Chapter 1
Of Black Shadows and Blue Eyes
It's been a year since I have walked these sandy streets. Why does it feel as if it has been a lifetime? Suna breathes out the soft serene caress of home, children run back and forth crowding up the streets and adults laugh carelessly. Who knew that the elation from so long ago would still permeates the air? The hot sand is nearly burning my feet now, though I am native to this village it has been so long since my body has been put through this. It will take a week to adjust to the radiating heat even slightly. I turn my head and notice how Shouta hangs back so terribly frightful of this familiar place; it is shameful in my mind, I mean to think a boy would be scared of his own village?
"Shouta come on! Oniisan and I are NOT going to wait for you if you don't get a move on!" I call to the distraught boy, his big hazelnut eyes glistening with anxiety yet nearly hidden by his shaggy blonde hair. I could tell that he barely remembers the flaming embers of the sun let alone living here. The shivers traveling down his string bean body defiantly tells me that much. I guess I can't ask much of him, I mean he is only five.
"Chihiro you know he doesn't do well with change, if you don't grab him now he ain't ever moving from that spot." Ryo chides me for our youngest brother's obvious quirks and I sigh unpleasantly. Marching back towards Shouta I gently take hold of his hand and guide him along with me. I have a basic memory of Suna, but with a whole year gone by, things tend to haze over and dissipate in ones recollection. We left this place when I was only twelve, Oniisan and I were hysterical over our mothers passing and he had decided a change of scenery would be good for us. He had befriended a man with a traveling caravan and like a flash from a camera Ryo, Shouta and I were off. For a whole year we journeyed to all sorts of places. From hidden villages, to what I sometimes still recall as deserted landscapes. Sometimes I missed Suna, or more then that maybe I missed the stability there. With the traveling Caravan, Shouta and I couldn't really bond with anyone new we met because in a few weeks we were off again. Take note that we never visited the same place twice. When Ryo had said that we were returning back home at first I had no idea what he had meant. Home? What home? Surely we have seen so much in a lifetime and not just a single year. When he had explained it was Suna he was talking about I had more complete utter joy for that single second more then I had in a years worth of my life.
"Oneechan, what is this place?" Shouta prods at me, the fright in his throat not entirely ready to ebb away. Shouta was actually the main reason why Ryo had chosen to move back here. At only five Shouta had seen enough violence and scum in the world then a fifty year old has seen by staying in the same place. Other then that he also had the adaptive capabilities of a bird egg. Frightened and lonely because of the constant environment changes made him drawn in and socially awkward. Of course it was Ryo who made the biggest deal out of the latter. He wanted to avoid that personality trait with Shouta at all costs; I had inherited it so Ryo had the up-close and personal experience with the cons of possessing it.
"Its Suna, don't you remember this place Shouta? When Mama was alive we used to live here." Shouta shakes his head and I frown, I know he is only five but I wish he would at least remember being here with Mama. The fact is that when Mama was alive she had spoiled Shouta, if he wanted something you were damn sure to see that he got it. That had made him a completely devoted mama's boy. Hell even after a whole year and traveling with those caravans have not been enough to retract his grief over losing Mama. Sometimes, if you are real quite during the night, you can still hear him whimpering her name in the dark.
"Chihiro, you remember the rule Mama had about being in before dark, right?" I gaze over at Ryo and I give him an incredulous look. Remember? Is he joking? I can't even remember where we used to live, why on earth would I have chosen to remember that?
"You have to be sick in the head if you think that I would have recalled one of mama's rules. She had dozens of them; that one does not seem like the most important one." I reply dryly as I continue to study the faces that passed by.
"Actually yes, it was the most important one. You and Shouta are going to abide by that rule, do you understand? If nothing else you will be at our house before sundown." Ryo seems to be capturing a bit of mama in him. The tense twitch of his lip is a sign that he means business. Actually now that I look at him a little more closely, the curl of his sandy hair and intensity of his forest green eyes sort of jogs some memories of her loose. She had been as uptight about that rule too. I remember one day I had come home an hour late because I was over at some friend's house and she nearly had a heart attack of hysteria when I walked through the door. I was grounded for a month because of that little incident.
"Why? Are goblins going to come get me in the night?" I reply sarcastically. Ryo knew I was not one to take orders. Its not like I get some thrill defying rules, more or less it's just a subconscious desire to push back. I couldn't really tell you, I am just a little to messed up to give you a straight answer anyway.
"You could call it a goblin, yes." I snap my head back over to Ryo and see the absolute seriousness in his eyes. I am not really sure what he was getting at but to witness the gravity in his eyes sort of through me of my mental course. A goblin? What is he insane?
"You should probably get some water in you, dehydration is bad for you." I reply only half teasing. Ryo takes hold of my arm, my other hand still firmly attached to Shoutas, and power walks us all the way to our house. He takes a left, then a right and then another left, his head nearly disappearing over the population of other people squeezing into us. For a second I was absolutely, a hundred percent sure that Ryo had completely no idea where he was going and was digging a deeper grave for us in the long run because of his stubborn pride. Then he takes one last right and we come to a circle of houses, if he had faltered in his steps I am pretty sure I couldn't have picked out which one was ours. That is not how it goes though; he stomps straight forward, nearly yanking Shouta and I off balance. Ryo slams his hand on the door and it squeaks open revealing a quaint yet dusty open space. I blink and try to imagine what it used to look like. I remember when the chairs and that sofa weren't coated with a fine layer of sand and the walls were covered in pictures. The room was always illuminated by the sun and things weren't so dreary, but then again Mama used to be here. I even remember Ryo, Shouta and I running around in this tiny room. Laughter was not an uncommon thing here. It makes me almost, sad.
"Now Chihiro, you will listen to me just by this one simple thing." Ryo mutters, his face turned away from us and his grip tightening around my arm. "Be in this house before it turns dark." With one last squeeze he drops his hold on me and walks off by himself. I guess Ryo needs some time alone to think. I frown; he had to take on so much when we lost Mama. I remember when both of them talked and laughed until the sun set, they were like two peas in a pod. Every time Ryo walked off to his room to sleep Mama would call to him with an 'I love you' and then slowly drift to her room herself. Sometimes I wonder which one her death had effected most, was it Ryo or Shouta? I guess, with a sigh that I would never know. They both loved her so much. The news had come so soon after dad had died too, five years ago he had died while on a mission. He was the only ninja in our family. Ryo wanted to become a ninja too and follow in our father's footsteps, but Mama forbade him from such a thing and out of love for her he did not. Now Ryo is approaching his twentieth birthday, and the circles under his eyes could not get any deeper. I just hope that moving back to Suna will bring him happiness.
"Shouta, do you want to come with Oneechan shopping?" I ask as I crouch down to his level. Shouta only shakes his head viciously, and I was half afraid he was going to throw himself off balance. I give him a kiss on his forehead and leave without another word.
XxxXxxX
What is it that makes this place seem so invigorating? A whole year has gone by and yet, I feel that unstoppable thrill in the air. Is it just my imagination? Maybe. I have yet to find a reason to care though. I know I said I was just going to get groceries but I wanted to travel and explore. I need to refresh my mind on where everything is and besides the sooner the better. The air is crisp and these robes Ryo had forced me to wear seem so suffocating. I feel as if I'm a potato that was carefully wrapped in a thick layer of foil before being thrown into an oven. If I felt disgusting on the travel to Suna, I sure didn't feel like the bell of the ball now. Must. Resist. Urge. To. Run. Home. And. Slap. Ryo. I refuse to give in to the heat; I just need to sit down. Or maybe peel off this unnecessary layer of what feels like boiling hot lava and throw it into the nearest sewer.
"Chihiro?" I hear a voice call to me and I swing my head left to right, its no use though, I can't possible pick a single voice out of such a bumbling crowd. "CHIHIRO IT IS YOU!" I feel my ear drum pop as a body slams against me and sequels loud enough for the people in Konoha to hear. I think that I start to see stars when the person finally releases the hold around my throat and jumps into my line of vision. A curvy girl with long brunette hair that reaches the small of her back and big bambi blue eyes stands before me. It only takes a second for it to click.
"Nana!" Nana smiles then throws her arms around me again. It's been a while since I've seen Nana and I'm a little surprised by how beautiful she has gotten. She used to be a string bean just like Shouta, her hair used to be scraggily, and her eyes use to always be bloodshot because of how she was always picked on by other kids. Compared to her I look exactly the same. The same coffee colored hair that is always tied up high in a braid, still shorter then a pencil and the same black eyes that send people into a frightened daze. The only thing that changed, if only partially, is my cup size and compared to her I still look like I have yet to even dawn a training bra. "Damn Nana, could you have at least waited to grow until I came back?"
She laughs and pulls back to strike a few model worthy poses, "I know, isn't it ridicules? I am surprised that you recognized me!" I smile, same old Nana. Once she is happy about something she isn't afraid to show it off.
"Yeah compared to you I look like I'm just now approaching my teens!" I laugh lightly. Its true Nana has grown up a lot; in fact if this is how she looks I'm afraid of what Ryuunosuke looks like. I smile at the thought of Ryuunosuke; it's been a while since I let even that name drift over my thoughts.
"That same low confidence as usual! Chihiro, you've always been pretty and Ryuu has missed you a lot." I feel a twitch in my heart. Ryuunosuke has really missed me? Honest and true? I feel a blush creep into my cheeks; Ryuu has always had this strange effect on me.
"Ryuu? Nah, I think you're delirious." I say to more convince myself then Nana. She knows full well that I feel something for Ryuu and this always caused problems for me in the long run. That little push she always does seems like she's throwing me off a building instead. Nana has always been Nana and I can't blame her for that but inside sometimes I wish she would just leave the matter alone.
"So what are you doing? Mind if I tag along?" I inquire, knowing what a silly question that was. Nana is out here for one reason and one reason only. To stalk her crush to the ends of the earth and back. Since she has always had a problem interacting with the opposite gender she could never understand how to just go up and talk to them. So instead she spends her time fumbling around corners trying to build up her wits. It was always me who would tear her away from her silly after lunch hobby so she wouldn't get caught and suddenly be labeled a creep. Whatever Nana is doing out here alone will defiantly not be what we do if I join the party.
"Of course! Ryuu and I were about to head to the market, we should hurry there because I left while he was in the bathroom." She smiles and I feel my face burn as bright as a thousand suns. Ry-Ryuu is going to be there? I-um….not sure if I feel like going now. I think on my feet and slide the sleeve of this dreaded robe just above my wrist and gasp as if looking at a watch.
"Oh would you look at the time! I better get home and help Ryo unpack!" I turn and try to bolt for an easy escape but Nana knows better then that and grasps my forearm with ridicules strength. I struggle for a few seconds then gasp out in a helpless attempt, "OW NANA! You bruised my arm! I should run home and put some ice on it!" Nana turns and starts to walk back to where she had tackled me from, dragging me along the sandy roads unwillingly.
"Your arm will be perfectly fine. Ryuu would blow a top if I came back without you. It's MY arm you should be worried about."
"You know this is technically kidnapping right?" I call over the chatter of people in the streets but sadly no one comes to my aid.
"You're a month older then me, a kid can't 'kidnap' someone older then them." I stumble over some rocks buried under the sand. I process her words and I feel my face drop into a stubborn expression, the fact that she is a month younger then I make is even worse that she developed ten times faster then me. I stick out my tongue at her though I know she can't see it. Childish I guess is what you could call me. I feel a tickle of sand on my face and I use my left hand to wipe it off, only to have something interesting catch my eye. A boy with bright red hair sitting ever so casually on the top of a building in all black, no one seems to have noticed him up there yet. He doesn't seem to notice I have discovered him, and for some reason I can't peel my eyes away. If I wasn't being hauled away by Nana through all of this, I probably would have stopped right there and not have moved until he had. Something about him is hypnotizing, to a point where it nearly scares me. I don't tell Nana about the boy on the building, something insides whispers that I should keep this a secret for now.
XxxXxxX
Nana and I approach a market stall filled with ripe vegetables and other sorts of produce. The women running it looks at us with a rather wrathful stink eye and I can't help but return the expression. Her wrinkled old face turns red in rage and she starts yelling profanities our way. Causing Nana and I to retreat, guess we won't have any vegetables in the house ever.
"Chihiro, you still have that rebellious streak I see. Same as your father, as always." A male voice chuckles behind us and I suddenly stop in my tracks. I feel the weight of the world pressing down on the back of my neck, like a thumb refusing to lessen its weight. I know that voice anywhere and that is what scares me the most. Slowly I rotate towards the voice to see Hotaka standing calmly behind Nana and I. Hotaka was my father's comrade when he was still alive, his best friend actually. They were in the same elite ranking and on a lot of the same missions; Hotaka in fact was even the one who brought back the news of our father's death. He is about into his late twenties maybe even already into his thirties; it's hard to tell when his face is full of youth. His dark skin and lean muscled body is glistening with sweat, black hair boyishly hanging into his eyes and genuine quick to jump to smile on his handsome face. Those features are common I guess you could say, but Hotaka has one very self defining feature, the three jagged scars that start just above his right eye at end at the beginning of his right ear. Oh it has been a while since I've seen such a nasty war wound.
"Hotaka!" I jump on him and in return he swings me around at top speed. I am half afraid that he'll accidently let me slip out of his grasp and I'll go flying into the old women's market stall. Well at least I'd take her down with me. Finally I feel the nauseous kick in and I order him to put me back on solid ground which he laughs jollily at.
"It has been so long since I've heard such a runt tell me what to do. It's almost refreshing. Ryo was telling me that you guys would be back around the week, but I didn't expect you back so soon. You'll have to fill me in on all of you adventures. Oh who is this pretty girl? Is that you Nana?" Nana blushes and nods her head, oh great now Hotaka has done it… Nana has always had a weird thing for older men, the second Hotaka is finished gracing us with his presence I'll get an endless raving from Nana about how I should have told her he'd be here though I had absolutely no idea.
"Whats wrong with you Hotaka? Go put a shirt on; don't you know it's creepy to talk to young girls shirtless?" I scold him only half serious. Even though he has some seriously weird days, Hotaka is like a father to me. When my dad died, he was always there to fill the void. He took care of Ryo and I, took care of mama especially since she was a few months pregnant with Shouta when dad died. Things were great for a while. Then mama died and Hotaka tried his best, but no one could fill that void by themselves. I feel bad by how we sort of abandoned him to join that caravan, but we wrote him every time we could get a letter sent and he didn't seem mad. To think it's only been a year…it's almost mind boggling.
"Heh, sorry about that but I just got back from a month long mission and I just had my shirts washed sooo…eh? What's wrong Nana?" I gaze over my shoulder to Nana who is blushing up a storm, her eyes fixated on her feet. Hotaka is obviously intoxicating in her opinion.
"Oh don't worry about her, she just been suffering from a rather nasty virus lately. You might want to take a few steps back or you may get caught in the crossfire of something you defiantly do not want to be a part of." I heard Nana suddenly wanting to seep into the sand and disappear and I silently snicker inside. Nana, Hotaka is not meant for you.
"Oh…uh…well I'll see you two later. Oh and Nana you should probably see a doctor if it's that bad." Hotaka retreats into the crowd and without a minute of time passed I feel Nana give me a nice good blow to the arm. She starts bellowing at me about how I just ruined her chances and I choke into a sea of defiantly warranted laughter.
"Nana, Hotaka is what ten or twenty years older then you? I doubt that you guys would have got together. Besides you couldn't even say 'hello' to him. Come on you know that it was funny." Grinning we continue to walk up and down the market stalls, Nana still pouting.
Nana and I bought numerous groceries and I even managed to buy clothes that wouldn't make me slowly die in the hot hot sun. We never did catch up to Ryuu and a part of me was a little grateful for that. Already I have seen so many familiar faces and I have only been back for one day. Yet through it all I still couldn't take my eyes of the top of the buildings, wondering if that boy I saw was just a mirage or really there.
XxxXxxX
"Are you sure? I don't mind if you stay over." Nana dangles the offer in my face but I shake my head. We had stopped at her house to get out of the sun and also so I could finally cut my way out of the robes that had glued to my body. I changed into Nanas clothes. White sliding pants that cut off at the knee under a long baggy nearly pitch black dress like shirt, which would have looked amazing on Nana, that cuts off at the upper thigh. The shirt is opened mouth exposing some of my chest and shoulders, it's slightly embarrassing. To "bring it together", as Nana had said, a long pale pink belted fabric was tightly secured around my waist and white arm coverings were slid around my elbows. I had told her, quite bluntly, that I'm going straight home in a few hours so there was no point to be dressed like this. Nana replied with, "Well you need to keep it and wear that outfit when you and Ryuu finally see each other." I wanted to change out of it after her saying that but she had already thrown that ugly robe into a fire pit. There went my only hope.
"Why do you want me to stay here so badly? Ryo would have a fit if I stayed without telling him first. Probably tear apart Suna just to find me." After Nana and I settled down after the clothing situation, she started gabbing on about me staying the night. Yet no matter how many times I denied her offer she brought it up a few minutes later more desperate sounding then the last time.
"It's not safe to walk around at night." She states quietly. I remember this; Ryo had made a fit about it this morning. He was talking about how a goblin would come get me if I stayed out past sunset. I thought he was just acting demented form dehydration. I start to gather the groceries I had brought here and head for the door. Nana intervenes, her eyes hard with a stubbornness that is actually quite rare in her.
"Nana, I'll be fine. Trust me. Besides I have to get these groceries home or Shouta will starve." I gently slide past her and wave goodbye, shouting over my shoulder that I promise to see her tomorrow. Outside the night is dark; I vaguely wonder what time it could possibly be. Judging by how the stars are just starting to appear, I'd say maybe eight or nine. I know Ryo told me to be home before dark, but he'll have to understand that Nana and I haven't seen each other in a year. If I play it safe, maybe he won't be too mad besides I did the shopping.
It's hard to imagine the reasons to why both Nana and Ryo are both terrified by the sun going down. Actually it is beautiful outside, the stars twinkling on a canvas of black and the sand that swirls over the silent village that had descended to their homes. Everything is empty and barren, silence is a lovely thing but this silence is eerie. It isn't rising from the streets though; no it's coming from everyone inside. If I listened hard enough, I could hear the hushed whispers that are filled with fear. I glance to the left and see a house with a curtain pulled back, a child is inside pointing out at me. A woman with straight blonde, graying hair hushes him and yanks the curtains closed. Is this how it has always have been? I can't for the life of me remember. To believe in goblins and monsters in the dark, at such a ripe age…why is everyone so petrified?
Turning the corner I notice someone perched on a round building, I recall it being the Kazekages work office. It's where Shinobi come to receive their orders for missions, I myself have never been inside but I hear it is rather cozy. Hotaka usually tells me stories about the Kazekage and about the Sand Siblings. He would tell me about the amazing wind user, Temari, the oldest; he would tell me about the second oldest, Kankuro, the master puppet user but Hotaka has never given me much of a story about the third. All the description I received was that the youngest is a boy and is not to be spoken of. I don't even think I know that boys name. My guess was that he had died a long time ago. I shake my head clear and try to focus on the person perfectly still on the top of the building. I can't get a good look; the person is way too high up. The stranger just looks like a blank shadow from here.
"HEY!" I call the person, my hands cupped around my mouth. There is a twitch in the figure as the shadow turns its face towards me. The moon catches him and I see that fire red hair from the market. "HEY YOU! I SAW YOU IN THE MARKET!" He doesn't reply but his body slowly melts into sand, evaporating before my eyes. I gasp and rub my eye sockets to the back of my skull, I must be seeing things. Blinking ten times a minute, I gawk at the top of the building but there is no one there. "What? Am I going insane?"
"Insane enough to grab the attention of a demon." I nearly jump out of my skin to see the boy standing right behind me. I feel my heart nearly pounding out of my chest, I have to resist the urge to grab it and pass out. A boy, maybe and inch taller then me, stands a foot too close. His presence is intoxicating, I suddenly feel like pouting because now I understand how Nana felt around Hotaka.
"Jeez, you scared me. That was cool though; I have never seen anyone travel that way." I comment casually even though I feel like my mind is going to explode with how awesome that just looked. Cautiously, I study his face. I don't think I've seen someone quite so, how should I even put it? Handsome isn't the right word and cute defiantly isn't it either. He is a mix of both, his face is too boyish to be a sophisticated attractive and his expression is too hard and dangerous looking to be an underdeveloped adorable. All I could really think to say about it is that, he is intoxicatingly hypnotizing. His hair is spiky and feathered around his head, a glistening fire color. His face is fair and almost faultless, no bumps not even a freckle in sight, which most people tend to get under the hard glare of the desert sun. His eyes are a frosty bluish green, if you looked them in a different setting there is a good chance that they would alternate between each other. Each eye is lined darkly in pointed rings of black. Yet out of all those features I see one thing that interests me the most. A dark red scar of the kanji Ai, meaning love. If I had been just a smidge more socially awkward I might have attempted to touch it.
The boy gives me an incredulous look, it was a shifting in his eyes that gave it away, and if your eyes weren't glued to his face you probably wouldn't have seen it. Something tells me that he was expecting a very different reaction from me but I don't linger on it for long. "So what were you doing sitting up there? Aren't you afraid of the dark like everyone else is?" I ask motioning to the deserted streets. He doesn't answer and I watch as his eyes cloud over with suspicion and almost rage. "Oh um well ok, I'll see you around then—"
"Why aren't you afraid." The second time I have heard his voice and I notice how interesting it is. There is a certain tiredness too it, something that only people who have lived a long can achieve. He looks me straight in the eyes when he says this, taking a step closer then I am comfortable with. I want to back up but something about his aura, which radiates so violently off of him, says that if I do there will be trouble.
"Why should I be afraid?" I pose with a little of a sharp edge in my tone. If it is needed, my father had taught me how to defend and to fight and Ryo had made sure to train me while we were traveling. If you didn't know how to make a fist, you were easily robbed and mugged on the road. If I feel it necessary I can either bolt or give him a good thrashing.
"What is your name?" He demands, a menacing threat in how he said it.
"Why should I tell you?" Damn it! Bad habits die hard I guess. Oh well no taking it back now. He glowers at me, and for a split second I thought I saw death in his eyes.
"I. Want. To. Know. Your. Name" Resisting the urge to gulp I look intently into his razor sharp stare. I feel as if I am going to be burnt to a crisp under it but my pride keeps me from looking away.
"Chihiro Wakamura. Who wants to know?"
"Subaku No Gaara." Gaara of the sand waterfall? Where have I heard that name before? It's right at the tip of my tongue but I just can't seem to grasp it. Gaara watches me, waiting for some sort of reaction but I can't manage to give him one. He takes another step towards me and I almost lose my composure, why is he getting so close? Does he want to see feedback from his actions? Why would he want me to react fearfully towards him? He must be more socially awkward then I am. My feet slip and I plummet to the earth, nearly smacking my head on the building we are standing under. That is impossible though, I didn't move and inch, the sand moved by itself. I blink and try to understand this. No it was just shifting because of Gaaras footsteps. It's impossible. Yet as I let my hands dig into the sand I feel it responding and fluctuating…almost as if it is breathing. I slingshot up from the ground and ball my hands together, close to my chest. What the hell is going on? Something inside starts to whisper urgently, I need to run, run and never look back.
My eyes meet his again, the expression completely unreadable as he closes in and I feel the sand under me start to breathe again. I don't know what to do, I feel caught in two deadly situations and I can't tell which one is the lesser of them. My hearts nearly rips from my chest as his lips press against my ear and whispers, "Chihiro Wakamura, are you afraid of dying?" Breath catches in my throat and I am prettified by fear. Is he the reason why everyone is afraid to come out at night? Suddenly I realize that I can't really blame them anymore.
"I am not so much afraid of death but more so the idea of death." I don't know why I answered let alone answered truthfully. Because it is the truth, I have never feared death directly. All living things must die eventually but the fact that you may never see light after death is what frightens me most. It is actually a phobia; to be alone forever in darkness seems like the most terrible way to spend eternity.
"Ah sokka." Gaara then smiles a smile that can only be described as horrific; a twisted leer that I'm sure will live forever in my nightmares. "Chihiro, do you know where Hell is?" My eyes widen and I back away from him, but I only get an inch away until my back is pressed up against a wall. I cup my hands over my ears, trying to drown him out, he leans in, grabs my wrist jerking my hand away from my ear. Then suddenly all the world hushes just for him. "It's in your head." I feel as if time has stopped, like the rotating that keeps this world in motion suddenly fell from its axis and there is nothing but an idea of eternal floating. Would I stay forever in this position? I don't know. Suddenly even the ground breathing didn't affect me anymore, I felt stuck. Caught and never aloud out.
"I-in my head?" I mumble, almost sure that a tear would roll down my cheek if I didn't do something to distract myself.
"It's all your head. Your own thoughts are your prison; you fear the idea of death but not death itself. You fear insanity because the idea of it is frightening. You fear monsters because the idea is so clearly terrifying, all humans have made a Hell inside their head." I look over to him, his eyes dead but filled with laughter.
"W-what about you? Is there a Hell inside your head?" There is a moment of silence until a smirk of madness sneers across his face.
"There is, but more then that," He leans in and says in my ear, "there is a hell all around me." I can't see straight. My vision starts to become blurry but before I let even a single tear drop I hear the one voice that I longed to hear.
"CHIHIRO!" Ryuus voice blasts through my hysteria as he runs to us I nearly sigh in relief until—
"Chihiro Wakamura, I will make a point in remembering you." Sand engulfs Gaara body and he disappears. As he leaves it feels as if he is sucking all the energy out of me, I stop seeing and fall into pitch blackness.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own, or have any monetary ties with Naruto or its lovely Character Gaara. The only thing that I do own is my OCs and also the plot. Other than that I unfortunately own nothing. This of course applies to all chapters of this story.
& also those of you who watch Soul Eater might recognize some of the Quotes I had added into the story; I do NOT own the Fallowing Quotes (though the quotes are not exactly the same I thought I'd give credit to the people who made them)
"—not so much afraid of death but more so the idea of death" Originally said by Asura (More or less)
"—do you know where Hell is?" "It's in your head." Originally said by Crona
For the Readers: Hello there! Lol I am pleased to know you made it this far! I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and if not please comment about how I could make it better in the future. Readers are always welcome to share their honest opinions. If you liked it then I'm very glad! Tell me so and I'll keep the drive to advance further in this story!
I sincerely hope to see you next chapter!
"Of Nightmares and Bloodied Sand"
Thanks so much for reading!
Shiori Mio
Questions you may be asking:
Q. Why did Chihiro freak out when Gaara mentioned Hell?
A. Chihiro is petrified by even the thoughts of what might lie beyond death. There is a brief description of her mentioning that she would hate to live a life after death in which there was no Light. Well that is only a small part to her fear. In truth, it is a full blown phobia that has advanced to the point that if someone even mentions a life after death she becomes hysterical. (Not for religious purposes but more so for physiological torment it brings to her when it is mentioned.) The Cause of this Phobia will be revealed in later Chapters but if you already figured out the reason You my friend sure are a smart cookie :)