Hi everyone ! Sorry for the very late update, I had to move cities for universities, which implies four tons of paperwork and flat hunting. I HATED it lol. Anyway, here's the chapter with a parallel between Hinata and Gaara at the end. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of it.

Chapter XIII: The heirs.

Dear Prince Gaara,

I hope this letter finds you in good health of body and mind. We arrived in Ivoïré without any problems, although the welcome was colder than the highest mount of the Kingdom of Earth. To my great disgust, mine are still not welcome in this cursed capital. I bitterly regret the days when I was ignorant that men could be disgusted by the colour of their neighbours' skin! But such sad words!

I had the honour of dining with Her Majesty Mei Terumi and Lord Mizukage. She is an incredible woman, and I admire her strength! Seeing her command the respect of all makes me – I must confess – jealous, and I confess that I would like to have even one ounce of her incredible charisma. The Nine may have heard me, because at our dinner, she shared with me a few "tricks", I would say, to appear nobler and honour my title. I hope to succeed, for I cannot shame Yggalë! Especially with the new Selection coming up; I will have to represent my region in front of the future Great Lords, and that makes me anxious.

On a second, more joyful note, I learned a few songs from the Kingdom of Wing on the harp. The Litany of the Desert was very difficult, but it is so beautiful that I could not have given up. Will you do me the honour of listening to me perform it at our next meeting? I would also like to find a dance teacher, but it seems that the only teachers living in Ivoïré are old fools who have lost their minds to age! I will probably have to hire dancers passing through; I only hope that I will not be lent indecent relations with them!

I pray every night that The One of Wrath will leave you in peace. Has the One of Peace heard my prayers? Can you rest and dream as you wish? How is Suna doing?

I hope to hear from you soon.

Your devoted friend,

Hinata of the Hyūga clan.

Gaara felt a smile appear on his lips as he reread Hinata's letter to him. He could almost see her smile and hear her voice as she excitedly spoke about music and dance. She seemed to have a true love for both arts, and he could not help but imagine her voice singing the sweet Litany of the Desert. It would undoubtedly be wonderful to listen to, her silken voice was already like a light caress when she was just talking, or like the song of birds when she was enthusiastic about a subject. It would such a marvellous moment! He took a sheet of paper and a feather, thinking of the letter he might write to her.

Dear Great Lady Hinata,

Your letter has brought me all the serenity I could wish for, and I am reassured that you are safe and sound, although I can only urge you to be as careful as you can. Orochimaru is still at large, and who knows what plan he is concocting to destroy international peace. As for the hatred you may receive in Konoha, pay little attention to it; you are far more beautiful than anyone living in Ivoïré, and your power is only surpassed by that of Daimyō. A few rich merchants cannot compare with you.

Her Majesty Mei is indeed an interesting woman, especially considering the history of her kingdom! I have not had the opportunity to converse with her, so I must believe you about her personality. I hope the Mizukage treated you with respect, it seems to me that he can be quite impolite. Finally, perhaps I am not in a good position to talk!

I look forward to our reunion, and I hope to hear you sing! I myself am a poor singer, but I can try to improve myself to accompany you. My father disapproves of every choice I make, so I might as well do what I want, right?

The situation in Suna is most annoying, I must confess; the investigation into the attack on Orochimaru does not seem to be progressing, and the competition between my brother and sister has lost all interest in my eyes. It was fun to see them fighting for the attention of the Council a few months ago when the race started, but now it is quite pathetic. It is quite obvious that Temari is going to win and the whims of Kankurō are worthy of a child. I can't wait for all this to end! And for my sister to become Daimyō. She will be much better than my father, but he is not about to give up the throne, to my great misfortune.

I pray that this letter finds you happy and at peace. May the Mother of All protect you and guide your steps.

I will wait for your answer.

Your devoted,

Prince Gaara Hisuna de Suna.

Gaara put down her feather and sighed. He had never written a letter to anyone before. Did he respect conventions? He did not want to offend his dear interlocutor; the idea that she would be offended and therefore upset with him for so little would break his heart. Nevertheless, the memory of the courage she had shown in saving him from the bloodlust of the One of Rage reassured him. She was not like all the young ladies he had met; she was sharper in spirit and more merciful in heart. Confident, the young prince put away his feather. His letter would probably need some reworking, but he was satisfied with his first draft. Hinata seemed to appreciate his frankness, and he appreciated hers. So why should he hide behind false politeness? Was sincerity not a primary value?

Gaara stood up and ran a hand through her hair. What a fascinating lady! She would almost make him believe in the values of the Mother of All! If he was sincere, it was only out of pragmatism; the day when he would fear the primordial goddess had not come. He grabbed the letter and reread it, then took a deep breath. This is how he would send it; he did not want to get tired of hiding any message behind unreliable words and sinuous sentences.

The prince left his room and set off towards the falconry. All the travelling birds were there and were pampered by the servants working there. They always had to be vigorous and healthy if messages had to be sent urgently over long distances. One of the falconers saw him arrive and his eyes widened slightly. Gaara rolled her eyes slightly as the man hurriedly made a clumsy and fearful curtsy. The prince watched him coldly for a short moment. What a pathetic insect with non-existent bravery, he thought.

"I need a bird for Konoha," he ordered.

"Of course, right away Your Highness! To whom shall I address it?" replied the falconer in a trembling voice.

"The Grande Dame Hinata of the Clan Hyūga. There is no need to indicate its provenance."

"As you wish, Your Highness!"

Gaara watched him prepare a bird in silence. He exuded no charisma or dignity, and the prince wondered how birds of prey as majestic as those he was training could obey him. He looked up at the birds, which had been chirping and screaming furiously since his arrival. He sneered slightly. The animals had always hated him but, as usual, none of them had the courage to attack him or chase him from his territory. In the end, this falconer was a perfect match for these birds! They were all too stupid to understand that he did not care about them and would never stoop to killing them. The most insulting thing was that the servants thought he was capable of murdering innocent people for pleasure; no matter how much the One of Wrath had tortured him, he had never killed a servant who had had the misfortune to pass by. A sigh escaped him, and he closed his eyes. He already missed Hinata and her eyes filled with sincere confidence.

"Y-Your Highness, the bird is ready to go."

Gaara reopened his eyes and slid them towards the falconer, not tiring to turn to him.

"Well send it. My father doesn't need to know, is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Gaara turned around and walked towards the falconry gate. As he went to grab the handle, the door opened abruptly, revealing Temari's distraught face, whose eyes were surprisingly red and puffy. He had never seen her cry, and Gaara realised that something serious had happened. She froze when she saw him. Then her expression closed, and she almost pushed him out of the way to get into the falconry. Gaara turned around to watch her chase the falconers away and sit among the birds of prey. She stretched out her arms and a few of them came and sat on her lap or beside her, rubbing against her like cats. The prince's eyes widened; he did not know that his sister was so good with birds or that she came to seek comfort from them.

He approached slowly and a few birds shouted at him before flying away and circling around him. Hm. They're braver if Temari is involved; how funny, he thought. His sister raised her head towards him. Her eyes were piercing, her jaw tight and her body taut. What had happened? He folded his arms across his chest.

"What is happening to you? You never cry."

"Of course I'm cry, but you don't care how we fare!" she replied angrily.

She probably hoped that he would fall to his knees to apologise for his behaviour until then, that he would become an exemplary little brother. However, this was only proof that she was not in her normal state. He had no intention of changing. He was perfectly satisfied with his relations with his family members and did not want to be closer to them; their eyes filled with fear and pity made him sick. Why would he burden himself with such relationships?

"You don't cry in public, that's why your behaviour caught my attention. If you don't want to talk to me about it, I'll leave," he replied coldly.

He turned around and took a few steps when he heard Temari hailing him. He stopped and turned around three-quarters of the way. Had she changed her mind? She better hurry, he hated this dirty, stinking falconry.

"Why her?"

"Develop."

"The Hyūga girl. Why do you trust her so much? I have tried over and over again to understand you, to be a sister, but each time you've rejected me. Why her?" Temari persevered.

Was Temari jealous? That was fun. How could she dare to hope to be more than just a distant sister to him when she was unable to look at him without fear? Even now, fear was hidden beneath her hostility, an eternal presence.

"She is not afraid."

"In that case, she's lost her mind!" spat the princess.

Gaara suddenly felt as if he had just been slapped and he took a step back. He had always known that his family and everyone in this accursed kingdom feared him, but hearing Temari say these words was like a whiplash. He thought honesty would do him good, but it was like having a bucket of ice water dump on his body. His fists clenched his arms and he took a deep breath. In the back of his skull, the laughter of the One of Wrath resounded. The sneer seemed to swirl erratically in his mind, as if one of the storms that sometimes swept across Suna's steppes was shaking it in all directions.

Gaara bit his lip, refusing to let the voice of the hated god dictate his thoughts and tried to ignore the thirst for blood that now pulsed through his veins like the beating of his heart. He could not succumb. He set his eyes on Temari, hoping that the sight of his sister would calm him. When he met his sister's lapis lazuli gaze, a wave of relief came over him. He had no reason to be angry. She did not deserve it; she was just a liar who three months earlier had claimed she liked him. But now, her actions and words proved otherwise.

He turned around and, ignoring Temari's sobs, left the falconry without a glance back, his jaws tensed, and his fists clenched. Hinata's kindness had led him to believe that perhaps he could try to mend the broken ties that bound him to his family – except for his father – but it was clearly a lost cause. He returned to his room only to find Kankurō leaning against the door, waiting for him, flanked by a knight whose name Gaara had not bothered to remember. The younger prince growled. Why was he burdened with the weight of their presence? These lying cowards did not interest him.

"What do you want?" he grumbled.

"Just to introduce you to your future sovereign", answered Kankurō.

"Temari should be the heiress," Gaara said, frowning her white eyebrows.

"True, but she is a pervert who prefers the company of women. How could she reign properly over the kingdom?" replied Kankurō with a cruel smile.

Gaara suddenly had the impression that lead had fallen into the bottom of her stomach. How had Temari's secret come to light in this way? Then, slowly, as if the conclusion refused to appear in his mind, he understood. And rage swept through him wildly, swirling in his mind like a furious tornado. Gaara clenched his fists and, with an instinctive wave of his hand, slapped Kankurō in the face, making him fall to the ground. He felt his fangs lengthen as his shadow swirled around his ankles, waiting for his orders. Temari's tears came back to him, as did her aggressiveness. It was normal for her to be in this state, and he was not the reason for it. His sister was no liar, she was merely heartbroken.

"She made you swear! You took an oath!" he roared. "How could you break your word like that?"

Kankurō coughed up a little blood while the knight helped him up. His elder brother glared back at him and when he spoke his tone was poisonous.

"You wouldn't understand!" replied Kankurō. "All my life I have sweated to be the heir. Do you think I wasn't going to do everything to win?"

"A man who breaks his word doesn't deserve a throne," Gaara whistled.

"How wise for a killer!"

"I have never broken my word, and killing does not prevent me from being able to think coherently! Leave, you dirty snake, before I decide to make Temari the heiress!"

Kankurō seemed to understand the meaning behind his words and immediately ran away, his knight on his heels.

Gaara slammed the door of his room behind him, trembling, and removed the layers of clothing that were obstructing his face and hands. Her gaze fell on his reflection, which trembled like the surface of a pond before becoming independent, his eyes black and golden and his skin covered with strange marks. The prince took a step backwards, panting. His skull had been taken over by heavy masses, his stomach was twisted, and he was cold although sweat dripped down his temples. He leaned against a piece of furniture, staring hard at its dangerous reflection.

"What... do you... want..." he grunted.

The One of Rage smiled cruelly and dusted off his clothes.

"Me? It's quite simple, I want blood and violence. Nothing very original, of course, but I'm getting bored ! Let me ask you the same question, kid. Don't you want to go to Kiri? Or maybe to Konoha, to join your sweet Hinata? A charming girl by the way, I am very happy that you didn't obey me, after thinking about it, she is very interesting."

Gaara clenched her jaws but, unable to stand on her own, could not attempt to look intimidating.

"That's what I'd like to do, yes, but I have no official reason to go there," grumbled the prince. "I cannot speak for you, but I have no desire to live like a beggar, especially with a body that doesn't tolerate the sun."

The god tilted his head to the side, seeming to think, before sighing.

"Ah yes, I forgot about human conventions. It's terribly tedious! Nevertheless, I want to have fun, and your present life is catastrophically boring! But never mind, I'll do something about it. You are fourteen years old, aren't you? That's a correct age to start taking power in humans, it seems to me."

"More or less", panted Gaara. "What are you going to do?"

The smile of the One of Wrath seemed to stretch to his pointed ears, giving him a nightmarish appearance. Gaara swallowed. What could have gone through the mind of the god?

"The letter from your sweetheart gave me a good idea. We're going to have a lot of fun, kid!"