Author's Note: Finally, a new chapter. While I'm trying to stay as close to the anime as possible, I am taking some liberty with it. Hope you all are finding this story a fitting sequel.

Chapter 3

Kohaku emerged from the rock of the cliffs to see that the entrance was blocked by a huge rockslide. Tracks led away from the village, but there were quite a few trails to follow, so how could she- Wait, one trail had a third set of tracks where others only had two. Someone must've escaped from the slide and set out after Akatsuki. She raced along, hoping they weren't too far ahead. About a mile away, she spotted a dark figure, and as she got closer, realized it was Kankuro. "Where's your team?" she wondered, coming up alongside him. He looked away from her and grit his teeth for a moment.

"Dead. All but two. We were caught in a trap."

"Why didn't you wait for backup?"

"Would you wait if they had taken Kurai or Daichi?"

"Point taken." They kept walking for a bit, and every time Kohaku thought they had lost the trail, Kankuro would find it again. His determination and skill had never been so forward before. "What will you do when we find them?"

"I'm getting Gaara back."

"These are Akatsuki, Kankuro. S-rank criminals. Let's not get stupid."

"Head back then if you want. I'm not returning without Gaara."

"Since when did you become all brotherly?" she half-teased, keeping her eyes on the quiet desert on all sides.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Gaara and I talked for a while when he made the decision to become the Kazekage. And that's when I really realized how much he'd changed. That Naruto kid… He really turned my brother around. And now I need to save him so that he can keep living his dream." More silence stretched between them as they kept walking. The sky soon began to lighten, and both shinobi were growing slightly tired, though neither would admit it. And then, up ahead, they spotted two figures and a large bird. Wrapped in the bird's tail was Gaara. "Leave or stay, Kohaku. Make your decision. But don't get in my way." She frowned slightly, but grabbed her breathing mask and began sinking into the sand.

"I'll be here if things get out of hand." Once beneath the surface, she allowed her senses to follow the fight above as best she could. She did not have to wait long before she felt the chakra belonging to Kankuro's puppets. He was using all three, so his opponent apparently also meant business. Not that she'd expect less from Akatsuki. Suddenly the ground near her trembled, and she saw a form sliding through the sand towards her. Eyes wide, she remained still, hoping the enemy did not see her. She had no such luck. However, when the strange person looked at her, she almost had the impression that he did not think her a threat. The fact that he surfaced right after confirmed her suspicions. He was toying with them. She and Kankuro were both Jounin rank, and her job was to hunt down shinobi like Akatsuki. That their enemy did not think to give her so much as a second glance either meant he was an idiot… Or that he was simply that good. Up above, she could sense that Kankuro was struggling to fend off the enemy's attacks, but she made the decision to stay below and wait. There was doubt in the back of her mind that her help would make that much difference. Another few minutes, and the fight was over, the enemy leaving. She waited a moment longer, then surfaced. Kankuro was laying facedown amid the shattered remains of his puppets.

"Kohaku," he wheezed out when she knelt beside him.

"Idiot. What the hell happened?" He lifted a hand towards her, eyes struggling to remain open.

"Sa-Sasori," he managed to say. The name sent chills up her spine. Sasori of the Red Sands was a missing-nin from their own village, and the genius behind the Puppet Squad that Kankuro was part of. He'd left years ago, and apparently had joined Akatsuki somewhere in the meantime. She needed to get Kankuro back to the village. He knew more than she did, and-

"You should have stayed down, sand flea," a raspy voice said as a wooden scorpion tail the width of her arm plunged into her back.

"Kohaku!" Kankuro yelled as loud as he could. "It's poison!" But Kohaku merely turned her head and looked at her assailant, committing his face to memory.

"This flea bites back," she whispered as she dissolved into fire that stuck to the tail. Sasori shook the appendage furiously to put it out, and then finally forced it into the sand to stop the flames.

"A clone, eh? Hopefully this is the last of the distractions. As I said before: I hate making people wait." Kankuro had already passed out when he shuffled away a second time. There was no time to waste, and he needed to catch up to Deidara.

Back in the village, Kohaku shook her head as she registered the destruction of her second clone. The other had proved unsuccessful in finding anything, and had exploded harmlessly out in the desert. "Kankuro, you are an idiot," she said to herself, coming up to the cliffs and seeing that a team was already moving the rocks blocking the way. Baki was overseeing things, and she walked up to him. "Baki-san, do you have a moment?"

"Kohaku, what is it?" he asked, not turning from watching the teams work.

"Kankuro is out in the desert. He had a run-in with one of the Akatsuki members, and he's been poisoned." At this, the older man turned for a moment and sighed.

"There was a team dispatched after him, and they shouldn't be too far behind. I can assume you had a clone follow him?"

"Correct. Modified kage bunshin (Shadow Clones). She was also attacked by the Akatsuki member before she could get much info about him from Kankuro."

"Did you get a name or a former village?" It was her turn to sigh, and she turned her head up to the sky for a moment.

"Both. He's one of ours. But you might want to get Kankuro's version first. My clone might've misunderstood what he said."

"Understood. Now-" There was a commotion among the teams clearing the rocks as a pile began to move. "Get back!" Baki shouted, running towards them. Kohaku also moved, and stood in front of the teams as more rocks began shaking.

"Ganseki kabe! (Rock wall)" The rock of the cliffs responded to her touch, shielding the others as the rock pile blasted outwards. A moment later, everyone heard:

"I need a medic, now!" Kohaku's eyes widened as she dropped the wall and saw her father standing there supporting Seishin. Naiteki was behind him, a bit wobbly on her feet, but otherwise okay.

"Father!"

"Taru-san!" Baki echoed as a medic team quickly got to the Tanamaris and began working on Seishin. Taru walked over to his daughter, nodding grimly.

"He's alive, but barely. And that damn trap didn't help matters. Impatient shinobi always get others into trouble."

"Kankuro?"

"Yes, and most of his team was caught in that blast. We were farther up the trail from them when the explosions took out part of the walls. Baki, there were no other survivors."

"Understood, Taru-san. We'll clear everything as soon as we can."

"I'll send a few of our clan to help. Hopefully they can get to any more exploding tags or other traps that might still be in that mess. For now, Kohaku and I will be leaving." Baki nodded, but Kohaku frowned for a moment. There was something not quite right about this. Her father seemed very business-like, but why? He had just blasted through the remains of a rock slide that could've killed him, and both his former teammates were injured. Tanamari-san especially looked awful, blood everywhere. Though she knew that he could put his emotions on hold, Taru still seemed very distant and cold. And then it hit her: The Kazekage. Gaara was gone. This was an opportunity that her father would not pass up. The chance to possibly get a Hajino as village leader. The thought sickened her a bit, but when Taru came up beside her, she merely nodded and trailed along behind him. When they were a good distance away from the others, Taru turned to her. "This is the day we have been waiting for. That monster is gone, and hopefully forever."

"Father, he is still the Kazekage, no matter your personal feelings for him. There is still a chance he will be rescued."

"Rescued? By who, Kohaku? Who of this village would risk their lives to help him?" Her eyes narrowed and darkened as she stood in front of her father, voice low and even as she met his gaze.

"I would, and so would my brothers. Talk with the Clan if you wish Father, but I for one will have no part of this idea. There is a reason I live on my own. I am a Hajino in name and blood only. The idea of trying to replace the Kazekage so soon after he saved us disgusts me." She did not stay to hear the outrage that would likely follow, but instead turned and bolted for Senjo's house. Reaching there in record time, she flung the door open and immediately slammed it shut behind her. Daisuke started from the chair he'd been sleeping in, and looked over.

"Kohaku? Kohaku, what happened?" He stood and walked over to her, and she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace.

"My father… It's always my father, Daisuke. He's the only one who could ever anger me this much."

"What did he say now?"

"I believe he wishes to replace Gaara with one of our Clan." Silence enveloped the room for a moment, and then Daichi wandered in from further in the house, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Kohaku, what's going on?"

"Nothing Daichi. I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay. Inkei snores, so I wasn't sleeping great anyway. Riki and him are laying down still."

"Where are Kurai and Senjo?" Daichi shrugged and smiled slyly.

"Where do you think?" he asked, walking into the kitchen. Kohaku looked at Daisuke for an explanation, and he sighed.

"Senjo wouldn't calm down, and she wouldn't let Kurai leave her. They're sleeping in her bed right now."

"Then we'll let them sleep. I'm a bit tired myself."

"Any word on our mother and father?"

"They're both being treated by med-nins. My father managed to save them from the worst of the explosion at the cliffs. Hopefully Tanamari-san pulls through." Daisuke smiled and hugged her again.

"He's stubborn, and he knows mother would just kill him all over again when she found his spirit. So let's get you to bed. Then we'll discuss everything when we're all a bit more awake."

"The village is a mess right now. At this point, I don't know what we're going to do. But sleep does sound like a good idea."

"Everything will look better once you've had a chance to refocus." Kohaku nodded and followed Daisuke back to the living room, where he went back to the chair and she curled up on the couch. The words she'd said to her father kept repeating in her mind, and she shut her eyes tight to block them out.

"Akatsuki is going to regret messing with Hidden Sand," she whispered as she finally fell asleep.

Kurai rolled over and shook the last remnants of sleep from his eyes, momentarily confused by his strange surroundings. The room he was in was painted a soft blue like the sky, not the tan color of the natural stone. And when had he- And then he remembered: He was in Senjo's room. A quick glance to his left revealed the sleeping form of the redhead, nestled snugly against him with her head on his shoulder. "Senjo," he whispered, gently touching her shoulder.

"Five more minutes," she replied softly, smiling and rolling over without even opening her eyes. Kurai nodded to himself and extracted his arm without further waking her and moved the sheet back over her. His eyes caught the pictures on the wall above the bed, and he smiled. It was a series of three photos, all of the trio: The first was when they had become Genins, the next was after passing the Chuunin exam, and the final one was when he and Kohaku had been recognized as Jounins. The next picture in the sequence would obviously be when Senjo herself made Jounin. With circumstances being as they were currently, that reality might be fast approaching. Leaving the room silently, Kurai walked into the hall and peered into Inkei's room. Daichi and Riki were lying on sleeping mats on the floor, and Senjo's brother was sound asleep on his bed. Allowing the Genins a bit more sleep, he went downstairs and found Daisuke and Kohaku just waking up in the living room.

"Morning," he said to them, taking a seat across from his sister.

"Probably more like early afternoon," she corrected with a yawn, shaking her head to clear it. "It was morning when I got here, and you were all still asleep." There was a moment's pause as she frowned. "How are they doing?"

"Senjo seems a bit better. She stopped crying a little after we got here, and then I got her to sleep. Daichi and Riki had to practically wrestle Inkei into bed, and that seems to have worn them all out.

"Speaking of the kids, I believe their mentor was at the cliffs last night, but I don't think they know yet." Daisuke told them. "With it being so close to the Chuunin exams, this might hurt their chances of going."

"The Academy will find a replacement teacher if that is the case," Kurai explained. "And worse case, I'll go with them to Konoha. I would have been going anyway to see the exam."

"We'll discuss that when the time comes," Kohaku said as she stood and began pacing around the room. Both young men looked at her, then at each other. Pacing was Kohaku's way of showing frustration, and by the look on her face, there was something very wrong going on.

"You mentioned your father when you came in," Daisuke prodded. "Care to tell us what happened?" She stopped pacing and hooked a finger around the strap of the pouch that held her mask, then locked eyes with Kurai.

"Father wants to make a bid for a Hajino as Kazekage." He merely grimaced and nodded. Daisuke appeared a little surprised, though he'd heard the news earlier.

"But, why would he wish to do that so soon after Gaara-sama was taken?"

"Because that's what our father has been waiting for. For Gaara either to snap, die, or be taken from the village. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by the idea, but it doesn't surprise me."

"What are we going to do, Kurai? I already told Father that I want nothing to do with this idea." Now her brother stared at her, eyes wide.

"You told him that? Kohaku, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'm tired of all this. We've had to deal with Father talking about us – no, you getting rid of Gaara since we were two. Even after it was clear that he'd changed, Father's attitude and intentions never did. You practically defied his wishes and kept your position as heir to the clan, and Daichi all but studies from Gaara directly. I've kept my mouth shut long enough, but no more. I don't want to be beholden to Father any longer, and if it means leaving the Clan, then I will." The silence stretched on for a while as Kurai sat there with his hands clasped in his lap. Daisuke's gaze kept bouncing back and forth between the siblings, and he wasn't sure if saying something was a good idea or not.

"Then what would you like me to do, Kohaku?" Kurai finally asked. She threw her hands up in frustration and turned away from him.

"I don't know! There isn't anything you can do, short of challenging Father for direct control of the Clan." Again there was silence, and she whirled to face her brother, who had a smug grin in his face. "Are you insane?" she demanded, moving to stand in front of him. "You can't take on Father!"

"Not yet I can't. But now that I have a goal, it's all a matter of working towards it." He stood and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "All I ask of you is that you stand by me when I issue the challenge."

"You make it seem like I wouldn't."

"Then I'll be fine." Kurai left the room and walked back upstairs, intent on now waking the others. Kohaku and Daisuke were left stunned.

"He is serious, isn't he?" he asked softly. Kohaku nodded as she walked over and embraced the man she had come to love over the two and half years she'd known him.

"Very serious. Once Kurai gets an idea in his head, he'll see it through to the end, no matter the cost."

"Do you really think he can win against your father, though?"

"That will be up to him. But for now, we need to focus on how to get Gaara back. Come on, I need your help at the library."

"What for?"

"Researching a foe from the village's not-too-distant past."

Kurai ran through the streets, frowning as he noted that the sun was beginning to descend out of the sky. It was late afternoon, and he'd spent more time than he'd intended getting Senjo and the kids up and functioning. Riki had gone home soon after, but Daichi had wanted to stay with his friend, and Senjo was still very clingy. Looking down at his little brother, the Jounin sighed heavily. "What is it?" Daichi asked, keeping pace with him.

"Father is probably going to chew us out for being gone so long."

"The whole village is a mess, Kurai. No one is sure what's going on, and it's all we can do to keep a semblance of normalcy."

"Still, we should've been home hours ago."

"If I remember correctly, we were both busy helping those we care about. I'm just glad Inkei decided to go to the hospital to see his parents."

"I just wish Senjo had gone with him. But she insisted that she needed to make the house spotless, and then cook for her and Inkei."

"She's just avoiding the inevitable." Kurai nodded and sighed again. It was unlike Senjo to avoid going to the hospital, especially given the situation. After all, it was Kohaku who hated being in hospitals, not her.

"I'll give it a day or so, then I'll have Daisuke help me drag her there." Though he'd been wary at first of the former Stone ninja, Kurai had soon called a truce with the older boy; and that was slowly becoming a friendship. Senjo had been grateful, especially since Kohaku and her "brother" had begun a relationship a few months after he was made a full Sand shinobi. Kurai broke himself out of reminiscing to find that they'd arrived home, and he took a deep breath before entering the house. "Stay quiet and let me take the brunt of it, Daichi," he ordered.

"No argument here." The brothers walked inside, and saw immediately that sandals lined the wall by the door in quite a few rows. That meant that the rest of the Clan was already here. Atsui poked her head out of the kitchen and saw them. She quickly went over to them, mouth in a tight line and her eyes betraying no emotion.

"Get into the training room quickly," she said. "Your father started the meeting an hour ago, and was looking for you. How are Seishin and Naiteki?"

"They were taken to the hospital early this morning. Inkei's there now. Senjo's still home," Kurai explained. Their mother nodded and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Thank goodness. After dinner I'll go down and see them. Maybe Inkei will want to stay here for a bit before he goes back to see them."

"Maybe. If you'll excuse us, mother, I'm sure we've made Father wait long enough." Atsui nodded and let them pass. The door to the training room was closed, but the boys could both hear talking coming through, and Kurai opened the door and walked in without hesitation. Twenty-seven pairs of eyes shifted to look at the brothers, and Daichi shrunk behind Kurai for a moment as their father leveled his disapproving gaze at them. Seemingly ignoring it, Kurai stopped and bowed, and Daichi followed his lead. "Forgive us for being late, Father. Please continue with the meeting. We'll catch up on the subject quickly."

"Where have you two been?" Taru demanded, dismissing the apology.

"We were at the Tanamaris and stayed longer than we should have."

"Any word on their conditions yet?"

"No Sir, not yet. Inkei is with them now, and I'm sure he'll let us know if anything changes." Taru nodded and jerked his head at the benches surrounding the training pit in the center of the room where he was standing. The elders and other adults of the Hajino Clan were all seated around the room, and Kurai quickly pulled Daichi to where there were open seats. "As I was saying, there is no longer a need to wait for the vessel to slip into his old ways. We now have the perfect opportunity to let the Elders of the village choose a truly worthy Kazekage, not just some puppet that they believe they can control. What we need to do as a Clan is choose who will make the bid for Kazekage, and present our case to the Council."

"Do we have any criteria for choosing our candidate?" one of the older men asked. "Say, based on age or the like?"

"The only criteria I'm setting forth are that the candidate must be a Jounin, an active ninja, and demonstrate complete control over all our techniques."

"Do you have anyone in mind, Taru?" his brother asked.

"If no one will object, I have two candidates in mind: One is myself, and one is Kurai." The room went silent as all eyes focused on the young man. He sat there wide-eyed, scarcely believing he'd heard his father correctly.

"Father, with all due respect, aren't I a little young to be considered to lead the village?" Nods and whispers traveled across the room, but Taru shook his head.

"Nonsense, you're never too young to earn rank. Besides, there would be advisors if a situation was something you'd never handled before."

"Father," Daichi spoke up softly, keeping his eyes down. "What about Gaara-sama? There's still a chance he could return-"

"The abomination is dead, Daichi. He deserves no honors from anyone anymore. Akatsuki took him, and I highly doubt they will see fit to even return his corpse once they're through with it."

"How can you say that?" the boy asked, his voice getting louder as he looked up. "He's still the Kazekage-"

"After a few days, the Elder Council will likely declare him dead, and then they will need to select a new leader before the other Hidden Villages have a chance to attack us in a moment of perceived weakness. That is why we must be ready. Do you understand?" The tone in his father's voice was a warning one, and Daichi merely nodded and returned his gaze to the floor. Kurai saw his fist clench in his lap, and he put a hand on his brother's shoulder for a moment. "Now then, I want all of you to return home and think about this. Tomorrow morning I want to have names of any other candidates you believe are worthy. Then we will gather again and choose one. Until then, you are all dismissed." Everyone stood and bowed.

"Yes, Taru-san," they said in unison. The adults began leaving, but Kurai sat down again, and Daichi did the same. When they were alone with their father, he shut the door once more.

"Where is your sister?" His voice was icy and flat, and Daichi's eyes widened slightly. "Kurai, that requires an answer."

"Sir, I saw her this morning at the Tanamaris, but she left soon after with Daisuke, and I didn't ask where she was going."

"The next time you see her, bring her to me. Her attitude regarding the incident with the vessel needs to be changed."

"Father, with all due respect, I feel the same way she does."

"Are you telling me you actually like taking orders from that monster?" Taru closed the gap between them, standing now only a few feet from the boys.

"I thought we discussed this when he originally became Kazekage? Yes, I have no problems following him. The Council approved him, and he has shown his devotion to the village time and again. It was he who saved us last night, after all."

"You mean with that shield of sand he used to block the explosion?"

"Yes. And then even when he could've used his last bit of chakra to get to safety, he instead recalled the sand so that the village would not be in danger when he lost consciousness. For that, he has my respect."

"And so you will refuse to take part in my plan to place the power of the Kazekage where it has always belonged?"

"I will refuse to be the candidate, but I can hardly refuse the Elder Council if they agree with you and make one of the Clan the Kazekage."

"Don't tell me you still think you're too young."

"No Father, I just think that I haven't earned that position yet. Perhaps when I do become older and wiser, it will be something I strive for. But right now, I do not believe I am fit to lead the village."

"You have more sense than your sister," Taru said after a few moments of silence.

"She was tired and stressed when she said what she did. I'm sure that now she regrets it." It was a complete lie, he knew. But maybe it would be enough to calm Taru down when he spoke to Kohaku.

"Let us hope so, for her sake. Still, I want her brought here so that I may have a talk with her. I will not tolerate that kind of attitude from anyone in the Clan, let alone one of my children."

"Yes Father, I understand." He and Daichi stood to go, and the younger boy made it out of the room first. But when Kurai had one foot out the door, Taru spoke again:

"When you bring Kohaku here, I want you to give her this message: If she truly believes she is a Hajino in name and blood only, I will alleviate one of her problems." Kurai turned slowly back to face his father, not quite certain he understood.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, that she will be disowned if she does not start acting more like a Hajino. She will be cast from the Clan, and her status among us reduced to nothing. Furthermore, she will not be allowed to see your mother, Daichi, or you again." Shock was plainly written on the young man's face as he felt his stomach drop and his eyes widen.

"Father, Kohaku is my sister. My twin sister. There is nothing that would ever be able to take that away." Taru smirked, and then turned away.

"Then maybe that will give her something to consider before she defies me again." Kurai left the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Kurai, what-" Daichi began, before he saw the look on his brother's face: It was full of anger and rage that threatened to boil over at the next person who annoyed him. Ducking back into the kitchen, he waited until he heard the front door open and close, and then turned to his mother, who sat at the table with a confused look on her face.

"Daichi, what's wrong? Where is Kurai going?"

"I don't know, but he looked pissed." Kurai stalked through the streets, keeping his eyes straight ahead. He did know where Kohaku was, as he'd heard her say to Daisuke that she wanted his help at the library. He reached the large building in record time, not bothering to say a word to anyone there. Spotting Kohaku amid a stack of books, he walked right up to her and slammed his hand down on the table, startling a few other people. She merely looked up, annoyed that he had bothered her when she was researching a potential target.

"Kurai, what-"

"I just spoke with Father," he said through gritted teeth. Daisuke walked up at that moment, carrying a few books. His gaze went first to Kurai, then to Kohaku, and back again. He set down the books and stood at the other end of the table; within earshot but just outside physical reach.

"What happened?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

"He said that if you defy him again… That he will disown you."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"That's not all. He also said you will never be allowed to see Mother, Daichi… Or me ever again." Her eyes widened for a moment before darkening, and her fist clenched so tight her knuckles cracked.

"So that's it then? Not only would I be disgraced and cast out of the Clan, but I would never be able to see you or anyone else again?" Kurai nodded slowly, and his gaze came to rest on her arm that was on the table. Her sleeve was pulled back slightly, and he saw the scar on her arm. The scar that had been put there by someone she had cared about. Taru wouldn't physically hurt her, but emotional scars could run just as deep.

"Kohaku, I swear that I won't let that happen. But I need more time. So you're going to have to tell Father what he wants to hear for now."

"And go against everything I believe? Kurai, you're asking me to betray myself."

"I know, but it's what needs to be done. I just need time to prepare so that I can challenge Father." A sly grin slowly crossed her face, and he frowned.

"You better hurry then, or I might challenge him myself."

"Kohaku, no offense, but you can't stand up to Father."

"I know. I'd rather be dead than let him strip me of everything I am. But enough of that. Now that you're here, Daisuke and I have found a few things."

"Like what?" The older boy came over to them and sat on Kohaku's other side.

"Sit down. We've got a few things to tell you, and none of them are good." Kurai obeyed, and then Kohaku pointed to the book she'd been reading.

"How much do you remember about Sasori of the Red Sands?.."