A/N Whew, finally finished another! Keeping up with updating is getting to be hard! I'm trying to finish the final one now… anyway TMC-Yuki, I am really glad that you like it! The photo was addressed long ago to Chiru; sorry in hindsight that was not very clear. Gaara and Chiru had an arranged marriage as children. ^_^ please R & R & Enjoy y'all!

Gaara brooded quietly in his room. The photo was clutched in his hand, it seemed extremely fragile. It must have been looked at and touched often over the years… he didn't intend to confront Chiru about it just yet. He couldn't imagine how she knew his father. If Chiru were to be his wife so long ago… what had happened? Why would his father – the man who saw him solely as a weapon of mass destruction – why would that man arrange a marriage for him?

Too many things didn't seem to add up. He did know that he recognized Chiru but he had never been close to anyone. He would've remembered something like this for sure. What had happened at that age, and why did Gaara know absolutely nothing of it?

"Gaara! Have you showered yet? You need to get dressed for the dance."

Temari blushed when he raised his cool eyes in her direction. She was wearing a slightly revealing black dress. It sparkled beautifully in the gloomy dark room Gaara found himself in.

"You look good, Temari," he told her softly. His sibling froze, seeming uncertain how to react to his compliment. In that moment Gaara realized just how much he hated that they were always so surprised when he acted normal. He wished that he could be more like Chiru or Naruto… That people could look at him and see someone they could understand – even love.

"Arigatou, Gaara…" Temari whispered, stepping hesitantly into the room. Gaara watched her; he wasn't sure what to do next. How did Naruto always manage to keep a conversation going?

"Is Kankuro ready yet?"

"No, I had to drag him to the shower just now… He can be so forgetful," Temari replied with a curious gaze. She sat timidly on the edge of his bed, making him blush.

"I'll shower after him…"

Temari nodded, playing with her thumbs. Was she nervous? Gaara made a gesture he had often seen Naruto do when he felt awkward – he messed up his hair. He couldn't quite understand the need for this action, but it made Temari smile. Was it possible his display of emotion helped her relax?

"Let me show you how to dance!" Temari suddenly said, tugging the redhead to his feet. Gaara blushed slightly, stumbling when his sister began dancing slowly through the room. She explained something about leading and the music, but it all sounded Greek to Gaara. After while they stopped and she went to check up on Kankuro. Gaara couldn't help but smile at the closed door. Temari had taught him to dance.

"Gaara-chan, you look so good in that outfit!" Chiru gushed, poking Gaara's tux as though it might be alive. He felt strangely hot and uncomfortable.

Chiru was wearing a flowing golden dress that hugged her figure tightly. Gaara had a hard time not looking anywhere he wasn't supposed to be looking. He gulped the lump in his throat down uncomfortably, studying the floor. Chiru giggled – the sound made Gaara look up in shock. The sound was so feminine, so adorable that he had to make sure it came from Chiru's mouth. She was blushing, and she clapped one hand over her mouth. She seemed slightly embarrassed.

"L-let's go!" she mumbled, dragging Temari to the dance as quickly as possible. They'd arrived in the town early that morning, so they had had time to ascertain where exactly they were supposed to go.

The festival was lively. Children were running around, shouting and playing with fireworks. There were shows and dances and generally people hanging around looking happy. The general atmosphere was one of celebration and excitement. Gaara was surprised at the excitement in Chiru's eyes. He was used to these festivals back at the Sand, even if he rarely joined in. but Chiru was watching every slightest happening as though it was the most amazing thing ever to take place.

"Chiru… is this your first festival?" Gaara asked emotionlessly when she pointed out a couple of kids shooting off fireworks for the third time to him. Temari and Kankuro's immediate screams of "What?!" made him regret speaking so loudly. There was suddenly a faint, deep sadness in Chiru's gaze as she watched him.

"Of course not, I've been to plenty of festivals before!" she laughed, blushing fiercely. Gaara shrugged, hoping to confront her about it later. His siblings were just too damn nosey.

"Let's go dance!" Temari said excitedly when a slow song started up around them. She had somehow found Shikamaru – whom Gaara had met a few times in the Hidden Leaf. He was slightly suspicious that Temari had asked Shikamaru to meet her there, but he'd been too preoccupied by Chiru to see whether or not he was right. Kankuro grumbled something, disappearing in the general direction of the food stalls while Shikamaru complained about energetic women and followed Temari to the dance floor.

Gaara found himself entirely alone with Chiru. The moment was perfect to ask her about the photo that was burning a hole into his back pocket, but she spoke first.

"Do you want to dance?" Chiru asked with shining eyes. Gaara was taken aback by the sadness that hid in those brilliant coppery eyes. What was bothering Chiru? Had she noticed the missing photo?

He offered his hand wordlessly, allowing her to tug him into the moving throng of people. The song was nice and slow, which made it easier for Gaara to keep up. Chiru gave him a few pointers every now and then, but after a while she fell silent. They looked everywhere but at one another as they danced.

Gaara swallowed heavily, trying to calm his racing heart. What was he so nervous about? They were just dancing. But something about the night was bugging him. The people moving around them, the beauty that seemed to spill from Chiru, and his own mixed emotions was giving him one hell of a headache. The letter confused him, not to mention Yuki's cryptic little riddles. Gaara wanted more than anything to just shout at Chiru to tell him what exactly was happening. He was sick of being confused. He wasn't a child anymore.

The song ended, but they kept dancing as another began. Finally Gaara found the words to speak.

"Chiru-"

"You found it," she interrupted, smiling. To Gaara it seemed like she was smiling through tears.

"The photo… you saw, didn't you?" Gaara nodded, unable to speak. Something big was bothering Chiru. Why did that make him feel angry?

"Gaara, there are many things you don't know yet," Chiru whispered close to his ear. Her hot breath on his neck made his heart play sledgehammer. He shook his head dazedly.

"You were meant to be my wife?" he asked, feeling utterly lost. Chiru nodded softly.

"Yes, I was. Your father arranged it so my family's money would support him as Kazekage…"

"What happened? I don't know you," Gaara said. It was the complete opposite from what he'd been feeling, but true in its own way. He did not know Chiru as the letter suggested. She shook her head, communicating when her voice seemed to fail her. Gaara was intrigued by her emotional gestures.

"Because, Gaara-sama, you killed my family when you found out," her eyes sparkled with definite tears, her words sent icy shivers down the Kazekage's spine. Had he really done something like that?
"That night, we tried to explain it to you…"

(Gaara's flashback)

Gaara watched the weird girl hang from a tree branch. He knew that his dad would scold him if he were to do something like that. He wanted to tell her to get down, but something stopped him. She probably wouldn't want to speak to him anyway.

"Gaara, Chihiru, come here," it was his father's voice. Gaara went immediately to him, not wanting to get a scolding. The girl named Chiru ran excitedly into his arms. It scared Gaara when he saw his father laugh and hug her. Why did his father never look at him that way? Was it because he had killed his mother?

"Chihiru, this is my son. One day you will marry him, and become my daughter. Do you understand?"

"Yay! I can't wait to marry Gaara! I want to go see Suna. Uncle, why can't I go there now?" Gaara sat on the ground, watching his father chat with Gaara. Black jealousy was making its way through his chest. He was trembling with anger. His father had never said a kind word to him, yet this girl seemed to be his everything. Why did his father hate him so much?

"Gaara-san, daisuke dayo! (I really like you)" Gaara glared coldly at Chiru. She seemed taken aback by his anger.

"Gaara, behave!" his father snarled at him, making him tremble. His father hated him.

"I won't marry. That girl is nothing to me," he shouted in a brief moment of rebellion. He paled when he realized what he said. His father would punish him… he was afraid. He didn't want to be punished again.

Chiru was crying. He didn't like Chiru. He wanted her to go away. He wanted his father to look at him that way. He didn't want to be punished again.

Then don't let them get in your way…

It was the monster, whispering into his mind. How did it know what he wanted to do…?

A/N This chapter will be followed with the next shortly! I hope my sneaky readers still enjoy it :P any suggestions and criticism will always be welcome… and of course reviews make my lazy fingers itch *Angel Face* just saying! ;)