Sand into Flowers

Chapter One: A seed

"Sand. It's all I feel, all I taste, all I smell, and all I hear. That bone cold sand whispering with in me screaming for awakening. I am sand, those years of fear and loneliness has only forced me into this empty shell I sport."

"Hey Temari" Shikamaru groaned "I haven't seen you in a month and that's all you can say you retard!" " Woman are so troublesome" Shikamaru mumbled. "Hello Kankuro" Shino added bluntly " Hey Shino my man" Kankaru added with a high five " It's great you guys came to visit us!" Sakura added with a smile "Hey where's Gaara?" Naruto exclaimed, " Ya know, slinking around doing creepy stuff " Kankuro popped in "I insisted we put him on a leash but Kankuro said oh no that's inhumane. Stupid." Temari pouted.

Yamanaka Flower Shop: Ino "I'm tired of this it's day after day I work in this flower shop wearing a mask of happiness to stop frown lines of course while I distribute tokens of romance to all of my so called friends as they run and dance with there lovers. Sigh, Naruto's got Hinata, Neji's got Tenten, Shikamaru's got Temari, and Saksuke's got GRR Sakura GRR. But I don't understand I'm more outgoing than Hinata, more fasionable than Tenten, nicer than Temari, and better all around than Sakura. When I was young all I did was try to seduce my way into any guys heart just for a one night stand every night and kept running after Sasuke even though now I notice that lack of a heart and the cold death in his eyes. Get a hold of yourself! Yamanaka Ino will not loose!" I've been telling myself that for the past two weeks. I let out a sigh the door clanged open it was Tenten. "Hey Ino I have a favor to ask." "Sure what is it?" as I snapped out of my lonely fantasies " Well Neji wants to know what are my favorite type of flowers but I really don't know the different types can help me out?" " Ok let me see" as I turned on my employee charm and twisted towards the vast shelf of a myriad of multicolored flowers I plucked a lavender hydrangea off the shelf " Even though lavender is stereotyped as Hinata's color the meaning of the flower fits you more. A lavender hydrangea symbolizes perseverance and what you went though to get Neji is completely that," I said with a shared giggle. "Thanks Ino!" She said as she sped out the door. "I just don't understand" I sigh "Ino, honey you don't look to good why don't you take the day off and relax at the hot springs." My mom called "Yes like the infamous Might Guy once said " The power of youth!" My dad shouted "Dad never do that again for the rest of your life." I spoke with an icy tone but couldn't keep it up as I burst out laughing as I stepped out the door.

A was met by a warm comforting breeze. I looked up to see Lee standing up on a branch looking down with a glum look on his face "Lee, depressed? Are pigs flying?" I thought to myself. I jumped up for a look and wasn't shocked. It was Sasuke and Sakura locked in a passionate embrace she called for him and he graciously returned the favor. I turned a way in disgust " I once craved Sasuke and tried all my tactics of seduction just at the age of twelve look where that landed me." I came to a conclusion. "I'm mean, cruel, and alone forever" I silently moaned wiping away invisible tears. I turned to Lee and tell him "You have to keep trying because you would be a better boy friend for Sakura." "Thank you Ino-chan I will use the power of youth to win her!" He cried aloud as he fell back off the branch Sasuke and Sakura quickly looked up but most of disregarded because they continued as if there was no tomorrow. "I better get going," I told to Lee as I jumped down and headed towards my original destination. I thought about Sasuke "his perfect skin, face, body, and his voice, but his eyes his eyes are so cold and heartless that they were like small voids. I reached the hot springs it was on of the inside ones with a big wooden wall separating it in two. There was Naruto and Hinata laying on the grass outside as Naruto flexed in a half proud half moronic way as Hinata stared on with her normal crimson blaze upon her face but with a creepy mesmerized look in her lavender eyes I smirked "She's actually with him without fainting she's growing" I thought. Once inside I quickly changed, and then sunk into the soothing waters right up to my neck. I closed my eyes and thought deeply "I always been the popular girl, I was mean to everyone, I strutted but gained nothing" "SUCK IT UP YOU RETARD!" "What who is that?" I said aloud "It's me inner Ino, you haven't heard from me for a while ughh because I had things to do but listen to yourself! Knock some sense into yourself! You are Yamanaka Ino the hottest girl ever! Never give up! You will succeed! Wise knowledge dispensed! Goodbye!" the voice faded away. "How can I when I'm so lonely as ever?" I said aloud "You think you're alone?" a voice resonated from across the wall "I once had someone I thought cared for me but then they died and I lost everyone and everything. I lost my meaning, my way, my tears dried and hardened my body I am just a lonely shell." "All my friends they left me because only they found lovers not me I'm all be myself I've never been so lonely in my life" I answered " You think that's bad hmm" I couldn't but release a tiny giggle. " Well it is a bit funny most people don't go to the hot springs for psychiatric help, but by the way what's your name? "It's…" a loud half whine half smash cut him off as Naruto smashed through the divider literally bringing the house down "Naruto you retard!" I yelled at him as I stepped out of the water to give him a good "talking to" but oh god I was still naked, I attempted to cover myself while grabbing for my cloths but stopped as cloud of thick yellow sand twirled around my body like a thick solid yellow wind completely obscuring my lovely features. The cloud of dust obscuring my savoir as a brilliant, tangled red hair popped out of the dust, two piercing jade eyes opening. I recognized him. He was Gaara of the sand. "Please don't kill me" I cowered on the ground "this is it I'm going to die, goodbye mom, goodbye dad, I never thought it would end like this" "I grabbed these before the building collapsed" He handed me my cloths and turned away. While I was slipping into my cloths "I'm sorry about how reacted" I told him. "Were you the one I talked too?" "Yes and it's ok I guess we both understand the other" I thought to myself " Me and Gaara are both going through the same thing at least someone understands me and he's such a gentlemen" I started to blush "If it had been Naruto, Kiba, or even Neji they would have "accidentally forgotten to grab my cloths and wouldn't have even attempted to help" reassuring myself "Are you really that lonely?" I ask him. "Yes I am and will always be. Well I will be leaving now" as he turned away "Uhh Gaara w-will y-you come to my flower shop-p later?" " I'm talking like Hinata-chan but I've talked to so many guys before what's different about Gaara?" I questioned myself. "How about this afternoon?" Gaara spoke with no emotion. "That-t would be great." I stuttered. As I headed home I thought to myself "I wonder why I did that I mean everyone sees Gaara as a total monster but why did I ask him? Maybe it was meant be." I heard a muffled squeal from behind a bush I peered through and saw Sasuke and Sakura still in the same position as when I last saw them. Eww if I knew Sasuke was such a pervert I would have never even tried. As I reached home I clambered up the stairs to my parents. "Hey dad a new friend of mine is coming over in a bit, so please don't do anything embarrassing, annoying, or possibly disturbing." "Is it Sasuke?" "NO!" "Is he related to Sasuke?" "NO!" "Does he look like Sasuke?" "NO!" "Well with all your talk about Sasuke I wonder who this guy is." "He's just a friend" "until later" she added silently. "Well I don't want him doing any pervy things to you." "DAD!" "Sorry" he said with a whine. I slipped on my work apron and glided downstairs to the shop, as I stepped behind the counter the signature bells chimed there little song signaling someone was here. Gaara stepped through the door. His bright eyes, and hair, his exotic look sparkled like a desert of rubies and emeralds. "Snap out of it Ino" I thought slipping out of my fantasies. "Hello actually I didn't catch your name" he spoke "It's Yamanaka I-Ino" I mumbled lost for words. " Is something wrong did I scare you?" "No it's nothing" But then he stares right at me, into me, through me. "Uhh Gaara do you like the shop?" "I've never seen so many beautiful flowers in my life. Being from the village in the sand the only beautiful thing is the rare cactus. But they are the most beautiful thing I have ever seem" I blushed a red so deep it would put Hinata to shame. "Thank you I grew a lot of them. Did you know they have meanings?" "They do I thought all flowers are the same." Gaara said I let out a laugh and Gaara gave a light smile of pure sunshine "All flowers have meanings so that they can be personal to people" "Personal hmm I think this one fits you best" Gaara plucked a golden chrysanthemum from the shelf and lifted it up to me "That's the chrysanthemum when it's yellow it symbolizes a secret admirer" my voice trails off, I look up and meet his gaze, my shy blue eyes mingle with his jade green eyes. "It does I never knew?" with the most innocent look on his face. "I can't help it." I thought to myself as I leaned toward him and hugged him like I have never hugged before. I felt complete as I hugged him tighter in absolute bliss. "Uhh Ino you're hugging me" "Yes?" "Well no girl has ever hugged me before except for Temari when I was younger and she told me if I ever told anyone she would kill me" "Oh sorry" as I finally let go of him "He's just too cute" I thought to myself. "Uhh Ino?" "Yes?" I answered again "Would, would, you uh er…" "Like to catch dinner together?" I finished for him with a brilliant smile. "Ok t,tonight?" "Ok see you then as he raced out the door. I felt a bit of that loneliness inside me evaporate and lift. Gaara compared to Sasuke is pretty much the same; perfect hair, perfect body, and perfect bodies. But Gaara has something Sasuke could never have he has a bright heart that has been suppressed for too long and I want to release it. "Yeah Ino-chan you kick ass!" the memorable voice welled up from within "oh be quite" I said aloud.

Ok here's the first chapter of Sand into Flowers hope you like it and please review.