Chapter Thirty: Ever the Same Part I

Japanese lesson: Sama is like Lord or Lady. Dono is like Lord/Master. Heika or Denka is Your Majesty.

A/N: Some interesting things will go on this chapter. XD

Sachiko: Will Gaara be nice to me?

Author-sama: NO! (:

PS. Don't forget that Sachiko doesn't look the same anymore! XD

The day before the wedding, Gaara had terribly upset Sachiko. He barged into her room and demanded that her maids leave the room for an hour. He told them to go as far as they could and that if he found them eavesdropping outside the door he wouldn't be a happy Kazekage. The maids, knowing Gaara wasn't one to bluff, took off to the other side of Suna Bastion. Sachiko had just come out of the shower and was only in a towel. She had felt very violated what with Gaara's barging in even if she was to marry him the following morning.

"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," she said to him as she turned away from him. She had told herself after three weeks of torture to make an attempt at being nice and perhaps he would return it. "But… well what do you need Gaara-sama?"

"Tomorrow," he said in his soft but still intimidating voice, "It is traditional for the bride and groom to share a kiss… We will fake it."

"Fake it," asked Sachiko, her jaw going crooked. "How dare he?! I'm supposed to marry him tomorrow and he wants to fake the kiss? He is so not romantic or gentlemanly… He's a big stupid asshole!!"

"I'm not interested in kissing you," he said to her coldly, "So when the kiss time comes… Do what I do so that our lips don't touch." He rose to stand, looked at her for a moment, and then left.

"You stupid, stupid boy," she screeched into her pillow. The only reason she felt safe in doing so was because she realized that no one would be able to understand her the way she was screaming.

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Standing at the altar was the last place in the world Sachiko wanted to be. She looked nervously out to the wedding guests. Tsunade sat with Shizune on the bride's side along with Rock Lee, Gai, Iruka, and Hinata. Sachiko looked to the groom's side and saw all the council members sitting there. She spotted the man that was said to be Gaara's sensei sitting with the advisors but otherwise no one else was there. Kankuro was the best man and Temari stood next to him. She looked to her Best man of Honor and her bridesmaids. Naruto seemed to be scowling at Kankuro the whole time but Sakura and Ino were giving her encouraging smiles. She looked to the man she called father. Kakashi had walked her down the aisle. She looked for comfort in his face and found he was sleeping with his eyes open. Sachiko sighed heavily.

"I said do you take this man as your husband," repeated the priest. Sachiko, apparently, had been day dreaming and missed it the first time. She cursed herself inwardly for having missed Gaara's 'I do.' She really wanted to see his facial expression, but knowing Gaara, he would have kept his composure.

"Stoic little bastard…" Sachiko smiled sweetly and said, "I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the priest, "You may now kiss the bride."

Now was the moment Sachiko was dreading. Now was the moment of the pretend kiss. Gaara's hands cupped her face, tilting it slightly. His hands felt cold and not the least bit caring. His face was close to hers now but without their lips touching. He had angled her face in such a way that they appeared to be kissing. He even went so far as to put the side of his mouth on the side of her to give the kiss more fake depth. He pulled away slowly and opened his eyes. He pretended to stare into her eyes but she could tell he was actually focusing his attention on some object behind her. The wedding guests all cheered. "At least we're not the only ones faking… They're all faking," Sachiko thought to herself bitterly as she looked out to the cheering wedding guests with a counterfeit smile plastered to her face.

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It was customary in Suna for the new bride of the Kazekage to perform a belly dance made up on the spot. Sachiko had been practicing her belly dance for the three weeks before the wedding and she had felt somewhat secure about it but as she got out to the center of the wedding reception her nerves began to frazzle. Her maids had given her a special outfit to wear and she felt very exposed in it. Sachiko was used to showing her midriff but she wasn't used to showing cleavage or so much of her legs. She breathed in heavily as the music started. She had a routine planned as well as some light works. Sachiko just hoped that the council would be impressed. She wasn't too worried about Gaara because it was like he said before, he didn't care about the marriage; this was no different.

Music that was only played in Suna sounded and Sachiko began her dance. She had a sash wrapped around her face. She had a tightly wrapped top that exposed too much cleavage, in her opinion, and probably her father's as well. Her stomach was completely bare. She wore a wrap around her hips with coins on each of its tassels. She looked like a true Suna belly dancer as she moved her hips to the music. Lightning crackled as she shook her hips and swiveled her stomach nearly expertly. Her arms motioned as erratically as the lightning flashing in the background until the song finally came close to ending.

At the last line of the song Sachiko ripped off her facial mask and threw her arms up to strike a last belly dance pose, allowing a single bolt of lightning to strike in the background. The council was incredibly pleased with her performance and clapped furiously. Sachiko's guests, of course, had the loudest applause. Kakashi looked slightly agitated that his daughter was belly dancing like that but he calmed himself down after reminding himself it was Suna's custom.

Washuu approached Sachiko and spoke, "You danced brilliantly… we made the right choice in selecting you."

"Arigato," Sachiko said with a bow as several maids rushed to her. They took her to a changing room so she could change back into her wedding kimono. She returned to the reception dressed up like a geisha with dazzling hair pieces placed strategically in her pinned up hair. "These Suna people really go all out…" She smiled nervously as she was seated next to her husband. He didn't so much as look at her as she sat. She almost felt herself getting angry again but reminded herself of whom it was she was supposed to please. "As long as the council is pleased… you're fine… They probably threw me in that skimpy outfit so Gaara would be attracted to me… And then they dress me up like a geisha… I don't see them trying to make him attractive for me… but then again this isn't about me… ugh…"

It was time for the groom and bride to slow dance. Sachiko lifted herself from her chair at a sluggish rate. Gaara held out his hand and when she took his hand it was cold as ice. She remembered back to Kiba when he had held her hand for the first time. Kiba was always warm and made her feel warm too. Gaara, though born of the desert, was the coldest creature she had come into contact with. The dance seemed to be moving at a painfully slow speed. Sachiko was relieved as soon as it ended. Gaara placed an icy hand on the small of her back, guiding her back to their seats.

"Kazekage-sama," said councilman Momiji, "Do not forget the garter." Gaara visibly grimaced at Momiji's words. Washuu brought out a chair for Sachiko to sit on as Gaara was forced to go inside her kimono to fetch the garter from her leg. Sachiko wanted to scream the minute Gaara stuck his head inside her kimono but bit her tongue to restrain herself. She could feel some sand grains rubbing against her leg where her garter was. "Cheater," she thought to herself, "You're supposed to get it with your teeth…" When Gaara came back out from underneath the kimono he had the garter in his mouth. He held her leg with one of his hands and placed the other on the ground for support as he slid the garter off with his mouth. Applause could be heard from the council members as well as the other wedding guests. Sachiko smiled weakly, she felt like fainting.

Next was the bouquet toss. Sachiko had a plan for the toss. She was going to aim it for Hinata in hopes she would catch it and Naruto would do something about it. She hadn't figured out what Naruto would do about it because she hadn't thought that far ahead but it was definitely worth a shot. Sachiko made a small prayer and threw the bouquet behind her. She had told Sakura and Ino of the plan and knew they would let Hinata catch it but there were still some other singles left like Temari and some of her friends. Sakura and Ino had kept Temari behind them by pushing back and stepping on her toes.

"Oh my," said Hinata as the bouquet fell right into her shaking hands.

"Perfect," Sachiko purred in her mind.

Gaara was to toss the garter as well. Sachiko had a little trick up her sleeve to make sure Naruto would catch it. "Hey Naruto-kun," Sachiko called to get his attention. After receiving said attention, Sachiko continued, "You have to catch the garter to prove you're my best friend."

"But we both know that 'ttebayo," Naruto said dumbly.

"Yes but not everyone knows," said Sachiko, trying to motivate the boy.

"Well who cares," Naruto said nonchalantly, "We know we're best friends and that's all that matters."

Sachiko was ready to shake him. She took hold of his shoulders and said, "Look here, Naruto-kun… You are going to catch that garter because if you don't… I won't eat ramen with you… ever."

Naruto gasped and then he scowled. "I'll catch it…! And prove our friendship…! I'm gonna break out and burn it up! Believe it!" Sachiko hoped he wasn't being serious about the burning it up part.

As soon as the garter was up in the air Naruto made a mad leap for it. Sachiko's face was beaming until he missed it. "Kuso," he said as he performed some hand seals, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Fifteen shadow clones pushed the other guys out of the way as the real Naruto searched on the floor desperately for the garter. He grinned as he reached out for it but someone stepped on it.

"Hey," Kankuro said to Naruto, "Remember what you said about not wanting to be my friend?"

"Who the hell are you," asked Naruto with a scowl.

"I remember," Kankuro said as he bent to pick up the garter. It wasn't that Kankuro had wanted the garter; he had just been waiting for an opportunity to get back at Konoha's number one knucklehead, Naruto. Sachiko knew she had to do something. She scanned her surroundings and picked up a chopstick. She threw the chopstick with great force. "Yeah! Right in the kisser!"

Kankuro yelped as he took a few steps backward and began to grab at his rear end problem. He plucked out a chopstick and turned around to go beat up whoever threw the chopstick only to find the council members staring back at him. Sachiko had used her lightning speed to commit the heinous deed. There was no way of telling she did it.

"I got it," Naruto cried as he swung the garter in the air, "I got it! I got it! Believe it!"

Sachiko smiled because it was time for Naruto and Hinata to share a dance. Hinata looked as if she might faint the entire time but Naruto was staring at the floor. Sachiko knew it wasn't out of shyness; he was just making sure not to step on her feet. Sachiko sighed. "All that work and they can't even look each other in the eyes… How are they supposed to fall in love?!"

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By the time the wedding reception was over, Sachiko was unbelievably beat. She had to admit that it was nearly her dream wedding with the exception of the groom. Tsunade had always told her that you can't have everything. Even Naruto had said, "Sachiko-chan… Life isn't Ramen King… You can't always have it your way." It was such a cheesy line yet Sachiko had resolved to agree with him even after Naruto added, "That's why you go to Ichiraku Ramen to get everything you want." She smiled at those thoughts as she walked back with Gaara to his room. The council had told Gaara and Sachiko that they would share a room now that they were married. Sachiko could tell old woman Washuu was praying for little Kazekage babies. Sachiko had to think of delicious Ichiraku ramen to keep herself from barfing from the thought.

Gaara opened the door for her and let her into his room. Sachiko took a good look around and saw that it was huge compared to the room they had given her. She stepped into the center of the room and waited for him to say something to her but he went straight to his desk to do his paperwork, wordlessly. She wasn't sure if she should try to speak with him or not but she wanted to try to be a good wife to him. They were stuck in this together now. Sachiko slowly drew nearer to him but stopped behind him. He could feel her close to him and so he looked away from his paperwork to see what it was she was doing behind his back.

"You can take a shower if you want," he said to her quietly but she shook her head to tell him that wasn't it. "What do you want?"

"You," she whispered lightly as she began to twiddle her fingers just as Hinata had that evening with Naruto.

He sighed deeply, giving her a long stare. He stood up from his chair to face her. He felt something strange going on inside of him. He had never been wanted before and this girl that had married him because she was forced to was now offering herself to him. "You're just like her," he said silently as he looked into her eyes and saw innocence, "But you're eyes… are different."

"Just like her," Sachiko asked, unsure of whom he was speaking of. Was Sabaku no Gaara in love with someone that the council wouldn't let him marry?

Gaara nodded and then spoke again, "You have the same name as her… Sachiko. Did your father pick that name out for you?"

Sachiko shook her head no. "I can't remember anything past age thirteen…"

He looked up at her suddenly, "Why?"

"I was in an accident and I lost my memory," she said slowly. When he said nothing to her she took it to mean to continue. "Hatake Kakashi took me in as his own… and then Tsunade-sama."

"If you're not from Konoha where are you from," asked Gaara, his stare was growing more intense with each passing second.

"I… I don't know," she stammered, "They said I came from Sand but I don't remember anything… Tsunade-sama said I knew you before… I can't remember that either."

"You're her… you have to be," he mumbled as he turned back to his paperwork for a moment, "You don't have your demon."

She looked at him like he was crazy. She had been told that there wasn't something right in Gaara's head but she didn't realize that they meant the Kazekage was crazy as in he said crazy things. She had just been told that he had a demon and he didn't like to talk about his past because he had a difficult childhood. "I never had a demon…"

"You did," he said, not looking away from his paperwork, "Now go to sleep." Sachiko nodded and left to change into more appropriate sleepwear. She came out from her changing room in a tank top and her bottom underwear. She knew he wasn't going to look away from his paperwork she didn't worry about being so exposed. She crawled into the bed and stared at him. "Go to sleep," he repeated after a few minutes. He never looked back at her and she couldn't understand how he knew.

"What about you," she asked him quietly from the bed.

"I don't sleep," he told her, still not looking away from his work.

"I know… they told me but… Don't you ever feel lonely?" Sachiko of Cloud had asked him the very same thing once but he refused to answer. He felt no need to answer stupid questions like that yet he turned to face her.

"Yes…" He was a bit surprised that he said that out loud and so he decided that he just wouldn't continue to talk about the matter and put an end to the conversation quickly. "Go to sleep or I might just have you… but it won't be a pleasant experience for you."

If he thought that would make Sachiko scared, he was wrong. She knew they were bound to do that stuff eventually, how long he postponed didn't matter to her. "Did you love her…?"

"Who," he asked, slightly agitated that she had taken his threat lightly.

"The girl I remind you of," she said quietly as she slowly got out of her bed and began to approach him at his desk.

He stood up from his desk to face her. His eyes fell upon her half nakedness and then rose to her own eyes. They were so full of loneliness. Perhaps her eyes were still the same. "I don't know what love is," he finally said and sat back down.

"You make it seem like you loved her," Sachiko murmured as she began to walk back to the bed but a hand grabbed her by the wrist.

Gaara pulled her very close to him, almost painfully. "I hated her," he hissed in her ear and threw her toward the bed. Lucky for Sachiko, she landed on the bed softly and didn't bump into anything else. "I don't like to talk about my past," Gaara grumbled as he sat again at his desk, "Don't bring it up and I won't get angry with you again…" Even though he wasn't looking at her, Sachiko bit her lip and nodded. She curled into the bed like a scared rabbit. It took her several minutes to fall asleep out of sheer shock but she finally did it. She always had her dreams to look forward to when reality didn't go her way.

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At two in the morning Gaara turned away from his paperwork. He carelessly threw his pen on the ground. Something was plaguing him. He stared to the girl on his bed; his wife. She was sound asleep and had kicked the sheets off. Gaara thought perhaps she had a nightmare. He had never had a dream or a nightmare himself, but he had heard about them. He sat up from his chair and walked to her as if something was moving his feet to do so. He looked on the floor and saw that her shadow was touching his. He stepped away quickly. That was how all the mess started with Sachiko. Ever since her shadow came in contact with him, Gaara couldn't keep himself away from her. He felt something boiling inside him again as he approached his sleeping wife. He crouched low at her bedside to stare at her.

"I'm going out of my mind," he said as he walked out of the room. He needed to get out of that place and go anywhere; just for an hour or so at least.

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Gaara had been wandering the hot streets of Suna for some time. No villager dared to wander out this late and so he found himself alone. He celebrated his solitude proudly as he turned the corner and found himself in an alley. He was about to turn back when he noticed a shop he had never seen before. He continued to walk down the alleyway to get a closer look at it. The lights were on in the building and a sign said, 'Open', which led to more curiosity. He opened the door slowly as bells jingled; sounding like something he had heard somewhere else before. As his eyes took in the store, a smell of delicious sweets filled his nostrils and tickled them. Gaara had forgotten to check the name of the store but it didn't matter, he could check as soon as he left. He walked further into the store, following his nose.

"Konbanwa," said a gently beautiful voice that had to have come from an angel, "Or rather, I should say Ohayo."

"Ohayo," he grunted as looked to behind the counter to see where the voice came from and found a dark haired young woman. She had teal eyes like his but he could already see that their eyes were very different. His eyes were filled with hatred and disgust. Her eyes will filled with something else entirely; innocence and purity.

"Hot out there isn't it?" He nodded slowly. Her voice was driving him insane. It was like the wind chimes Temari had set up outside her room; melodious yet free of cadence. "Oh," she said suddenly, "I've been rude… My name is Midouri and this is my candy shop. I also have other confectionaries besides candy." She walked over to the corner of her shop and pulled something out from what seemed to be a freezer. "In fact," she chirped sweetly like a canary, "This is what you're looking for." She handed him a purple colored popsicle.

"Is it grape," he asked, looking at it with disgust, still not taking it.

"Boysenberry," she replied harmoniously as she attempted to hand it to him again. This time, he took it. "It's free of charge Kazekage-sama," she said to him with delicious sounding rapture. She seemed to be looking at the time because next she said, "It's rather late… I'm going to close shop now… Make sure to read the Instructions of Consumption!"

Gaara would have stayed in the store longer to ask her questions about what she was doing selling candies and other confectionaries so early in the morning but his feet had moved without him meaning for them to. He found himself outside the candy store, looking up at the name of it. "Midouri's Candy Shop," the store read. He looked to the windows and saw that the lights were off and nobody was in there. He looked around the alley and found it completely empty. He didn't see Midouri leave the store. He shook his red head of hair and walked out of the alley and into the larger part of the streets.

His feet seemed to be taking him somewhere familiar; somewhere hidden to the village. His mouth formed an 'o' when he realized where they had taken him; in front of him stood an infant palm tree, green and fresh. Gaara guessed that some of the village workers must have replanted it after its destruction. Gaara sat underneath the tree and began to peel the wrapper off of the popsicle. Remembering to read the instructions, his eyes scanned the wrapper. It said, 'Shadow of the Day Popsicle' on the wrapper in bold. He flipped over the plastic covering and found the instructions. He read them aloud, "Instructions of Consumption: This popsicle will never melt from sunlight or heat so it can be stored for later easily but each lick melts it down like a regular popsicle would. Ants will never eat it because it is only meant for humans and they know this. Once this popsicle is finished the shadow that your figure casts will captivate…" A sudden wind blew and ripped the wrapper out of Gaara's hands. Gaara sent his sand to catch the wrapper but it missed because the wrapper had caught another current of wind. Now, Gaara wasn't about to chase the popsicle wrapper down the street like a kid would and so he didn't move from his spot. Instead, he began to lick the popsicle. He licked it slowly first, to see if he would like the taste. He decided that boysenberry was a good flavor.

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Two small hands picked up some trash from the street. The auspicious wind had carried it there to the girl, now holding the wrapper. Midouri smiled to herself. "Just like all those years ago… the same thing happened to you… Good Wind… are you that cruel as to not let them finish the Instructions of Consumption? Old friend Wind, you are a trickster…" Midouri lifted the wrapper into view. "I guess I shall finish them for old Time's sake… Once this popsicle is finished the shadow that your figure casts will captivate any person who steps in it but it only works for the first person who steps in it. The effects of the popsicle will take effect as soon as the Shadow of the Day's shadow disappears into the night."

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As Gaara finished the popsicle he stared at the stick. He remembered a time so many years ago that he had found Sachiko sitting under the palm tree. She had just finished eating her popsicle…

"All gone," Sachiko had said with a small smile as she carelessly threw the popsicle stick on the floor. She stretched herself out, making herself comfortable, and began to nap.

"Pick it up," Gaara had said to her in the voice he used to intimidate others.

He could see that he had startled her as she turned to face him. She scowled at him and got an attitude with him, "Excuse me?"

"Pick it up," Gaara repeated, adding layers of intimidation to his voice.

"Right," she muttered as she began to follow his orders.

A strong draft of wind blew, causing the popsicle stick to fly further away. Sachiko had given Gaara a dirty look as if he were the cause of it. Gaara was slightly amused at this as she grumbled, "You didn't do that did you?" She bent over to pick up the popsicle stick and then stashed the stick into her Cloud band around her waist. She walked back to her spot asking, "Happy now?"

Gaara grimaced at her words. She was always being a brat with him and if he had it his way he'd have killed her a long time ago. "Guess you're never happy," she told him as she sat back down underneath the palm tree. Gaara stood there, glaring at her. He began to wonder just how great the consequences would be for him if he killed her right then and there. "Cloud would wage war on you," she said to him as if she were a mind reader.

He crossed his arms defiantly and could help but to ask her, "For what?"

She looked up at him, no hint of remorse in her eyes. Her lips twitched a bit before she casually answered back, "It's not that they like me over there… but the current Raikage, my father, is a rash man. He'll wage war on anyone for any little thing; ask the Leaf Village, they know."

"Hn," Gaara had said in reply to this as if he didn't really care but he disappeared in a puff of smoke to get away from the girl. He had had enough of her rebelliousness.

Gaara had risen to stand after remembering that moment between he and Sachiko. She had been eating a popsicle then and he had made her regret carelessly tossing the popsicle stick on the ground. He almost smiled to himself but then he noticed light beginning to pour over the sand dunes like a tipped over champagne glass. It was best for him to return to Suna Bastion and so he set forth upon the path that would take him there.

A/N: PUM PUM PUM! What will happen next?? Hmmmm. XD

Sachiko: Well hurry up and get to writing what will happen next! I'm on the edge of my seat here! HURRY!!

Author-sama: Sachiko-chan has become so pushy after losing her memory… But very well… I shall write the next chapter straight away!

Sachiko: YES! Anyway, readers… REVIEW! This stuff is getting good!