Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto or claim to have written and profited off of Dante's Inferno.
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It is a cold night outside the walls of the home of Sabaku no Gaara. The freshly minted jounin reclines on an old couch that squeaks as he leans back while his gourd rests at his feet. There is no light save the gentle strands of moonlight that creeps through his window. Next to his seat lies a small weather-beaten table with a tepid cup of coffee. On his left is a bookcase filled with scrolls and books, all of which are worn from age and use. It is quiet and the teenager can't help but to relish it. His sister is out on a mission while his brother sleeps in his room. Indeed, everything is at peace. All that's left is to stay awake. Gaara can't help but to snatch a quick glance at the clock across the room. The faint sheen of the moonlight is all that is needed for Gaara to see the time. Years of forced insomnia has allowed his eyes to see a pin in the darkness and his hearing to detect the slightest whisper of wind. The time is just after two thirty, only a few more hours to go until blessed dawn and activity. With that, Gaara relaxes and debates on whether he should read to better pass the time.
'…Feed me.'
The whisper in his mind chills the teenager and horrified, he grabs the first book on the shelf his dainty fingers can reach and flips it open. Anything to get his mind away from the monster that consumes his soul. It is an old book by some ancient foreigner across the seas, but Gaara could care less. He flips to a random page and begins to read.
My Guide descended down into the boat,
And then he made me enter after him,
And only when I entered seemed it laden.
'Feed me.'
No use. The voice has grown stronger
'Don't you love me son. Feed Mother. Mother needs food and needs it soon.'
The voice is soft and calm. It sounds like what he imagines a sick mother, a real flesh-and-blood mother would say to her child while she lies in bed. It is full of warmth and cajoling and his mind, so malleable to her needs begins to debate killing someone.
NO screams he mentally screams. To kill without reason, he doesn't need that anymore. He's already proven his existence and needs nothing. Faster and faster the boy reads.
And he to me: "Ere unto thee the shore Reveal itself, thou shalt be satisfied;Suchadesire'tismeetthoushouldstenjoy."
'Are you trying to leave me my sweet little one? You can't do that, mother is still hungry. And what sort of son leaves his mother hungry?'
The voice has changed now. Now he can hear the soft undertones of mockery and anger. The beast is getting irritated now. The sound of sand shifting ever so slightly in its confines irritates his ears like the growls of a hungry coyote. Immediately he divides his attention in two. One part of his mind reads the book faster and faster and the other half begins a card game.
Flip a card, look at card, move the card.
Queen of Hearts to the King of Clubs. The Eight of Spades to the Nine of Diamonds.
Ever so slightly the voice seems to soften. And continues to soften. Gaara does not count his fortunes or thank the Gods, no time for that. There is only time to read and play.
The voice now sounds like something one would hear at the end of a tunnel. It is now nearly inaudible and Gaara takes the time to sigh in relief. It is a mistake he immediately regrets. Instantly the voice surges forward on suddenly the Beast is screaming in his ear.
'Feed me! Hate me! Love me! Do whatever you will but FEED ME before I consume you worthless mortal!'
And suddenly Gaara hears a creak up above and knows that it is his brother up for a snack. His blundering steps sound like the footfalls of a giant and Gaara tries his hardest to force his brother back to sleep through willpower alone.
At the top of the stairs comes a whispered "Gaara?" and the teenager in question can only whisper a warning the elder brother can not hear. Kankuro senses something wrong and carefully asks "H-hey, you alright Gaara?"
No Gaara isn't alright, a fucking demon is eating at his soul while you just stand there in your goddamned pajamas like a fucking moron Gaara thinks. All the while the sand slides gracefully on the ground ready to pounce and crush and tear and rend and eateateateatEAT!
"Get back."
Gaara's voice sounds pathetic and at any other time he would be ashamed of himself mewling so pathetically but his message is heard and Kankuro dashes backward with enough speed to make the Yellow Flash green with envy. Just in time too, the sand was only a few scant centimeters away from consuming the boy.
Desperately Gaara grabs at the porcelain cup at his side and drinks every drop of the disgusting swill called coffee and immediately forces himself to read faster, play faster, and divides his mind yet again to start a game of Go.
Eventually, it all just blends together into a discordant symphony of noise.
FeedblooddeckshismemorytwotoacegainapointtentojackcutoffwhitethereBrutusJudasfeedMother and suddenly the noise stops! Blessed silence once more. Gaara puts down his book and looks at the clock. Three thirteen. Just a few more hours until the blessed dawn and activity.