Hi everybody.

I know some of you were disappointed with the last chapter because, even though it was titled "Realization", you didn't really see too much of Gaara's thoughts. My excuse for this? Well, I had already reached 5,000 words from just the diary, so if I added in Gaara's feelings and regrets, then the chapter would become obnoxiously long. But, more than anything, I was too lazy to change the title of the chapter... So, yeah.

Gaara's stages of grief are not in the prescribed order of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. One of them he never reaches. Can you guess the order? The title should tell you the first stage.

Chapter 5: Wrath

Gaara couldn't stop staring at the passage in the journal. His eyes scanned each and every word at least 10 times each, but the information never quite sunk in. The Kazekage was in shock. When did he ever make such a request? He didn't remember reading or approving any of this! And he's the Kazekage for goodness's sake! Why wasn't he informed of this?!

He gathered his sand and transported himself to the Kazekage tower. Gaara was silently raging, eye burning and nostrils flaring. Once he found out who's stupid idea this was, there would be Hell to pay. As he flung the doors open and swept through the long hallways, he barreled through someone who was carrying a tall stack of papers, knocking the other person over and sending the parchment into the air.

"Ow, ow." It was his secretary. The man glanced up and grinned stupidly, his butt still planted on the floor, "Ah, Kazekage-sama! How nice it is to see you again! Would you like some tea? We just got a new shipment of ulongcha* from Cha no Kuni*. But, of course, you really can't beat the classics, so maybe some ocha* instead?"

Gaara was in no mood to discuss tea and was about to verbalize his impatience, but was promptly cut off as his secretary continued talking, "Well, when you're finished with your tea, I have some more documents for you to approve, so if you don't mind-"

That was it. Gaara remembered now. He had indeed signed something without reading it a couple days prior. He grabbed the secretary's collar and jerked him up to his feet so that he could look him in the eye.

"Was it you? Did you know?" Gaara demanded harshly. "The document you made me sign after I had already sent everyone away. Did you know what that document entailed?"

The secretary blinked owlishly and cocked his head, "Why, of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

"'Why?'!" That was the wrong answer. Or, maybe any answer would have been the wrong answer, since what's done is done. "Why did you make me sign that paper to send my wife to an enemy village?! There was a reason why I told her to stop being a ninja!" He didn't want to risk putting her in danger and not being able to protect her if she was out of his reach. As the Kazekage, he can't act brashly or leave the village unattended if something were to occur.

The secretary, seeing what this was all about, went from stunned to calm, and just a little bit pompous, in an instant. He swatted the Kazekage's hand away and started gathering the papers, not bothering to look at the most powerful shinobi in all of Suna as he spoke nonchalantly, "Aren't you getting something wrong here, Kazekage-sama? It is true that I indeed delivered the parchment to you when you were in one of your moods, but I did not force you to approve of what was written. I only insisted that you make a decision. The outcome was all on you. It's your fault for not reading before signing." After tapping the stack of paper three times to get them in and orderly pile, he stared into his boss's frantic sea-foam eyes and scoffed, "Aren't you tired of blaming others?"

To say the least, Gaara was taken aback. His secretary never spoke to him like that. He was always either overly affectionate or a coward. What was with the sudden 180?

After shock came anger. He wanted to smash him against the floor and crush his skull with his bare hands, however, what he said did hold some truth. It was the Kazekage's fault for not actually reading the document. How stupid. To be lectured by this bumbling idiot.

Gaara placed a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes in concentration, trying to get his emotions and thoughts under control. He took a deep breathe and opened his eyes, "What is the probability of success?"

"Depends what you mean by 'success'. Of her actually making it there, 86%. Of her being allowed into the village, 63%. Of her-"

"Stop stalling. You know what I mean." he growled.

The secretary was silent for a moment, but continued, "Of her coming back in one piece..." There was another pause. "13%."

Gaara ground his teeth and balled his hands into fists until it seemed that the skin over his knuckles would break. The Kazekage's little self-control had been shattered as his sand flailed wildly around the two men. The sand roped around the secretary's neck and lifted him off the floor. Gaara was furious.

"Why?" he snarled. "What were they thinking! Why would the Council make my wife do something so risky?! With only 13%, what's the point?! It's practically a suicide mission!"

The secretary squirmed in the air, gasping and kicking.

"Answer me!"

"You know it better than anyone, Kazekage-sama. This village is in no position for war. We simply can't afford it. Aiko-sama will die, and the village of Suna will take advantage of that and make any demand we want. It's a necessary sacrifice."

"How dare you..." Gaara's sand tightened and coiled around the other man's body, making a sand cocoon, "How dare you forfeit Aiko's life like some pawn in the name of the 'greater good'. She isn't something to be used and thrown away for the sake of a tactical victory! She's my wife!"

The secretary tilted his chin up so that the sand wouldn't get in his mouth, but preserved his cool facade, trying to ignore the fact that at any second, he could be broken like a toothpick, "You say that as if you have no responsibilities of your own. Tell me, are you not the Kazekage of Suna? Your first priority should be the village, so why are you so upset? It's common knowledge among civilians and shinobi alike that your wife was just a substitute for all the things you didn't have. And now that you have the acceptance and love of the village that you so desperately pined for as a child, you don't need her anymore. She has outlived her usefulness." He gave a sly grin, "So, really, shouldn't you be thanking us for cleanly taking her off your hands?"

Gaara's grip loosened for a second, as if he were going to release him, but then balled his hand into and even tighter fist, crushing half of the secretary's body.

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.

Blood flowing from his mouth, the secretary cackled, "So, this is the limit of your control, huh? What a shame. I was hoping this would last a little longer."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? What's your purpose?"

"Me?" he repeated innocently. He smiled, "Why, I'm the Kazekage's secretary. I deliver, file, and categorize paperwork. I scheduled appointments, meetings, and trips. And, of course, I make the Kazekage's tea. Even though it seems like I dedicate all my time to this village, I'm still a human being. It's not like I'm not your enemy or anything, I'm just looking for a good time. And when I first met you and your wife, I thought that you two could provide me with a first rate laugh*." He tilted his head to the side to remove his bangs from one of his eyes, and lifted his chin slightly, his lips still grinning in that disgustingly smug way. He was looking down on Gaara. "But, it's too bad. I was really expecting more from you. I was so bored. I barely had to do anything. Just fill up your schedule and deliver the news to your wife, and your 'unbreakable bond' fell apart. Pathetic. I'm a man who enjoys the thrill of the chase more than the kill. This kill was too easy. No fun. No fun at all." He clicked his tongue against his teeth, "But, I guess I would be lying if I said that this game was a complete waste of time." He licked his lips and his eyes gleamed wickedly, "The look of distress and hopelessness on Aiko-sama's face was delicious. A true masterpiece. A shame you couldn't see it."

Gaara couldn't think straight. His skin felt like it was burning. There was a loud ringing in his ears and his vision went red. He knew this kind of feeling. This bloodlust. He wouldn't let anyone get away with talking about Aiko like that. Unforgivable. Everything. It was unforgivable. He wanted to lash out like a wounded animal and scream. As Gaara motioned to rip the secretary limb from limb to coat the hallway in his fluids and stomp on the organs of this creature who found entertainment in his suffering, Temari walked onto the scene. He was going to kill this man who seemed to be putting his life on the line for the sole purpose of taunting the emotionally unstable Kazekage.

"Gaara! What do you think you're doing?!" she grabbed him by the shoulder, confused as to why he was lashing out so violently. The secretary was falling into unconsciousness from the lack of oxygen and the pain of his broken bones shredding into his deflated organs. Gaara hasn't done something like this since he was a kid. She thought that they had left that in the past.

He couldn't hear anything. His attention still focused on his secretary. The blood vessels in his aqua eyes and the grinding of his teeth becoming more and more apparent. Temari firmly shook him. He couldn't feel anything. Kill. That's all he could think about. All of his frustration and anger. He had to kill.

His sand slithered around her leg, and in a low hiss he asked, "Did you know about this?" Even though his eyes were still locked on the half crushed man, Temari could tell that he was talking to her, and what her answer was would determine who his anger fell upon next.

Temari pressed her lips together and swallowed. "G-Gaara, please release us. I-I'm your sister. And besides, you're the Kazekage. You can't kill one of your civilians. Okay?" Her brother showed no response which made her even more nervous. "S-So," she continued shakily with a strained smile on her face, "let's get him to a hospital and we can talk about this over some salted tongue and gizzard. How does that sound?"

She slowly raised her hand to gently touch his arm, but his cold words froze her in place, "Did you know that Aiko was going to die?"

"E-eh? Aiko? Dying? What do you mean?" Temari glanced around nervously. She was usually an excellent liar. So why couldn't she keep calm now, when it really matters?

The sand crawled up her body. Gaara had no patience for games. She couldn't hide it. "I... Yes, I knew."

"As you've said, you're my sister. But then, why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you do anything? Wasn't Aiko your friend?"

She hung her head and scraped her teeth over her bottom lip, "At first, that's what I thought too. I thought how could I allow Aiko to be put in such danger? But, I believe that people grow stronger when faced with adversity. It's the same way with love." Temari lifted her head and stared at her brother. "Maybe all she needs is some time in a different environment. Perhaps, when she returns, you guys can make up and be happy again. I believe that she will come back, Gaara. I mean, she's made this far, hasn't she? She's persistent and slightly unconventional in her thinking, and that's what gives her her edge above everybody else. Remember, against all odds, she befriended you and loved you, while Father, Kankuro, and I were scared. She didn't listen to the village rumors and saw you for you. Such an amazing person definitely won't be beaten by a small mission in Harigane. Also, she has you, doesn't she? I'm sure that your concern will get across to her. So let's believe in her ability. Okay?"

There was a long pause on the Kazekage's end. His violent seething had quieted, but Temari wasn't sure if he was finally placated, or about to explode. Gaara punched his fist into the wall. His sister jumped in surprise. He threw his other fist at the wall as debris swirled in the air, and before she knew it, Gaara was trying to create a gaping hole in the hallway. Just before the dust was able to settle, he mumbled, "I'll wait." Aiko had always waited for him, so the least he could do was wait for her return. His sand recoiled as he jumped out the hole he just made. Maybe go someplace quiet so that he could think. But all he could do now was hope that Kami-sama didn't hate him.

Ulongcha: With much less caffeine than green tea, this tea is a refreshing drink during the summer.

Cha no Kuni: Land of Tea

Ocha: green tea

*I know, I know. I totally just copied the Undertaker from Kuroshitsuji, but I just couldn't get that line out of my head. Maybe one day I'll change it or something, but for now, that's what it'll be.

By the way, I know this chapter is awkward and was not worth the wait. No need to tell me something I already know. But it's been exactly one year today since I first published this, so I felt that I had to do something today. Hey, I tried.