Chapter Six: A Pledge to Kill
A/N: Many people are confused… So it is my doody… duty… to explain! XD
The Shadow of the Day Popsicles Effect on Consumer: The person who eats this Popsicle will cast a Shadow that will captivate any person that steps in it. It will only captivate the first person to step in the shadow and no one else.
The Shadow of the Day Popsicles Effect on Captivated Person (Whoever they may be): This person will have had to have stepped in the Consumer's shadow. Once stepping in the Consumer's shadow they will find themselves captivated by that person. They will find themselves curious about the Consumer and will find themselves wanting to follow the Consumer. Once the Consumer and the Captivated Person's shadows touch again the effects will wear off. It is up to the Captivated Person to decide what to do next.
Author: I hope that clears things up!
Sachiko: I think you made it worse… I'm ten times more confused…
Author: Well… Basically Gaara just feels a need to follow you and he finds himself thinking about you quite often.
Sachiko: (Blushes) Oh… how, er… interesting.
Author: Once your shadow and his shadow touch again… the spell is broken.
Sachiko: I see… So… What about at night?
Author: At night, everybody's shadows touch together and become one… So it doesn't count.
Sachiko: Author-sama is so smart!
Author: (Grins) I KNOW! Hmm, don't tell Sasume-san but I think you're becoming my favorite!
Sachiko: (Aside) I knew if I sucked up and behaved myself she would say that… hehehehe… Author-sama I WILL be your favoriteeee!
Author: Sachiko-san what is it you are saying 'aside'?
Sachiko: (Not aside) NOTHING!
Author: (weirded out) Ohh…kay… Anyway… Story time!
"Wake up!"
Sachiko groaned as she lifted her dusty head. She pushed herself up from the sand she was lying in and groaned again saying, "What is it?"
Instead of Chihoko answering someone else did, "How are you feeling?"
Sachiko looked up to see Kankuro's war painted face. "I'm alright," she replied as her hands weaved through her hair to pick out sand grains.
"I heard Gaara's taken a… liking to you," Kankuro chuckled a bit as he crouched down beside her.
"Yeah… but I wouldn't call it a liking," Sachiko muttered as she dusted the rest of her body off so she could be free from all the horrible sand.
"Well you've got nothing to worry about… for now," Kankuro said choosing his words carefully, "Gaara's been talked to by our father the Kazekage… Gaara will behave until our invasion of Konoha…"
"That's right… Kazekage-sama has planned an attack on the Leaf Village," Sachiko said remembering what her father had told her, "My father told me about that… It must have slipped my mind… Am I to help?"
Kankuro grinned and said, "You can help by not getting in Gaara's way… That's how Temari and I are helping as well."
"So Gaara does all the dirty work," asked Sachiko as she cocked an eyebrow at the Sand Sibling.
"Oh, we all do the dirty work… Gaara just handles the biggest portion of it," Kankuro stated as he got back up into a standing position, "Well we can talk about this later when the time comes… For now, it's breakfast time."
Kankuro held out his hand for her take and she accepted it. The puppet user led her down the stairway to the dining hall. "By the way," Kankuro said, "You're being moved to another room and Gaara's joining us for breakfast."
"Nani?" She choked as they entered the dining hall to find one red haired shinobi glaring at the two ninjas. Gaara let out a low growl and gave her a nasty look as if to say he didn't appreciate getting in trouble by the Kazekage. She gave him a nervous semi-smile back and took her seat at the opposite end of the table.
Temari had just walked in and decided to sit next to Sachiko in order to relive some tension between her and Gaara. "So Kankuro," Temari said in between bites of breakfast, "We have training tomorrow… You gonna be able to make it?"
"Of course I'll be there," Kankuro said giving her a weird look but later realized what she was hinting. "Sachiko-san we would like to invite you to train with us."
Sachiko looked up from her food and took a quick glance at everyone's face before answering. Temari and Kankuro both had eager yet nervous looks on their faces and Gaara's faced looked slightly annoyed but nothing more.
"I'm not sure," she finally said as some bangs flew in her face as if they knew to shield her from the awkward moment.
"How am I supposed to agree to train with them if that stupid Sabaka is trying to kill me," she thought to Chihoko, making the intentional mess up on Gaara's name.
"Beats me… If things get bad between you two…I'm willing to give you my power to fight him," Chihoko told her and Sachiko could just picture her licking her paw.
"Why are you being so… so…?"
"Nice?"
"Hai."
"Let me put it this way… I have a score of my own to settle with that blubbering idiot Shukaku… that funky raccoon can finally see which of us is strongest…"
"I knew there was a catch," Sachiko thought to her inner demon as she was snapped out of her reveries by someone clearing their throat.
"Nani?" She asked as she looked around to see who it was that startled her.
"Are you going to train with us," Temari asked with a smile that seemed highly unlike her.
"I think I'll just train on my own," Sachiko said quietly as she took a drink of her water.
"You will join us," Gaara said with a growl, "Or else I'll kill you."
Sachiko gulped a bit; she had lost all her courage with this boy and was pushed to becoming timid. That was the side of her she had always attempted to hide from the world but at times like this she couldn't help but show it. "Sure I'll join you guys."
"Great," Kankuro threw in nervously.
"We could use you," Temari said as she checked Gaara's facial expression to make sure she was saying what he wanted her to.
XXX
Sachiko knew Gaara had warned her away from the palm tree she had grown so fond of but she figured because he had been spoken to that he wouldn't bother her. Sachiko lied down underneath the shade of the palm tree, letting the cool breeze touch her. She allowed herself to feel like a cat resting.
"Don't think he's stopped," Chihoko warned her suddenly.
"Again," Sachiko sighed inwardly but didn't make a move to show she knew he was there.
"Relentless boy," Nibi hissed into her mind.
"Is he trying to kill me again?"
"I don't sense the bloodlust this time… but be on your guard," confirmed Chihoko. Sachiko could feel Chihoko tensing up inside her and grew tense herself. "Go on to sleep… I'll wake you if he comes near."
"Hai."
Sachiko was hesitant at first but had learned that at times like these Chihoko could be trustworthy, and so she allowed herself to nap as Chihoko kept watch. She fell asleep within ten minutes and was now softly snoring.
Gaara leapt from his hiding place and stood in front of her. Chihoko was on edge and ready to notify Sachiko to wake up but Gaara was already moving close to her. Something red had caught Gaara's eye. His hand slowly began to reach out to sweep her bangs away to see what the red was.
"Wake now, child."
Sachiko woke up immediately and found the red haired shinobi staring her straight in the eye. His teal eyes seemed to be on fire like his hair as she stared back. "Thanks for waking up when he's right in front of my face like this."
"Be happy I woke you up at all…"
"Hai…"
"Uhm, can I help you?" Sachiko asked him nervously, not liking how close he was to her at all. She could foresee his terrible sand leaking from his gourd and murdering her any second now.
"No," he told her in his low voice, "No one can."
In a flash, he was gone in a cloud of sand, off to be scary elsewhere. Sachiko sat there staring at the spot he once occupied. "What was he doing before you woke me," she asked her watch guard.
"He was looking at your scar," Chihoko stated in an amused tone, "Maybe because you two match."
"Match? What do you mean, match," Sachiko questioned her with skepticism.
"He has a scar too."
Sachiko strained to remember the red haired shinobi's face and finally realized he had a lovely little tattoo on his forehead. "His is Love… Last I checked there's a rough distinction between mine and his."
When Chihoko didn't answer her back Sachiko decided to just leave it at that. She got up and performed her hand seals to summon a small cloud. This time instead of standing, she lazily plopped on it and sat. The nimble cloud carried her back to Sand Castle.
Sachiko entered Sand Castle through her old room and began to search for Kankuro or Temari; mainly Kankuro because he had been most helpful to her. She found the puppet master in his room getting ready to leave at any moment.
"I'm glad I found you in time," Sachiko said as Kankuro gathered up his puppet Crow and rested him on his back.
"I was just about to leave so you certainly did," he replied with a grin, "Do you need anything?"
"Well I was wondering if I could go to my new room," Sachiko said as she twiddled her two thumbs together, praying that they had made the proper preparations for her to stay in another room; hopefully one very far from Gaara's.
"Well there's good news and bad news," said Kankuro as he set Crow down momentarily as if to emphasize the news was well on its way, "The good news is that we found you a new room and its much bigger than the last one. It also has a balcony; I thought you might like that. The bad news is that it's next to Gaara's."
"I think I much rather take a room without a balcony or sunlight for that matter as long as it's far away from his room as possible," she said quickly as her heart began to beat furiously against her chest.
"Here's the thing," Kankuro said as he took a seat on his made bed, "Gaara almost never goes into his room so it's not like you're in danger for any reason… And we didn't tell him what room you were staying in. As long as Gaara doesn't see you go into that room you're in the clear."
"In the clear?" Sachiko asked astonished. She almost felt as if they wanted Gaara to come out and kill her.
"That's right," Kankuro said cheerily, "No worries, Gaara's been talked to. He'll leave you alone."
"Hn, that's why he was about an inch away from my face today when I woke up from my nap," she said flatly, over exaggerating the one inch part.
"He came near you again?" Kankuro asked as if in disbelief.
"Uh yeah," Sachiko said a bit upset that Kankuro was playing dumb and not very good at it.
"What did he say to you," Kankuro asked her with genuine concern.
"I asked him if I could help him," Sachiko started off and then switched to another voice to mimic Gaara's, "No, no one can."
Kankuro gave a short chuckle and then said, "Come on Sachiko-san, I will treat you to some ramen at the local ramen restaurant in the village."
"Thank you Kankuro-kun," Sachiko said with a bow.
XXX
Kankuro held the door open for Sachiko to enter into the ramen place. Kankuro ordered for the two and they were awaiting the arrival of their delicious ramen. The puppet master decided that it might be a good idea to strike up conversation.
"This is kind of an odd question but why is it that your eyes are so dark," Kankuro asked curiously.
Sachiko wasn't sure what to say. She honestly wasn't planning on telling anyone in the Sand Village that she had a demon that forced her to remain awake during full moons or nights of peculiar interest in bloodlust.
"I stay up late a lot," she replied shortly as she took a sip from the glass of water the waiter had just brought her.
"Why," Kankuro inquired, having a feeling that there was more to it that just staying up late.
Sachiko shrugged and replied with, "Why not?"
The black dressed shinobi gave a laugh and said, "You're a funny one, Sachiko-san."
"So are you Kankuro-kun," Sachiko countered with a wide grin.
"Is that so," he asked with false bitterness.
"Hai," she responded keeping the grin on her face until the waiter finally brought them their steaming ramen.
The two had been digging into their food vigorously when Sachiko abruptly stopped for a moment. She had felt someone watching her and immediately her mind went to Sabaku no Gaara. Chihoko hadn't given her warning or any inclination of the red haired shinobi's presence and so Sachiko went back to her meal without a worry.
Gaara sat atop the roof of the store across the ramen shop. He hid himself carefully in the shadows. He was even more careful this time and didn't show himself at all. He watched as Kankuro and Sachiko began to share another laugh. The vessel of Shukaku frowned at this sight and even grew slightly annoyed.
"You keep following her," Shukaku commented, "What's up with you?"
"Nothing…"
"Yeah right," the raccoon demon breathed, "Something is up for you to be constantly following her. You've been thinking about her a lot as well."
"Hn… I'm not sure what it is but I feel drawn to her… I don't like it at all," Gaara finally admitted to his inner demon.
"So what are you going to do about it then, boy?"
Gaara said nothing for many moments and all that could be heard was his angered breathing as he stayed concealed on the roof. Shukaku waited patiently for an answer and received the one he had most definitely expected from Sabaku no Gaara.
"I am going to kill Sachiko of Cloud."
A/N: So I was talking to my friend and we were laughing about how Gaara is such a pooter. She was saying that it's going to take ten chapters for Gaara to actually tolerate someone, fifty for them to become friends, and then finally like one hundred for him to actually kind of like her. Hah… I'm willing to put in the hours for writing 81238128334893 chapters on this. Hehe. I'm dedicated to actually finishing a Naruto fanfic, so yeah.
Sachiko: I am honored Author-sama.
Author: (smiles proudly) you should be!
Sachiko: Author-sama is very disciplined and writes many chapters to fanfics nearly everyday. Author-sama is brilliant.
Author: (squints eyes) Sachiko-san, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were sucking up.
Sachiko: (Nervously) Never Author-sama.
Author: Oh… Well good because I cannot play favorites between you and Sasume-san! You are both lovely OCs!
Sachiko: (Inwardly thinking) Darn it.
Author: I can read your thoughts Sachiko-san.
Sachiko: (Inwardly again) what?
Author: Exactly… (Grins) Tah, tah for now readers… REVIEW!