Snow in the Desert.
Chapter Two.
A/n: Oh yes, people. I will be changing up the plot ;D
The sun was cruel to her eyes the next morning. She awoke to Tedeibea in her arms. He was getting worn out and tired from her late night cuddles. But she refused to rid of it. She realised that the house was left to her as Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. She quickly made herself breakfast and left the house in her usual ninja attire. As she was walking to the usual training ground, she heard a conversation within the alleyway.
"I'm interested of who you are." The voice was so cold, so chilling it gave her shivers. She continued to listen.
"Uchiha Sasuke." She could hear his cocky smirk.
Naruto started a speech about himself.
"Naruto, leave them alone." Miyuki said loud enough for him to hear.
Gaara stared. He knew it was her. It was Miyuki. She didn't bother to look in his direction, as if she didn't care who Naruto and Sasuke were arguing with. The Uchiha boy ran after and kept a firm position next to her. Protective aura was seen throughout his body. Naruto was soon to follow as they made their way to the training grounds. Gaara growled to himself and walked off.
To the team's surprise; Kakashi, for once, was there before them.
"I'm glad you finally decided to arrive." He sighed.
"Sorry, Sasuke and Naruto were being idiots harassing our neighbouring village members." Miyuki sighed.
"You mean Naruto was being an idiot." Sasuke stated.
"OI!" Naruto shouted.
"Calm down, everyone. Tomorrow the first section of the Chunin exams will commence. So, I expect you all studying tonight. It's the written part of the exam. After that, you'll have more obstacles to complete, of which I am not allowed to say. I wish to see you all in the Main Hall tomorrow morning at exactly 8am. Miyuki, I will wake you up myself at 7am. I know you'll be late." Kakashi smiled underneath his mask.
"I'll be late?" She exclaimed. He laughed and fled the area, leaving behind a trail of smoke to prove he was there.
"Ah, man. First exam tomorrow? I'm never going to pass now." Naruto sighed.
"I'm sure you wouldn't have passed anyway, idiot." Sasuke smirked.
"HEY! That's not funny!"
Naruto and Sasuke started to engage in their verbal conquest as Miyuki noticed something strange. She noticed charka. It was familiar in a sense. She looked throughout the trees. The first thing she noticed was and Sasuke were too concentrated in their battle to notice her slip away into the trees. She walked into the clearing. She scanned the trees for movement but the place was dead. As she picked up her feet to leave, she noticed something tickling her leg. She looked down to see sand being pushed around by the wind at her feet. She smiled and knelt down to observe the sight. She placed it between her fingers and let it fall through the gaps. This wasn't sand normal sand from anywhere, it was HIS sand. She will never forget the feeling of the sand against her skin. A flash of red startled her. She jumped, searching for any kind of movement.
"I know you're there. Come out." She demanded. Her voice was stern.
Nothing. No movement whatsoever.
She thought they might have fled as the chakra was no longer detectable.
She knew it was him. It was Gaara. He watched her turn his back on him and began to move out of the clearing.
'Why don't you just kill her now while she has her back turned?' Shukaku asked.
"No, I'm not going to kill her." Gaara whispered.
'Why not? After all she's put you through.' Shukaku was taunting him now. He was begging for bloodshed. But Gaara refused.
He watched her walk away. He couldn't do anything but watch
.
She walked back into the training grounds where Naruto and Sasuke were still arguing.
"Will you two just give it a rest? I swear, Sasuke, you're as narrow-minded as Naruto." She sighed in contempt.
"Hey!" They both shouted at the same time.
"Well, would you like to train? We have nothing else to do for the day." She offered.
"I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to lunch." Sasuke offered.
"Okay!" Naruto shouted.
"Not you, idiot." Sasuke was quick to reply.
"Oi! That's not fair to exclude me…" Naruto mumbled.
"Eh, you two can go ahead and have lunch together. I'll just go home or something." Miyuki sighed, uninterested.
"Are you sure?" Sasuke asked, disappointed.
"I'm sure. See you guys later."
"So, Sasuke. About that lunch?" Naruto asked.
"Idiot." Sasuke sighed as he walked away, leaving Naruto alone.
She walked down the path alone. She made her way towards her house with thoughts flooding her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about Gaara even though she tried her best to prevent him invading her mind. A violent wind whipped past her, throwing her black locks in all directions. As she moved her hair out of her face, she noticed a floating trail of sand that was leading into a forest. She pondered following it. But she also considered the danger of following the sand. The thought of following it overweighed the thought of following it, so she did.
She watched as the sand shifted every time she came closer to it, leading her into a specific spot. She followed the sand until it came to a standing still. She looked around, no one was to be seen and no charka was to be sensed. She turned to leave until she heard a light thud. She knew someone jumped behind her, very close behind her. She struggled to turn around but her hands were clasped by pale, cold, thin fingers. She stood faced away from her predator. For the first time since she was a child, she was helpless. A breathe came towards her ear, giving her shivers. The person behind her was clearly about to say something, but, they stopped. They pondered. Her wrists became moveable once again as the pressure released from them.
She sighed inward and whipped around to search for her capturer to find nothing. The person was gone. She growled, frustrated.
Once again she whipped around, prepared to stomp off but she walked into someone else. She looked up with wide eyes.
"G-Gaara." She whispered.
"You haven't changed." She continued.
"Neither have you." Small talk… Great.
"You here for the Chunin Exams?" She asked.
"Yes."
Whoa. Conversation is booming here.
He just stared at her while she uncomfortably played with her locket. She didn't like his gaze, it made her feel shameful.
"Gaara, about leaving so suddenly… I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice, I was a child." She said as her gaze met the floor.
"I knew you'd leave anyway." He spat.
She was flustered by those words as she looked up at him with shock.
His eyes held anger as hers held tears. "Gaara, I didn't have a choice. I was a child!"
"You could have come to me. You knew I would have protected you from your brother."
"How did you know…?" She didn't expect him to know that it was her brother that slaughtered her Aunt.
"I overheard the Kazekage as he was speaking to the Anbu about you."
"Well, did you hear the part about me being moved to Konoha so that Hatake Kakashi could care for me?" She asked, looking at the floor again. She couldn't bare to look at his hate-filled eyes anymore.
"No."
"He took me in graciously as he is a fellow Sharingan holder. Like I said, I had no choice."
She was given no response. She figured he was pondering what she said. She looked up to find he was gone. The tears in her eyes threatened to spill down the side of her face. In some ways, she felt rejected. She turned her heel and ran straight home. On her way home, she felt empty. She noticed that her necklace was missing. She was thinking that she probably lost it from just a couple of moments ago. Sorrow hit her heart.
"It's so I'll never forget my parents."
On her way in home se was surprised when she slammed the door.
"Is that you?" Kakashi asked.
"No, it's the Akatsuki." She responded. He knew there was something off in her voice as it slightly cracked.
"Would you like dinner?" He called as she made herself upstairs.
"Yes please, I'm just going for a shower first." She called back.
She stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel. Her windows were open and the wind was harsh on her skin. She shivered as she made herself over to the window and closed it shut. The moonlight glistened into the room and hit silver on her bed. She made her way towards it and noticed it as her pendant.
I must have dropped it this morning when I woke up. Was her thoughts. But the truth was that she dropped it outside. When she was with Gaara. The clasp lightly fell from her neck as Gaara caught it just before he fled. He thought the honourable thing to do would be to return it, which he did.
She safely put it around her neck again after she dressed herself for bed. She made her way down the stairs and joined Kakashi for dinner.
"Make sure you study for tonight, Miyuki." He lectured her.
"Yes, dad." She smiled. He did too.
"I just want to secure your success. You know that."
"I know, thank you, Kakashi. For everything."
"Everything?" He questioned as he looked up at her.
"You know, for being there for me when no one else was. For fostering me." She looked down at her food, smiling to herself at the thoughts of the fact that the 'Copy Ninja Kakashi' had the heart to take in an orphaned helpless girl.
"You know that I didn't mind that whatsoever. You're like a daughter to me; I do love you, Miyuki. Like any father would love their daughter." He smiled as she grinned at the thought.
"I love you too, Kakashi."
A/N: I think I deserve a nice cuppa tea for that one. Anyways, I do realise that the chapters varies in all different lengths. I am currently trying to get one day down every chapter. But I might leave a cliff-hanger here and there for a little bit of suspense ;D - xo
