Warning: Later chapters will contain spoilers.
Chapter 3: What it means to be a vessel
The night was lit by the full moon, and the forest's occupants basked in the moonlight. Everything was silent and still. The only noise that echoed through the area were the sounds of footsteps made by Gaara and Yukiko. Yukiko thoughts wandered in different areas as she and Gaara walked towards the Ichiraku. She thought of when she had first met Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun. It was shortly after the chunin exams, and then Sakura introduced her to Ino-chan and Shika-kun later. She knew Sakura best though, considering they were both studying under Tsunade-sama, although Yukiko had studied under her ever since she had reached Konoha.
Gaara's head remained pretty much empty as they walked through the streets of Konoha. Now and then he would see a few people outside, only to disperse at the sight of the pair, then reappear when the had left them far behind. Now and every then he had to remind himself that this was a free meal, and that he didn't need to kill everything in his path (a well learned lessons taught to him by Naruto).
No words were really exchanged between the pair as they walked back through the gates, into the village and with every step closer to the Ichiraku. A few blocks away, Yukiko decided to break the silence.
"So… Gaara-san, what do you do for fun?" She questioned, quickening her pace so she walked next to him. She had decided that if Gaara hadn't slaughtered her for falling on him, she was probably safe with a few questions.
"I don't do fun," he put flatly. Was a free meal really worth the aggravation? Gaara wasn't sure.
"Um, ok then," she mumbled slightly, "what do you like to eat then?"
"Feh. She asks a lot of questions."
"Ground liver and salted tongue," he stated. A slight tone of irritation laced his voice.
"That's nice," she replied shakily.
"Huh… that's kinda gross. But then again, it's really not for me to judge…" she thought to herself.
More silence. Look Gaara up in a dictionary and you'd probably find him defined as "anti-social" she thought. "Do you even like ramen?"
"Hello? Why the heck would he come in the first place if he didn't? It's not like he'd come just to be with me…" she told herself.
"Eh."
"I guess that means 'yes"…" "What flavor?"
Gaara stopped walking, and then turned to her: "You ask too many questions. Are you purposefully trying to irritate me? I don't have to do this."
"ACK! Sorry!" She squealed flailing her arms in emphasis. She stopped flailing and let her hands fiddle in nervousness, "it's just that I want to get to know you better Gaara-san."
"Keh." "'I want to get to know you better Gaara-san.' Damn, no one's ever said that to me before… "
"Just stop asking me all these damn questions," he scoffed, continuing to stride the way they were going. He looked down, hands in his pockets, and kicked a rock that was next to his foot. It scattered across the dirt road and hit a pole.
"Ok."
Not even a few steps later, Gaara spoke up: "I like beef ramen."
Yukiko beamed uncontrollably. A hop in her step stayed all the way until they reached the ramen shop.
The heavenly scent of homemade ramen drifted surrounded the area of the shop. As the two youths entered the shop, they noticed that it seemed almost vacant with the exception of Yukiko's party, and an old man nodding off in the corner.
"Konbanwa," greeted Yukiko and the three teens turned to her calling. Sakura forced a smile, the kinda twichy smile that she often gave to Naruto in her earlier times with him. Shikamaru remained expressionless and Ino just stared.
Yukiko parked herself next to Sakura and Gaara sat next to Yukiko. The ramen bar tender waddled over to the new arrivals to take their order – completely unaware of whom Gaara was.
"What'll it be?"
"I'll have some miso ramen please," Yukiko said. Gaara was bent over on the counter, hands laced and elbows propped up. The attendant then turned to Gaara: "And how 'bout you?"
Gaara remained silent. He shifted his eyes towards Yukiko: an indication that she should order for him.
"Um. He'll have beef flavored," she indicated. She looked at Gaara to make sure that he was ok with her answer. He nodded his head ever so slightly, and she nodded back.
"Right then, it'll be a few minutes," said the employee.
"Thank you," she noted, and the bar tender disappeared back into the depths of the shop.
Sakura, with her meal already ordered, set her chopsticks down next to her bowl. "If you'll excuse us for a moment…" she declared, grabbing Yukiko by the wrist and hauling her towards the bathrooms, "be back in a second!"
As the bathroom door shut behind the two girls, Sakura turned to Yukiko. "Yun-chan, how the hell did you get him here?"
Shannaro, Yukikon! What the f$# did you do! Enchant HIM? Threaten him! ANSWER ME DAMNIT! Snarled Inner-Sakura.
A leaky faucet in the corner of the bathroom dripped ever few seconds.
Drip
"I saw him. He was on top of my apartment roof. I really didn't want to ignore him, so I kinda jumped to the roof and asked him if he wanted to come with me. He said no at first so then I followed him until he said yes," she explicated, twisting several locks of her hair in frustration.
Drip
"Are you crazy! You could have pissed him off to the point that he would have slain you!" She fumed.
"But he didn't," she retorted cockily, "he came. I think he likes me."
"I think you're nuts!"
And a few other things considering you've suddenly found a fetish for psychopathic insomniac red heads! Inner-Sakura added.
"Oh come on, Sakura-chan! He's not all that bad! I even got him to talk to me," she stated.
"Well it was only a few sentences, but at least he talked," she affirmed.
"Still! There's no need to purposefully put yourself in danger like that! I realize that you have this whole connection thing going on here, but if this is going to keep happening every time you try to get close to him, it has to stop. And if you decide to pull another stunt like this again, make sure that someone is with you next time!"
Yukiko stared down at the floor. It was dirty, bare, and cracked. The bathroom itself wasn't all too charming either. Rose colored wallpaper dangled from loss of adherence, several mirrors were cracked, and the only source of light came from a dingy bulb hanging from the ceiling that flickered every once in a while.
"I'm going back," mumbled Yukiko and exited the bathroom. Sakura let a groan escape her lips as she trailed behind her slightly insane friend.
Yukiko reseated herself next to Gaara. A steamy bowl of miso ramen had been placed on the counter in front of the seat. She glanced over at Gaara, who was already eating his meal silently.
Inhaling sharply, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and proceeded to consume her meal. Thought tonight it didn't taste as good as on other nights. Not even halfway through her eating session, Shikamaru and Ino left: both having finished long before she had even arrived. It was then that only Sakura accompanied the pair.
Not a word was uttered as the three devoured the food. Gaara finished first, and then stood up to take leave. With the little ramen she had in her bowl, Yukiko wolfed the remainder down, paid for all the ramen, and followed Gaara out, in contrast to Sakura's cries of protest.
Gaara was fully aware of Yukiko's presence as he strayed to the outer reaches of Konoha. Apparently, consuming a bowl of ramen wasn't enough to appease the girl.
"What do you want from me?" he called back to her. Gaara was aggravated and had enough of this nonsense.
They had only just met the border of the village. The moon hung higher in the night's sky, and the air was damp and cold. Many clouds that had not been there before hand drifted aimlessly in the dark heavens.
"To talk," she proclaimed, walking up besides him as he crossed over the bridge, "and to befriend you."
Gaara ceased walking, turned, and glowered at her, "I don't need friends. I don't need anyone."
She merely looked in to his gaze, and he glared more intensely. It puzzled him that she didn't show any sign of fear or remorse, and that her stare was filled with intellect and compassion. The sky above stirred, clouds shifting over the shinning orb that light the night. It became dark.
"Everyone needs someone," she told knowingly.
This time, Gaara snapped, " You don't know a thing do you! I never had anyone and I never will! I am a tool, a container, possessed by Shukaku. You don't understand the meaning of that! Now leave me be or I will slay you!"
Yukiko never averted her eyes, nor did she looser her calm sense of being. She reached out and laid her hand gently on his shoulder. He flinched at her touch, and ripped himself away.
Her hand dropped at her side, and she spoke with a kindhearted voice: "From the moment I came into contact with you, you attempted to kill me, but you did not. I am fully aware that you don't want to Gaara-san," Gaara was shocked by her words, "furthermore, I realize that I could never understand the feeling of possession or insomnia, but I know the agony of being a vessel of a monster, because I too carry one inside me. The two tailed wolf demon, Ryuken."
Gaara stared at her, now apprehending the immense chakra that designated the seal. It was an honest declaration: this girl was indeed a host for a demon. She was more like him than he had bothered to see.
Gaara fled, retreating back into the depths of the forest. Unaware of his desire that he would encounter her again.
Yukiko's feet gave, and descended to the ground. Her eyes overflowed with tears.
"It hurts…"
Plit
"To care about someone you know so little about."
Plit
The sounds of her falling tears mixed together with the rain that slowly descended from the sky. It grew steady, and she felt her emotions being washed away by the harmonious rhythm of the rain.
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"She's going to end up dead. I'm positive. You agree, ne?"
Shikamaru and Ino walked through Konoha after just leaving the Ichiraku. Both were heading towards their houses that were not to far apart from each other. Ino continued to make conversation as the sky above them stirred.
"Are you listening Shika?"
"Eh? Yeah, whatever," replied Shikamaru casually. "Best not to argue with Ino, she can put up some real troublesome fights." Shikamaru closed his eyes and sighed deeply – this was going to be one long walk home.
"Like I said, Yukiko-chan needs to be more careful. She can't go running off after angst filled boys like that. She's going to get her heart broken, and maybe a few other things," Ino assured.
Shika opened one eye and rested it on Ino. Her short, straw colored hair fluttered slightly in the wind. Her cheeks somewhat flushed from the brisk temperature outside.
"So you're saying you don't like depressed boys like Sasuke?" he questioned. "Eh, hold on a second. Why am I comparing this to him? And why am I indirectly asking Ino if she still likes him?" Shikamaru's eyes wandered in search of answer, all the way down to Ino's butt. He caught himself, and averted his eyes quickly, remembering that he wouldn't find an answer down there.
"Though it was nice to look at. Crap, did I just think that? Ack, bad mind, bad mind."
"Why do you ask?" Ino shot back at him.
Shika again looked away from Ino: "It's probably going to rain soon."
"Don't change the subject!" She snapped at him, "Answer me!"
"You first," he said, turning back to her, "I asked first, therefore I had every right to change the subject."
Ino folded her arms and pouted, sulking for a few minutes as they continued to walk. It wore of shortly, and she unfolded her arms.
"No, I don't like Sasuke anymore if that's what you're wondering," she admitted. He stopped walking and turned to her, meeting her gaze. She was flushing more than she was before. Shikamaru focused on her, trying to analyze the meaning behind her blue eyes. Sky blue. The kind of blue that you found in perfect days of cloud watching. But he was lost at the very first sight of them.
"Are you going to answer my question now?" She asked shyly.
"Since when was she this mature?"
"I um… er-"
Lacking any sign that it would, the rain came pouring down in a heartbeat. Shikamaru automatically took off his jacket, and wrapped it over Ino. The two raced through the wet, muddy roads, and met Ino's house within moments.
Panting and soaking, they stood underneath the awning above the door. Shikamaru was completely soaked, and Ino was vaguely damp. She looked up at the man standing besides her.
"Why did you do that? You're completely soaked, and now you'll probably catch a cold," she stated as she reached into her pockets for her keys.
"I don't know… I just did. Did you have a problem with that?" he gasped, wiping the water from his face.
"N-no," she stuttered. Ino recollected herself for a brief moment, "Do you want to come in? You can warm up and dry off so you don't catch a cold."
"I'll be fine," he assured her.
"That's just like him to try and act macho. It's kind of cute… NANI? What the heck is wrong with my head today?"
She gazed at him again. His hair was coming out of the ponytail that he always wore, and the loose strands were plastered against his face. He was shaking slightly from the cool air of the night. She had never realized how tall he actually had gotten…
"Are you sure?" she found herself asking.
"Yeah, I'll live," he said smirking, and with that, he turned to leave.
"WAIT!" her mind screamed. He had forgotten his coat, but that was not the only reason for her inner cry, and even Shikamaru wasn't smart enough to read thoughts. So she stood there, pleading inside her head for him to come back. And as he drifted farther and farther into the steady rain, he thought one simple thought.
"I gave my jacket to you Ino, because I simply wanted to." He contemplated as he strolled through the downpour, "I needed to protect a delicate flower from the heavy rain and wind."
Ino sighed, unlocked the front door, and walked in; huddling under the protective jacket.
"My delicate flower."
Eh, eh, you like? If you likith, please review… ith. Yeah ok, i'm desperate for reviews… and flames… (dang I never thought I'd say that)
Pwease review for the Gaara!
Gaara: (makes super cute puppy face) PLEAAASE?
YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T RESIST THE FACE!