A/N: Well what can I say better late then never. I promise I'll try not to make this a frequent thing. Now onto the chapter!

WARNING: Dark content ahead, if any of you are squeamish and detest unnecessary amounts of blood and violence now is the time to put on all life preservers and jump-ship.

"That little girl was dead and in her place stood a cold-blooded killer."

~ Reyna Pryde

Chapter 8

Truthfully, he found the situation he was in more amusing than it was bothersome. The ramifications of his actions hadn't fully sunken in yet until his contacts within Suna had reported their findings.

In short; He was officially public enemy number one, with a kill on sight order and higher bounty placed on his head. The realization that he not only undermined his former home, but stripped it of its main defense would have made him in a more amiable mood if it wasn't for the fact that he was now the most wanted man in all of wind country.

Sunagakure was officially on lock-down, its forces scattered to hunt and kill, and its borders sealed off from any and all outsiders in attempt to block his escape.

The more he heard, the more his smile widened. He had expected this of course. For Suna to let emotions dictate their course of action rather than allow caution and patience to play its hand. It was an all too familiar sight, one reminiscent of when their Sandaime went missing and they scurried like vermin in a fruitless effort to save him.

Still through – there was no reason for him to panic. His spy network had remained intact throughout all of this, intel that would have normally been for the Kazekage and his inner council ears only, were now in his, as was their precious jinchuriki.

Speaking of which, Gaara was far from the pristine weapon he had envisioned. Quite the opposite, her level of defiance was…an unwelcoming surprise.

His lips pursed, as he leaned back further in his chair and pondered the girl he had taken in.

He didn't want to force her to his side nor did he wish to brainwash her to do his bidding.

Originally his intentions had been for the child to see Suna for the monstrous system of evil that it was and perhaps use the village's hatred of her to lure her closer to him. But, the loss of her arm, and her disgust at his methods had put a damper on that idea. For all her apparent apathy for the world around her, the girl was frustratingly incorruptible.

No, not incorruptible, just naïve.

A small difference, but not troublesome all the same. Considering her age he'd been led to believe that simple honeyed coated words and a lie here and there would be all that it took to convince her. However, that was far from the case.

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose in slight irritation, as he fought to keep his temper in control. There was still much to do and unfortunately he had little time to be idle. Just a rumor, a word of mouth of what transpired and the other villages would take notice. And when they did and when they discovered that Suna was without its jinchuriki, they will cast aside all other treaties and peace obligations and take up arms without constraint and war would resume once against to devour the world.

It was for that sole reason that he was charged with only kidnapping the Kazekage's youngest child, her identity as the retainer of the Ichibi only disclosed to the people of the Sand, and that certainty wouldn't be changing anytime soon if he had anything to say about it.

"Sasori-sama." A feminine voice called out to him. The man sighed, turning his attention to the yellow-eyed maid standing at the door, starring at him stoically. "Am I interrupting a private moment?"

The red-head frowned.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be watching the girl." It wasn't a question nor was there any hint of accusation or irrational judgement in the man's tone. After all, he's known the maid long enough to know that she was impeccable when it came to handling the tasks given to her.

"The girl is asleep and I have my summons watching over." She responded.

Sasori nodded. "I suppose that's for the best…"

A thick silence filled the room.

"What?"

"You seem troubled?" Nanshi offered a polite smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She quirked a brow. "…It is clear to me that events aren't transpiring as you would have favored. The child…"

"Is of no concern. She will come around."

She had no choice, but too.

Nanashi shook her head. "You don't believe that. You can't believe it. The girl is different in comparison to the others you have taken. While they would have cried, begged, and offered explicit favors in exchange for release from their captivity, the girl does none of this. Despite being powerless, she is defiant, she gazes upon you not with fear nor resentment, but with indifference, and disobedience."

"And what would you suggest? Threats, torture, further mutilation." Sasori listed off irritably.

"No, that will only further complicate things and increase her aversion of us. She already see's you as an enemy. Someone who took her power from her, who took her arm from her, who took her from everyone and everything she ever cherished."

"What would you have me do, then?" Sasori scowled. "As you've clearly seen nothing works. She spits at my hospitality, scoffs at my good intentions, and snarls at my presence."

"And here I thought you were smarter than this." She sighed and Sasori nearly rose to his feet in rage. "Do you know why the girl rejects you? Why she reviles your mere existence as if it were a curse. Your aim was to let the girl see you as a liberator, a hero freeing a helpless princess from a ruthless tyrant, but from the very beginning you presented yourself as just another jailer bent on controlling the beast within, while seeing the girl and the demon as one in the same."

Sasori remained quiet, knowing she was right.

"What would you have me do?" He repeated, his tone more resigned, if not dejected.

Nanashi smile never wavered, her eyes appearing to glow readily with anticipation.

"I have a few ideas, but the first step is simple…break her."

Sasori blinked at the odd choice of words. "Break her? What am I exactly supposed to break?"

The maid titled her head, a pouting look adorned her face, which held both amusement and dark intent, as if the answer itself was obvious.

"Why her innocence of course…"

He came again, like he did every morning. Of course she never gave him the time of day. She knew what he wanted, what he craved from her was no different from what other men wished to obtain. Power, control, some absurd conception of godhood. The Redhead would try to tempt her, flatter her with empty compliments and words that would be convincing if she didn't know his character. Without fail she rejected him, each more aggressive than the last. It came to a point where she even refused the synthetic arm he'd had crafted for her, declaring she rather be crippled for life then to ever accept anything from him. Which was why she was more than a little wary when Sasori appeared suddenly, without warning, or an explanation and asked her to follow him – the look and forcefulness of his request made it sound more like an order.

With him leading and her trailing far behind, the two walked to a part of the estate, which Gaara hadn't recognized, mostly due in part to her unwillingness to wander in unseen territory, but unlike the rest of the egregiously sized manor which held an air of cleanness and albeit a welcoming air, this one was dilapidated and chilling. In spite of not having any access to her chakra, thereby her heightened senses, Gaara could still feel the wrongness that surrounded them. And it was terrifying.

Before she could question it further they had come to a single rusted door that stood at the edge of a dark hall, with a casual thrust of his hand the seals that secured the secrets behind it came undone.

"After you." Sasori smiled sincerely or at least what came close to one. Gaara was never sure nor did she care to tinker with the idiosyncrasies of a madman. Without a passing glance she entered, eager to be done with the man's twisted game.

The room was freezing, resembling a storage deposit or a large refrigeration unit as she passed loads of crates, and other boxes riddled with ice. Yet, Sasori continued on, until they came across a large metallic structure, a cage, where slowly Gaara could start to make out low, audible groans of agony. Then her heart dropped.

"…Welcome to my workshop." Sasori said with pride. Hesitantly Gaara took a step forward, seeing a dozen or so children, all of them varying in age. The oldest couldn't have been older then twelve. They were huddled together, dressed in rags, most looked on the verge of death.

"W-What is this?" Gaara whispered, fearful of the answer.

"My Lab" Sasori said with a fondness that was all too disturbing. "It's were I've completed my best work."

"I mean," She gritted. "Who are these children?"

"Material." Sasori said nonplussed. "Neglected, unwanted, or discarded subjects I've come across on my travels."

Gaara's lips thinned. "And why are we here?"

His smile seemed to widen further.

"I've come to an epiphany." He said, squatting down to her level as she backed away warily. "I see now that my way of doing things would never work with you, you're a wild card, a polished gem, to pure and delicate for this world. In other words you're incorruptible"

"…Okay." Gaara frowned, disturbed by the man's sudden change in theatrics. This quickly turned into confusion as he handed her a kunai.

Sasori nodded. "So to fix that I want you to kill all these children!" He said cheerfully.

What!

"Use the kunai and stabbed their little hearts, slit their jugulars, or if you're feeling really bold draw it out. True art holds no bounds."

Gaara blinked, at the expecting look he gave her.

Did he really believe that she'd go along with this?

Her eye's narrowed. "No." She said softly, but firmly as she dropped the kunai.

The smile never left his face, as though her response was expected. "I was afraid you'd say that, which is why it was never up for you to decide." He said, rising to his feet as he made his way towards the cage before unlocking the latch.

One by one the children were ushered out, glancing at Sasori then at her with a variety of emotions ranging from hope to despair. Soon enough every child was brought out and just as quickly each found themselves in possession of a kunai.

Confusion etched itself on their malnourished faces.

"Tell me children," Sasori with a knowing smirk. "Do you want to go home, to see your families and loved again?"

Their eyes widened, briefly the light returned to those once hopeless gazes.

"I can give that to you. I can let you all go…however there is only one little thing I want you to do for me first?"

"What is it?" One of the braver one of them said as the others hurriedly followed suit. "Well do anything Sasori-sama! Anything!"

"Good boys and girls." Sasori cooed. "All I want you to do…" He turned to Gaara. "…is kill that girl. Kill her and you can all go home, kill her and you can all have your freedom."

A minute passed then another…

Gaara face grew white as she realized all too late the man's intentions. "Sasori don't -"

Too late.

The children didn't hesitate. Not when the freedom they had long abandoned laid just within reach. Without care or seconds thoughts they charged, hunger and desperation driving them beyond any point of reasoning.

Seeing this, Gaara knew that talking would lead to nowhere. These children were inconsolable, months or perhaps years of captivity made their actions justifiable as they circled her from every corner like a swarm of bloodthirsty vultures.

"RAAAGGHH!"

With a war cry one them, a boy charged her, the kunai clumsily gripped in his hand as Gaara pulled back. She could see the panic in his gaze, the torment, and cruelty that he had no doubt suffered and she couldn't help, but pity him.

At his second attempt to jab the blade into her heart she ducked and swept her legs under his, causing him to topple to the floor. This momentary victor was soon interrupted as she felt a tremendous weight tackle her from behind. The others soon capitalized on her weakness and pounced. Two held her legs, one pressed her shoulders down as another stood over her, poised and ready as he plunged the accursed blade into her stomach.

She let out a cry of pain and disbelief as the weapon came down again and she coughed up blood.

"KILL HER!"

"KILL HER!"
"KILL HER!"

The children were shouting now, elation evident in their faces as something within her just snapped - !

"DIE!"

Rage, unbridled raw fury, fueled her.

Like a girl possessed Gaara shot up, neglecting the hole in her gut as she wasted no time in smash her head into the nose of the boy in front of her, sending him rolling back with a sickening crack, as the bone shattered. She followed up by wrenching the kunai off his blooded form and descending upon the others like a demon from hell as she saw red.

Despite their best efforts the children were still weak, emaciated, and experienced in comparison to her. Adrenaline pumped through Gaara's veins as she embedded the blade into the eye socket of another child, before turning around and slashing out the throat of a stunned girl as a red brighter than any she'd ever seen squirted out of the severed artery.

Savagely Gaara tore through the group, instincts driving her as she systematically decimated all those gathered, one by one until she was bathed in blood.

"W-wait – P-Please - I-I -"

The red fog that consumed her slowly dissipated as Gaara's gaze fell on the last person left. A little girl who couldn't have been older than six, looking at her with a profound horror. Gaara felt ill, the weight of the world crashed on her shoulders as she looked around her. There were bodies. A lot of dismembered bodies. The bodies of children. Children whose lives were cut short, who'd never had a chance to live. And now they were gone, forever…because of her.

The kunai in her hand clattered the ground as she stepped forward and extended a hand out, her intention to comfort the girl. The child looked to the kunai in her hand shakily, then let out a whimper.

"Daddy…Mommy…"

With little hesitation the girl slid the sharp metal across her throat. She opened her mouth, but no scream came, just blood, that dripped from her lifeless body that collapsed like a marionette without its strings.

Shocked, Gaara fell to her knees, the energy drained from her.

What…did…I…do?

"Excellent work Hime, I never had any doubt that you'd succeed." Sasori said, standing over her. "It's the way of the world, the weak are simply nourishment for the strong, they had their chance and they failed. It was only natural that this be the result."

Gaara didn't respond, her eyes clouded over and she lurched over and threw up her insides.

Sasori let out a sigh. "You may hate me, you may curse me, you may even revile me if you must." He began watching the girl without emotion. "I care very little. Just no that when all is said and done, you'll thank me."

He left without another word, satisfied as left the grieving girl a shell of her former-self