed.
The three timed their arrival late at night, and planned on if asked telling the adults around them that they were tending to injuries. Upon arriving at the entrance late that night the three found themselves met with silence. Kankuro glanced at Temari, as if to ask if the eerie feeling she got was similar to the feeling they had when people noticed Garra coming. The eldest sibling's head darted back to look at the youngest to see if he noticed, but Gaara remained staring off into space as if the situation didn't phase him.
"He's used to it I guess." Temari muttered out the words so that only Kankuro could hear her. She shook her head before heading in through the long corridor, and found themselves met with the same silence.
"Is Suna in mourning?" Gaara's voice made his sister jump, and both of the older siblings looked back to see Gaara's eyes taking in the black draping which hung around all of Suna along the path to the Kazekage's home.
The red head shinobi watched as Temari swallowed. "Well, there is no telling who all we lost. We're likely going to have to attend funerals, or something like that. Well, you might not likely be expected to go Gaara."
"They'd likely rather I not go. I don't know whether I should respect their wishes, or if I should respect the dead."
"How about we worry about that when the time comes." Kankuro grimaced, and Gaara stared trying to figure him out. Upon realizing this the older of the two brothers spoke up again. "No, I'm not upset with you Gaara. I'm just, I guess I'm a little worried because I don't have an answer for you."
Gaara puzzled over what his brother said, but found himself unable to come up with a decent answer to what Kankuro meant. The red haired shinobi followed after his siblings, and said nothing more despite the fact something about the looks on his siblings' faces told him they were upset about something. A flash of light drew Gaara's attention away to a window, and he saw someone peek out only for the person to hurry away from the window.
His siblings beckoned him to follow after, and soon the three arrived at the home of the Kazekage. All three looked up at the building, and saw no lights on. Temari stepped forward, and pushed the front door open. The three siblings expected someone to greet them when the arrived, but soon realized only silence greeted them.
All three in turn looked at each other, and Gaara worried at the corners of his mouth. "Something's not right."
Temari turned to look at him, and waved her hand. "Don't worry. I doubt the Kazekage would plan some kind of trap for us, or something like that."
"Maybe he's in his office?" Kankuro's voice strained.
"No. We'd at least sense the Anbu lurching around here, but they're nowhere in sight. I'd sense if they were here." Gaara's mouth opened slightly as the actual location almost slipped out of his mouth, and he quickly clamped his mouth shut.
"What is it Gaara?" Temari spoke in a soft voice. "Where are the Anbu?"
"They're at the hospital building."
"You know about the hospital?" One of the corners of Kankuro's mouth twisted up as he listened to the boy. "You've never been injured before, so that's rather strange."
"It's I believe what people call a landmark." Gaara glanced at the floor. "Why would the Anbu be at the hospital?"
"Maybe father's seeing to the injured? That would be one of his duties as the Kazekage wouldn't it?" Temari tried smiling at her younger brother, but some of the color from her skin fled her face.
"I wouldn't know. Is that part of taking care of Suna?"
Kankuro let out a deep breath. "I wouldn't say..."
Temari elbowed the older of her two brother's in the rib. "Part of taking care of Suna means keeping up moral, and one way to do that is by visiting the injured shinobi in the hospital. Does that make sense?"
"From what I understand moral goes down when people die, so this is to counteract the black draping? That is how it works, right?"
"Sort of." Temari beckoned her brothers after her, and the three headed to the hospital.
Upon arriving at the hospital Gaara looked around, and took in the mood trying to read the way people were feeling. The three walked in, and headed down the halls without anyone saying anything to stop them. "I don't think the Kazekage's doing a good job of lifting moral by visiting the injured."
"That's because the Kazekage isn't visiting the injured."
The familiar voice made the three siblings turn their head to look at Baki. Kankuro's face broke into a grin. "Sensei! We're glad to see you! Nobody..."
Gaara watched as Kankuro's face fell, and he looked slowly between the three. Baki cleared his voice. "Where have you three been?"
"We... Gaara needed healing." Temari's voice tighten as the half-truth passed by her lips. The female sibling swallowed deep. "Baki, where is the Kazekage? If he's not visiting the injured, then why are the Anbu here?" The man looked at the three siblings, and after a few moments of silence Temari's voice strained. "Baki?"
"Lady Temari, Lord Kankuro, follow me if you will."
Gaara's mouth opened to ask what was going on, but instead the red haired Shinobi felt as if he became invisible as he followed after his siblings, and their teacher. They arrived at a room guarded by a couple of Anbu. Baki stepped through the door, and the two older siblings followed after.
"Should I go in?" Gaara stared at the two Anbu, and wondered if they would prevent him from going in. His eyes blinked a couple of times, and his mouth opened up upon hearing Kankuro's angry voice from the room. The young shinobi stepped forward, only to stop when the Anbu raised their weapons, only to stop when the Jinchuriki glared at them.
The first thing Gaara saw when he stepped into the room was Kankuro gripping the front of Baki's clothing. The young shinobi stepped forward, and reached out to touch his brother's arm. "Let... go."
Gaara's eyes darted over to the bed in the room, and his hand lowered. The young Jinchuriki stepped around the two older males, and stepped over to the side of the bed. His thin hand reached out to the touch the person lying in the bed, but stopped short upon hearing Baki's voice. "Lord Gaara!"
Gaara's pale green eyes darted over to look at the man. "Why aren't his eyes open? What's that thing over his mouth?" Baki's eyebrow's shot up, and his mouth opened slightly. Kankuro though glared at his brother in an angry manner, but Temari looked like she was going to be ill. "Did I do anything wrong?"
Banki's eyes blinked a couple of times. "Did you do anything wrong?"
Kankuro's facial features softened, and he let go of their sensei's clothing. He walked over to Gaara, and placed his hands gently on Gaara's shoulders. "You've done nothing wrong Gaara. This isn't your fault."
Gaara turned his head back to look at the Kazekage as he lay in the bed, and noticed as he did a look of surprise on Baki's face. "Why isn't the Kazekage waking up? Shouldn't our presense draw his attention?"
Baki cleared his voice, and the red haired shinobi turned to look at the man. Their sensei crossed his arms as he spoke. "The lord Kazekage's in what we call a comma."
"What does that mean?" Gaara's head turned back to look at the man.
"A comma is like the opposite of your insomnia. Instead of not being able to fall asleep, you're not able to wake up. You're in a deep dream state."
The young red haired shinobi worried the corners of his mouth. "Why?"
A deep breath from Baki made Gaara turn his head to look back at his sensei. "According to the bodyguards who were with the lord Kazekage they were meeting up with Orochimaru to make the final plans for Konoha, but Orochimaru tried burring our Kazekage with his snakes. The lord Kazekage used his gold dust to protect the men who were with him, but ended up injured in the cave in. The men were able to dig him out."
The young Jinchuriki's eyes dated over to his father. "Then it is my fault."
"Gaara. You weren't there, so how can it be your fault?" Temari's voice wavered.
"Because I wasn't there." The young shinobi's eyes widened, and he turned his head to look at his older sister. Somehow Temari knew exactly what he was thinking.
"I can't make him better Gaara. My healing abilities are minor to actual medical-nin. If they can't do it..." Temari glanced away. "And I'm not sure I want him better."
Gaara's eyes widened at this comment from his sister, and his eyes darted over to Kankuro. His brother's eyes filled with anger, but this anger for once wasn't directed at the youngest of the siblings. "It's his fault you ended up the way you did. You do understand that, don't you Gaara."
Temari reached out to tug at her younger siblings sleeve. "Come on. Let's go home and get something to eat." When the young jinchuriki didn't budge. "Alright, you can stay here. Come home soon though. I'll leave something out for you to eat."
The two older siblings left the room, and Gaara stared down at his father. His mind flickered to the memory of watching Lee asleep in his bed, and again he worried at the corners of his mouth as his arms crossed his chest. His mouth opened to speak to nobody, but himself. "I don't think I wanted this."
"Lord Gaara?"
Gaara's mouth opened, and he turned to look at Baki. The man didn't say anything. The young jinchuriki pointed at the item over the Kazekage's mouth. "What is that?"
"That is an item that helps the Kazekage breath."
"Oh..." Gaara continued to stare at the man. "Why would he do that?"
"Why?" Baki didn't continue speaking for awhile. "The lord Kazekage did that because he cared for his men, and the people of Suna."
The young jinchuriki blinked a couple of times, and his mouth opened up. Gaara pulled a chair over. "So that's what it's like? To care for someone?"
"That's one way."
The red haired shinobi sat down in a chair. "I think I want to be like that."