Chapter Sixteen: Are you Happy Now?
A/N: I'm super tired, but no fear, I will write this fanfic anyway!
Japanese Lesson: Ohayo means Good Morning!
Sachiko: Go Author-Sama!!
Author-Sama: Thank you Sachiko-chan… Anyway, let chapter sixteen begin!
The lips of the redhead, once twitching into a scowl, twitched into the smallest hint of a triumphant grin. He had come to a conclusion or close to one; closer than he thought he could reach. He felt that he had nearly deciphered the girl, stripped her soul down to nudity, and discovered the real Sachiko beneath the farce. The undersized smirk would have stayed on his mouth for perhaps many minutes more if it hadn't been for Kankuro approaching them. The tiny sneer returned to its usual stoic default as Kankuro greeted Sachiko and then nervously greeted Gaara. Sachiko, of course, was cheery in her return salutation but Gaara gave no welcoming gesture, not even a hint of one.
"Ohayo Kankuro-kun," she greeted him back with a rare smile.
Kankuro took a seat next to her and grinned stupidly, causing Gaara to scowl again. Kankuro's optimistic attitude irritated his redheaded brother like the way a splinter irritates the eye it stuck in.
"Kankuro," Gaara hissed at his black hooded brother, "You're an eyesore… Get out of my sight."
Kankuro tilted an eyebrow and gave his strange brother an inquisitive look, unsure of what he had done to bother Gaara this time. Nevertheless, Kankuro stood up from his seat. Kankuro offered Sachiko a hand for her to join him; Gaara hadn't expected it. Sachiko accepted Kankuro's hand and allowed him to gently pull her up from her seat. The two walked into the forest brush in silence. Sabaku no Gaara stood in his solitude; soaked it up and wrung it out like a washcloth. Blood boiled and anger fermented. He felt the need to take it out on something, anything.
"Ribbet."
A fat frog jumped and landed at Gaara's feet. It's big round eyes stared up at Gaara. Just staring at the redhead intimidated the frog into a bloat. Gaara didn't even blink as he rose his hand up and crushed the air. The frog met the same fate as the blue jay's did. Frog guts splattered loudly against tree trunks and thorn bushes. It always felt good to kill, no matter the size of the creature, no matter the worth. It always felt good.
This time it wasn't good enough.
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Kankuro and Sachiko had walked quite a distance before finding a small stream, both taking a seat at its embankment. The stream seemed to play a sweet melody with its rushing waters. The fish blew bubbles from their skinny lips to join the orchestra as birds chirped to do the same.
The group had been very lucky to come across an oasis but the ANBU knew the area very well. Baki had also visited the oasis many a time.
Sachiko let the grains of sand erupt from between her fingers and toes as she wiggled all twenty of her digits against the sand. The sand between her toes was especially moist and cooled them off. She could feel sprits of stream water play upon her legs. Sachiko smiled to herself, throwing her head back a bit in relaxation. She had felt so tense with Gaara and so unwanted. Now Sachiko felt at ease and very much desired. She loved the feeling of want. No one had really ever wanted her.
Kankuro let out a held breath and then a hearty laugh along with it. "Gaara can be a handful," said he, still chuckling.
"Handful," Sachiko repeated in a questioning tone, "Hah! He's a regular pain in the ass!"
"Sachiko-san mustn't use foul language," Kankuro said, grinning goofily.
Sachiko blushed. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," replied Kankuro as his hand stretched to one of hers, "There's been something, or rather, someone that's been on my mind a lot lately."
"Really," Sachiko asked expectantly; face growing hot and heart like an anxious race horse ready to race, "Who?"
"You," Kankuro murmured, "Sachiko-san."
Blushing furiously she drew back as Kankuro's hand slid to her cheek. Nervously she continued to pull away, meanwhile also feeling that it was not just she and Kankuro by the stream.
"Is something wrong," Kankuro asked worriedly as a powerful claw of sand wrenched around him as clever as a serpent.
"Ga-Gaara," he choked out, "W-what are you do… ing?"
"Shut up," Gaara growled as he formed next to Sachiko, "Kankuro go back to the campsite… I have business to take care of… I've… been waiting for this moment."
Laughter such as Sachiko had only heard herself cackle in the heat of bloodlust exploded from Gaara's vocal chords, ringing in her ears and echoing in her mind. She kneeled to the sandy floor, clenching her head with the same unclean hands as Gaara's.
Gaara's sand released Kankuro as he came to the sad realization that he had left Crow behind at the camp. He searched for a thought that would help both he and Sachiko out of the predicament but his mind could muster up none. He was utterly helpless.
When a human is created, certain entities are ingrained into the psyche. Many call these deep-seated actions 'instincts'.
The fight-or-flight response had indefinitely kicked in as Kankuro fled back to the campsite to seek help although he doubted any of them would attempt to sustain Gaara when he became mad like the was he had.
"Go away," Sachiko kept repeating like a child afraid of the boogieman.
"Go away… Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away!"
"It's not good enough," Gaara howled as his hands dug into her shoulders, shaking her frantically, "It's not good enough."
Sachiko's eyes opened wide with anger and confusion as she wrenched her own hands onto his forearms. "What's not good enough? It's not good enough being a monster so you have to wreck my life because you want me so badly to believe I am a monster too? That's not good enough for you?!"
Heavy breathing could be heard throughout the oasis. It had become a battle ground for two vessels and two demons.
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A stir of echoes ominously rang, rousing every creature within the haven, threatening their existence.
Temari cocked her head to the side, eyebrows furrowing. For the first time in a long time, she stood there and she trembled. As scared as a rabbit, she stood stiffly.
"Temari we have to help Sachiko," Kankuro wailed at her.
"No," she spoke, "We must leave them to sort things out on their own…"
"Are you crazy Temari," Kankuro screamed, "They'll kill each other and probably us too!"
A firm hand rested on Kankuro's shoulder, a guiding one.
"Leave them be," Baki whispered, "The ANBU will have to take care of it."
"Baki-sensei…"
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Like three fearsome shuriken, the ANBU black ops sprang into action and flew between branches and leaves so skillfully, not a leaf touched them or brushed against their uniforms. They made signals to each other, forming a plan.
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"I give up Gaara," Sachiko said weakly, voice cracking through the sobs, "What is it you want from me? You want me to say I'm a monster? Okay, I'm a monster. I don't deserve to live… I deserve to be ripped to shreds like those hundreds of children I slaughtered."
Sachiko gasped at the truth she had revealed, releasing her grip from his shoulders and placing them upon her lips. She threw her hands down and pounded the sand with her fist, letting out a forceful noise of distress.
"I'm a monster," Sachiko screeched out, voice booming loudly enough to shake trees, "I'm a bloodlusting monster!"
"Are you," Sachiko slurred out like a drunk, "Satisfied now? Does that make you happy, Sabaku no Gaara? Does it?"
"…"
"I SAID, DOES IT?!"
"Hn," said Gaara, voice harsh from disuse, "It does."
He released his painful grip from her shoulders, noticing he had torn flesh and her wound was still bleeding. He fell back a moment, waiting for the urge to kill her to come but it didn't. He searched for Shukaku to answer his calls but the raccoon was silent. Gaara allowed himself to breathe out slowly, feeling relieved for the first time in his life.
Sachiko's water filled orbs glared back at him with a bitter after bite. Gaara's lips formed a puzzled pucker, missing the twitches that turned into a scowl.
"Why," she asked in almost a whiney voice, "Why does it make you feel better?"
Gaara inhaled slowly. Three very fast ninja were approaching, most likely the ANBU. He didn't have much time to answer her as the ANBU black ops burst from the trees. The ANBU charged at Sachiko, knowing that Gaara's sand would only rise to defend him and so it was pointless. As she wrestled with them, struggling to hear Gaara's answer, Norihiro pinned her down. A firm hand lie on her neck, shoving her face into the dirt.
"Answer me," she demanded as some sand fell into her mouth.
Gaara stared back, answerless.
"Answer me," said Sachiko again, this time begging, "Please, answer me. Why does it make you feel better?"
Gaara shut eyes for a moment, breathed again, and then spoke, "Because you finally admitted to being a monster… And I'm not the only one now."
"You're not alone," Sachiko choked out as the two ANBU black ops hauled her back to the camp. Sachiko formed a small smile, "That's all you are, isn't it? You're lonely."
Norihiro, the leader of the ANBU black ops stayed behind to walk Gaara back to the campsite. He hesitantly stepped toward the redheaded shinobi.
"Gaara-sama," said Norihiro, "I must take you back now."
"I can go on my own," Gaara murmured, turning his back.
"Yes sir," said Norihiro as he left to join the others.
Gaara sat down on the embankment of the stream. Sprits of water begged to touch him. He felt tired suddenly and wondered if it would be okay to lie down. He spread his legs out first, and then stretched his arms. He fell back, the sand welcomed him as warmly as his own mother would, which was probably rather cold.
He allowed the conversation between himself and Sachiko to play back in his mind like a recorder. He blocked out all other sounds and distractions but her voice and his.
"I give up Gaara. What is it you want from me? You want me to say I'm a monster? Okay, I'm a monster. I don't deserve to live… I deserve to be ripped to shreds like those hundreds of children I slaughtered."
"I'm a monster! I'm a bloodlusting monster!"
"Are you satisfied now? Does that make you happy, Sabaku no Gaara? Does it?"
"…"
"I SAID, DOES IT?!"
"Hn. It does."
"Why…? Why does it make you feel better?"
"Answer me!"
"Answer me… Please, answer me. Why does it make you feel better?"
"Because you finally admitted to being a monster… And I'm not the only one now."
"You're not alone… That's all you are, isn't it? You're lonely."
Gaara rose up, the sand supporting him to a standing position. He opened his eyes slowly because if he had opened the rapidly he might have grown dizzy and fell back to the moist sand. He began to make his way back to the camp, repeating an almost inaudible whimper.
"Lonely… Yashamaru… I'm lonely."
A/N: Wow, I was on the edge of my seat as I wrote such words!
Sachiko: Go Author-Sama! Go!
Author-Sama: smirks Well I am pretty good aren't I?
Sasume: Don't let it go to your head. You still have to continue writing your Lawliet and Chocolates fanfic. You know, your FIRST fanfic on fanfiction!!
Author-Sama: Sasume-san gasp Where the BEEP did you come from??
Sasume: You're other fanfic! That's where!
Author-Sama: Sachiko-chan! Stop her!
Sasume: Sachiko can't save you… RYUUUUUK GET YOUR SHINIGAMI BUTT IN HERE!
Ryuk: Sorry Author-Sama, I've been without apples… And Sasume promised me some if I scare you into continue writing your other fanfic.
Author-Sama: OKAY! OKAY! ENOUUUUGHHHH!! CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES THE BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP AND GO BACK TO YOUR OWN FANFIC!! clears throat ahem. I will continue your fanfic soon. Be gone.
Sasume: dragging Ryuk Come on Ryuk, we'll most likely be back but we'll leave for now.
Author-Sama: That's why you're my favorite Sachiko-chan. You're not rude.
Sachiko: Thank you Author-Sama.
Gaara: I finally caught up to you…
Author-Sama: CRAPPPPP! NONE OF THE CHARACTERS IN MY FANFIC ARE TOO HAPPY WITH ME RIGHT NOW!! RUUUNNNN! EVERY AUTHOR-SAMA FOR THEMSELFFF!! AIIIYYYEEEEE!!
Sachiko: While Author-Sama is being hunted down by Gaara-sama, please REVIEW for her. Goodbye faithful readers! And my apologies for the wait as well!