A/N: I don't own Naruto, damnit. Hell, if I did, I would make the name of the anime be Gaara. And make Gaara finally fall in love.

My first fanfic. Severe flaming/criticism is not advised. xD


Deep River – Chapter 1: Stranger in the night


She ran, tears dripping from her face.

The dark night sky was clear, leaving the lone full moon emitting dull light onto the solid world beneath it.

She slowed down, gradually coming to a full stop. For a few minutes she stood still, staring into the dark calm water in the lake before her. The moonlight danced slowly on the waving surface. Carefully and steadily, she used her arms to push her body up, setting her feet slowly onto the cold, wooden ledge, the only thing separating her from the water. She maintained her balance and stood up straight.

A gentle breeze blew past her, making her soft pink hair fly and her silky white nightgown ruffling behind her fragile form. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She had thought over this about a million times now, and nothing was going to stop her, or hold her back. She knew very well now that once she let go, she would be free. Freedom. The word sounded to foreign to her. Making one last assurance to herself, she slowly tilted her head forward and…

"Don't do it."

At the hearing of the anonymous voice, she snapped open her eyes, and whipped her head around to where the voice had come from.

He was sitting on a branch of the newly leafed tree behind her. His right leg bent, foot flat on the tree branch, the other leg lazily left dangling off the side. His right arm over his bent leg, the forearm on the supporting knee, and the left arm off to the side, hand on the rough tree bark.

His body was faced to the girl, but his face was turned up and toward the moon, soaked in its cold light. It was the only thing completely visible to her, the face, but wisps of his blood red hair were also seen in the murky shadows of the old tree.

The girl didn't know how long she had been staring at the resting figure of this stranger, until he finally turned his pale face down to her and returned the gaze. His eyes were an icy pale viridian, contrasting to her light emerald ones. Those chilly impassive orbs of his were also rimmed with a dark charcoal, a noticeable sign of insomnia.

'The eyes are the windows to one's past, present, and future…'

She would've looked deeper into his history, but the boy's hair nearly shadowed his eyes.

Neither of them spoke, and as the pink-haired girl felt this stranger's eyes begin to see right through her very soul, she struggled to break the silence.

"W- who are you?"

Just her luck. Her first statement came out as an oh-so-intelligent stutter.

"Hn," he replied, breaking the gaze and turning back to the dim light in the sky once more.

'Single syllable bastards.' she thought. Before she could link into another thought, he spoke once more.

"What were you doing here." It sounded more like a statement than a question.

'Oh, so he can talk. More than 1 syllable too. 6 syllables. Delightful,' she thought, almost snorting at her own pathetic sarcasm.

"The same I should be asking you."

"It's none of your concern," he replied stiffly.

"Likewise." She was surprised at her own lack of syllables this time.

"Hn."

Then another round of silence dwelled upon them. She didn't quite understand why this boy found the moon so fascinating. But then again, she wasn't one to complain; she felt more relieved not to have him staring right through her.

'Those cold impassive eyes…'

As she wondered how they could ever turn out to be so emotionless, she paced back and forth on the hard, wooden ledge while she watched the peaceful water.

She didn't dare try to repeat what she tried to do to herself in the presence of the boy. What if he told him?

It was getting quieter by the second.

'Did he leave? If so, I can get this over with,' she thought.

However, just as she turned around to pace back again, she was met with the very pair of haunting eyes that sent both her mind and body shivering.

She froze.

That unknown boy was standing right in front of her, only inches away.

She almost yelped. Almost.

Her eyes widened in surprise while his still showed no expression. Up close, she could tell that they were both around the same age and height.

An unusually chilly springtime wind blew past them, messing his crimson hair and lifting her pink locks. They stared at each other, lost in time, until he finally spoke.

"Life…" he started, as he turned his eyes to the still water. He stared at it calmly, not finishing his statement.

The girl, however, was growing more impatient by the second. After what seemed like forever, he finally continued.

"…it has more meaning to it than it seems."

She was getting pissed off.

She looked down to hide her anger. 'Is he giving me a philosophy lesson?'

Oh, he had no right to tell her that life is great. Yeah, she loved being in living hell every single damned day, being treated like a piece of shit. And most of all, she couldn't be any happier, living with him.

The thought of how great life had treated her made her bite her lip hard and clench her fist tightly.

This guy in front of her, whom she didn't know, and who didn't know her either, had no idea what he did to her every day and every night.

She felt like slapping the boy for even thinking she was lighthearted.

Her emotions taking over, she brought her hand up and…

…waved through mid-air.

'What?!'

She looked up.

The read-haired stranger was nowhere in sight.

Shocked, her eyes widened, before she turned her head left and right to see where he had gone.

But he couldn't be seen anywhere.


A/N: Just so people don't get confused, the him and he (bolded and italicized) refer to the 'madman' Sakura lives with. You'll find out who it is soon enough. And I won't be using Gaara and Sakura's names until, I don't know, next chapter? So this is the last and only chapter with annoying pronouns.

Reviews PLZ. Thanks. Toodles.