Disclaimer: All credit for the creation of the Naruto franchise goes to Masashi Kishimoto.
I do not own any of the characters.
Notes: Reviews would be greatly appreciated and helpful
Thank you for reading my first story, it means a lot to know people enjoyed it and that I finally was able to finish a story after so long of writing in general.
My only other work going on at the moment is my Detective Conan/Case Closed story, In The Dark, be sure to check it out if you want a laugh or two.
Until we meet again, as always, enjoy.
Constellation Love
Chapter Ten-The Girl From Konoha
"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." -James A. Baldwin
"Transfer successful." Ino turned her attention to his hands, looking them over, the hands that had caused so much pain. She shuddered at the thought of being inside his being when she heard his voice.
Ino.
His voice rang out around her, sharing a body with another often gave her the opportunity to hear their thoughts, but this time it was too close, this voice was one she was all too familiar with.
Ino please.
He sounded so helpless.
Ino please don't do this, I'm sorry I can't always control myself it's-it feels like there's something evil inside me.
His quivering voice almost broke Ino's concentration and control over her jutsu.
Please, I don't want to die!
Suddenly Ino noticed a change in his voice, it was rough, and it almost shook her from her technique. Instantly she threw her leg back, Gaara's moving in sync with her unseen action, one after another until the heel of his foot was resting along the edge.
Ino please!
His voice rang out loud in her ears as she pushed off from the edge, his body flying backwards into the air. There was no sound as they flew back, the panoramic shot of the desert becoming blurred as their eyes filled with tears. Soon the edge was in sight and before long the desert was no longer visible, only the jagged side of the cliff as they fell. Ino moved her hands together as Gaara's did the same slowly.
"Release..."
All that she could see was the orange colour of sand surrounding her; she ran her fingers through it slowly, the heating passing over her hand and arm. She pressed her palms down onto the ground as she began to stand up, swaying slightly as she did. She stared out over the edge to the opposite wall, imaging Gaara's frantic body, plummeting to the ground below.
"When you fall I'll be the only one to look away..." She turned slowly, raising her right hand up to cup it over the faint bruise on her left arm.
I won't die alone... You won't... you won't kill me like this you bitch!
Ino's head snapped up as something clicked within her, she turned her back to face the cliff edge slowly as the sand around her feet swirled. She attempted to lift her legs only to raise more of the sand in doing so, it now wrapping around her hips tightly. She felt reminded of the day so long ago when she was trapped inside his sand coffin in the training field. A higher sense of panic fell over her now as the sand covered itself over her shoulders, brushing against her bruise she let out a scream of terror as she felt herself being moved towards the edge.
Blood covered Gaara's chin and the front of his shirt, seeping down from his mouth while he exhaled roughly. Exerting all of his strength to manipulate sand as he moved Ino closer to the edge his body continued to fall, faster with each passing second.
Instantly she felt a powerful shove and her body was thrown and released from the hold within the sand as she flew over the edge of the cliff. She could see what lied below, only a thin river and banks of rock bed on both sides. Her eyes opened to their full extent at what she saw next, Gaara's body lying on an odd shaped form. A deep red colour surrounded him, his arm outstretched, a crazed look in his eyes, a look she'd had never seen before. Her slow movement out over the edge lasted only a moment before she began to fall fast. She waved her arms and legs in a desperate attempt to save herself only to continue to fall, faster and faster she approached the sustained figure who was the madman that was leading her to her death.
She neared closer and closer as she saw Gaara drop his arm and spread both of them out, inviting her to join him. As her body collided with his she released another scream as his arms wrapped around her. The pungent smell of blood filling her lungs, from her restricted position, head pressed to his chest, blood smeared across her face and in her hair.
"It saved my life," His voice, calm and raspy. "this sand, this sand I kept concentrated at the bottom of my gourd. Heavily mixed with the blood of my victims." He titled his head back as a chill ran down his spine. "Your blood is in here as well." Ino's eyes widened as she began to choke and cough from the odor of the sand "Can you smell it? Their blood, coming together into my sand, it's wonderful." His words didn't match his actions as he choked on the smell as Ino had done, bile filling the back of his throat.
Ino readjusted her head to look at him, his chin and neck covered in what she assumed was his own blood.
Suddenly she felt her position in midair, atop the blood sand, drop drastically. She emitted a shriek of panic fearing the end was near.
"This is it Ino, we lived together and we will die together." His arms wrapped tighter around her, his eyes filled with insanity as he tilted his head down to press a bloody kiss against her forehead. A small hole opened in the sand that was holding them up that soon opened wide as their bodies passed through it.
Alone in the desert, no one was around to hear what would have been the sound of the bodies hitting the rock bottom. No one was around to hear Ino's desperate cry for help, or Gaara's maniacal laughter.
-F-
Before leaving for the desert to confront Gaara, Ino expressed her plan to Sakura and told her that if she didn't return by nightfall to tell Lady Tsunade.
Time came and went and there was no sign of Ino coming back.
Sakura raced through the streets of Konoha heading to the Hokage's office as fast as she could. Upon reaching the building, the bombarded past the two guards and continued to sprint as she made her way up through the building.
"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura slammed her fist against the door to the Hokage's office and leaned against the doorway as she breathed in and out heavily. The blonde Hokage and her assistant turned from the window to watch her.
-F-
A small group of sand shinobi headed down a steep slope that connected the river bank to the upper level in their desert between the village and the forest.
"Why are we doing this again?" A young sand Genin whispered to a fellow Genin.
"Idiot, pay attention! Temari-sama got a letter from Konoha asking her to gather a group of shinobi, that'd be us." The young Genin spoke with a slight nasal emphasis as he schooled his partner. "And take them to search the desert for something!"
"Awesome! Are we looking for treasure?" The first Genin clapped his hands together onto his large prominent stomach as images of himself behind surrounded by all of his favorite foods ran through his mind.
"No! We're looking for a criminal, Gaara of the Desert."
The porkier Genin blinked a few times, the images of food fading away and being replaced with the sinister green eyes that belonged to the notorious murderer from Suna.
"Ma'am, I found something!" A tall gangly Chuunin chirped up from behind a small formation of rocks that stood next to the river.
Temari and Kankuro rushed over to take a look at the discovery and were frozen in their tracks when they got a clear view of what was behind the rocks.
There she lay curled into a ball, her uniform covered in sand, dirt, and blood. Her body was still and her face emotionless, Kankuro and Temari looked down at her, glazing at her features intently.
"Kankuro," Temari spoke up as she walked away from the site. "we're taking her body back with us. I'm sure Konoha would appreciate having it."
"Uh, sure." Kankuro reached behind him and pulled on one of the scrolls, unrolling it out in front of him before he performed the seal that summoned his large puppet salamander. He moved next to Ino's body and slowly slid his hands under form, lifting her slowly. Her limbs swinging loosely as he carried her to the puppet.
He placed her body gently down atop the puppet before connecting five strings to it.. "We're moving out, let's go!"
The sand ninja walked along with Kankuro, some trailing behind to get a glimpse at what they were returning home with. Temari headed off ahead of everyone and reached the top of the slope first, taking the moment alone to gaze into the night sky.
As Kankuro and the rest of the sand ninja reached the slope, interest in the body had faded and everyone was anxious to return to the village. Kankuro walked slowly with his puppet up the slope to avoid having the body slide off, but with each step the puppet made shook the body causing a crack to form on Ino's face. Soon the cracks met each other and spread into larger ones, upon reaching the upper level, bits and pieces of Ino's face were falling off. Reverting back to sand as they fell, behind the peachy skin complexion was a pale dermis. The wind picked up as they walked, blowing away the sand as the jutsu was undone, the discarded sand mixing in with the desert.
Gaara lay quietly on top of his brother's puppet, a deadly grin spreading across his face as they moved through the desert, back to Suna.
-F-
Green eyes looked wearily up to the moon that had hid itself within the clouds tonight. Dark marks made their way around a small dirtied face, starting from the forehead and ending under the chin. She wandered down the bank for what seemed like hours. Always looking up to see if the moon would reveal itself soon. What seemed like a lifetime ago Ino saw the moon as a protector, but tonight the moon hid itself from her view no longer watching out for her. Only constellation love shone bright in the sky above.
-Fin
-To Be Continued-
If you want to find out some details about the sequel be sure to check out my profile, I'll keep it up there for a while. See ya~