Ch. 10.1 – Here comes the… unknown truth
He continued to pace around the room, murmuring.
"Naruto, can you please just stop!? I'm trying to sleep in until the wedding starts!" Kiba yelled through the blankets while covering his head. Akamaru growled quietly.
"Why do I always end up bunking with you!?" Kiba turned away from Naruto and continued to snooze away. Naruto was still unfazed by Kiba's words and began to get dressed. He couldn't stop thinking about what Gaara had said the evening before. Although Gaara had already explained to the team that it was to promote peace among the lands, Naruto couldn't stop thinking about it.
"I need to go talk to him. This doesn't feel right." He thought out loud as he stepped out of the shared bedroom. He walked determinedly through various hallways, only to find himself lost. He turned another corner and found two Suna guards standing outside of a room.
"Uh, excuse me, could either of you please tell me how to get to Gaara's office?" He scratched the back of his head. One guard gave him clear instructions on how to make his way to the Kazekage's main office.
"I don't believe he will be there. There is a small kitchen close by the office. Please feel free to grab something to eat while you wait." One guard instructed.
"Ok. Thanks." He looked down the long hallway feeling a little distraught. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a voice speak up from behind the door. He looked at the door surprised by the shouting. He looked up at the guards and saw that they did not respond to it. He gave it a concerned look and decided to not get involved. He turned away and set off to find the kitchen.
~Behind the door~
"Will you just listen for ONCE!? Do something for you! Just go! Leave! Run away before it's too late! I know you've gone through a rough time but this is the moment to make a change! Please! Don't let yourself be persuaded against your beliefs!" The bride's aide pleaded hard and could see that the bride-to-be was still unresponsive as before. She then grabbed her by the upper arms and looked hard at her even though the bride turned away from her,
"Sister! Just...!" The aide shook her a little but the bride immediately turned towards her, glaring with anger. For a split second the aide saw the bride's eyes well up with tears but then disappeared as her face immediately changed back to her old blank expression.
"What does it matter?" she spoke for the first time in a very long time. The aide looked at her with an insistent expression of urgency.
"I… please…" the aide was interrupted,
"What does it matter?" the bride looked up at her aide with eyes devoid of any emotion. Her will was lost and her heart… gone. The aide had never seen her this way. She had never felt so upset that she couldn't get through to her. She gave up and released her grip from the bride's arms. The aide had a habit of always being able to persuade or to win any fight against her. But the battle that she was trying to win was one that only the bride could fight… but the will in her was no longer there. All the bride could feel was that she was nothing; she had finally given up hope and let herself feel apathy for the world and everyone in it. She had surrendered.
Gaara was making his way to his office when he heard a loud groan coming from the kitchen.
"Ugh.. soo much food." Naruto grunted as he sat on a stool, bellyful of breakfast. Gaara peeked into the small kitchen and spotted Naruto sitting in front of the kitchen island with many empty plates surrounding him.
"You're up early." He poked fun at Naruto, knowing he's not one to be awake at that time. Naruto looked over to the kitchen opening and looked at Gaara with a face of regret.
"I… *burp*" Naruto sluggishly got on to his feet and began pacing slowly towards the Kazekage. Gaara couldn't help but give a little smirk at how funny Naruto looked but quickly tried to hide it.
"I need to talk to you." He went up to Gaara and patted him on the shoulder.
"Alright, let's go into my office. You think you can make it?" He gave Naruto a playful grin. After a short but slow walk, and a few funny food remarks, they go into the Kazakage's main office.
"So, what is it that you need to speak to me about?" Gaara makes his way behind his desk and allows for Naruto to sit across from him on another chair.
"It's about the wedding." Naruto gave a concern look to Gaara as they both sat down.
"I see…' Gaara felt uncomfortable and started to look over some papers.
"I just don't get it! So YOU'RE the one that's getting married!? Why would you lie and tells us that Kankuro was the one getting married?" Naruto to questioned insistently. Gaara quietly and sadly sighed as he reclined back in his big chair. He then turned away from Naruto, pondering as he looked out at the bright blue sky. It then dawned on Naruto that Gaara had been hanging out with Imao in the past.
"Did you tell Imao about this?" Naruto then remembered what Imai told him a few days before he found Imao's letter.
-
"Imao… isn't feeling well..."
-
"Wait… what DID you tell her?" Naruto gave Gaara an extreme look of concern.
Gaara reluctantly answered with the tiniest expression of pain,
"I told her we could never see each other again."
"You didn't!" Naruto stood up and stared down at him, shocked by the news. Gaara looked off to the side with guilt written on his face.
"YOU DID! HOW COULD YOU!?" Naruto fumed by anger slammed his hands on Gaara's desk and continued to glare at him as he kept sitting there, unfazed.
"SHE LIKED.. NO, SHE LOVED YOU!" Naruto's words boomed in Gaara's head.
Naruto pounded his fist on the desk,
"SHE WAS CRAZY ABOUT YOU AND NOW SHE'S GONE! ALL BECAUSE YOU HURT HER! YOU HURT HER SO BAD SHE LEFT KONOHA AND SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK! YOU DIGUST M…" Although Naruto was hurt by the facts of what had happened, he paused. He realized he wasn't getting through to him.
"You know what, I give up. All you care about is yourself and your own ambitions. You never cared about her; you're just an inconsiderate jer…" Gaara stood up abruptly,
"Stop." Naruto looked at him startled but saw that what he had said went too far.
"Do not judge me of something which you know nothing about." Gaara didn't need to say more, nor look at him. Just with those words Naruto understood that he didn't want to, but had to do it. Gaara never wanted to hurt Imao. He never wanted to hurt her more than he knew he would have, if she had found out about the truth. He could never admit to her that he was in an arranged marriage before he met her. He never imagined he would fall for her as much as he did but no matter how hard he tried, the arranged marriage could not be broken. So he let her go in a way he couldn't cause more pain than what the truth would have caused.
Gaara let out a sad sigh, his will showing the slight defeat of his emotions.
"I'm going to get ready…" he gave Naruto a nod and walked out of his office. Naruto felt the hurt Gaara hid inside of him but still felt angry that he had toyed with Imao when he knew he could not truly be with her.
'So, that is why she left… because of him…' Naruto sighed. He shook his head in disappointment and walked out of Gaara's office.
After finishing with other daily matters, Gaara arrived at his bedroom door. Before entering noises from outside the building came though a nearby window and caught his attention. He peered out slightly and could see many of the villagers making their way to the ceremony area. Although it was only for immediate family and friends, most of the villagers were gathering outside in support of their Kazekage's decision. Other's seemed to be more interested in seeing if the bride was up to par.
Gaara turned away, crossed his arms and sighed. It was hard to believe what he was about to do, especially after feeling a connection with someone else. He still recalls the first time he spoke to her and their conversation.
'I feel a bond must be created first between two people.'
Gaara cringed at the memory and walked into his bedroom. He immediately noticed his bed and looked at the formal clothes laying on it. It wasn't his choice but nothing was at this point. He began to get dressed for the biggest even of his life.
The Konoha team made their way up to the open ceremony area, which was at the top of one of the parts of the Kazekage's building. They were all dressed in decent clothing and made sure to present themselves well on behalf of their village. Naruto kept ogling Sakura, since it was rare to see her dress up, but she would receive his advances with annoyed glares. Kakashi noted how well guarded the area was, Suna nin surroding every inch of the area. They were guided by a guard to a section close by where the officiant was and stood there. Temari and Kankuro were seen guided to stand close by the officiant but across from the Konoha team. The team bowed politely and the Suna siblings mirrored in reply.
After a few minutes, the bride's aide and the driver's son made their way down the aisle. They were guided to stand next to the Konoha team, as they had already been familiarized. Kakashi nodded at them but noticed they seemed uneasy. Naruto made his way to them and introduced himself to the aide and patted the boy on the shoulder as a hello. They weakly greeted him as they continued to hide behind their hats and scarves.
Before Naruto could strike up a conversation with them, a young woman with a small child was guided next to the aide and boy. They hugged tenderly and commented quietly to each other. Naruto once again butted in and introduced himself to the woman and her son. Kakashi immediately stepped in and gave Naruto a grim look and then apologized to the bride's group. By this time Gaara had made his way down the aisle looking lost in thought and faced the officiant. The bride's aide lightly gasped and stared at the Kazekage. She immediately whispered into the young boy's ear. He turned to her with a shocked look. Before they could say or do anything, a small group of musicians began to play an acoustic melody.
The driver of the bride finds himself in a secluded area. He had told the Suna nin that as a custom to their village someone needed to be in a quiet and secluded area to chant a marital mantra during the ceremony and was not to be disturbed. But as the doors closed behind him a sinister smile came across his face. He took out an hourglass, lit candles around the room and began to paint symbols on the ground. He then took out a large scroll and rolled it by the symbols he had written. He looked at his hourglass and waited until it ran out. His jutsu needed to be perfectly timed.
As the music played the bride appeared at the end of aisle. She was covered in a bulky marital kimono and a headdress with a thick veil that covered all around her head. A very light outline of her face could be seen as the setting sun shone through it.
'Why do I feel like this...' The bride held in her sobs and tears. All she could do was keep walking. There was no longer a turning point. She had to comply with her father's wishes. There was nothing for her anywhere else. The man she was to wed meant nothing to her but she knew that she would be a slave and had to serve him for the rest of her life. She walked down the aisle like it was a funeral. What grace did she have left when everything in her life felt like a waste?
After all the thinking, the bride found herself in front of the officiant. She gulped and closed her eyes hoping that maybe she'd wake up from this horrible dream. The officiant began to speak words of wisdom and love which neither Gaara or his bride could hear. They we're both out of sync from the world and wished to be anywhere but there. Gaara couldn't stop replaying every moment he spent with Imao within his mind. After the beautiful speech, the officiant asked the Kazekage and the bride to turn towards each other. The bride gripped her small bouquet and began to shake a little. Gaara's breathing became shallow and cringed at everything memory of Imao that continued to torture his heart. He couldn't focus on anything but the way he felt. The guilt and hurt had reached the limit of his control.
'Why can't I stop thinking about her… I… I…' Right before the officiant could say anything, Gaara let his thoughts spill out of his mouth,
"I can't do this." Everyone gasped and began to murmur about what they had just heard. He looked up at the officiant and then at the bride, "I'm sorry." The bride stiffened up.
'I'm… I'm hearing things… why does the Kazekage sound like…' The bride stepped towards Gaara and lifted her veil,
"Gaara?" Her quiet words cracked. Gaara's heart almost stopped as he stared in disbelief at his would-be bride.
"Imao?" The pain in her heart came back with great force that she took a deep sharp breath. She had thought she heard his name various times since she arrive at Suna but she believed she was hearing things. Before she could say anything else, an overwhelming weakness came over her and she collapsed into Gaara's arms. Everyone became startled and gossiped more.
The bride's aide, alarmed, took a few steps to get to Imao but fell face down on the floor. Naruto and Sakura went to her side and as he turned the aide upwards, her head covering slipped off of her face.
"IMAI!?" Naruto gave a startled look at Sakura and then at his fellow teammates. Nobody knew what was going on but something was clearly amiss.