White as Sand

Note to Readers: When it says Yondaime, I am not referring to Minato, I searched and searched for Gaara's father's name and all I got was Yondaime Kazakage, so that is what I am going with, sorry for the confusion, once I find out his real name then I will edit it. Also this is use to be my old story, To My Unlovable Prince but I thought the story line would work better with a GaaraNeji paring, and I really do not know what to title it yet so it is going to be White as Sand until I rename it.

Also, at the time Gaara is 10, Kankuro is 16, and Temari is 18. It starts off with some Kankuro/Sakon but eventually will get to some good GaaraNeji. I am going to apologize ahead of the time for the bad grammar and the slow start to the story. I try my best, but I cannot catch everything. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, just thought you should know.

Chapter One

Orochimaru had to restrain himself from smiling, but he could not help himself, after all the man was dying and he was finally going to get all that he wanted in one fell swoop. It had taken years of planning, but today he was finally going to get everything that had been rightfully his returned to him. After all, he was the eldest son and should had rightfully gain the throne when his father died, but as the fates would have it, his father had left it to his adopted younger son, Yondaime, instead. Now said son was dying before his eyes of a mysterious illness that had spread through the city, Orochimaru could not have been a happier man then at this moment. Pretending to be the loving older brother, he reached over and held his brothers hand, "Yondaime, I promise I will care and love your children as if they were my own, I will make sure nothing and no one will harm a single hair on my precious nephews and niece."

He reached for a glass of water as his brother coughed, blood spattered across the royal blue blankets that covered him. Orochimaru faked a smile as he handed his brother the glass of water, the last drink Yondaime would ever receive, Orochimaru had made sure of it. He watched as his brother sipped the water and Yondaime's face scrunched up in agony and suddenly the glass hit the sheets, soaking them as Orochimaru cried for the doctor, playing the perfect part of an older brother who had just lost someone. He faked the tears as the doctor told him his brother was dead, he faked the tears as he to his nation, and he faked the tears at Yondaime's funeral.

Finally, after waiting so long, Orochimaru had gained his rightful crown and he was going to make all the people who had stood against him from the beginning pay. Starting with his nephews and niece, Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara, the children of that wretched man who took everything from him. Yondaime had had their father's love, he had gotten the kingdom, and he had married the women that Orochimaru had loved. Karura, had been the only women have ever made Orochimaru happy, to make him feel any warmth, but she had chosen his brother, and now her children would pay the price of her betrayal.

XXXX-White as Sand-XXXX

Kankuro was at the point when a person begins to fall truly into a deep slumber but yet still very aware of what was going on around him, and maybe that was why he heard the knock at his door. Who ever it was had better have a good excuse or Kankuro was going to kill them, then skin them, and use their bones to make a puppet. He pulled the covers off him reluctantly and took his time crossing his room to answer the door. He was, after all, the first prince of Suna and he was damn well going to behave like one. As knocks got faster and louder he hasten his pace, this maybe an important issue, pulling on the golden handles of the door he saw his love, Sakon. Leaning forward, Kankuro attempted to kiss him, but was quickly pushed into the room.

"Kankuro, now is not a good time," Sakon said anxiously trying to fend of Kankuro's wandering hands.

"Why else would you be here then, you refuse to come to me other than for this," he whispered into Sakon's ear as he pulled him in to an embrace.

Sakon moaned as Kankuro pulled him in a kissed him, it felt so good to be in the first prince's arm. He would never tell the prince though, his ego would only continue to inflate. Sakon gasped when he felt himself being lifted and heading towards the towering bed of the prince. The bed looked so inviting, the creamed colored silk sheets that he had slept on only nights before, they would feel so soft against his naked body. He would grasped them as he screamed Kankuro's name again and again, but tonight he was not here for pleasure, Sakon was here to save his love.

"Kankuro, please stop, we...we need to talk."

"What did you want to try something new tonight?" Kankuro joked as he set his love down on his bed. Sakon was acting a little weird tonight, usually he would have already have Sakon screaming his name by now, "I was just kidding, what did you need to talk about?" he said as Sakon made a face at his joke.

"Kankuro...do you love me...?" he asked, looking the prince dead in the eye, he need Kankuro to be serious with him, after all Sakon knew with each minute his love was being put in more and more danger.

"Sakon, you know I love you more than anything else, why is there something wrong?" he asked concern on his face. Sakon was never the sappy type, something must have upset him, and Kankuro was going to get it out of him one way or another. "Did something happen, you can tell me love."

Sakon took a deep breath, he did not deserve the prince's love, because Sakon was already in too deep, and hearing Kankuro tell him he was loved was too much. "Kiss me," he whispered as Kankuro leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss. Sakon wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer, he wanted to imprint this into his memory. Pulling apart from his love, Sakon whispered, "I'm sorry..." as he stuck a small needle into Kankuro's arm. He watched as Kankuro's confused face slacked as the drug began to kick in. Sakon felt the tears threaten to pour out as he held his love for the last time, he had to get Kankuro out before Orochimaru could get to him. He had overheard Kabuto talking with Orochimaru about getting rid of Kankuro, and Sakon knew what he had to do. He knew Kankuro would never go willingly so he had planned to drug the prince and slip him out with a friend in the night.

Hearing the calls of a hawk he knew his contact was here to take the prince. Sakon had already slipped in during the day and packed up some things for Kankuro, all he had to do was get the prince down to his contact. Taking a deep breath, Sakon released the curse seal and change into the monster he hated, he was glad Kankuro was out, he was hideous, a monster that not even Kankuro could love. He reached down and slipped into his love, merging with Kankuro, taking over his body. Standing from the bed, Sakon awkwardly dressed the prince, Kankuro was the same height as him, but he was also built bigger and stronger. Sakon knew if he was going to get him out of here he would have to learn quickly how to move Kankuro's body naturally.

Pulling the prince's riding cloak around him tightly, Sakon slipped out the doors taking the back hallways out of the castle. Sakon almost ran into some trouble when he saw his brother, Ukon talking with Jiroubou, joking about how long it would be before they would hear Kankuro's name being screamed throughout the halls. They moved on and Sakon was glad he would not have to deal with them, after that he managed to leave the castle without being spotted and headed to the edge of the forest where his contact was waiting for him. Seeing man, Sakon slipped out of Kankuro's body, "Help me get him into the carriage," he commanded as his contact moved forward to help. They moved the prince into the carriage as fast as they could, after all anyone could have realized the prince was gone at any moment. "Take him somewhere safe...somewhere Orochimaru can't get to him." Sakon leaned down and brushed a brief kiss on his love.

"You know he will never forgive you, will you be ok with that?" the man asked Sakon.

"If that is the cost of saving his life, I would take his hate just to see him live another day." he answered, closing the door to the carriage, "Don't come back anymore, I can't give you any more information, I will deal with the aftermath here, just keep him safe." Sakon pulled away from the carriage as he watched silver haired contact nodded, before urging the horses to start trotting into the forest. Sakon watched the carriage disappeared into the forest before he turned around and returned to the castle that held his doom. It would only be a matter of time before Orochimaru put the pieces together and realized it had been Sakon who had sent Kankuro away. Sakon knew what was coming and he was prepared to face it.

XXXX-White as Sand-XXXX

It had only been a week since his father had paced away when things began to change for Gaara. His older brother had disappeared into the night, abandoned him just like his sister who had decided not to stay with their Uncle and had quickly packed her things and left to her lover's side. Gaara was too young to leave and had no power over any of the new ninjas and warriors that his uncle had brought into the castle. He had watched as they transformed his home into a dark hell hole around Gaara. He would never forgive his siblings for abandoning him, had their mother not told them that family was everything. Everyone around Gaara was leaving him, his teachers, his friends, everyone seemed to want nothing to do with the youngest prince. Gaara was taken from his chambers in the center of the castle and moved into a dark tower wing where the heat of the fires could not reached.

His uncle had told him that they were remodeling the castle, but Gaara knew better. However he did not question his uncle, after all Orochimaru was all he had left. Everyone else had abandoned him, and his uncle was the only family he had left. Or so he believed, until one day when he overheard and saw something he should not have. After the incident, he began to hate, hate the fact that he had been born in the first place, hate everyone around him, but most of all he hated himself for his weak heart and believing he could be loved. His Uncle confined him to his quarters and Gaara never saw another person after the incident for the next eight years of his life.